GAME DESIGN FINAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Explain the difference between a game that is balanced and a game that is unbalanced
- Answer -- balanced games
- unbalanced games
Explain why Schildt feels that paper prototyping is benificial to video games. - Answer --
it is cost-effective
- can reveal mechanical issues with the game before digital prototyping time is wasted
- can provide first-hand feedback
- even though it can be limiting with video games, it can still reveal the core dynamics
that are successful and unsuccessful
What are the core dynamics of Teuber's "The Settlers of Catan" - Answer -- trade
you build your character up by trading and growing your resources (making it central to
the game)
- balance
What is a game? - Answer -a game is an activity that
- requires at least one player
- has rules
- has a win/lose condition
Explain the concept of the "mom test" - Answer -- diablo 2
- a test performed to see if the games dynamics where simple enough that even a mom
could understand them
Define the terms mechanic, dynamic, and aesthetic and provide an example of each
from a game that you played this semester. Do not use a card game. - Answer --
Mechanics, rules for the player to follow
Ex: In dominoes, you cannot play your domino on someone else's train unless they can
no longer play on it and have set a marker on it
- Dynamics, patterns, and behaviors resulting from the mechanics acting on a player
Ex: racing to finish in fall guys and knocking the other players off the board in order to
place before the timer and the player advance number runs our
,- Aesthetics, desired emotional response evoked when a player interacts with the game
Ex: the anticipation a player feels when they are pulling a risky block out in Jenga
List 3 core dynamics. Then provide a short description of each of them and identify a
game in which they are the core dynamic. - Answer -- Trade
Ex: in Settlers of Catan, the players must trade and grow their resources to win
- Building
Ex: in Minecraft, the players must build and explore new worlds to create their own
fantasy
- Race to the Finish
Ex: in Mario, the players must race other players to finish in first place and use their
resources along the way to slow other players down
Explain what makes a game good - Answer -- a good game has the players desires
considered and integrated
- challenges the player to be involved and overcome obstacles
- balanced mechanics that provide the desired dynamics and aesthetics for a player
story arc, 3 part and 5 part - Answer -
IP: advantages - Answer -— Publishers and developers gravitate toward licensed IP for
one reason above all others—risk mitigation
— the majority of best-selling game titles are derived from pre-existing IP
IP: disadvantages - Answer -— designers often find they know a whole lot less than the
licensor
— They already know the game they want you to make, know the fundamentals of
game design, and have made a credible suggestion.
— They already know the game they want you to make, have no idea about the
fundamentals of game design, and have suggested a game that borders on horrifying.
— They already know the game they want you to make, and it's just like a recent hit,
only "better" or "different."
— They have no idea what they want to make, and are relying on you to tell them.
— For very famous IP characters, there is a whole set of behaviors that the IP holder
routinely disallows or demands
, Game cores - Answer -
Flow in games
three core elements a video game must have in order to evoke Flow experience. -
Answer -1. the game is intrinsically rewarding, and the player is up to play the game.
2. The game offers right amount of challenges to match with the player's ability, which
allows him/her to delve deeply into the game.
3. The player needs to feel a sense of personal control over the game activity
Rules for flow in games - Answer -— the activity needs to reach a balance between the
challenges of the activity and the abilities of the participant
— passive flow adjustment (player -> monitor system -> analysis system -> game
system)
— Tuning represents the process of a game designer using playtesting to iterate the
design and manually polish the game experience until it gets close to evoking Flow
3 examples of Mechanics of chance - Answer -— Roll the dice
— Cards
— Hidden information / fog of war
Explain the concept of iterative design. - Answer -- Planning & Requirements:
The initial planning stage is to map out the specification documents, establish software
or hardware requirements, and generally prepare for the upcoming stages of the cycle.
- Analysis & Design:
Document what the application should do and how it should do it and generate the
models and business logic that will be used to create the most profitable application
- Implementation:
The actual implementation and coding process can now begin. All planning,
specification, and design docs up to this point are coded and implemented into this
initial iteration of the project.
- Testing:
testing procedures to identify and locate any potential bugs or issues
- Evaluation:
a thorough evaluation of all development up to this stage to examine where the project
is at, where it needs to be, what can or should change, and so on.
Explain the difference between a game that is balanced and a game that is unbalanced
- Answer -- balanced games
- unbalanced games
Explain why Schildt feels that paper prototyping is benificial to video games. - Answer --
it is cost-effective
- can reveal mechanical issues with the game before digital prototyping time is wasted
- can provide first-hand feedback
- even though it can be limiting with video games, it can still reveal the core dynamics
that are successful and unsuccessful
What are the core dynamics of Teuber's "The Settlers of Catan" - Answer -- trade
you build your character up by trading and growing your resources (making it central to
the game)
- balance
What is a game? - Answer -a game is an activity that
- requires at least one player
- has rules
- has a win/lose condition
Explain the concept of the "mom test" - Answer -- diablo 2
- a test performed to see if the games dynamics where simple enough that even a mom
could understand them
Define the terms mechanic, dynamic, and aesthetic and provide an example of each
from a game that you played this semester. Do not use a card game. - Answer --
Mechanics, rules for the player to follow
Ex: In dominoes, you cannot play your domino on someone else's train unless they can
no longer play on it and have set a marker on it
- Dynamics, patterns, and behaviors resulting from the mechanics acting on a player
Ex: racing to finish in fall guys and knocking the other players off the board in order to
place before the timer and the player advance number runs our
,- Aesthetics, desired emotional response evoked when a player interacts with the game
Ex: the anticipation a player feels when they are pulling a risky block out in Jenga
List 3 core dynamics. Then provide a short description of each of them and identify a
game in which they are the core dynamic. - Answer -- Trade
Ex: in Settlers of Catan, the players must trade and grow their resources to win
- Building
Ex: in Minecraft, the players must build and explore new worlds to create their own
fantasy
- Race to the Finish
Ex: in Mario, the players must race other players to finish in first place and use their
resources along the way to slow other players down
Explain what makes a game good - Answer -- a good game has the players desires
considered and integrated
- challenges the player to be involved and overcome obstacles
- balanced mechanics that provide the desired dynamics and aesthetics for a player
story arc, 3 part and 5 part - Answer -
IP: advantages - Answer -— Publishers and developers gravitate toward licensed IP for
one reason above all others—risk mitigation
— the majority of best-selling game titles are derived from pre-existing IP
IP: disadvantages - Answer -— designers often find they know a whole lot less than the
licensor
— They already know the game they want you to make, know the fundamentals of
game design, and have made a credible suggestion.
— They already know the game they want you to make, have no idea about the
fundamentals of game design, and have suggested a game that borders on horrifying.
— They already know the game they want you to make, and it's just like a recent hit,
only "better" or "different."
— They have no idea what they want to make, and are relying on you to tell them.
— For very famous IP characters, there is a whole set of behaviors that the IP holder
routinely disallows or demands
, Game cores - Answer -
Flow in games
three core elements a video game must have in order to evoke Flow experience. -
Answer -1. the game is intrinsically rewarding, and the player is up to play the game.
2. The game offers right amount of challenges to match with the player's ability, which
allows him/her to delve deeply into the game.
3. The player needs to feel a sense of personal control over the game activity
Rules for flow in games - Answer -— the activity needs to reach a balance between the
challenges of the activity and the abilities of the participant
— passive flow adjustment (player -> monitor system -> analysis system -> game
system)
— Tuning represents the process of a game designer using playtesting to iterate the
design and manually polish the game experience until it gets close to evoking Flow
3 examples of Mechanics of chance - Answer -— Roll the dice
— Cards
— Hidden information / fog of war
Explain the concept of iterative design. - Answer -- Planning & Requirements:
The initial planning stage is to map out the specification documents, establish software
or hardware requirements, and generally prepare for the upcoming stages of the cycle.
- Analysis & Design:
Document what the application should do and how it should do it and generate the
models and business logic that will be used to create the most profitable application
- Implementation:
The actual implementation and coding process can now begin. All planning,
specification, and design docs up to this point are coded and implemented into this
initial iteration of the project.
- Testing:
testing procedures to identify and locate any potential bugs or issues
- Evaluation:
a thorough evaluation of all development up to this stage to examine where the project
is at, where it needs to be, what can or should change, and so on.
