Fundamentals of Game Design
Chapter 4: Continued
SE 3GB3
Chris Harrington
11-Feb-13
Outline
• The Dimensions of a Game World
– The Physical Dimension
– The Temporal Dimension
– The Environmental Dimension
– The Emotional Dimension
– The Ethical Dimension
• Realism
• Summary
The Dimensions of a Game World
• Many different
properties
• Two Categories for the
Properties
– Quantitative (ex Size.)
– Qualitative (ex Mood.)
• Related properties are
the Dimensions
Physical Dimension
• Spatial
Dimensionality
• Scale
• Boundaries
Spatial Dimensionality
• 2D
• 2.5D
• 3D
• 4D
Scale
• Scale refers to both
the absolute size of the
physical space
represented, as
measured in units
Boundaries
• A line that marks the
limits of an area; a
dividing line.
The Temporal Dimension
• Variable Time
• Anomalous Time
• Letting the
Player Adjust
time
The Environmental Dimension
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cultural Context
Physical Surrondings
Detail
Defining a Style
Overused Settings
Sources of Inspiration
The Emotional Design
• Influencing the Players
Feelings
• Limitations of Fun
• You cant Paint Emotion
by Numbers
Design Rule: Avoid Implausible
Extremes
• Don’t make your game about the fate of the world if
you are serious about producing emotional
resonance with your audience; the fate of the world
is too big to grasp. Make your game about the fate of
people instead.
The Ethical Dimension
• Moral DecisionMaking
• Violence in
video games
Moral Decision Making
• Simple Ethics: Clobber
the bad guys, protect
the good
• Preachy material can be
off putting
• Difficult decisions are at
the heart of good story
telling
The Peculiar Morality of America’s
Army
• Teaches how real
soldiers are meant to
fight in two ways
• Players must act in
conformance of the
actual disciplinary
requirements
• Both Sides see them
selves as US soldiers
(perspective)
Violence in Video Games
Realism
•Simplification of the
real world
•Can have realistic
graphics but
unrealistic physics
•Let R rep. Realism
•0 <= R < 1
(cannot equal 1, no game can
be entirely realistic)
The End
(of Chapter 4)
Bibliography
•
•
Adams, Ernest. Fundamentals of Game Design. Berkeley, CA : New Riders,
September 14, 2009
Pictures
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http://cdn2b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/49/26/victory_6.jpg
http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/video-game-violence-2.jpg
http://www.ithp.org/articles/violentvideogames.html
http://fable.wikia.com/wiki/Fable
http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/replicate/EXID55249/images/a14dg4(1).jpg
http://varungenius.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/right-and-wrong-decisions1.jpg
http://neuronarrative.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/emotion.jpg
http://richtaveras.com/static/media/uploads/zinnia/time-warp.jpg