Game Design Workshop A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games Fourth Edition Tracy Fullerton Lacn CRC Press VG*^ J Taylor & Francis Group Boca Raton London New York CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Croup, an informa business AN A K PETERS BOOK
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Game Design Workshop A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games
Fourth Edition
Tracy Fullerton
LacnCRC Press V G * ^ J Taylor & Francis Group
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Croup, an informa business
A N A K PETERS B O O K
Contents
Foreword xix
Preface xxi
Acknowledgments xxiii
Image Credits and Copyright Notices xxvii
Introduction xxxi
Part 1 Game Design Basics 1
Chapter I The Role of the Game Designer 3 An Advocate for the Player 3
Playtesters 4
Passions and Skills 6
Communication 6
Teamwork 7
Process 7
Inspiration 8
Becoming a Better Player 9
Creativity 70
A Playcentric Design Process 12
Setting Player Experience Goals 12
Prototyping and Playtesting 12
Designers You Should Know 13
Iteration 76
The Iterative Design Process 18
Prototypes and Playtesting in the Industry 21
V
V i Contents
Designing for Innovation 23
Conclusion 23
Designer Perspective: Christina Norman 24
Designer Perspective: Warren Spector 27
Further Reading 29
End Notes 29
Chapter 2 The Structure of Games 31 Go Fish versus Quake 31
Go Fish 3?
Quake 32
Comparison 32
Engaging the Player 38
Challenge 39
Play 39
What is a Puzzle? 4 0
Premise 45
Character 45
Story 46
Dramatic Elements 46
The Sum of the Parts 47
Defining Games 47
Beyond Definitions 48
Conclusion 50
Designer Perspective: Jane McGonigal 5?
Designer Perspective: Randy Smith 54
Further Reading 56
End Notes 56
Chapter 3 Working with Formal Elements 57 Players 57
Chapter 4 Working with Dramatic Elements 97 Challenge 97
A Challenging Activity That Requires Skill 99 The Merging of Action and Awareness 99
Clear Goals and Feedback 99 Concentration on the Task at Hand 700 The Paradox of Control 700 The Loss of Self-Consciousness 707 The Transformation of Time 707 Experience Becomes an End in Itself 707
VI I I Contents
Play 102
The Nature of Play 702
Types of Players 704
Levels of Engagement 704
Premise 105
Character 108
Story 112
Directing Games for Emotion 114
World Building 117
The Dramatic Arc 117
Conclusion 122
Designer Perspective: Dr. Ray Muzyka 723
Designer Perspective: Don Daglow 725
Further Reading 127
End Notes 127
Chapter 5 Working with System Dynamics 129 Games as Systems 129
Objects 730
Properties 730
Behaviors 737
Relationships 737
System Dynamics 133
Deconstruct ing Set 134
Tic-Tac-Toe 736
Chess 737
Mastermind versus Clue 738
Economies 740 Simple Bartering 740
Complex Bartering 747
Simple Market 742
Complex Market 743
Metaeconomy 744
Emergent Systems 746
Interacting with Systems 148
Information Structure 748
Control. 749
Feedback 757
Interaction Loops and Arcs 153
Tuning Game Systems 159
Conclusion 160
Contents IX
Designer Perspective: Alan R. Moon 767 Designer Perspective: Frank Lantz 764
Further Reading 166
End Notes 166
Part 2 Designing a Game 167
Chapter 6 Conceptualization 169 Where Do Ideas Come From? 169
Brainstorming 171
Brainstorming Best Practices 772 Alternative Methods 174
List Creation 774 Idea Cards 774
Electronic Arts Preproduction Workshop 175
Mind Map 779 Stream 0/ Consciousness 779 Shout It Out 779 Cut It Up 779 Surrealist Games 7ÖO Research 7ÖO
Editing and Refining 181
Technical Feasibility 182 Market Opportunity 7Ö2 Artistic Considerations 7Ö2 Business/Cost Restrictions 7&2 A Conversation with Will Wright 183
Turning Ideas into a Game 188
Focus on the Formal Elements 7Ö9 Practice, Practice, Practice 790 Feature Design 790 Getting the Most out of Focus Groups 191
Feature Storyboards 793 Experimental Gameplay 194
Ideas vs. Designs 198
Conclusion 198
Designer Perspective: Josh Holmes 799 Further Reading 201
End Notes 201
X Contents
Chapter 7 Prototyping 203 Methods of Prototyping 203
Physical Prototypes 203 Battleship Prototype 204
More Examples 206 Up the River Prototype 206 Prototyping a First-Person Shooter 209 Catastrophic Prototyping and Other Stories 210
Perspective on Physical Prototyping 275 Prototyping Your Original Game Idea 216
Visualizing Core Gameplay 276 Building the Physical Prototype 277 The Design Evolution of Magic: The Gathering 219
Refining Your Visualization 233 Making the Physical Prototype Better 234
Beyond the Physical Prototype 234
Conclusion 235
Designer Perspective: James Ernest 236
Designer Perspective: Katie Salen 238 Further Reading 240
Chapter 8 Digital Prototyping 241 Types of Digital Prototypes 241
Prototyping Game Mechanics 242 Prototyping Aesthetics 244
Prototyping Kinesthetics 245 Prototyping Technology 247 Using Software Prototypes in Game Design 248
Visualization 2ö5 Grouping Features 265 Consistency 266
Feedback 266 Prototyping Tools 266
Programming Languages 267 Game Engines 267 Level Editors 267
Conclusion 271
Designer Perspective: David Perry 272 Designer Perspective: Elan Lee 274
Further Reading 276
End Notes 276
Chapter 9 Playtesting 277 Playtesting and Iterative Design 278
Recruiting Playtesters 278
Self-Testing 278 Playtesting with Confidants 279 Playtesting with People You Do Not Know 280 Finding the Ideal Playtesters 280 Playtesting with Your Target Audience 280
Chapter 16 Selling Yourself and Your Ideas to the Game Industry... 493 Getting a Job at a Publisher or Developer 493
Educate Yourself. 493 Academic Programs 494
Play Games 494 Design Games and Levels 494 Know the Industry 495 Networking 495 Organizations 495 Conferences 495 Internet and E-mail 496 Starting at the Bottom 496
Interning 497 QA 497
Pitching Your Original Ideas 497
Pitch Process 498
Pitch Materials 498 What Happens after the Pitch 500