Week 9 Reading and Writing

 

Overall, I think the reading assignments have helped me in getting accustomed to digesting various levels of information from more informal videos and articles to academic level papers. I would not say I am a hundred percent comfortable reading the academic papers. However, compared to when I first started out, I feel like I can work my way through it better.

Initially, it would take me a long time just to read through the first reading. By the time I reached half of the second reading, the 45 minutes were up. Then, when it came to writing the blog post, I found myself going back to the readings as I found that I could not remember enough to articulate what I had understood from those readings. It was a slow and tedious process.

Once we started working on assignments as class, it was a game changer c; I think I am very detail-oriented and this can cause me to lose sight of the objective. So when we were taught some strategies on how to approach the reading and writing, it helped me to focus on the bigger picture for completing the writing assignment on that particular topic.

What I learned from working on the tasks together was that order doesn’t matter. What I mean by this is that although the video was last on the list after the readings, it would be of benefit to watch it first as a general overview of the topic. Then you can move onto the article and the academic paper.

Secondly, it’s important to have a word document open and ready to go. The idea with the papers is that you scan through them. Any bit of information that seems relevant to the topic can be put in the document. This works the same for the video. Pause it and add a few bits of notes. Some of this will be copy and paste but that’s ok as it is only there for reference so you don’t need to go back to the papers or video as you have everything you need in the one document.

Then, when looking at the notes and information that was collected it you collate that information and try to find common ‘themes’ in the readings. An example of this would be last week’s assignment (week 8).  The topic was the theory of ‘Game Fun’. The keywords or themes that were common in all the readings and video were:  games – MDA , Types of fun, Flow theory and Learning (is part of the theory of fun in games).

Finally, it comes to actually writing the blog post in your own words underneath the keywords that serve as sub-headings.

What I need to improve on for future readings is too be consistent and implement this strategy on my own. Most importantly, I need to manage my time and not spend too long getting bogged down about a particular paragraph in the text that looks like cipher.

I’d say it wouldn’t be much of a surprise that I found the reading task on ‘Game Fun’ the most enjoyable. Leaving aside the fact that it was a group effort for the actual task and focusing more on why I enjoyed this particular reading.

(source) I chose this image because I feel like the quote accurately represents the pleasure found in games.

Well, as I may I have mentioned before I do play games when I have the time, and due to the current situation with lockdown it’s one of the main ways I get ‘hang out’ with friends. As a gamer I do find it interesting to learn about theory behind the experience of ‘fun’ in games. So it was a bit of an eye-opener to read about fun being categorized such as the ‘eight kinds of fun’ which ties into the MDA or the 4 key’s of fun by Nicole. It allowed me to think about and identify what gets the player hooked in a game in the first place. It also made me reflect on myself as a player and see where I fit in the ‘fun’ chart. Due to this particular topic being open and relevant to many people, not necessarily just game designers but also a player is why I found it a ‘fun’ and interesting read.

Now, the big question. Have I put theory to practice? Did the notes help me in creating my game? In a way, yes they have. By understanding some of theory during the reading tasks it helped me when making decisions for my game. This was the case for the GDD in particular as not only we had to do a reading task for it but also make our very own as part of the game design process. Having a reading that is directly linked with the project task was helpful in understanding what you had to when it came than to making your own.

In terms of accomplishments, I don’t know if I have any. I know I learned a lot about game design and myself through the way I work around my tasks. I’m still working through building my game in unity which is messy process. Overall, I wouldn’t say there is an outstanding accomplishment from my end. However, I do hope that I am prepared for whatever is coming next semester.

 

Games Decisions

 “In order for the player to be optimally engaged, challenges should be presented at a level equivalent or slightly higher than their current skill. Not too easy, not too hard”(Gigity McD)

The word 'flow state' was coined by Csikszentmihalyi (1975) also known as being “in the zone”. This is when the player is fully engaged in the game experience. Csikszentmihalyi put a lot of work into observing and analyzing various groups of people. This theory is focused on the idea of how people should balance their skills and the demands of particular tasks. An example of Flow would be a challenge in a game that interests the player such as a puzzle or a boss battle meant to keep the player interested and not get bored. Csikszentmihalyi also states that flow is related to an ideal psychological condition when a person engages in a challenge-skill activity, often resulting in concentration and a focused emphasis on a task.

