The Art of Game Design 思维导图模板_ProcessOn思维导图、流程图

What is Game Design?

Decisioin making

Decisions about rules, look and feel, pacing, risk-taking, rewards, punishment, and everything else the player experiences

No unified theory at present

More art than science

Understand web of creativity, psychology, art, technology, and business

Chapter 1 Designer

Skills needed

Animation, antropology, architecture, brainstorming, business, communication, creative writing, economics, engineering, games, history, management, mathematics, music, psychology, public speaking, technicle writing, visual arts

Most important skill——listening

Team, audience, game, client, and self

Chapter2 Experience

It is this experience that the designer cares about

Give the player a great deal of control / throw in random events

There are certain feelings: feelings of choice, feelings of freedom, feelings
of responsibility, feelings of accomplishment, feelings of friendship, and
many others, which only game-based experiences seem to offer.

Secrets of the human heart

Psychology

Introspection—the act of examining experiences as they happen

Not bound by the strict responsibilities of good science, game designers can make use of both behavioristic
experiments and phenomenological introspection to learn what we need to know

Antropology

We can learn a number of important things about human nature from the
work of anthropologists—but much more important, by taking a cultural
anthropologist’s approach to our players, interviewing them, learning
everything we can about them, and putting ourselves in their place, we can
gain insights that would not have been possible from a more objective
point of view

Design

Introspection

Perils

Can lead to false conclusions about reality

What is true of your experience may not be true for others

Game designers tend to have unusual tastes

You won't be designing or developing alone

Dissect your feelings

You must be able to clearly state what you like, what you don't like, and why

The more you analyze your own experiences, the more clearly you will be able to think about the kinds
of experiences your games should create

#1

Two passes

The first time, don’t stop to analyze anything—just have
the experience. Then, go back and do it again, this time, analyzing
everything—maybe even pausing to take notes

Essential experience

figure out the essential elements that really define the experience you want to
create and find ways to make them part of your game design

#2

Chapter3 Venue

#3

Chapter4 Game

#4

Game-Play-Toy-Fun(pleasure with surprises)

Our brains are hardwired to enjoy surprises

#5

Play

#6

Game

“endogenous meaning?” Costikyan is making the very important point that things
that have value inside the game have value only inside the game

#7

Human likes to solve problems

eg: children learn the lesson of War: you cannot
control fate. They realize the problem is unsolvable, and at that point, it is
no longer a game, just an activity, and they soon move on to games with
new problems to solve.

define a clear goal (Q2). Next, we frame the problem. We determine
its boundaries and the nature of the problem space. We also determine what
methods we are allowed to use to solve the problem; that is, we determine
the rules of the problem (Q4). How we do this is kind of hard to describe. It
is not a completely verbal process. It is almost as if our minds are equipped
to set up an internal, minimized, simplified version of reality that only
includes the necessary interrelationships needed to solve the problem. This
is like a cleaner, smaller version of the real-world situation, which we can
more easily consider and manipulate or interact with (Q6). In a sense, we
are establishing a closed, formal system (Q10) with a goal. We then work
to reach that goal, which is usually challenging (Q7), because it involves
some kind of conflict (Q3). If we care about the problem, we quickly
become engaged (Q9) in solving it. When we are occupied in doing so, we
kind of forget about the real world, since we are focused on our internal
problem space. Since this problem space is not the real world and just a
simplified version of it and solving the problem is important to us,
elements in the problem space quickly gain an internal importance, if they
get us closer to our goal of solving the problem, and this importance does
not need to be relevant outside the context of the problem (Q8). Eventually,
we defeat the problem or are defeated by it, thus winning or losing (Q5).

