Formal Abstract Design Tools

Reading a very interesting article by Doug Church in which the vocabulary used within games design was explored. The exploration was to help understand how to properly identify mechanics and ways of interaction within a game to define the type of fun experienced by players.

Church discusses a few tools used in game design and explains how they can be used both independently and together. Not all tools need to be used, however. You don't need to use EVERY tool to make EVERY game in the same way you wouldn't need to use every tool in a toolbox to make a successful birdhouse. The tools discussed by Doug Church are:

Intention - "Making the implementable plan of ones own creation in response to the current situation in the world and ones understanding of the gameplay options."

Percievable Consequence - "A clear reaction from the game world to the action of the player."

Story - "The narrative thread, whether designer driven or player-driven, that binds events together and drives the player forward toward completion of the game."

All of the tools Doug discussed can be used together and link very well. Perceivable consequence and intention link well together. For example; in a platformer game where the player may see a high ledge in which there is a reward, the intention may be to reach the reward although if he fails the jump to reach it there may be a consequence of falling to his death or onto a ledge which is more difficult to progress through the level to.

The player needs to feel in control for percievable consequence to take place properly though, the rules for the game must be very clear. "What goes up, must come down." is a key saying when explaining this because the player must know exactly what will happen if he makes an action. The worst thing as a gamer, for me is when I fail at a part of a game and am left screaming and nerd raging because I have no idea what the hell just happened. Most of the time it's very clear. In Halo 4 multiplayer, to go on a tangent a little, with a weapon called the DMR it always takes 5 shots to kill an enemy if the last shot is a headshot. For the most part, on Halo 4 people know that and so they know that when they are killed by an enemy in a fight it's because they missed a shot and their enemy didn't. Something which frustrates players and makes them feel less in control and gives them a less enjoyable experience is that sometimes with online packet loss or latency issues due to ping over distances, a shot the player may hit might not register as a shot hit. This inconsistency is what leads to the feeling of control being lost.

Story is another important element of games, I recently played a really cool flash game which actually uses all 3 of the tools very nicely which I'll link at the bottom of this post. The intention is to imprison your zombie lover in a cage and survive. The rules are very simple to understand, if you touch a zombie you die and when you're near a zombie they will follow you. These rules act as all of the perceivable consequence within the game. You know you can't touch a zombie but you may try to jump over them in a risky way in order to reach a gun or to get to your zombie lover quicker. The story is paper thin but it's very nice and simple which is all that was needed for a flash game like it. You are the last human and are in love with a zombie girl. You need to try to cage your zombie girlfriend to keep her safe while trying to avoid other zombies.

I Saw Her Standing There game: http://www.newcave.com/game/i-saw-her-standing-there

Gamasutra - Doug Church: Formal Abstract Design tools:- http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131764/formal_abstract_design_tools.php?print=1