Game Design Workshop Responses

GDW Chapter 4: Working with Dramatic Elements

It is interesting to see the various responses from different people on what Play actually is. This creates a refreshing and more substantial definition for it which is important for game designers to consider, since Play is one of the more important elements within gaming that actually get people to want to experience playing games. This point is driven home straight after when Fuller gives her own take on what Play can be and what it involves. 

In terms of Player Categories, it is very useful to categorize what different types of gamers want from video games. This allows game designers to create more specific experiences for specific gamers with clear intentions in mind. Fuller’s summary of each type of player can be very useful to designers in that they don’t need to imagine what each category of player wants, nor do they have to be misled on creating an ambiguous game with the wrong audience in mind. 

The description of a combat system by Fuller, before it has been placed in a premise and dramatized makes up a great way of explaining the importance of premise and what a game would actually look like as a bare bones model. This is certainly not considered by designers very often, but is important to think about when prototyping and coming up with game mechanics. 

Fuller later on brings some important points and descriptions on how character design can be interpreted and how game designers can think about designing their characters. At the same time as considering possible stereotypical characters, designers can also think about what their target audience wants to see in a character. Indeed, if designers focus on creating a game for one audience but create characters aimed at another audience, this will reduce the impact of their game substantially. 

Further on, Fuller talks about how playable characters can be autonomous or entirely player controlled (or even both), which is an interesting path to diverge into. Indeed, plenty of games are entirely player controlled, with no suggestion of free will from the characters themselves. However, it is noteworthy to think about how a designer may want a particular character to act or behave in a game in relation to what the player wants to do. This can create an interesting dynamic which can serve to increase empathy levels from the player for their character.

At the beginning of the Story section where Fuller describes games as almost impossible mediums for traditional storytelling, a contradiction can be seen. Indeed, it is more difficult to have a traditional story play out in a game, such as in a movie, but there are games which effectively control the story as the game progresses in a traditional linear way. In fact, linear games actually play out just like a traditional story arc like in movies. Fuller even mentions this in more linear narrative games such as The Last Of Us. As such, her initial statement and her descriptions afterward are somewhat confusing to read about. In fact, Schell even goes into this myth that game storytelling is different from traditional storytelling, debunking it by explaining that the only difference between the two is that you are able to act in gaming. Even so, this action is not always a unique and autonomous action on the actor’s part. Indeed, the game itself is designed to react a certain way once an action occurs. As such, the action will have a result that has already been preconceived and purposefully created specifically for that action to take place at that moment. In fact, games generally, no matter how many twists and different endings based on different choices they can contain, are very similar to traditional storytelling where the story will play out one way or another no matter what.

GDW Chapter 6: Conceptualization: Sidebar: Experimental Gameplay by Richard Lemarchand

In a time and age oversaturated with games from various genres, such as shooters or RPGs, there is really too much of every field already. This leads to newly released games just becoming submerged in the grey mass of FPSs and RPGs and Strategy games which have already existed for ages. As such, Lemarchand raises a good point in saying that experimental games are an important medium which can help push boundaries and even attempt to create new ones while also mixing old forms of play and conjuring new ones. It is also important to note his comment on video games collaborating with other art forms. This is an especially effective way to create new games that serve to educate and interpret different sectors, such as those of education and medicine. Experimental games can also serve to give artists who are not necessarily game designers new tools to develop their craft.

GDW Chapter 11: Fun and Accessibility

The discussion of player choice in games is one very worth noting due to how it can effectively (or ineffectively) immerse the player in the game by giving them the fallacy of choice in an already established structure. The ability to do this effectively is one that can easily define whether a game is any good or not and Fuller explains and analyzes how choice can be incorporated in games with a high impact very thoroughly. The variety in flavor of decision consequence and importance is another very important thing to think about, where Fuller advises designers to consider ‘peaks and valleys’ when it comes to gauging the choices in their game and how they should work. 

Fuller also bridges and segways her talk of decisions to decision types very nicely using a very thorough example of a decision which begins as an arbitrary and inconsequential one to a fully fledged and important one that will have the player truly thinking about what is the best course of action. The inclusion of the decision types themselves is also very useful for potential game designers to consider what decisions they wish to use and which would be most effective in what they wish to do. 

It is very interesting to think about Fuller’s take on how first person shooter games are essentially puzzles in how they work with their mechanics and exploratory elements. One would normally think of first person shooters simply as action games where you shoot. However, it is refreshing in terms of creativity for designers to consider these types of games as something entirely different from what they commercially have become. 

The inclusion of the Skinner Box in determining how to create a reward system in games presents a clear and concise look on how to decide how to structure when and how rewards are presented throughout a game. The explanation behind how this system can work to keep players hooked is also very concise and exhaustive. 

