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Pre-Game Show:

Pre-Game Show Rules for 3-to-15: Two players alternate turns. On your turn, pick a number from 1 to 9 You may not pick a number that has already been picked by either player. If you have a set of exactly 3 numbers that sum to 15, you win. Formal Design Tools: Emergent Complexity, Emergent Narrative

Pre-Game Show:

Formal Design Tools:

Formal Design Tools Emergent Complexity, Emergent Narrative A rant by MAHK GDC 2000

Q: What is the most over-used word in all of game design?:

Q: What is the most over-used word in all of game design?

Q: What is the most over-used word in all of game design?:

Q: What is the most over-used word in all of game design? A: 'Fun'

Down with “Fun!”:

Down with 'Fun!' A short list of 'fun' games: Acrophobia EverQuest Sim City Starcraft You Don’t Know Jack Tetris Alpha Centauri Quake Myst FreeCell When trying to make good games, 'fun' only gets you so far.

Formal Design Tools:

Rules, Models, and Techniques Formal Design Tools Well-defined Abstract (i.e. cross-genre) Day-to-day utility Well-understood application context Lenses, not value statements

Lecture Overview:

Lecture Overview A few more words on 'Fun' Games as Complex Systems Aesthetics of Emergent Complexity Emergent Narrative Creating and Managing Emergent Complexity Largely Taxonomical

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun”:

A Brief Taxonomy of 'Fun'

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun”:

A Brief Taxonomy of 'Fun' 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun”:

A Brief Taxonomy of 'Fun' 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun”:

A Brief Taxonomy of 'Fun' 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun”:

A Brief Taxonomy of 'Fun' 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama 4. Challenge Game as obstacle course

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun”:

A Brief Taxonomy of 'Fun' 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama 4. Challenge Game as obstacle course 5. Fellowship Game as social framework

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun”:

A Brief Taxonomy of 'Fun' 1. Sensation Game as sense-pleasure 2. Fantasy Game as make-believe 3. Narrative Game as drama 4. Challenge Game as obstacle course 5. Fellowship Game as social framework 6. Discovery Game as uncharted territory

A Brief Taxonomy of “Fun”:

Part 1: Games as Complex Systems:

Rules Input Output (Player) (Graphics/Sound) The 'State Machine' Model Part 1: Games as Complex Systems

Definitions:

Definitions Properties that cannot be simply inferred from a system’s rules. Emergent Complexity ('Emergence') A system that possesses or exhibits emergent complexity. Complex System

Example: Conway’s Game of Life:

Example: Conway’s Game of Life The Rules: A grid of cells, each cell is either 'alive' or 'dead.' Each cell has 8 neighbors. Count each cell’s live neighbors 2 or 3: Stay alive Exactly 3: Become alive This is called a 'Cellular Automaton.'

Conway’s Life is a Complex System:

Conway’s Life is a Complex System Static Patterns: Block, Honeycomb Dynamic Patterns: Blinker Moving Patterns: Glider Patterns of Patterns: Beehive, Glider Gun The rules are inadequate to describe the system’s behavior.

Examples in Games:

Examples in Games Chess: Attack andamp; Defense, Discovered Check, Knight Fork, etc. Go: Eyes, Life andamp; Death patterns, Tesuji Magic: The Gathering: Card Combos, Deck Archetypes EverQuest: 'Trains,' 'Kiting,' 'Kill-stealing'

Part 2: Aesthetics of Emergence:

Part 2: Aesthetics of Emergence What makes Emergent Complexity 'fun?'

Emergence and Discovery:

Emergence and Discovery The emergent properties of the system form an explorable space. More complexity means more space.

Emergence and Challenge:

Emergence and Challenge A game’s emergent properties form its 'strategic vocabulary.' New scenarios and obstacles can emerge.

Emergence and Narrative:

Emergence and Narrative So there I was...

Emergence and Narrative:

Emergence and Narrative Narrative emerges from game events. Complexity gives you infinite monkeys. A game’s fantasy gives meaning to the narrative.

Emergent vs. Embedded Narrative:

Emergent vs. Embedded Narrative Emergent narrative occurs as short vignettes. Embedded (Authored) narrative works well for major story arcs.

