GDEV20-03-ExperienceDrivenDesign.pdf

Putting the “You” in “Fun” Experience-Driven Design Lecture Time! MDA Framework: Exploring the Relationship Between Players and Designers Elemental Tetrad: Not Everyone has Internet... or a Computer Designer-Player Relationship Designer – CREATES the game Player – CONSUMES the game Games a...

Putting the “You” in “Fun” Experience-Driven Design Lecture Time! MDA Framework: Exploring the Relationship Between Players and Designers Elemental Tetrad: Not Everyone has Internet... or a Computer Designer-Player Relationship Designer – CREATES the game Player – CONSUMES the game Games are products, just like: Movies Books Food Vehicles https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Hamburger_sandwich.jpg Games as Products Design, testing, marketing, etc. They're all part of the process! Expectation: use product as intended https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Crocs_escalator_safety_warning_sign.jpg Expectations Food will be eaten Stories in books and movies are linear Movies, in particular, progress at a certain speed and finish after a certain time “I can drive” != “I can drive, but it has to be a ” Example: A Theatrical Play The “design team” knows the play's: Script Lighting Acoustics Seating Intermissions And more https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Drama-icon.svg/2000px-Drama-icon.svg.png Example: A Theatrical Play Much control and planning is required for execution to be perfect, or even just successful They even know the date and time of each performance! But What About a Game? As a designer, can you give an exact answer to the following questions: When will the player play? How often? How long? Where will the player play? With whom? What will happen in the game? But What About a Game? Some control is now placed in the player's hands And the player is (usually) not part of your design team And it is the player's experience of the game that will determine how “good” the game is But What About a Game? However, that’s the nature of games This lack of predictability can even be said to be the essence of play VS Media Player Classic Home Cinema UI, Steam icon But What About a Game? Would you play a game: That was not interactive? That threw the same challenges at you, over and over again? If you knew everything that was going to happen in-game, down to the spawn locations? Replayability = Randomness? Stories ___ Games Is there a difference between stories and games? Does anything change when it comes to stories in games? What about stories about games? Stories Single-threaded experiences that can be enjoyed by an individual Storytellers Books Plays Movies etc. A story is a sequence of events that someone relates to someone else Games Experiences with many possible outcomes that can be enjoyed by a group or, in some cases, an individual Children's games Gambling Sports Video games etc. Stories = Games (?) Enjoyment = Fun Perhaps they’re not that different after all Can the eight kinds of fun be found in stories, too? The Audience Feel It Too Sensation Depends on the story’s medium? Fantasy Can be make-believe also? Narrative Events still unfold dramatically? Discovery New stories versus old stories? Does the Audience Feel It Too? Fellowship With the rest of the audience? Storyteller? Submission No real rule set other than to let the story be told Trying to Push It? Challenge Difficulty of understanding the story? Expression On the storyteller’s part? Stories and Games There are enough similarities that lessons learned from storytelling and its medium-specific variants can be used in games There are enough differences to warrant a closer look at the so-called story/game duality Which states that stories and games are governed by different rules Stories in Games Stories do something to enhance gameplay, but what is that something? Most games have some kind of strong story element, and games with no story element at all are rare Stories in games can be epic tales but can also be incredibly subtle Even games with no story built in them tend to inspire players to make up a story to give the game context Stories about Games And there is something to be said about games that allow players to tell tales of their exploits Even if those adventures have nothing to do with the actual plot of the game Remember that a story is a sequence of events told by someone else For more information, look up the game design concept “story machine” Traditional Storytelling Non-interactive stories; audience is (supposedly) completely passive Mechanics of traditional storytelling are innate to the human ability to communicate and are (supposedly) nullified by interactivity Interactive Storytelling The meaning of this term may change depending on who you ask We'll use this term for "games with stories" Outside of this class, this term can be used to refer to the "official" research/field in digital entertainment where the storyline is not predetermined and the narrative is self-generated Differences Between traditional storytelling and interactive storytelling? Lots. Between experiencing a traditional story and an interactive story? Just one: The participant's ability to take action Similarities