MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research by Robin Kunicke, Marc Leblanc, Robert Zubeck
For this weeks reading we looked at a paper which outlined some core components of games. These core components are defined as MDA:- Hunicke et al (2004) describe games as 'systems that build behaviour via interaction'
- From your reading of the article, how does this system work and what kinds of controls does the games designer have at their disposal?
M = Mechanics
D = Dynamics
A = Aesthetics
Introduction:
"All artifacts are created within some design methodology"
- Design Methodology: They help analyse the 'end result' to refine implementation and analyze the implementation to refine the result.
Towards a Comprehensive Framework
Game Design and Authorship happen at many levels and the fields of games research and development involve people from diverse creative and scholarly backgrounds.
Consideration to issuers outside that are (one focused area):
- Base mechanisms of game systems
- Overarching design goals
- Desired experimental results of gameplay
Complexity of 'agent', object and system behaviour
- AI and Game Design merge
MDA - Allows you to think about the process.
"Games are created by designers/teams of developers, and consumed by players. They are purchased, used and eventually cast away like most consumable goods".
:) Designer Creates ------> [GAME] <------ Player Consumes :)
- The production of cusumption of game artifacts
- Games differ from other consumer goods because they are 'unpredictable'.
The string of events that occur during gameplay and the outcome of events are unknown at the time the product is finished.
The MDA framework formalizes the consumption of games by breaking them into components
[RULES]--->[SYSTEM]--->["FUN"]
...and establishing their design counterparts.
[Mechanics]--->[Dynamics]--->[Aesthetics]
Mechanics:
- Describes the particular components of the game, at the level of data represententation and algorithms.
- The components of the game
- Data representation and algorithms. Player location. Dice. Rules of the Game
Dynamics:
- Describes the run-time behaviour of the mechanisms acting on player outputs and each others outputs over time.
- What happens when you interact with the game. How rules might interact with each other... choices.
- How the board interacts and with the players.
Aesthetics:
- Describes the desirable emotional responses evoked in the player when he or she interacts with the game system.
- How the players feels
- Emotion - Interaction
"Games are more like 'artifacts' than media"
- Content of a game is its behaviour
MDA in Detail:
- Components of MDA framework thought up of "lens" or view" of a game
- From the designers perspective, the mechanics give rise to dynamic system behaviour, which in turn levels to particular aesthetic experiences. From the players perspective, aesthetics set the tone, which is born out in observable dynamics and eventually, operable mechanics.
The Designer and the player eath have a different perspective to MDA
Aesthetics:
Terms like: "Fun" and "Gameplay" are limited as they're unable to tell us what's going on.
Within the paper there is some vocabulary highlighted which I noted. I feel that Game Design should be taken more seriously and that establishing a critical vocabulary is vital in the development of this, linking back to Greg Costikyan's 'I Have No Words & I Must Design: Toward a Critical Vocabulary for Games'.
Vocab:
1. Sensation: Game as sense-pleasure
2. Fantasy: Game as make-believe
3. Narrative: Game as drama
4. Challenge: Game as obstacle course
5. Fellowship: Game as social framework
6. Dicovery: Game as unchanted territory
7. Expression: Game as self-discovery
8. Submission: Game as a pastime
Games that could apply to this vocabulary are:
Carades: Fellowship, Expression, Challenge
Quake: Challenge, Sensation, Compitition, Fantasy
The Sims: Discovery, Fantasy, Expression, Narrative
Final Fantasy: Fantasy, Narrative, Discovery, Challenge, Submission
- How and why games appeal to different people?
Aesthetic Models:
Quake & Carades are both competitive.
- The succeed when the various teams or players in these games are emotionally invested in defeated each other.
Competitive games = adversarial play and clear feedback.
Dynamic Models:
- Dynamics wor to create aesthetic experiances. Fore example, challenge is created by things like pressure and opponent play.
- Fellowship can be encouraged by sharing information across certain members of a session.
- Expression
Reality isn't always "fun" (monopoly) (difficulty).
Mechanics:
Various actions, behaviours and control mechanisms afforded to the player within a game context.
Adjusting mechanics can help to fine tune the games overall dynamic.
(Lugging player) - bonuses?...
Tuning:
Refine the game tuning includes 'play testing'
Dicsuss flaws
Test to make the game well balanced
MDA At Work:
- Stages/Process of Game Design (refine notes)
First Pass:
Second: Pass
Third Pass:
Robs (additional class) Notes:
Simple Mechanics make for understanding of the game (rules)
Starcraft - infinate pasabilities (overwealming)
Monopoly - simplicity full understanding
Think about feeling:
- Clostrophobia
- Limited space
- Darkness
- