Level 2: Iteration and Rapid Prototyping
For this week:
Iteration & Rapid Prototyping
Have any thoughts on this week's Homeplay assignments?
Before next Monday, read the following. I will be referencing these in Monday’s content when we talk about the formal elements of games:
- Challenges for Game Designers, Chapter 2 (Atoms). This will act as a bridge between last Monday when we talked about a critical vocabulary, and next Monday when we will start breaking down the concept of a “game” into its component parts.
- Formal Abstract Design Tools, by Doug Church. This article builds on Costikyan’s I Have No Words, offering some additional tools by which we can analyze and design games. While he does use many examples from video games, think about how the core concepts in the article can apply to other kinds of games as well.
- Challenges for Game Designers, Chapter 2 (Atoms). This will act as a bridge between last Monday when we talked about a critical vocabulary, and next Monday when we will start breaking down the concept of a “game” into its component parts.
- Formal Abstract Design Tools, by Doug Church. This article builds on Costikyan’s I Have No Words, offering some additional tools by which we can analyze and design games. While he does use many examples from video games, think about how the core concepts in the article can apply to other kinds of games as well.
Share any thoughts you had regarding this week's homeplay reading assignments in this thread.
Enjoy!
Some thoughts on this week's Homeplay materials:
ITERATIVE DESIGN
I strongly recommend the rapid iterative design process, though primarily for a reason the author hadn't mentioned. The Rapid Iteration Process helps prevent perfectionism as a barrier. Have you ever heard of someone "afraid of their own success"? The way I see it, it's more like the person is afraid of criticism, or having their own shortcomings pointed out by someone else. Not only will rapid iteration allow for more improvements to be made in the long run, but it will also prevent immaturity and/or anxiety from holding back someone's design efforts.
If there's one thing that designers need less of, it's an entourage that constantly says their games are great and fun and awesome and they want to play them all the time. By being willing to accept criticism, and actively listening to what the playtesters report, a designer can squash their anxiety about how their game is, as well as start the long process of improving it... so that it really DOES become a game that's fun and awesome and is played all the time. :)
Reading: FORMAL ABSTRACT DESIGN TOOLS
I enjoyed this reading, and took away a lot from it. Primary among these takeaways would be the identified tools: Intention, Perceivable Consequence, and Story/Narrative. I'd translate these a little bit more in terms of developing a Universal Vocabulary:
Intention = WHY a player is doing things. Their motivation.
Perceivable Consequence = WHAT HAPPENS when a player attempts a tactic.
Story = The BEGINNING, MIDDLE, and END of a tale.
Also of interest is the reminder that the END of the game's Story can be brought about by either the player(s) or the game itself. It's difficult to confidently state that one option is more thrilling/engaging than the other, in terms of creating a gripping Story as part of a game, since even in the mildest of Eurogames there can still be some immense tension in the final round or two.
Finally, I agree with his closing points that indicate the tools should be used to maximize the player's ability to carry out their own decisions. Games are different from movies or books specifically because they allow the player's input to affect the outcomes. The Intention to carry out a tactic produces a Perceivable Consequence that influences the Story. This leads me to believe that, without the Perceivable Consequences, it's likely there is very little of an engaging game for players.