Challenges for Games Designers, Chapter 2

Game Design Atoms

This chapter of Challenges for Games Designers compares the topic of game design to chemistry, likening the two types of studies as similar. The chapter explains that to a novice designer it is difficult to decide where to start with your designing, and then goes on to explain that if you look at the design as a 'collection of atoms' it becomes clearer.

Firstly in the chapter it begins to discuss game states and game views. The chapter explains that what is going on in the game, or the things that can change in the game, is the game state. As explained, the game state can be very simple, as akin to chess where only the location of the pieces and information regarding the previous mood is shown. A more complex game state, for example, could be considered in Madden because the game must keep a record of the location of every player and every move that has and can be made. The other side of the chapter relates to the game views. The game view is what is currently being seen by the player, another simple example is chess because the game state is the game view as the information is public and can be seen by both players. A more complex game view is shown in RTS games because of the fog of war disguising the moves of your opponent/s. And the final topic that this section covers is the game space, which is the area upon which the game is played, a chess board or possibly an MMO realm.

The chapter moves on from the topics above and begins to focus instead on parts that are found within the game view. These pieces are parts such as the avatars and game bits. This section also focuses on the players, saying that a game would be nothing without players. This statement is true, because a game cannot be played if their are no players. These players are very often represented in video games by avatars. Avatar is valid for both digital and non-digital games, however the description in relation to a non-digital game is often less consistent than that of a digital game, with the avatar often being called a 'pawn' or 'token'. The avatar is how the player is represented in the game. In some games there is no avatar, such as poker in which the player represents himself or RTS games in which there is no single character to represent the player.
The avatar differs from the game bits that are given with board games. These include cards, dice, army pieces, resources and other little bits that are required to play the game. The term for game bits in relation to digital games is 'art assets' and 'objects' or by their general terms such as NPC, Monster, Item and so forth. The avatar and game bits are all a part of the current game state, and are shown in the game space.

Following the above, the chapter begins to discuss the importance of games mechanics. Game mechanics are the 'rules' of the game, or how a part of the game works. The game mechanics are about the possibilities that are opened up through the use of different mechanics and how they are used. In a way that affects the above, taken from the book 'mechanics are the rules that act upon the players, avatars and game bits, game state and game views, and describe all of the ways to change the game state' The mechanics affect the entire game, and can completely change how it is played. There are different classes of game mechanics such as:
Setup: The rules that are set up for when the game starts.
Victory Conditions: The rules that are set up on how the game is won, this is not always used in open ended games because they require players to create their own goals in order to win.
Progression of Play: The rules that decide how the players will interact with the game, such as using dice or other methods.
Player Actions: Often called 'verbs', this describes the actions that a player can perform while playing the game and how it affects the game.
Definitions of game view(s): The mechanics that decide on what information is given to the players during gameplay.

These ideas all combine in order to form the main mechanics of the game, allowing for a large combination of different mechanics in order to create a good game.

Following the mechanics is the dynamics of the game. The dynamics are the pattern of play that is introduced through the mechanics of the game. A common example is race to the end games. These games are all the same dynamic, however they all utilise slightly different mechanics in order to vary the gameplay and make the game unique and interesting.

The mechanics and dynamics could be considered the under-layers of the game, above this layer is the goals. These goals are the milestones, the victory conditions, the sign of improval, the sign of progression and many more. Games have many varied goals and they can differ between genres as well as games. These goals are often considered after the mechanics and dynamics have been decided, so that the goals can make the most use of the mechanics and dynamics.

Theme is another important aspect to games. The theme is not important to the gameplay, it is not necessary to know that mario is about a plumber looking for the princess in order to play the game. Theme is used to describe what the game is about and is often shown in the form of narrative, colour, characters or other methods. The theme is often very far apart from the mechanics, however if the correct mechanics are fitted with the correct theme, a good example being the 'Portal' games, then the game can feel more complete.

There is no specific order when it comes to designing a game. All of the above need to be completed and a game can end up being based around a single topic. The mechanics could be decided first and therefore the rest of the game is built to be based around those mechanics, or the same could be said about theme; or the dynamics; or even the type of avatar that the player is using. Once again the order is determined by the designer and no one else.

When all of the above processes are put together a game can be made. However, the trick to being a games designer is to constantly use them in order to create a game. The idea of experimentation comes into play in regards to the design process, create and then test before iterating. Iteration, as discovered in other posts, if the key to becoming a successful games designer and is a limitless process that can help fashion even the greatest games.