In this lesson you'll learn about The Detailed Process by which games go from inception to their post-publication fate and what a game designer's role is throughout that process. We'll address the concept of Fulcrums of Game Design and probe the all-important ending point of every game, its Victory Conditions. Finally, we'll take a philosophical look at the components or "Units" in a game, the Game World itself, and how a designer should approach these.
The link below is the homework assignment due at the beginning of the next class session.
These links feature the supplemental material that you are responsible for knowing before the first exam (that takes place at the beginning of Week 4). Be sure to click on every link in this section!
Article: So, You Want to be a Game Designer? by Ed Bartlett
This article was originally written for the November 2000 issue of UK magazine PC Format. In it, Ed breaks it all down for your in a nice overview about what you need to know and what to expect when working as a game designer. While I don't agree with everything he says, this is an excellent primer and another perspective that you should note.
Article: A Perfect Short Game by Ernest Adams
Ernest Adams looks at Digital Eel's PC indie game Strange Adventures In Infinite Space, which he calls "a perfect example of Trip Hawkins' old maxim: simple, hot, and deep."
These supplemental links are worth pursuing only if you wish to really learn the subject matter of game design in the broadest possible sense. This material will not be directly included in the exams, but if you're serious about being a game designer and delving deeply into the subject of game design art, craft, and science, here's some more lessons from others who have also "been there."
Article: The World's Most Controversial Board Games by blogger Deputydog
When you consider Political Correctness in your choice of subject matter for game designs, you probably don't want to go where these games have gone! Some of these games are just so wrong on so many levels. I'm sure that their reviews included phrases like "morally reprehensible..."
Article: 10 Steps to Designing a Game by James F. Dunnigan
Here is another look at the Game Project Sequence. Written for analog simulation games, you might find it a very useful refresher for what is about to happen with your Graded Course Project game.
Interview: Bruce Shelley of Ensemble Studios.
Although this interview is supposed to be about their Age of Empires game, Bruce sums up a great deal of design technique and philosophy. The use of board games to make computer games, his working with Sid Meier, and Ensemble Studio's business philosophy are are succinctly explained.
Debate: The Battle of the Game Designers
This debate makes important game design philosophies the subject of a lively discussion.
Article: A Primer for the Design Process, Part 1: What to Do by Tim Huntsman
This primer for the design process is broken into three separate sections: Do, Think, and Need. This first article explains what you need to do to get ready to make a game, the second looks at what you need to think about while you're making the game, and the final piece examines what you'll need to do the task.
Article: A Primer for the Design Process, Part 2: What to Think About by Tim Huntsman
Article: A Primer for the Design Process, Part 3: What You Need by Tim Huntsman
Article: Replayability, Part 2: Game Mechanics by Ernest Adams
Obviously, the single most important contributor to a game's replayability is its playability in the first place. If a game is badly balanced, if it has a poor user interface, if it seems to be lacking essential features, then it's not going to be much fun to play, much less to play again. But there are specific design considerations that influence a game's re-playability...
Article: What Kind of Designer Are You? by Ernest Adams
This is a light-hearted but insightful look at the types of personalities who design games and the types of games they tend to design. You'll probably find yourself in this list somewhere (though you may not know it yet).
Bibliography: General Course References
These are the games that we played and analyzed in class this week. If you want more information about them or wish to purchase a copy, see the links below:
Ancients
is an introductory war game that simulates pre-gun power era battles.
Independent game designer Bill Banks has provided a brilliant example of the
first rule of game design (K.I.S.S.), taking a complex subject and reducing it
to its most basic, simple elements. The game is available as a free download by
clicking on the link.
You can print out a copy of the classroom Ancients rules for extra credit (see the extra credit link for details).
FLUXX
is the game with almost no rules to start with, just "Draw 1, Play 1." But from
there you build up the rules, variations, and even victory conditions as you
play so that silliness and strategy abound. This is another game that you can
get just about any group of people to play. It's a brilliant lesson in
simplicity and a new take on victory conditions (which change constantly during
play).
Where can you get these games?
