Category: Definitions

While writing this video game development diary, I realized that definitions are an essential building block to help keep my thinking on track. Below is my fifth batch of definitions (which are also available here). I was inspired by the examples at LiteraryDevices.net and Frictional Games. These four definitions are known collectively as Play Mechanics. They represent the ‘foundational’, technical layer of video game play.

1) Tools
The avatars (generic representation), characters (in-game personality), units (collectives), and abstract objects provided by the video game to the Player. These Tools typically contain many different qualities and abilities and give the Player the means to overcome the Obstacles arrayed against them.

2) Obstacles
The AI/Player opponents, puzzles, resource limits, plot complexity, map design and more that challenges the Player. The Player uses the Tools to overcome these Obstacles. An unbalanced video game would have Tools that are poorly matched against the Obstacles and would lead to disillusionment.

3) Skills
The Player’s synthesis of complexity and depth. Complexity is the mixture of the video game’s Tools. Depth is the Player’s openness, intelligence, knowledge, dexterity, and hand-eye coordination that groks the Complexity.
Skill levels will range (none, beginner, medium, high, and master) and depend on the Complexity (none, mild, moderate, advanced, to infinite) being matched by Depth (below, equal, or above). Poorly matched Skills lead Players to become bored or overwhelmed, while properly matched Skills can lead to flow.

4) Rules
The reward or punishment when the Player’s Tool Skill matches or does not match the Obstacles. Rules reinforce Player behavior and an unbalanced video game that improperly rewards/punishes would lead to disillusionment.

While writing this video game development diary, I realized that definitions are an essential building block to help keep my thinking on track. Below is my fourth batch of definitions (which are also available here). I was inspired by the examples at LiteraryDevices.net and Frictional Games. These four definitions are known collectively as Play Fundamentals. They represent the ‘middle’, engineering layer of space-time video game play.

1) Perspective
One of the two space-based Fundamentals. The video game’s visual narrator that directs the Player’s visual attention and can be a locked screen, trailing camera (side-view, top-down, isometric-view), a floating camera, or first person view.

2) Endings
One of the two time-based Fundamentals. This is the end state of the video game and it entails any of the following:
> Countdown/Time – need to reach in-game goal under a certain time
> Lives – lose all of your remaining in-game lives
> First Set Score – first player to score required points
> Boredom/Finished – since introducing of save-game feature, any game is at risk of becoming boring to the Player. Alternatively, some games are completed once and are considered finished.
> Celestial Discharge – the death of the Player, Hardware, or Software

3) Navigation
The second of the space-based Fundamentals. This is the in-game play space navigated by the Player through in-game Tools. The in-game space can be a 2D grid, a 3D level, or an abstract field. In-game Tools would be avatars, menus, icons/buttons, displays, maps, levels, UI, and HUDs

4) Timing
The second of the time-based Fundamentals. This is the pace by which the video game is being played and can be Turn-based, Real-time, or a Phased meshing of the two.