Triadic_Game_Design-Harteveld
#notesFromPaper Authors: Harteveld Year : Tags : game design #gamifiedEducation transformational games
Reality, Meaning, and Play
#todo this could probably use a re-read now that I have a better grasp on game design generally.
(Leadership skills with games, Yee 2006, check it out)
You always learn within a game, does that translate to the outside
Some games are used seriously though they were not designed that way, we focus on games that were designed with that purpose. This can make transference hard
There is a long tradition of games being referred to as simulations for life, strategy games like “Go” and “Chess” as metaphors for the complexity of life
Edutainment had a reputation for low quality, and the games industry cut ties with it. Now a lot of those are known as “educational software”
Games as objects (theoretical) Game usage Game effects Game technology Game design Games as tools
September 12: Shoot terrorists, but killing civilians makes mourning civilians terrorists. Shows how it’s kind of impossible to destroy terrorism in this manner
System: Interacting set of elements that forms a whole with a common goal or purpose
Iterate, and between iterations, take into account multiple facets of game design
self efficacy - power over your world. Gaming gives you that feeling, and has helped people with cancer who feel powerless
Games that help with PTSD by slowly reintroducing traumas
Games have been used for a variety of political purposes and training purposes as well
Even entertainment games can be transformative by virtue of having decisions and elements that reflect aspects of society
Skills are different than knowledge, because skills lean more towards application
Skills: Cognitive, Perceptual, Motor, Social
Assessment games are in a weird spot because they break the safe space that games typically present. If people are judged based on their success, they play differently
Hoo boy can you collect data with games
Can you test theories in games, or do they not replicate real life well enough?
In addition, games are dynamic and players are creative, so there can be a lot of variables people aren’t accounting for
How complex and rigid are the rules? Action Twitch, fast paced, simple to learn Adventure Story, side quest, exploration Puzzle Objective and manipulation RP More action, less story Simulation how is it like to be
In TGD, players are people (with cultures), interpreters of the message you display, and are players (yes ok, but they have different goals and wants)
Page 84 describes a variety of other design books similar to TGD
Representations re-engage us with reality from a different, potentially more narrow perspective.
Understand the problem that your clients are facing
Create a model of the game that you reflect in reality Make this model (and your game) flexible since you may make your model simpler or more complex based on changing requirements
Make it realistic, but in the ways it needs to be. Certain types of realism don’t actually add value
How well do games transfer to the real world, perhaps “games make people aggressive” is only true within the game? Or maybe it tracks in the real world, but only for certain types of games
Games are valid if the structure and processes within reflect the real world
Edutainment games can be simple wrappers for education, but that can still work if the learning is well integrated
Games such as the Chiquita game and the McDonalds game can provide empathy for or against a position
Behaviorism: The external behaviors produced are all that matters, and behaviors can be positively / negatively reinforced
Cognitivism: Learning can involve internal mental events that are not reflected by behavior
Humanism: Learning should be centered around human growth, and believes that humans are inherently good and strive for a better world.
Constructivism: Learning is a process entangled with one’s background, culture and motivation. Learning involves taking new information and reconciling it with previous ideas and experience
Socio-Culturalism: Collaborative environments should be built where the environment and people themselves aid in learning
Socio-constructivism: Knowledge itself is situated in an environmental context and such environments must include authentic experience for learning to be meaningful
constructivism: Learning happens when knowledge is applied external to one’s self (onto the environment), even with something as simple as writing a paper
Operations are mechanisms in the game or actions players can take. Do your operations create a meaning, or does your meaning create operations (bottom up vs top down)
If you are young, 2+2 is a 2, a plus, and a 2. Experienced adders see 2+2 and immediately recall 4. Experts “see” things because they have similar complicated chunks
Always challenge a bit beyond abilities for maximum learning. Slowly remove supports. Ask players why they made choices (to force them to consider why they did)
Conteeeext is important to problem solving. (Like age)
Super Columbine Massacre RPGs makes people think about the reasons someone would shoot up a school.
Online forums make people think about how different people engage with the game
Motivation, relevance, and transfer
Motivation is required to continue playing a game
Do messages transfer? Internally or Externally?
Multimodality: Games have different media incorporated, and are thus more powerful than any single one
Play has a negative connotation, but adults play too!
Players need clear goals and clear options, otherwise the game might feel frustrating
Gameplay is continuously changing combinations of challenges, actions, executions, and rules.
Interactivity: Two agents speaking, thinking and listening
Uncertainty creates challenge and interest. It’s scary irl but games are a safe space
The Goal, The Gameplay, the Game world, and the Game concept
Many players become more interested in games with a theme they are interested in. Ask if your game is meant to be for a broad audience or specific groups
Fun can come from simple interaction with the game world, when the create something of value, and interactions with other people. Fun is not simple, since many frustrating games are not fun, yet are still engaging
Reality tensions can occur when there are differing views on what is important
Meaning tensions can occur when there is disagreement on how goals should be acheived
Reality - Meaning: Simplifications of reality for ease of learning
Guidance tension: To what level should you give the player freedom / should the game limit their options
Representational tension: To what extent do you represent the real world, and what do you skip to make gameplay interesting
Gameplay can be exciting, but make it meaningful as well
Give time to reflect. Moments were thought is required should be given at times were the player is not time pressured
Uncertainty tension: Lack of knowledge can be interesting, but also frustrating
Exams are hard, scoring is similar
