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David Javelosa
javelosa_david@smc.edu

Copyright © 2004-2014 David Javelosa unless otherwise stated.

 Material based on Game Design Workshop
Copyright © 2004-2008 Tracy Fullerton
used by permission of author
week 10 - fun and accessibility
Next Week: Mid Term Quiz and Design Document Project Due:

Game Design Project #1 - Individual Game Designs OR Document Team Game Project

Using the iterative process of designing, playtesting and revising a game system, generate a Game Design Document formalizing and describing your game.

Project will be graded on the following criteria:
- formal elements
- dramatic elements
- rule presentation
- playtesting process
- overall design

Grades at the "A" level will require more than these minimums. The more original the design, the better the grade.

Sample Design Document Template

fun and accessibility by design


Is Your Game Fun????

Challenge
- Reaching and exceeding goals
- Competing agains opponents
- Stretching personal limits
- Exercising Difficult skills
- Making interesting choices

Play
- Living out fantasies
- Social interactions
- Exploration and discover
- Collection
- Stimulation
- Self-expression and performance
- Contruction and destruction

Story
Examples
- EverQuest
- Monopoly
- Tetris


Improving Player Choices

Decision Scale (pyramid 272)
- critical
- important
- necessary
- minor
- inconsequential

Decision Types
- hollow
- obvious
- uninformed
- informed
- dramatic
- weighted
- immediate
- long-term

Dilemmas

the payoff matrix (274-279)

 
choosing strategy
cutting strategy   choose bigger piece choose smaller piece
cut evenly get slightly bigger piece get slightly smaller piece
cut unevenly get bigger piece get smaller piece

Puzzles
- Putting choices into context
- puzzles are not needed for conflict
- puzzles can advance plot line

Rewards & Punishment
- motivation for play

Anticipation
- dramatic suspens as motivation

Surprise
- dramatic diversion

Progress
- sense of accomplishment

The End
- sense of closure


Fun KILLERS!!

Micromanagement

Stagnation

Impossible obstacles

Arbitrary events

Predictable paths


Is Your Game Accessible?
- Does it relate to the target audience?

Games That Were Never Made

Excersises:

List the types of challenges in your prototype games; in your favorite games; how to improve the fun.

Categorize the types of decisions in your game prototype. How could they be redesigned?

Does the game design present dilemmas? How do they affect choices?

Are rewards tied to the storyline? How are they timed? Do they motivate the player?

Are there suprises in the game flow? How do they affect choices?

Is the ultimate goal Clear? Are milestones established? Does the game motivate the player?

Does the game have a satisfactory ending? How could it be better?

How can you streamline any occurances of micro-management in your game?

Where does your game prototype stagnate? What is the cause?

Design a set of usibility tests for your game prototype.

Reading Assignment

Review: Fun and Accessibility

  • Chapter 10

Copyright © 2004 - 2014 David Javelosa