20 Questions
What do game mechanics define?
How play progresses and what conditions determine victory or defeat
According to Ernest Adams, what is an essential feature of games?
Arbitrary rules
How do Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman define a game?
A system with artificial conflict
What will you have a clear understanding of by the end of the chapter?
What game mechanics are for and how to think about designing them
What does Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman define as resulting from artificial conflict?
Quantifiable outcome
Which aspect of games do most definitions agree on?
Rules as an essential feature
According to Jesper Juul's definition in Half-Real, what is a game?
A system with a variable and quantifiable outcome
In the context of games, what do rules determine?
What players can do and how the game will react
How are state machines described in the context of games?
Hypothetical machines that can exist in different states, each with rules for transitioning to other states
What does the game's state usually reflect?
The player's location, allies, enemies, and distribution of vital game resources
What do finite state machines allow computer scientists to do?
Design, model, and implement state machines with a limited (finite) number of states
According to the text, what type of processes are called stochastic in games and simulations?
Processes that include elements of chance
What do many single-player video games reflect when they reach an end state?
Whether the player wins, loses, or quits
In the context of games, what does a state machine determine?
Which rules cause the game to progress from one state to another
What does Jesper Juul emphasize as being crucial for exerting influence on the outcome in games?
The player's effort
How are games and game components often understood according to the text?
As state machines
What data structure is considered the 'hello world' data structure in some settings?
Binary Search Trees
What is a possible solution in C++ for counting the number of times each word occurs in a large text?
Using maps
Which data structure is mentioned in 'Programming Pearls' in the context of counting the number of times each word occurs in a large text?
Binary Search Trees
In some functional settings, what are the elementary building blocks used to create arrays and other data structures?
Linked lists
Study Notes
Game Mechanics and Definitions
- Game mechanics define the rules and procedures that guide the gameplay experience.
- According to Ernest Adams, an essential feature of games is the existence of conflict or challenge.
- Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman define a game as a system in which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined by rules, which results in a quantifiable outcome.
Game State and Machines
- The game's state usually reflects the current situation or status of the game.
- Rules determine the possible states of a game and the transitions between them.
- State machines are described as a mathematical model that can be in one of a finite number of states.
- Finite state machines allow computer scientists to model and analyze complex systems.
Game Characteristics
- Many single-player video games reflect the player's progress when they reach an end state.
- Jesper Juul emphasizes that players must exert influence on the outcome in games, typically through decision-making and action.
Data Structures and Programming
- The hash table data structure is considered the 'hello world' data structure in some settings.
- A possible solution in C++ for counting the number of times each word occurs in a large text is to use a hash table.
- In 'Programming Pearls', a hash table is mentioned as a solution for counting the number of times each word occurs in a large text.
- In some functional settings, the elementary building blocks used to create arrays and other data structures are tuples and linked lists.
Test your knowledge of game mechanics design with this quiz based on Chapter 1 of designing game mechanics. Explore the five types of game mechanics, their applications in video game genres, and the process of designing and prototyping mechanics.
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