Thoughts when one is engaged in any kind of storyline, interactive or not: "What will happen next?" "What should the hero do?" "Where did Alice go?" "Don't open that door!" Similarities The desire to take action is still there The thoughts and emotions that go with that are still there A masterful storyteller knows how to create this desire and knows exactly how and when (and when not) to fulfill it Similarities Both games and stories are experiences We want our audience to experience something And whatever we create, we create with this in mind Planning Ahead... For Real “How do I make a game that is fun for the player?” Difficult to answer, but the “answer” can be “used” as early as the game's design phase Maybe we should look at our own experience as gamers From the Player's Perspective Player buy a shiny new game Then what happens? Start from the beginning! From the Player's Perspective Open the game box / download a digital distribution From the Player's Perspective Open the game box / download a digital distribution Insert disc and/or install the game From the Player's Perspective Open the game box / download a digital distribution Insert disc and/or install the game Run game From the Player's Perspective Open the game box / download a digital distribution Insert disc and/or install the game Run game Learn how to play https://memegenerator.net/ From the Player's Perspective Open the game box / download a digital distribution Insert disc and/or install the game Run game Learn how to play Play like a n00b https://memegenerator.net/ From the Player's Perspective … Learn how to play Play like a n00b Learn more in-depth strategies, perhaps via trial-and-error, gamefaqs.com, youtube, etc. From the Player's Perspective … Learn how to play Play like a n00b Learn more in-depth strategies, perhaps via trial-and-error, gamefaqs.com, youtube, etc. Play like a pro “Consuming” Games The game has rules Established by the game designer This, in turn, leads to the game's system Entities in the game interacting with one another through their behaviors, as dictated by the rules Finally, the player derives fun from interacting with the game's system Experience-Driven Design LEVEL UP That thing we call “fun” is a feeling, an experience Experience-Driven Design The question now becomes: “How do I make a game that imparts a certain experience to the player?” Remember, fun is a subjective experience “What kind of experience do I want players to have?” Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek come to our rescue with a more formal (and more reliable) approach MDA Framework Rules = Mechanics The rules that formally specify the game as a system System = Dynamics The run-time behavior of the game as a system “Fun” = Aesthetics The desirable emotional responses evoked by the game dynamics  MDA Framework Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics From the Player's Perspective Mechanics – tutorials “So if I press this button, my character...” “Is that the condition to…” etc. From the Player's Perspective Dynamics – problem solving “Ah, so to achieve that, I have to do this, but there's something blocking the way...” “So what would happen if I brought more of those instead of…” etc. From the Player's Perspective Aesthetics – what matters in the end “Wow, by going through all that, I feel so...” “It really does put me in the shoes of…” etc. To reaffirm this experience, players will constantly look to the game's underlying dynamics and mechanics Feature-Driven Design More features means better software, right? Using Messenger or Discord would be less convenient if the OS could only run one application at a time Spreadsheet program users benefit greatly from being able to use functions Players have an easier time playing their games when they can customize their UI Add more characters, levels, abilities, etc. From the Designer's Perspective Mechanics – features “Let's add the ability to...” Dynamics – how the feature will be used “Since the ability does this, let's add a situation where...” Aesthetics – the result “... I hope this works.” Are You Not Entertained? Feature-driven design works well in software But that's not really our business, is it? Experience-Driven Design We start with aesthetics! What kind of game do you want to make? What story do you want to tell? What experience do you want your players to have? From the Designer's Perspective Aesthetics – objective “When players play this game, I want them to feel...” “I want my players to know what it’s like to be a…” etc. From the Designer's Perspective Dynamics – what makes the experience “To achieve that, the following should happen in the game...” “This situation will really highlight the…” etc. From the Designer's Perspective Mechanics – rules “For that system to work, these entities should be able to do this thing with this much...” “The following player actions should be allowed…” etc. Example “I want to make a game where you get to discover lots of things and witness a really cool story!” Aesthetics: Discovery, Narrative Dynamics: Expose player to new things as part of progression, plot must be gripping enough for the player Example (Continued) Mechanics: Each level has many