Reading Excerpts

I thought I'd post a selection of useful quotes taken from some of the module readings that were suggested to us. I am trying to keep in mind the advice given here throughout the course of the project.

"Games are always just systems waiting to be understood. Fun is in the learning, and the payoff is in our influence over these systems. But a player wields influence only through game mechanics. Anyone would agree that by adding mechanics we inevitably complicate the player's influence over their world. But while game mechanics always add complexity to player input, they rarely alter game output."

"Players simply don't enjoy a game about everything. High mechanic counts dilute a title's identity and possibility for engagement."

"It's important to settle on the game's overall feel before deciding on any game mechanics. It's not acceptable to add features and make sure the resulting play aesthetic is okay. Instead, we must engineer the correct mechanics to fit a certain feel. As long as the game has this good overall thrust, no errant mechanics can steer the vision from the goal."

"For a mechanic to be completely successful, a game should fully exhaust its possibilities for fun. Players feel clever when they learn to use one mechanic for multiple purposes. They get a better handle on the game system, and gain a better appreciation for its consistency. They'll feel satisfied only when they've exhausted several well-designed mechanics."

Rose, J. (2008) Fewer Mechanics, Better Game. [Online] Gamasutra: Available at:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3621/fewer_mechanics_better_game.php

(Accessed 23/11/11)

"Level design is the meat and potatoes of game design, where the designer crafts
the moment-to-moment user experience. In level design, the game designer finally
starts using all of the knobs and variables they asked the programmers to build.
Tweaking these variables in different combinations, the game designer hopes to
make a fun experience with just the right amount of challenge. The game designer
must be willing to make levels with only a partial set of tools while waiting for the
game to be fleshed out. Often these levels must be trashed later as new features
become available. But constantly exploring the potential and limitations of the game
system as it is built will help keep the game on track and focused on the most
important features—those that actually make the game fun." (p.41)

"Here are some general guidelines and approaches for designing levels:

• Be empathetic 
• If you can’t beat your level, then it’s waaaaaaaay too hard 
• Design for the general audience, not the hardcore 
• Ease players into the game 
• Don’t forget to challenge players 
• Build levels around a central concept 
• Teach players to play the level 
• Give players room to explore 
• Occasionally break your own rules (carefully) 
• Create a plan 
• Vary your levels 
• Refine, play and refine 
• Playtest" (p.42)

Trefry, G. (2010) Casual Game Design: Designing Play For The Gamer In All Of Us. Burlington: Elsevier.

"If players feel that an individual game mechanic 'isn't giving them a good enough challenge,' or feel that 'the mechanic is fun at first but gets old quickly,' you need to add depth to your mechanics.

• Buzzwords to watch for: A given game mechanic is 'too shallow,' 'too easy,' or 'flat.' Often players will say the mechanic started out fun, but that it quickly got repetitive or boring.
• It's a good idea to pump up the theatrics when you get feedback like this, but while it might help players tolerate a mechanic for longer, it will only go so far. When theatrics fail, it's time to knuckle down, roll up your sleeves, and get to work on making your game mechanic deeper."

"[Depth] To me, it describes a sweet spot -- that point during a game where the player can repeatedly display his mastery of a game mechanic. Challenges never stay the same long enough to be boring and yet they also don't change so fast that the player can't enjoy his mastery over the game...In my experience, in order for a game mechanic to be deep it needs two very important things:

• It needs clear objectives, so the player knows what he has to do to succeed. Confusion and obfuscation tend to make players feel like a mechanic is LESS deep once they find themselves needing to experiment randomly to win.
• It needs a variety of Meaningful Skills that you, as a game designer, can use to create good challenges for the player and that the player in turn can use to achieve mastery over the game."

Stout, M. (2010) Evaluating Game Mechanics For Depth. [Online] Gamasutra: Available at:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134273/evaluating_game_mechanics_for_depth.php

(Accessed 29/11/11)

"Many games are directly focused on use of tools... It can even be argued that all video games that use standard console controllers or PC keyboard and mouse are building our hand/eye coordination and tool use skills. New interface devices are expanding the possibilities even further beyond hand tools. It's interesting to note that so much of Physical Fun is tied in some way to our upright posture that freed the use of hands millions of years ago... These interface devices also make real-world interaction between players at the same console more dynamic, a factor that is very relevant to social survival skills."

"[On the appeal of a racing game] ...we can see that the basic physical appeal of learning to move as quickly as possible, the social appeal of competing with our peers and gaining status and recognition, and the mental appeal of perceiving constantly changing patterns in the midst of a race and acting on them instantly and correctly all connect back to our prehistory."

Falstein, N. (2004) Natural Funativity. [Online] Gamasutra: Available at:
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130573/natural_funativity.php?page=3
(Accessed 28/02/12)