Librande’s exercise of ‘Us Vs It’ offers a very interesting and fresh exercise in creating a game that considers asymmetry and balance between players which tests opposing sides of a battle simulation; one where the object of conflict is created and one where it is eliminated. However, even though this exercise is interesting in understanding how to balance an asymmetrical game with opposing sides, it still cannot control how players choose to go about the game and how they can actually balance the ‘robot’ itself so it is not overly weak or overly powerful. This is because it is difficult to gauge the exact sweet spot that allows the robot to be just powerful enough to be destroyed at the most dramatic moment. Nevertheless, because of this dilemma and difficulty, this exercise can be a useful one to think about for designers who are interested in asymmetrical multiplayer games. 

Fuller’s segway into how to avoid and problem solve for issues in games that lead to a lack of fun and frustration is an important element to be discussed when it comes to designing one’s game. The Halo example which presents the ‘Insurmountable Obstacle’ type of in-game frustration is an excellent depiction of how issues can be resolved and how playtesting is paramount to the design process. 

Chapter 8: Digital Prototyping, Effective Interface Design

Designing an effective user interface is a very important task for a game designer. Indeed, without one or one that is lacking, the player experience will be substantially different and less impactful for the player. In fact, they will not receive the feedback they need nor receive the relevant information needed to fully understand what is going on with the game. On the other hand, an interface which is extensive but does not tie in with the game concept or aesthetic can lead to even more confusion than that of a lacking interface. As such, designers need to consider the different methods and interpretations of how to design an effective interface that Fuller mentions.

Why Should Indie Devs Care About Video Game Usability Testing?

A fair point is raised here in which users need to be outside of the development team due to the fact that the view and opinion of these users can become tarnished as one sided and biased due to their commitment to the game as well as the amount of hours spent on it. The distinction between users in playtesting is a very important one which needs to be made, otherwise the playtesting process will be for nought. 

An interesting questionnaire for playtesters is also presented which can help the testers gain a more precise understanding of the types of people that will be testing their game. 

This article provides an extensive and very easy to follow, step by step methodology for performing both off site and on site user testing of video games. Indeed, it offers understandable and knowledgeable instructions as well as tips on how to react with users and what to ask of them/expect of them. Furthermore, it also gives insightful ways on how one can carry out beta testing and convince users to actually effectively test the game and give better feedback than would be possible by just letting them play the game.

GDW Chapter 10: Functionality, Completeness and Balance

In discussing functionality and what problems a game can incur, Fuller’s example of problems that can be found in FPS games as well as her solutions for these problems present a nice and accurate example for designers to muse over. In fact, it is more effective to add a detailed problem along with possible solutions alongside a description of how a playtest can reveal problems in comparison to simply presenting the description with no application of that problem in real world examples. 

The discussion on loopholes and how easy these can be discovered and exploited by curious gamers is another interesting topic that Fuller touches on. She also goes in depth with numerous examples, such as with Deus Ex, to illustrate her point. This, again, allows designers to look at these issues that developers and programmers often face as real world examples. Her emphasis to carry out as many tests as possible to find these possible loopholes is an important piece of advice that cannot be understated. Nevertheless, some loopholes can be seen to benefit the game experience or even create a richer one for some players. Fuller subsequently goes into this by explaining to readers that designers need to make a decision whether or not a loophole is a welcome element in their game and how it should be dealt with creatively. This is very important as loopholes can be regarded as additional ‘fun’ elements within a game that motivate players to play the game more. Remove the loophole and those players will be frustrated that the game no longer carries this feature. As such, this leaves designers with a choice of whether or not to include this feature in future iterations or to eliminate it. Fuller’s example of how Ultima Online worked when it came out is a good look into creating balance for a game. Indeed, it can be very frustrating if a new player is eager to start playing and learn the game only to be put off by being instantly killed by more powerful ‘bully’ players. This will lead to designers questioning how balance in their game should work, an element which is critical for any game. Fuller later goes on to describe situations and tips that could help designers uncover loopholes more easily using player testing, such as with control situation testing scenarios. These are very useful for designers generally since when playtesting it can be hard, especially for indie designers, to get the most out of the 10 minutes or so of each playtest. These examples can also help designers avoid a skewed and tunnel vision view on what they should be testing versus what they actually are testing. Designers may be fixated on a single issue and will see a need to focus on that sole issue instead of having a broader look at the game, which may have even more issues than the one the designers may be looking at. 

In Balancing The Dynamics, there is a full discussion of various ways of balancing player relationships with one another and the dynamics formed from these. This section serves to inform the reader on various ways to tackle the issue of balancing game dynamics, which can be as tricky as balancing and tweaking game variables. Indeed, placing emphasis on how relationships in your game work is quite important as these relationships can directly affect how a player experiences a game, especially if the system seems to be unfair to them due to unbalanced relationships. 

