Interesting Games

Tetris

Alexy Pajitnov Not nomal puzzle Normal puzzle

Static Never change solution Never react to player action

+action element Each time is different

Tetris excitement

Accumulated threat From at low-position and slow speed to high

position and faster speed Constant, although at first slow, threat Player feels good when he/she gets out of bad

situation Higher scores for better skill

But higher scores means more risks

Tetris as classic arcade game (1)

Single screen No hidden surprise Player won’t blame or hate the game if

he/she does badly Infinite play

Player can get better as he/she keeps playing, thus pulled by Tetris

Tetris as classic arcade game (2)

Speed, slow to fast, gradually Allows players to learn the game and

improves While still challenge

High score Easy to pick up No story

Tetris Technology

Low tech Any new addition, such as 3D Welltris

More complex gameplay But not much more fun – so people turn back to Tetris

Designed for computer Tetris can’t be a board game It can exist only on computer

Tetris AI

Random number generator Pick the next piece

AI only needs to be as smart as the game mechanics need

The point is -> we need AI to challenge player. As long as the player is kept challenged, simple AI is OK

Still competitive, even though 2 players play a different games due to randomness 2 players can compare scores, because time and

spaces allow the blocks to even out in numbers (only 7 types of blocks anyway)

Simplicity and Symmetry

What about using 5 squares? Too many pieces to manipulate Does not go well with the time a block falls Too complex

There is always a piece for every type of gap

Each type corresponds to one permutation of 4 squares

Loom

Brian Moriarty Adventure Includes only challenges that are

critical to the story The game focuses on story, no easy

game over

Loom Game mechanics

Using SCUMM story system Used in Secret of Monkey Island Inventories

No Branching dialog tree Select the sentence that we want to

speak in Loom, we can’t control the talks, but

all talks are in cut scenes

Loom user interface

Mouse and 1 button Easy to learn

Click on the location we want our character to move to

Allow only useful actions a player can do to object. This is the origin of examine button

Drafts System

When touch an object Tune displayed on screen, on the staff Remember it and play the same tune

on the staff to use magic The tune always changes for every

adventure Music is an integral part

Difficulty

Normal adventure Killed + stuck

None of that in Loom Very easy for beginner

Story

For children but adult can enjoy No story that is just made for gameplay Not too much detail in text

So player can use their imagination Hero is inside cloak

Players can imagine themselves in the cloak Hero personality is important to player’s interest (should not

have too strong personality) He never says things that annoy players Cloud, Squall and Zidane

Myth: The Fallen Lords

Jason Jones 1997 Strategy (Warcraft, Command & Conquer) Myth made it 3D with 3D engine

Terrain height adds a lot to strategy Gravity, physics engine Bomb can change landscapes See battlefield wider, rotate camera, zoom in and out

Characters are sprites More units on screen than with real 3D Can’t zoom out much because frame

rate will drop Camera rotation means we can get lost

Myth: Game focus

Normal RTS -> build resource and combat Myth -> only combat We are given a quantity of units, fixed

number Combat ->more detail than other games

at the time Make players care for units and life

Storytelling

Cut-scenes Mission briefings The level matches the briefings Your troops and people in town can

talk and drives the story during game time. This is very good

Hard-Core gaming

Made for expert RTS player only Because the makers are the expert The control takes a lot to learn, but

hard-core gamers are willing Game is hard too To conclude, make the game that

you know you’ll like

Multi-player

Core engine Network, play with each other until

they are fun (not yet worked on single player)

Deck trading, team play Once we know what’s fun, single

player is easier to do

Special touch

Survived units get stronger Footprints, tracking down enemies

The Sims (2000)

Will Wright Players create characters with

personality attributes Keeps character happy by filling

need indicators (hunger, energy, comfort, fun and social)

Strong points (1)

Players tell their own story There is no goal given by the designer

(sort of like Tetris) Players know about houses, etc so they

can get started right away, and feel good because they can achieve something immediately

Bad point about realistic things -> everything must be realistic

Strong points (2)

Safe experimentation with life Lots of choices to do for continuity

This is essential for Tell-your-own-story type of game

So the player can keep experimenting E.g. no 2 houses are the same, or expanding

career Focus at the right scope (home life only)

Sim City vs The Sims

Human better than object Emotional bond with the simulated person If things are a little like human, although

imperfect, people will humanize them But if things are a lot like human, we will

find the flaw and reject those things

Interface (1)

Player picks up right away This must be due to lots of testing Helps are embedded throughout Functions like Windows (user already

knows Windows, so learning is easy) But looks different. This is important in

order to prevent player thinking of working on Windows

Interface (2)

Easy pop-up head menu But looks very different Human head means closer relationship wi

th the sim

Controlled & Autonomous

Sims can do things by themselves Can praise or complain about new house items t

o let us know the happiness degree Because the sim is not completely controlled, it i

s interesting to watch And it frees player of worry