Narrative in Thief:

Narrative in Thief Embedded narrative: serves as a 'frame' for interaction. limited to short, discrete, non-interactive moments. (Also consider: letter-boxing of Zelda 64 cutscenes) During the actual gameplay, narrative is largely emergent.

Emergence and Fantasy:

Emergence and Fantasy Emergent properties don’t necessarily support the metaphor. Contradictions are common, creating absurd fantasies.

Slide31:

Absurd Fantasy Trouble Spots:

Absurd Fantasy Trouble Spots Sci-Fi/Fantasy simulations Simulation reveals flaws andamp; side effects Sports Sims Emergent properties must be replicated faithfully.

Other Perils of Emergence:

Other Perils of Emergence Degenerate strategies ('exploits') Unintended feedback systems. Overly stable Overly unstable

There’s no substitute for playtest!:

There’s no substitute for playtest! Prototype early Playtest often

Quick Summary:

Quick Summary Emergence can create: Discovery Challenge Narrative Fantasy (tricky) Unexamined: Sensation Fellowship Expression Masochism

Part 3: Models of Complex Games:

Part 3: Models of Complex Games How do we make these things?

Common Characteristics:

Common Characteristics Individual elements are simple. Rich interactions Game state has many elements. Random initial conditions. Complexity does not mean lots of rules.

Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous:

Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Homogeneous: Many similar elements (Life) Heterogeneous: Many distinct elements (Magic: The Gathering) A Spectrum, not a Dichotomy Most modern games are heterogeneous.

Creating Complex Systems:A Heterogeneous Approach:

Creating Complex Systems: A Heterogeneous Approach Create multiple systems. Keep individual systems simple. Create interactions ('cross-terms') between systems. Focus on system interaction, not system complexity.

Examples:

Examples Magic: Creature Combat, Card Economy Civilization: Unit Movement/Combat, City Sim, Diplomacy Thief: AI behavior, Sound Propagation, Combat Individual systems are mini-games, but don’t stand on their own.

Tiered System Structure:

Tiered System Structure Create a few solid 'foundation' systems. Build a second tier of cross-term-inducing features. Foundation remains fixed, while the second tier grows over development time. Examples Thief: Lockpicking Magic: Enchantments Civilization: Tech

Tiered System Structure:

Tiered System Structure Foundation systems will survive the development process. Enables incremental development of second tiers. Landmarks for system exploration.

System Interactions: Feed-In:

System Interactions: Feed-In One system’s state directly controls the rules or parameters of another. Magic: Card Economy feeds into Combat Alpha Centauri: Diplomacy feeds into Economy.

Bi-directional Feed-in is Feedback:

Bi-directional Feed-in is Feedback Stable: Resist change (Thermostat) Unstable: Amplify change (Snowball effect)

System Interactions: Resource Exchange:

System Interactions: Resource Exchange Resources serve as a medium for system interaction.

Resource Exchange: Competition:

Resource Exchange: Competition Two systems consume the same resource. Magic: Spells andamp; Creatures compete for mana.

Resource Exchange: Transmission:

Resource Exchange: Transmission One system produces a resources that another consumes. Civilization: Cities produce units; Combat consumes them.

Resource Exchange: Transformation:

Resource Exchange: Transformation A system converts one resource into another Starcraft: Repairs turn raw materials into hit points.

Resources are Energy:

Resources are Energy Energy can be created by Production Transformation Transformation 'arbitrage' Exploits can manifest as 'energy spikes.'

Preventing Energy Spikes:

Preventing Energy Spikes Build in time constraints to: Production Transformation Understand and tune your exchange rates. It’s OK to grow, just don’t grow too quickly.

Summary:

Summary Emergence can create: Challenge, Discovery, Narrative Emergence can thwart Fantasy. Create Cross-terms between simple systems Feed-in Resource exchange

More Info:

More Info These slides: www2.lglass.com/~mahk My email: mahk@lglass.com 'Complexification' by John Casti ISBN: 0-06-16888-9 Life32: psoup.math.wisc.edu/Life32.html