A practical technique for improving Flow is to look at what players like and find interesting, it is an invaluable resource as this will give you a better understanding of how to structure your game in a way it flows naturally without affecting the players’ experience and enjoyment. If the player has a high skill set and the game is not a challenge, the player will become disinterested and lose interest in the game. The game must allow the player to grow and learn with each challenge or obstacle so as to stay motivated to continue.

If the player has little to no skill set and the game is too challenging, then the player will become frustrated with anxiety and lose interest in the game as well. A flow chart helps to prevent the game from being too boring or too difficult(create anxiety) which makes the game more successful in terms of achieving Flow. 

Flow Chart source: Building A Princess Saving App

The X axis is the player's skill and the Y axis is the challenge. When the player starts off, the challenges are easy in order to introduce the player to the game system. Overtime, this will  increase the player's skill. After the player has progressed through the game the challenges get more difficult. This is known as the flow channel and is the ideal place to maintain the player in the flow state. If the challenges are too easy the player will become bored of the game. If the challenges are extremely difficult for the player, the player will get overwhelmed, frustrated or fed up with the game. This is the point where the player reaches the anxiety state of the flow map.

Studies have found Cook (2008) that there are both positive and negative consequences with game flow. The positive representing cognitive flow   “composed of challenge-skill balance, clear goals, and unambiguous feedback,” and a negative element viewed as the emotional flow “composed of action- awareness merging, concentration on the task at hand, sense of control, loss of consciousness, and time transformation.” In the development of computer games, designers must be aware of these two characteristics when developing games.

References

Numinous.productions. Dan Cook 2008. Building A Princess Saving App. Available at: <https://numinous.productions/ttft/assets/Cook2008.pdf> [Accessed 9 November 2020].

McD, Gigity (14th June 2018). What is FLOW THEORY in game design? - The Basics - (Part 1). Game Design with Michael, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H8pQyyXxHg

Sanjamsai S, Phukao P. 2018 Flow experience in computer game playing among Thai university students. Available at: <shorturl.at/rtvGM> [Accessed 9 November 2020].

Games MDA

This week’s readings focused on various types of game rules and frameworks and how to adopt good application of game rules in game design.

The first reading proposes a comprehensive framework that provides a systematic understanding of the vast areas that encompasses games including but not limited to rules, base mechanics, software, design goals and player experience.

The authors begin by acknowledging that games, just like any other product is ‘bought, consumed and then cast away.’ However, an important aspect is stated that sets video games apart from other entertainment products – the unpredictability of games experienced during gameplay. It is due to that unpredictability that a framework is put in place to be able to analyse the consumption of game by breaking it down to three main components – which are able to envelope the different views of a game designer and player.

MDA Framework (Hunicke et al 2004) sourced

The authors then proceed to discusses this popular and commonly used approach to game design and understanding games referred to as the MDA framework. The MDA framework is an acronym for Mechanics Dynamics and Aesthetics and was created by Robin et al.(Hunicke, Leblanc,& Zubek, 2004).  The purpose of this framework is to break down a game into a set of components as previously mentioned:

Mechanics refers to base components such as code, algorithms, rules, and basic in-game actions e.g sprinting, jumping, and shooting.

Dynamics describes how various mechanics that are running in the game’s background are affected by the various inputs of players over time. For instance, the example provided by the video talks about how in Monopoly you can move around (mechanic) and also purchases tiles (mechanic). Combining both mechanics creates the dynamic of ‘territorial acquisition’.

Aesthetics refers to the emotional response evoked in the player from their in-game experience produced from the dynamics and mechanics of the game. This is further broken down to the following classifications (each game bearing a combination of those):

·         Sensation – refers to the player’s emotions experienced during gameplay

·         Fantasy – the game’s ability to immersive the player into its fictional world and/or atmosphere.

·         Narrative – the storytelling element of a game.

·         Challenge – refers to the obstacles of game such as puzzles or problem-solving.

·         Fellowship – two or more players come together to complete game tasks.

·         Discovery – exploring and uncovering interesting artifacts.