treasure chests, one contains a level-specific item that players must learn how to use in order to progress to the next level. As the protagonist, the player must collect these items and go deeper into unexplored territory to find out who he/she really is and why these items react to him/her, etc. Is Something Missing? Traditionally, the mechanics (as system rules) in the MDA framework refer to only one type of game element What about graphics and sounds? What about the input device? What about the hardware? What about the characters? What about the story? Is Something Missing? In the MDA framework, the game is viewed as a formal system As such, it appears to simply accept input and provide output But does the player experience rely solely on providing input and observing output? Jesse Schell's Elemental Tetrad Jesse Schell's Elemental Tetrad Mechanics – see MDA slides These are the procedures and rules of your game, including the goal of the game Story – linear, branching, etc. This is the narrative component of your game, and simply refers to the sequence of plot events Jesse Schell's Elemental Tetrad Aesthetics – NOT the same as the one in the MDA framework This is the look and feel (and tone and smell and taste) of your game Technology – pen & paper VS computer This refers to the materials and interactions that make your game possible Jesse Schell's Elemental Tetrad Good game designers must consider all four elements Does the game use all four elements? Can the game be improved by enhancing one or more elements? Are the four elements in harmony: reinforcing each other and working together toward a common theme? Jesse Schell's Elemental Tetrad We already know that what is important is the experience What elements of the game make the experience enjoyable? What elements of the game detract from the experience? How can the elements be changed to improve the experience? Example “I want to make a game where you get to discover lots of things and witness a really cool story!” Aesthetics: Each level has a unique climate/environment, but they all give the “untouched by mankind” vibe Mechanics: Each level has many treasure chests, one contains a level-specific item that players must learn how to use in order to progress to the next level Example (Continued) Story: Player must collect these items and go deeper into unexplored territory to find out who he/she really is and why these items react to him/her Technology: At the very least, accompanying visual media must support graphic quality demanded by aesthetic Does it have to be a video game? All Elements are Equally Important! Visibility (or lack thereof) to the players does not equate to importance Awesome graphics and sound help a game, but they don't define it No one cares (that much) if you're using the latest Foxtekrealimmunity engine But we do have our biases... Mechanics Game designers People who like complexity in their games Aesthetics Artists People who like nice-looking/sounding/feeling/etc. stuff But we do have our biases... Technology Engineers People who like to push the limits of current tech Story Writers People who like a good story Still Think Games are Trivial? Books are entertaining, but is literature trivial? Movies are entertaining, but is film study trivial? Plays are entertaining, but is theater trivial? Still Think Games are Trivial? The primary purpose of games is still entertainment Showcasing of technology tends to be an extra objective, often as a step towards this primary goal Is entertainment trivial? Still Think Games are Trivial? “You're a game designer? Why don't you get a REAL job that pays more?” “Stop playing games. Do something else that requires you to actually think.” “Why don't you take up music or sports instead? At least you get some exercise instead of sitting around all day.” Still Think Games are Trivial? Did I mention that the video game industry is a multi-billion dollar industry? You know, $$$ If I wasn't thinking, I'd be spamming the same button/ability over and over again This is why we'll cover something later called meaningful play Should I buy an omnidirectional treadmill for my virtual reality games? It's Time to Take Games Seriously Education: Too many to list, not all are video games Mathematics: Theorycrafting for best-in-slot gear, optimal command rotation, etc. in complex RPGs Marketing: Some companies offer in-game advertising spots for non-game products, election campaigns, etc. inside their online game worlds It's Time to Take Games Seriously Health/Medicine: Wii/Kinect/Move/etc. (exercise), SnowWorld (pain distraction), Foldit (biochemistry) Business: Video games = multi-billion dollar industry Because everyone likes $$$ Social: Multiplayer = icebreaker, bonding time, etc. Endogenous? Not Entirely So! Playing games is fun and rewarding, sometimes beyond its endogenous meaning Improve hand-eye coordination Make friends (or enemies) Simulate an activity that you'd probably never do in real life Possibly in a ridiculous but fun manner Since We're in Game Design Love games but feel like playing games not enough? Then make games! Isn't that why you're here? Which brings us to our game pitch deliverable Up next: Design decisions and trade-offs