In turn, Fuller explains the differences and traits of Asymmetrical and Symmetrical games very thoroughly. Although the difference between the two, at face value, is very obvious, it is still imperative to understand how to balance an Asymmetrical game. This is because most Symmetrical games tend to be table top games such as chess due to the fact that it is hard to create a complex digital game and have it be symmetrical also, such as with a FPS. Indeed, video games tend to lean on the asymmetrical side. As such, Fuller gives a more descriptive and long take on Asymmetrical games and how to balance them and create a good play experience. She uses different examples such as Soul Calibur II which helps to emphasize her points and also help readers to better visualize what she is explaining. In addition, her inclusion of different types of asymmetric objectives and conditions within various strategy, as well as other types, games provides an interesting look into what can be done with asymmetry. It also serves to expand the knowledge and list of resources that designers can have at their disposal while they read. 

In Balancing for the Median Skill Level, Fuller provides a very useful and clever way of playtesting for finding varying levels of difficulty by suggesting to play with different types of gamers at opposite ends of the spectrum. This effectively turns a task that may have involved plenty of guessing work that would not have produced results as expected into one that can be fitted to a formula for smooth reworking. In fact, once you have discovered what the median level is, you can work around that to increase or decrease level difficulty as the game requires. 

The inclusion of the Warcraft III case study after managing asymmetry and creating interesting and balanced gameplay marks a nice inclusion and overall visualization of a real world scenario in which the topics discussed by Fuller before hand can be seen in a real game which faced these challenges and was developed with commercial success. As such, reading through the hurdles this game faced from beginning to end puts the majority of the topics discussed by Fuller thus far into a clearer perspective and helps designers and readers consider them in a more meaningful way.

GDW Chapter 16: Selling Yourself and Your Ideas to the Game Industry

Fuller’s advice on how to improve your knowledge of the game industry and its various elements and aspects provides a crucial framework that acts almost like a step by step guide for future designers to take into account in their pursuit of a job in the industry. Indeed, her advice in becoming active in online game forums and communities, for example, offers effective ways to begin to immerse oneself in the culture of gaming and to begin building a framework and network for oneself. Another noteworthy mention is how a designer can begin to play around with level and concept design by analyzing existing games and attempting to alter them in creative ways to easily showcase one’s skill to possible job applications. Not only this, but this method will help designers practice and hone their skills in existing programs and become more knowledgeable with how the industry functions. Fuller also mentions how crucial it is to be educated and active within the industry by constantly staying updated on what goes on through magazines, online articles and the like. This may not be immediately obvious to fledgling designers due to the simple misconception that playing enough games is enough to keep you updated. Fuller implies that doing only this is not enough constantly in each section where she gives different tips and advice. 

Furthermore, Fuller’s account of how one can become a designer through a constructed and step by step process helps to remove the illusion that one can get a job as a game designer as their entry-level job in a company. Indeed, she explains various scenarios and ways in which an aspiring designer can climb up the ladder to achieve the title of game designer. She also serves to erase any preconceived notions that it is simple to become a game designer by noting how many game designers acquired this title by first being programmers or producers. This helped them to understand the industry better and accumulate experience before they could become designers. 

The Pitch Process that Fuller discusses and its contents are both extensive as well as from excellent and professional sources. As such, the information provided is very applicable to the real world and does not merely serve as advice or tips that one could follow; it is literally the steps and requirements one needs to follow in order to gain success in pitching an idea to publishers. Furthermore, she goes into explaining and summarizing what each required material for a pitch is and how it can be approached which provides readers with an intuitive and step by step process into how they can go about approaching the pitch and how they can gather the individual materials effectively and fully.

Nevertheless, while reading the contents of the pitch process, it seems that this is a large leap from the assumed designer level the book was discussing earlier; it is strange to initially be reading about carrying out prototypes about an idea and carrying out playtests as a designer who is not even part of a company to jump to reading about how to provide a pitch to publishers as a member of a gaming company. Perhaps the book simply has the goal of explaining and touching on every aspect of being a game designer and what that entails to professionally as well, but it is still strange to see such a drastic leap. This is also true of the next sections which include the Indie Development and After Pitch.

In his section, Vollmer raises a good point where he advises designers to prototype their idea as quickly and with as much minimum effort as possible. He suggests that designers do not waste their time and energy into creating and coding a complex idea and mechanic only for it to be dashed away once it does not sit well with play testers. It is essential that designers, in this stage, present their idea quickly and with as much fun as possible to testers, without moving ahead into the development and production process. This means that the designers can effectively and quickly gauge whether an idea is good enough and worthwhile to bother with in the first place.