·         Expression – the player’s ability to put forward their creativity with the current tools at their disposal.

·         Submission- the satisfaction gained from time and effort put in the game.

The video that accompanied this week’s readings has discussed what was already mentioned above but with an emphasis on how the MDA framework can be used as tool to discern the components that made an existing  game ‘good’ and apply those components in your own game. This would explain why certain successful games held similar qualities yet are still different.

LeBlanc  also states how these components can be viewed differently from both perspectives of the game designer and player. In the designer’s point of view, the mechanics elicit dynamic behavior from the player which then results in their emotional response. In the player’s point of view, this process would work vice versa. This raises the importance of a game designer being able to discern the types of mechanics that create dynamics which evoke particular emotions from the player. Understanding how these components and its characteristics are percolated through both spectrums will provide a broader picture of what is needed to produce a successful game.

Game Elements

 

In the previous academic writing post we looked at what a game is and how defining that can produce different meanings for different people. 

This week’s academic writing will be based on what makes a game or the parts of agame. For the purpose of making this easy to understand, I will refer to these parts (as the title suggests) ‘Game Elements’.

Image by Niuco

Based on the article by Ian Schreiber, similar to the definition of a game, classifying a set list of game elements can also differ depending on the person as this ties with what a game means to an individual. Therefore “no classification is perfect.” However, there are certain elements that are similar between all of them.

The following is a list of common foundational game elements that Ian has provided in his article:

Players – The name is self- explanatory. One should consider the amount of players in the game, whether the player is able to leave during the game and what impact that has on the game state. There is more information on this on Ian’s course website. 

·         Objectives – This refers to the main goal of the game and what the player needs to achieve in order to ‘win’. There are large amount of categorized game objectives. A common goal would be to defeat or destroy an opponent or structure.

·         Rules – As mentioned in the previous post, this can be seen as an obstacle for the player ( what constricts them to play in a certain manner in order to win).There are rules that  set –off automatically without the need for player interaction. There are also rules which provide choices to the player to shift the game state.  The rules are divided into three main categories:

 

Setup – Refers to what one must do at the start of a game. 

Profession of Play- Rules for the events that occur during the game.

Resolution - Refers to the circumstances in which certain events cause the game to end.

 

·         Resources and Resource Management – Refers to the player’s ability to manage anything under their control e.g.  More obvious examples would be the current items in their inventory, however it could also signify information they’ve gathered in-game and their ability to withhold that information from others.

·         Game State – Refers to the condition and changes of the game at any given time. This includes everything from the player to their resources, un-owned resources and the environment they can interact with.

·         Information – The amount of information in the game state that is available to the player e.g Do they know about an incoming attack from the enemy’s side or is the fog of war obstructing their view? This can largely influence the gameplay.

·         Sequencing – Sequencing entails the order and flow of the players’ actions e.g. “It’s my turn, and then it’s your turn.”

·         Player Interaction – As the name suggests, this refers to how a player interacts with other players such as conflict, trading 

·         Theme (Narrative, Backstory, Setting) – This  element provides a more emotional impact to the player rather than direct impact to the gameplay itself. Players may grow more invested in the game because of this.

·         Games as Systems – The game elements mentioned above are interrelated. Changing any aspect of  the game elements could potentially change the game itself.

 

Once the game elements have roughly been defined, it is common to begin creating prototypes of certain aspects of the game. Prototypes can be done in a variety of ways to explore the user experience and put certain parts of a game in action. An example of prototypes in game design as discussed in a video by LiveLessons are paper mock-ups or even physical representations of game elements through objects to experience how game play is put to practice. This is then followed by basic digital prototypes, once an understanding of the gameplay has been reached. Throughout the prototype process one may need to revisit and review certain game elements. This is where critical analysis plays an role in game design.

Critical analysis tends to be a misunderstood term. It can often be perceived it as a negative concept. However, in terms of critical analysis within a game it is important to have an in-depth and impartial view of the game – focusing on the logic and reason behind how the elements of a game are implemented. Otherwise it can be difficult for a successful game to emerge from game design. In order to do this, it is important to question the reason behind the game elements and examine the game in terms of the player’s experience.