The #1 Skill for Game Designers and How to Practice It
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The document discusses the essential skills for game designers, emphasizing creativity, critical analysis, communication, and understanding emotional experiences in gameplay. It introduces the A.G.E. framework for communicating game concepts and the 6-11 framework connecting basic emotions and instincts to player actions. Ultimately, it highlights the need for effective communication and a structured approach to explain gameplay experiences.
The #1 Skill for Game Designers and How to Practice It
- 1. The #1 Skill for Game Designers and How to Practice It Roberto Dillon James Cook University (Singapore) roberto.dillon@jcu.edu.au
- 2. 1999 2005 2009 2011
- 3. An often hot topic on LinkedIn groups What's the most important skill for a Game Designer? Often degenerating in hundreds of comments! Creativity Programming or Artistic skills Writing Having an open mind Curiosity ...
- 4. An often hot topic on LinkedIn groups What's the most important skill for a Game Designer? Often degenerating in hundreds of comments! Creativity Programming or Artistic skills Writing Having an open mind Curiosity ... Critical Analysis Listening Explaining your ideas
- 5. An often hot topic on LinkedIn groups What's the most important skill for a Game Designer? Often degenerating in hundreds of comments! Creativity Programming or Artistic skills Writing Having an open mind Curiosity ... Critical Analysis Listening Explaining your ideas Communication
- 6. How to communicate effectively? “A method is needed in order to reason accurately” Descartes Game Designers explain their approaches in very subjective ways. How can we communicate our ideas in an easy to understand way? we need a “pragmatic” approach for explaining and describe games For example by breaking down a game at different level of complexities and analyze their relationships.
- 7. The A.G.E. Framework (inspired by the MDA framework) FUN Actions • the core actions that a player can perform usually described in terms of verbs. • E.g. moving, jumping, kicking a ball, shooting, taking cover Gameplay • the resulting play achieved by using and combining the available "actions". These can be either verbs or higher level concepts • E.g. fighting, race to an end, territorial acquisition Experience • the emotional experience that engages players during the game.
- 8. Emotional Experience The most difficult part to explain How do players feel when they play? What do players really want? What triggers „Fun“??
- 9. „6-11 Framework“ „Fun” as an outcome from engaging the player through basic emotions and instincts 6 Basic Emotions Ekman, Plutchik, Izard etc. 11 Instincts / Instinctive behaviors Their correspondences / relationships
- 10. „6 Emotions” • Fear
- 11. „6 Emotions” • Fear • Anger
- 12. „6 Emotions” • Fear • Anger • Pride
- 13. „6 Emotions” • Sadness
- 14. „6 Emotions” • Sadness • Excitement
- 15. „6 Emotions” • Sadness • Excitement • Joy
- 16. „11 Instincts” • Survival
- 17. „11 Instincts” • Survival • Revenge
- 18. „11 Instincts” • Survival • Revenge • Curiosity
- 19. „11 Instincts” • Self Identification
- 20. „11 Instincts” • Self Identification • Aggressiveness
- 21. „11 Instincts” • Self Identification • Aggressiveness • Competition
- 22. „11 Instincts” • Protection / Care
- 23. „11 Instincts” • Protection / Care • Greed
- 24. „11 Instincts” • Protection / Care • Greed • Collecting
- 25. „11 Instincts” • Communication
- 26. „11 Instincts” • Communication • Color Appreciation
- 27. Explaining a game In general: Emotions can trigger instincts Instincts push the player to act in the game Easy to link instincts to gameplay and actions Fear Anger Survival Aggressiveness Escaping Avoiding danger Chasing Fighting Hiding Running Running Kicking Casting a spell
- 28. Explaining a game, step by step From Actions to Experience: Play the game What can I do in the game? Note: check the controls!
- 29. Explaining a game, step by step From Actions to Experience: Once we nailed down the Actions... Gameplay: What can I use them for? What am I trying to do? Experience: Why am I doing it? How do I feel while playing?
- 30. Frogger (Konami, 1981) Actions What can I do in the game?
- 31. Frogger (Konami, 1981) Actions • Move Left/Right • Advance • Retreat Gameplay What am I trying to do?
- 32. Frogger (Konami, 1981) Actions • Move Left/Right • Advance • Retreat Gameplay• Avoid being run over by cars (avoidance) • Reach a safe spot at the top of the screen (race to an end) Experience How do I feel while playing?
- 33. Frogger (Konami, 1981) Actions • Move Left/Right • Advance • Retreat Gameplay• Avoid being run over by cars (avoidance) • Reach a safe spot at the top of the screen (race to an end) Experience How do I feel while playing? Joy Excitement Survival Fear Pride Identification
- 34. Frogger (Konami, 1981) Actions • Move Left/Right • Advance • Retreat Gameplay• Avoid being run over by cars (avoidance) • Reach a safe spot at the top of the screen (race to an end) Experience How do I feel while playing? Joy Excitement Survival Fear Pride Identification
- 35. Frogger (Konami, 1981) Actions • Move Left/Right • Advance • Retreat Gameplay• Avoid being run over by cars (avoidance) • Reach a safe spot at the top of the screen (race to an end) Experience How do I feel while playing? Joy Excitement Pride Protection NO! I’m not the frog! I’m just trying to rescue it!
- 36. Defense: Evolution (Adsumsoft, 2014, Android/iOS) Actions • Place/Remove unit • Zoom In/Out • Start/Stop evolution Gameplay • Evolution (Conway’s Game of Life, 1970) • Expand control over the grid (territorial acquisition) • Protect the “Beacon” (tower Experience defense) Excitement Curiosity Protection Pride Joy
- 37. Turky’s Date (Adsumsoft, 2014, Android/iOS) Actions • Slide Tiles • Use Magic Gameplay • Drive Turky around to get bonuses (herding) • Protect Turky (avoidance) • Reach Picky (race to an end) • Make the bad guys fall Experience Protection Revenge Collecting Pride Excitement Joy
- 38. One Page GDD (Stone Librande, Creative Director, EA/Maxis, www.stonetronix.com) Title Date/Version < topic / high level description > Callout Main Illustration Callout < description > Details, Sidebar Zoom In Sidebar • Bullet points • … • … Sidebar or Flowchart
- 39. One Page GDD
- 40. Conclusions • To be good game designers we need to communicate effectively • We need a reliable approach for explaining our ideas • Gaining insights, discuss, sharing experiences • AGE model • Narrow but clear definitions • Easy to relate the different layers • Desired emotional experience seen in terms of intuitive components (6-11 Framework) • Straightforward to learn and adopt in a variety of contexts • One Page GDD
- 41. Thanks for Your attention! roberto.dillon@jcu.edu.au or roberto@ProgramAndPlay.com rdillon73 Adsumsoft: http://Adsumsoft.ProgramAndPlay.com