Discussion Questions 3
For a game of your choice:
1) Describe the formal elements that make up the game. Be as clear and detailed as possible.
I think it'll be interesting to use what I've learnt and try to apply it on some games that I've worked on. Not only do I get to compare my "then" and "now" states, I also get to help myself improve my future games and finish a homework assignment at the same time!
So I shall attempt to analyse my Darkness series. It's a point-and-click adventure game. I know the readings have been insinuating that adventure games and not technically games... but I say wth... There's a large audience for these type of games and to these players, adventure games are games and they like playing them... so that's all that matters =P
Players- It's made for one player (control are only available for 1 person) but from my playtesting sessions, it seems that there's more fun to be had when playing the game with people looking over your shoulder and sharing your experience.
Objectives- The ultimate objective is to escape from and survive the scenario that the player has been put in.
Procedures- The player explores the game environment, picks up items and finds clues. Using both textual and visual clues, the player has to use logic to figure out the solutions to the various obstacles in order to proceed on to the next part of the game or to unlock more areas in the game environment.
Rules- Maybe it's a rule that says "figure out what the game creator wants you to do and do it". Are adventure game another take on the game "Simon Says"?
Resources- These would be the items that you find.
Conflict- The conflict would be against the scenario of being trapped and also against the ghostly antagonists that attack you from time to time.
Boundaries- Locked door and obstacles that prevent you from moving on in the game.
Outcome- The player eventually escapes the presented scenario at the end of each episode but is presented with a cliffhanger in order to make them look forward to the following episode. According to feedback, some people are upset with the cliffhangers because they realize that the "big" game hasn't ended yet and they don't like the feeling of incompleteness... but I guess this is inherent with the serial-episode format.
2) Does this description fully capture the requirements for playing the game? Are there any additional rules or assumptions that you may have left out? Do these need to be written down? Why/why not?
As this is a horror game, there is a requirement for the player to turn up the volume and turn down the lights in order to have the optimal environment in which to play the game. This has to be stated explicitly at the beginning of the game because player will not normally adjust their environment just to play a game. There are people (those who like being frightened) who will follow these instructions, and there are also people who will do the exact opposite by turning off the volume and turning on the lights because they want to find out what the game is about but they do not want to be scared.
There is another unwritten rule for the player not to search the Internet for a walkthrough to the game. The player won't normally do that as they know that having a walkthrough will take away the satisfaction of having solved the puzzles themselves. In general, players will try to solve the puzzles on their own until they reach the point where they are so "stuck" that they will start asking for help or hints.
This rule doesn't need to be written down because we live in a meritocratic society... and it's no fun boasting that you won the game if you cheated through it.
3) Following Doug Church’s approach, try to extract the abstract design concepts that constitute the gameplay. Can these be transferred to a different type of game? Why/why not?
Some games have elements to invoke emotions in the player. In Darkness, this emotion is fear. The sound, imagery in the game is made such as to create a scary atmosphere for the player. Darkness relies mostly on sound and also certain shock tactics borrowed from movies in order to realize this. Personally, I feel that it is this created sense of fear that makes this game different from all the other point-and-click adventure games on the net.
I'm not sure... but can I classify the invoking of emotions and feelings in the player as an abstract design concept?
I find that it is a good thing if a game is able to invoke an emotion (other than frustration =P) from the player. It helps draw the player deeper into the game and makes it more immersive.
Invoking of emotions and feelings is present in many other games as well. Survival Horror games like Resident Evil, Clock Tower and Silent Hill also rely on this sense of fear in the player to make it fun. Other games like FFVII try to invoke other emotions like sadness ie. by killing off Aerith. Most games also invoke happiness and a sense of accomplishment by letting you advance a level.
1) Describe the formal elements that make up the game. Be as clear and detailed as possible.
I think it'll be interesting to use what I've learnt and try to apply it on some games that I've worked on. Not only do I get to compare my "then" and "now" states, I also get to help myself improve my future games and finish a homework assignment at the same time!
So I shall attempt to analyse my Darkness series. It's a point-and-click adventure game. I know the readings have been insinuating that adventure games and not technically games... but I say wth... There's a large audience for these type of games and to these players, adventure games are games and they like playing them... so that's all that matters =P
Players- It's made for one player (control are only available for 1 person) but from my playtesting sessions, it seems that there's more fun to be had when playing the game with people looking over your shoulder and sharing your experience.
Objectives- The ultimate objective is to escape from and survive the scenario that the player has been put in.
Procedures- The player explores the game environment, picks up items and finds clues. Using both textual and visual clues, the player has to use logic to figure out the solutions to the various obstacles in order to proceed on to the next part of the game or to unlock more areas in the game environment.
Rules- Maybe it's a rule that says "figure out what the game creator wants you to do and do it". Are adventure game another take on the game "Simon Says"?
Resources- These would be the items that you find.
Conflict- The conflict would be against the scenario of being trapped and also against the ghostly antagonists that attack you from time to time.
Boundaries- Locked door and obstacles that prevent you from moving on in the game.
Outcome- The player eventually escapes the presented scenario at the end of each episode but is presented with a cliffhanger in order to make them look forward to the following episode. According to feedback, some people are upset with the cliffhangers because they realize that the "big" game hasn't ended yet and they don't like the feeling of incompleteness... but I guess this is inherent with the serial-episode format.
2) Does this description fully capture the requirements for playing the game? Are there any additional rules or assumptions that you may have left out? Do these need to be written down? Why/why not?
As this is a horror game, there is a requirement for the player to turn up the volume and turn down the lights in order to have the optimal environment in which to play the game. This has to be stated explicitly at the beginning of the game because player will not normally adjust their environment just to play a game. There are people (those who like being frightened) who will follow these instructions, and there are also people who will do the exact opposite by turning off the volume and turning on the lights because they want to find out what the game is about but they do not want to be scared.
There is another unwritten rule for the player not to search the Internet for a walkthrough to the game. The player won't normally do that as they know that having a walkthrough will take away the satisfaction of having solved the puzzles themselves. In general, players will try to solve the puzzles on their own until they reach the point where they are so "stuck" that they will start asking for help or hints.
This rule doesn't need to be written down because we live in a meritocratic society... and it's no fun boasting that you won the game if you cheated through it.
3) Following Doug Church’s approach, try to extract the abstract design concepts that constitute the gameplay. Can these be transferred to a different type of game? Why/why not?
Some games have elements to invoke emotions in the player. In Darkness, this emotion is fear. The sound, imagery in the game is made such as to create a scary atmosphere for the player. Darkness relies mostly on sound and also certain shock tactics borrowed from movies in order to realize this. Personally, I feel that it is this created sense of fear that makes this game different from all the other point-and-click adventure games on the net.
I'm not sure... but can I classify the invoking of emotions and feelings in the player as an abstract design concept?
I find that it is a good thing if a game is able to invoke an emotion (other than frustration =P) from the player. It helps draw the player deeper into the game and makes it more immersive.
Invoking of emotions and feelings is present in many other games as well. Survival Horror games like Resident Evil, Clock Tower and Silent Hill also rely on this sense of fear in the player to make it fun. Other games like FFVII try to invoke other emotions like sadness ie. by killing off Aerith. Most games also invoke happiness and a sense of accomplishment by letting you advance a level.
posted by LUT! @ 9:42 PM
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