Gamasutra notes.

Gaming fuses design,art,audio,level,code etc. Most of the disciplines are evolving. Design however is not evolving anywhere near as fast.

A lack of vocabulary plays a significant part in this.because designers have trouble discussing design on a complex level.

The vocabulary mustbe able to describe common concepts in very different games. Formal abstract design tools are an attempt to create a framework for such vocabulary.

'design tools' is straight forward. The Formal abstract rules out terms that are too vague such as 'that is cool' the abstract rules out terms like '+2 to elves attack' since that only makes sense in the content of 1 game.

These tools are not like building blocks. You cannot add a bunch of these tools to a game to make it good. you must make sure it goes well with the experiences the game is trying to create and whether it clashes with any of the other mechanics.

Mario 64
Mario 64 gives players a lot of choice of what to do. Often stopping the player from either becoming stuck or getting bored because they are justvc waiting to find what's on the next screen.

It gives players multiple goals in each world. Often the earliest one has the player travel through most of the world showing them points that will be important in later levels as well as allowing players to learn the way around.

The game gives player very simple and consistent controls. and power-ups and similar mechanics are all consistent.

With Mario players are made to feel control and encouraged to set goals for themselves. This is as a FADT is known as intention

'INTENTION: Making an implementable plan of one's own creation in response to the current situation in the game world and one's understanding of the game play options.'

When the player performs the action and fails it is very clear why the action failed. this in FADT terms is known as perceivable consequence.

'PERCEIVABLE CONSEQUENCE: A clear reaction from the game world to the action of the player.'

RPGs often use perceivable consequence  by literally stating why a story event has occurred. sometimes however RPGs make actions that a direct results of a players actions seem random. sometimes RPGs have choices in which the consequences are perceivable but the player has no way of knowing which choice will have the negative effect. Players often dislike these circumstances.

In Mario perceivable consequence is used to reduce frustration of the player. It is best if a RPG player is given the choice to perform a action with a negative consequences rather than forcing the action upon the player.

Perceivable consequence is often sacrificed for story by giving the designer a greater control over the narrative. Story doesn't quite mean the same thing in video games as it does in books. In games the term means the narrative thread of the game. While some games have a predetermined story much in the same way as a book. Yet in sports games the narrative of the game is how the match went.

'STORY: The narrative thread, whether designer-driven or player-driven, that binds events together and drives the player forward toward completion of the game.'

Adventure games have very little perceivable consequence. The lack of perceivable consequence also allows a designer to create a much more controlled story. The two mechanics clash.

In games like final fantasy. the story is very controlled but players are given full control over combat meaning the players do not lack intention and consequence. the designers can use all three tools by not using them simultaneously.  

Paidea Vs Ludus and 4 types of games.

Newman  describes 4 different categories of games in his book 'Videogames'. The four categories are agon (competitive), alea (chance based), ilinx (movement) and mimicry (role-play/simulation).  These categories describe the what the player ultimately gets from the game and why it is enjoyable. Newman also discusses the idea that games can be described as ludus games (rule heavy games) and paidea games(rule light/free games). different games and fall into any of the catergoies and will also fall into the scale between ludus and paidea games.

A good of example of a agon is the the popular competitive online multiplayer game 'Starcraft 2'. Starcarft 2 has 2 players each start off at a similar level and try to compete over resources to build a stronger army and destroy each other. it is very much a ludus game since it gives strict rules and also requires strict adherence to special build orders in order to play competitively however because the fanbase is so large some players decide to invent custom ways of playing the game which means it can have aspects of peidea. Not all agon games are online though since you can also compete with the game itself  thsi is highly prevalent in dungeon crawler games like 'Diablo' and 'Torchlight'

The recent game 'FTL: Faster Than Light' can fall into the category of alea. The game has players take control of the spaceship and go through a series of random encounters on a quest to beat the enemy flagship at the end of the galaxy. Slot machines also fall into the category of alea but as opposed to FTL are paidea games. Slot machines are very typical of paidea in that they are largely played for simple gratification rather than trying to achieve some kind of victory.

The classic example of the ilinx category of game is the platforming 'Sonic the Hedgehog' series. The series puts a heavy emphasis on gaining and maintaining speed throughout the level. This sense of speed can bevery entertaining in and of itself. The game assassins creed can when played a certain way be described as a paidea ilinx game. Though normally assassins creed gives a set of controlled missions to play the player may choose to instead explore the surrounding area while using the character's parkour skills to get a sense of movement.

An example of a mimicry game is the football manager group of games. In these games the player acts as if he were a manager of a team and make decisions for the team. The game is a very structured one and is therefore ludus.

Interview

Interview.


What is the title of the book you are currently reading?
I am currently reading 1984. A somewhat famous book that explores the concept of the authoritarian state. The ideas put forward in the book that was written in 1949 are still referenced in politics today.

What is the title of the last non-fiction book you read?
The God delusion. A book that  attempts to show that the claim that God exists is false.

What is the last live performance you attended?
A friend's sixth form performance of the jukebox musical 'we will rock you'. A musical that uses the music of Queen.

How often do you read the newspaper?
I've never gotten into newspapers. The medium is fast becoming obsolete.

Which museum did you last visit?
British science museum.

How many hours do you spend a week playing video games?
Before the course about 30 but now the course has started I only have time for about 12 hours.



How many hours a week do you spend playing games other than video games?
Before the course I only very rarely played a non-digital game but now the course has started I spend couple of hours a week playing them.