breaking the rules players in the magic circle breaking rules to win

Breaking the rules

players in the magic circle breaking rules to win

COSC 4126 breaking rules

Review of Rules

magic circle is the domain of rules rules limit player action – inefficiency rules are explicit, unambiguous rules are fixed, binding, repeatable three levels:

constituative operational implicit


Review of Digital Rules constituative rules are the underlying

algorithms and data structures of the software

operational rules are defined in the interfaces between game and player

implicit rules extend to ‘platform’ assumptions

with game as referee, rules are ‘enforceable’


Game schemas related to rules emergence – complex systems based on

rules for traversing game space uncertainty and risk information systems – capacity, uncertainty

and information information access – who knows what cybernetics - feedback positive and

negative challenge – goals, form of play, utility,

competition and cooperation


Breaking rules

player profiles measured along three axes: adherence to rules passion for winning degree of lusory attitude

— +


1. Standard player

casual player who plays for diversion, social contact: adherence to rules passion for winning degree of lusory attitude

— +


2. Dedicated player

professional or hardcore player including pro athlete or Las Vegas gambler: adherence to rules passion for winning degree of lusory attitude

— +


3. Unsportsmanlike player

disrespect for spirit of play, breaking implicit rules finding loopholes:

adherence to rules passion for winning degree of lusory attitude

— +


Degenerate strategies

to take advantages of weaknesses in game design to guarantee success (exploit)

characteristic of unsportsmanlike and dedicated players Lenat’s AI

OR“transformative play”


Reacting to Exploits

change rules BASKETBALL

dribbling, 24 sec shot clock, 3 sec rule, 3 point shot

play evolves FOOTBALL

forward pass


4. Cheat

shows respect for magic circle but breaks rules to win:


— +


5. Spoil-sport

no respect for meaning of game or lusory attitude:


— +


Refereed games

ambiguity of some rules referees prevent and/or punish rule

violations scale of severity for rule violations

determines punishment breaking rules becomes part of play implicit rules surround the formal

(violated) rules


Digital cheating

Easter eggs – extra features (secret rooms, etc) programmed in by defiant game programmers

Cheat codes – special inputs to strengthen player’s position (DOOM)

“Culture based” guides, walkthroughs Workarounds – digital exploits


Cheating in digital game play

multi-sessioning – playing several characters in an online game to gain advantage

code hacking – high score lists, modifying code

spoilsport hacking – crashing game networks


Rule-breaking and design

1. reacting to the player types – design games with different types of player in mind.

2. making rule-breaking part of the play – Bernard DeKoven

makes player a designer


DeKoven on rule breaking

player attitude: breaking rules to seek a better game

players are ‘authorities’ – set rules not just follow them become designers, even a game

community designers behave like this in beta-

testing


DeKoven on ‘design rule’ breaking

creative designers should be breaking out of the ‘genre’ design rules


A rule breaking example: Monopoly

The Landlord’s Game 1904

breaking the rules players in the magic circle breaking rules to win

Documents