#8 A game is a problem-solving activity, approached with a playful attitude

Chapter5 Elements

The Four Basic Elements

P120

#9

Skin(experience) and Skeleton(four elements)

#10

Chapter6 Theme

Steps to using a theme to strengthen experience

Step 1: Figure out what your theme is

The theme is what your game is about. It is the idea that ties your entire game together—the idea that all the
elements must support

Often based on experience or truth

Step 2: Use every means possible to reinforce that theme

eg: Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Buccaneer Gold P135

Theme is more important than tradition; Sometimes we can break the traditions

#11

Best themes are ones that resonate with players—themes that touch players deeply

#12

Chapter7 Idea

#13

#14

Subconscious Tips

Pay Attention

Record Your Ideas

P171

Manage Its Appetites(Judiciously)

Sleep

Don't Push Too Hard

Chapter8 Iteration

Choose an idea

Reverse your decision when wrong

Pass 8 Filters

Artistic impulse

Demographics

Experience design

Innovation

Business and marketing

Engineering

Social/Community

Playtesting

#15

#16

Loop

Model

Waterfall, sprial , agile and scrum development (P190)

Process

Risk manifesto, start loop, end loop, new loop

10 tips for Productive Prototyping

Answer a Question

Forget Quality

Don't Get Attached

Prioritize Your Prototypes

Parallelize Prototypes Productively

Doesn't Have to Be Digital

Making board prototype is faster

Doesn't Have to Be Interactive

Pick a "Fast" Game Engine

Build the Toy First

More Loop as Possoble

Detail eg for new loop (P204)

When to End

The 50% Rule/The Plan-To-Cut Rule

eg: Prisoners of Bubbleville (P191)

#17

#18

Chapter9 Player

Project Yourself

Bring back your old memories, make them vivid and strong again

Demographics

Age

P219

Gender

Male

Mastery, competition, destruction, spatial puzzles, trial and error

Female

Emotion, real world, nurturing, verbal puzzles, learning by example

#19

Pleasure

Sensation, fantasy, narrative, challenge, fellowship, discovery, expression, submission

#20

Player Types

Achievers, explorers, socializers, killers

Chapter10 Player's Mind

Modeling

Human's minds don't deal with reality but models of reality

Understand and control how that illusion is formed in your player's mind

Create experiences that feel as real, or more real, than reality itself

Focus

What we focus on at any given moment is determined through a blend of our unconscious desires and our conscious will

When something captures our complete attention and imagination for a long period, we enter an interesting mental state "flow"

Flow

Clear goals, no distractions, direct feedback, continuously challenging

P249

#21

Empathy

Imagination

Chapter11 Motivation

Needs

Maslow's hierarchy

Competence

Autonomy

Relatedness

#22

#23

#24

#25

Chapter12 Mechanics

Mechanic 1: Space

#26

Mechanic 2: Time

Discrete and Contunuous Time

Clocks and Races

Controlling Time

#27

Mechanic 3: Objects

Objects are the nouns of game mechanics

Attributes and their states are the adjectives

Static and dynamic

#28

#29

Mechanic 4: Actions

Actions are the verbs of mechanics

Basic actions and Strategic actions

Emergent Gameplay

Def

Not part of the rules itself, but rather actions and strategies that emerge naturally

Tips for creating emergence

Recognize them and give them a chance to flourish

Add more verbs

Verbs can act on many objs

Goals can be achieved in many ways

#30

#31

Mechanic 5: Rules

Types of rules (P315)

Mode

Enforcer

Rule now becomes a physical constraint of the game world

Cheatability

if players start believing your game is cheatable, even if it isn't, all the precious endogenous value
you have worked to develop just slips away

Goal

Concrete, achievable and rewarding

#32

#33

Mechanic 6: Skill

Physical, mental and social skills

#34

Mechanic 7: Chance

#35

#36

Chapter13 Balance

Discern what elements in your game need to be
balanced and then experiment with changing them

12 Types of Game Balance

#1 Fairness

Symmetric and asymmetric (P358)

#2 Challenge vs Success

#3 Meaningful Choices

#4 Skill vs Chance

#5 Head vs Hands

#6 Competion vs Cooperation

#7 Short vs Long

#8 Rewards

#9 Punishment

Benefit

Create endogenous value

Taking risks is exciting

Possible punishment increases challenge

Type

Shaming, loss of points, shortened play, setback, removal of powers, resource depletion

#10 Freedom vs Controlled Experience

#11 Simple vs Complex

#12 Detail vs Imagination

#37

#39

#40 Triangularity (low risk and reward, player, high risk and reward)

#41

#42

#43

#44

#45

#46

#47

#48

#49

#50

#51

Game Balancing Methodologies

Uses the Lens of the Problem Statement

Doubling and halving (二分法微调)

