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• A Formal Approach to Game Design
• and Game Research

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MDA Why?

• Post mortems are 20/20
• but understanding is fuzzy!
• Formal Abstract Design Tools, et al
• Make better games
• Save time and money
• Scaffold for research, study and production

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MDA What?

• Game Tuning Workshop
• GDC 2001-2006
• Teach via exercises
• Experienced Faculty
• Blizzard, Ensemble, Mind Control, Ion Storm,
  Looking Glass, SOE, Valve, Visual Concepts,
  Wizards of the Coast, etc.
  

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MDA Who?

• Audience
• Academic
• Ludology, Narratology, Game Studies
• Development
• Design, Programing, Art
• Marketing, Production and Biz!
• Blends
• Computer Science
• Art/Technology

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MDA Biased!

• Artifact-centered approach
• Games produce behavior, not media
• Building is understanding
• Until you apply these concepts,
• its hard to really grok them.

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• Introduction

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Designer-Player Relationship
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?
Creates
Consumes
Game
Designer
Player
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Designer-Player Relationship
?
?
Creates
Consumes
Game
Designer
Player
Book Movie Painting
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Designer-Player Relationship

• Unpredictable
• How will it be consumed?
• What happens during consumption?
• How can we formalize this?

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Formalizing Games
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Formalizing Games
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Formalizing Games
Code
System
Fun
Mechanics
Rules
Behavior
Requirements
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Formalizing Games
Code
Behavior
Fun
Mechanics
Dynamics
Rules
System
Requirements
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Formalizing Games
Code
Behavior
Requirements
Mechanics
Dynamics
Aesthetics
Rules
System
Fun
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Definitions

• Mechanics
• Components of a game at the level of data
  representation and algorithms

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Definitions

• Dynamics
• Run-time behavior of the mechanics as they
  operate upon user input, and the outputs of other
  mechanics, over time.

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Definitions

• Aesthetics
• Desirable emotional responses evoked in the
  player, when she interacts with the game.

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• Aesthetics

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Aesthetics

• Charades is fun
• Quake is fun
• The Sims is fun
• Final Fantasy is fun

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Aesthetics

• 8 Kinds of Fun

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Aesthetics

• Charades Fellowship, Expression, Challenge
• Quake
• The Sims
• Final Fantasy

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Aesthetics

• Charades Fellowship, Expression, Challenge
• Quake Challenge, Sensation, Fantasy
• The Sims
• Final Fantasy

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Aesthetics

• Charades Fellowship, Expression, Challenge
• Quake Challenge, Sensation, Fantasy
• The Sims Discovery, Fantasy, Expression,
  Narrative
  
• Final Fantasy

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Aesthetics

• Charades Fellowship, Expression, Challenge
• Quake Challenge, Sensation, Fantasy
• The Sims Discovery, Fantasy, Expression,
  Narrative
  
• Final Fantasy Fantasy, Narrative, Expression,
  Discovery, Challenge, Submission
  

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Aesthetics

• No Grand Unified Theory of fun
• Concrete vocabulary helps us
• Break games into constituent elements
• Pinpoint features that aid aesthetic goals
• Taxonomize games beyond genre

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Aesthetic Models

• What games do well or poorly
• Charades and Quake Competition
• Requires emotional investment
• Perceivable winning condition
• Achievable winning condition

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Models in Action

• Models guide us like a compass
• Does this aesthetic work for target players?
• Are we missing something?
• How can we modify our design?
• Quake fellowship Counter Strike

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• Dynamics

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Dynamics

• Dynamics create Aesthetics
• Challenge
• Time pressure
• Opponent play
• Fellowship
• Shared information (teams)
• Group-sized goals (capture a base)

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Dynamics

• Dynamics create Aesthetics
• Expression
• Building, buying, and designing
• Personalizing or customizing
• Dramatic Tension
• Rising tension, release, denouement
• Characters in conflict, alliances and betrayals

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Dynamic Models

• Predict and describe interactions
• Evaluate them concretely
• Avoid pitfalls

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Model 2D 6
Chance in 36
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Die Roll
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Model Feedback System
Room
Thermometer
Too Cold!
Controller
Too Hot!
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Model Monopoly
Move
Roll
Losers
Pay Up!
Winners
Cash In!
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Models in Action

• Fix the boring endgame?
• Reward players who are behind
• Impede players who are ahead
• Less realistic perhaps, but
• Winners feel challenge
• Losers have hope
• Tension arc is longer more fulfilling

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• Mechanics

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Mechanics

• Mechanics support Dynamics
• Cards
• Trick taking, betting
• bluffing, shooting the moon
• Shooters
• Weapons, ammo, spawn points
• camping or sniping

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Mechanics of Monopoly

• Dice and Board
• Own/Collect Land
• Specials (Go, jail, railroads, etc)
• Draw Cards
• Build stuff
• Negotiate (optional)

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Mechanics of Monopoly

• Increased Dramatic Tension
• Smaller board, more rolls, larger dice
• Constant rate tax or increased payouts
• Randomly distributed properties

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Mechanics of Monopoly

• Achievable Winning Conditions
• Subsidies for the poor
• Taxes for the rich
• Calculate _at_ Go
• or when exercising a monopoly

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Tuning

• Discuss flaws using MDA
• Do changes effect aesthetics?
• Taxes lead to complex calculations

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Tuning

• Use models to guide our thinking
• Proposed die/board changes
• Length of turns?
• Length of games?
• Odds for acquisitions?

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• Framework for Player and Designer

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MDA as Lens

• Typical designer perspective
• Mechanics give rise to Dynamics
• which support the overall Aesthetic.

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Designer
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MDA as Lens

• Typical player perspective
• Aesthetics set a tone
• born out by Mechanics and Dynamics.

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Mechanics
Dynamics
Aesthetics
Player
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A New Perspective

• When playing
• Recognize how our actions help create and support
  entertainment experiences

?
Player
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A New Perspective

• When building
• Use aesthetic goals to drive our overall design

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Mechanics
Dynamics
Aesthetics
Designer
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MDA

• Put the player on stage

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MDA

• Put the player on stage
• Avoid feature-driven design

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MDA

• Put the player on stage
• Avoid feature-driven design
• Eliminate clutter

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MDA

• Put the player on stage
• Avoid feature-driven design
• Eliminate clutter
• Streamline development

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MDA

• Put the player on stage
• Avoid feature-driven design
• Eliminate clutter
• Streamline development
• Support iterative design

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MDA

• Put the player on stage
• Avoid feature-driven design
• Eliminate clutter
• Streamline development
• Support iterative design
• Avoid fixing what isnt broken

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Thanks!

• Rob Zubek
• Marc LeBlanc
• Game Tuning Workshop
• www.algorithmancy.8kindsoffun.org

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Questions?