class: center, middle # Creación de Videojuegos ### Game Design --- class: center, middle # Games as Systems --- # What is a System? A system is * a group of * interacting, * interrelated, and * interdependent * components --- # What is a System? A system is * a group of * interacting, * interrelated, and * interdependent * <b>components</b> --- # Components? ## What do we have in a game? * Objects * Attributes * Relationships * Environment --- class: middle, center # Components? ## What do we have in a game? Super Mario --- class: small # Components * Objects - Player - Enemies (Goomba, Koopa Troopa) - Items (Mushroom, coin, flower) - Level geometry - Score, lives - Buttons (input) * Attributes - Where is Mario? Is he in the air (jumping)? - Is Mario small/large? - Which way is the Goomba facing? - Is the Koopa Troopa in its shell? * Relationships - Pressing buttons makes Mario move/jump/shoot - Mushroom makes Mario grow - Jumping on Goomba destroys it - Running into Goomba makes the player lose a life and start over - Coins give points * Environment - NES: Controller, memory, TV screen - Single player, local multiplayer --- class: small # Framing * Formal - View the game as a set of rules - Closed off from the outside environment - Super Mario gameplay * Experiental - View the game as an experience for the players - Not about the mechanics, but about the effect they have on the player - Super Mario as a test of skill/reaction time * Cultural - View the game as a cultural artifact - Impact of the game on society/culture - Super Mario as a pioneer in video games - Impact of gender dynamics: Mario rescuing the princess --- # Rules: Game Mechanics The game mechanics describe the interactions between the objects in detail * Controls * Friendly behavior * Enemy behavior * Level behavior * Win/loss conditions, scoring --- # Controls Controls are easy: * Left/right make Mario move left/right * Button A makes Mario jump * Button B makes Mario shoot a fireball -- But Mario can not always shoot fireballs? --- class: small # Interaction Let's add an interaction rule: * If Mario collides with a fire flower power-up ... -- Actually, we need something to interact with: * Attribute: Mario can have the "shoot" ability (bool) * If Mario collides with a fire flower power-up he gets the shoot ability * If Mario collides with an enemy, and he has the shoot ability, he loses it --- # Controls Controls are (now) easy: * Left/right make Mario move left/right * Button A makes Mario jump * Button B makes Mario shoot a fireball <b>if Mario has the shoot ability</b> --- # Enemy Behavior: AI! (sort of) What does a Goomba do? * Face left initially (attribute) * Walk * If a wall is hit (interaction with the level!), flip 180 degrees * Keep walking -- I would not call this "AI", but what is important is that it <b>plays well</b> --- # Summary * Games consist of objects, attributes and interactions, and are situtated in an environment * The mechanics define the rules by which objects interact and change their attributes * Game design consists of defining these interactions * Important: Player experience (we will talk about this in a future class) --- class: middle, center # How could we modify Super Mario? --- class: middle, center # How could we modify Super Mario? <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SaoHMjS04vU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> <a href="http://stabyourself.net/mari0/">stabyourself.net/mari0</a> --- class: center, middle # Goals ## What do we want the player to do? --- class: medium # Goals * Reach the end of the level/section/story chapter * Win a particular game/combat - Can be combined with a "metagame" - Many PvP online games do this * Quests/incremental advantages/scoring * Don't give the player any particular goal at all (sandbox) * Combinations --- # Levels, sections, chapters * Linear progression * Easy to define * Can control player experience more finely * Players are now asking for more autonomy * Level-based design can still work well! --- # Game/combat wins * Typically for competitive games * Each game is self-contained * Outside progression adds a meta-game * Often tied to monetization strategy - Win games to unlock characters/weapons/cosmetic items - Or buy them * Can also be used as a teaching tool --- # Quests/incremental advantages/scoring * Kill monsters until it gets hard * Get a better weapon * Killing monsters is easier again * Repeat * Taken to the extreme: Idle games --- # Sandbox * Create a world with many options * Let the players choose what to do * Typically there is some conflict present --- # Combinations * Scoring and levels: Improve on simple binary win/lose * Quests and sandbox: Guide player * Incremental advantage and levels: Make future levels easier * Meta-game in combat-based games often provides incremental advantages or points --- # Resources * Salen, Katie, and Zimmerman, Eric. *Rules of play: Game design fundamentals*. MIT press, 2004.