Train your intuition by guessing exactly

Document your model

Tune your model as you tune your game

Plan to balance

Let the players do it

Balancing Game Economies

#52

#53

Chapter14 Puzzle

#54

#55

#56

#57

#58

Chapter15 Interface

The goal of an interface is to make players feel in control of their experience

#59

#60

#61

#62

#63

#64

#65

Interface Design (P476)

#1: List and Prioritize Information

#2: List Channels

#3: Map Information to Channels

#4: Review Use of Dimensions

Number, color, size and font

#66

#67

Interface Tips

#1: Steal

#2: Customize

#3: Theme

#4 Metaphor

#5: Test

#67.5

Chapter16 Interest Curves

#68

#69

#70

#71

#72

Chapter17 Story

Real-World Method

#1: The String of Pearls

#2: The Story Machine

#73

Story Tip

#1: Respect the Story Stack

#2: Put Your Story to Work

#3: Goals, Obstacles, and Conflicts

#4: Make It Real

#5: Simplicity and Transcendence

#6: Consider the Hero's Journey

#7: Keep Your Story World Consistent

#8: Make Your Story World Accessible

#9: Use Cliches Judiciously

#10: A Map Brings a Story to Life

#11: Surpeise and Emotion

#74

#75

Vogler's Synopsis of the Hero's Journey

The ordinary world

The call to adventure

Refusal of the call

Meeting with the mentor

Crossing the threshold

Tests, allies, enemies

Approaching the cave

The ordeal

The reward

The road back

Resurrection

Returning with the elixir

#76

#77

#78

Chapter18 Indirect Control

#79

Indirect Control Method

#1: Constraints

Too much freedom can be a daunting thing

#2: Goals

#3: Interface

Eg: If the player controls a human adventurer, they will try to do certain things. If they control a
dragonfly, an elephant, or a Sherman tank, they will try to do very different things

#4: Visual Design

#5: Characters

#6: Music

#80

#81

#82

Chapter19 World

Transmedia World

Def

Refer to fantasy worlds that can be entered through many different media—print, video, animation,
toys, games, and many others

Feature

Powerful, long lived and evolved over time

Rooted in a single medium

Creative individual at core

Make sense through any ways

#83

#84

Chapter20 Character

Charas in Novel->Movie->Game

Mental to Physical

Charas in novels are involved in deep psychic struggles since we spend time listening to their innermost thoughts

Charas in game, however, we can see what they say and do

Reality to Fantasy

Complex to Simple

Add more depth, more mental conflict relationships into games is challenging

Avatar

People tend to project themselves into their avatars (eg: their cars "he hits my car")

Ideal Form

Mighty warriors, powerful wizards, attractive princesses, ultra-suave secret agents

Blank Slate

Less detail, more possibility to project themselves to avatars

#85

Create Game Character

#1: List Character Functions

#2: Define and Use Character Traits

#3: Use the Interpersonal Circumplex

#4: Make a Character Web

P638

#5: Use Status

#6: Use the Power of the Voice

#7: Use the Power of the Face

Especially for eyes

#8: Powerful Stories Transform Characters

#9: Let Your Character Surprise Us

#10: Avoid the Uncanny Valley

#86

#87

#88

#89

#90

#91

Chapter21 Spaces

Type

Linear

Player can only move forward and back along a line

Grid

Web

Points in space

Divided space

Landmark

Help remember and make a space memorable

#92

Living Structure

Levels of scale, strong centers, boundaries, alternating repetition, positive space, good shape, local symmetries, simplicity and inner calm, not-separateness

#93

Real vs Virtual Architecture

Human store spaces by thinking of them relatively, not absolutely

Scale

Decided by eye height, people and doorways, texture scaling

Third-person Solution

Bigger room, slightly bigger furniture spread out

Chapter22 Presence

Reality

Logical Reality

Defines the rule of cause and effect

Spatial Reality

Defines how I move through space

proprioceptive Reality

Defines where it feels like my body is

Social Reality

Defines how I interact with others

Presence Breakers

#1: Motion Sickness

Keep the framerate up

Avoid virtual camera movement, don't accelerate

Hide the edges (vignette)

Teleport sparingly

#2: Counter-Intuitive Interactions

#3: Intensity Overload

Presence Builders

#1: Hand Presence

#2: Social Presence

#3: Familiarity

#4: Realistic Audio

#5: Proprioceptive Alignment

#6: Comedy6

#93.5

Chapter23 Aesthetics

#94

Trade-off details

Use audio and music

Balancing Art and Tech

Chapter24 Other Players

Reasons for playing with others

Competition

Collaboration

Meeting up

#95

#95.5

Chapter25 Communities

Reasons for forming communities

Membership

Influence

Integration and fulfillment of needs

Shared emotional connection

10 Tips for Strong Communities

#1: Foster Friendship

#2: Put Conflict at the Heart

#3: Use Architecture to Shape Community

#4: Create Community Property

#5: Let Player Express Themselves

#6: Support Three Levels (newbie, player, elder)

#7: Force Players to Depend on Each Other

#8: Manage Your Community

#9: Obligation to Others Is Powerful

#96

#97

#98

#99

Chapter26 Team

Team Problem

#1: Team members incapable of loving any game

#2: Team members in love with a different game than the one they are making

#3: Team members in love with different visions of the same game

If you can't love the game, love the audience

#100

Include everyone in the design process

Have more ideas to choose from

Weed out flawed ideas quickly

Be forced to view the game from many perspectives

Make everyone on the team feel like they own the design

Design process in a team

Initial brainstorming

Independent design

Design discussion

Design presentation

10 keys to team communication

Objectivity

Use Problem-Statement Lens to express yourself

Guarantee that every idea is taken seriously

Clarity

Avoid confusion by explain it in time

Persistence

Write things down

Comfort

People get less distracted and communicate more freely

Respect

Trust

Honesty

Privacy

Unity

Love

#101

Chapter27 Document

Purpose

Memory

Communication

Type

P771

Design

#1: Game design overview

Written for management

To explain how the whole game fits together

High-level, big picture

#2: Detailed design document

Describes all the game mechanics and interfaces in great detail

To help record all the little detailed ideas

To help communicate those ideas to the engineers and the artists

Finding right form of GDDs and tailor them to the team and project

#3: Story overview

Describes the important settings, characters, and actions in the game

Engineering

#4: Technical design document

Make sense whenever there is more than 1 engineers

#5: Pipeline overview

Describes things the artists must adhere to

The simpler, the better

#6: System limitations

Art

#7: Art bible

Guildlines to help maintain consistent look and feel

#8: Concept art overview

Production

#9: Game budget

#10: Asset tracker

#11: Project schedule

Writing

#12: Story bible

#13: Script

#14: Game tutorial and manual

Player

#15: Player walk-through

#102

Chapter28 Playtesting

Type of Test

Focus group

Potential players are interviewed about their likes and dislikes

QA testing

Make sure quality, looking for bugs

Usability testing

Make sure interface and system are intuitive and easy to use

Playtesting

Make sure experience is well designed

Why (P786)

Who

Developers

Friends

Expert gamers

Tissue testers

When

Pre-Idea

Initial Concept

Paper Prototype

Whitebox Prototype

Working Prototype

Finished, Shipped Game

Where

In your studio

In a playtesting lab

At some public venue

At the playtester's home

Online

What

Design playtest to look for answers

Keep your eyes open for surprises

Form

Surveys

Use pictures whenever possible

Online survey save a lot of time

Don't ask people to rate things on [0, 1]

We should rate on labels intead

Don't put too many questions

Survey right after they have played

Don't take survey data as gospel

Interviews

Have a script of questions ready

Interview people privately

Avoid memory tests

Don't expect playtesters to be designers

Ask for more than you need

Consider a video closet

Set your ego aside

FFWWDD

#103

#104

Chapter29 Technology

Foundational vs Decorational

The Hype Cycle

#104

#105

#106

Chapter30 Client

Coping with bad suggestions

Try to understand why the client is making this suggestion

A bad suggestion also have a corresponding question

Go find it and come up with a better solution

Not That Rock (P833)

Firenze, 1498 (P834)

#107

Chapter31 Pitch

When

In the beginning, you'll be pitching rough ideas to team members and potential partners

When the team has agreed on a general concept, you might be pitching to management or
to funders to get approval to build a prototype

When the prototype is built, you might be pitching your game to publishers or to Kickstarter
to get development funds

After the game is done, you'll need to pitch it to reporters at game conferences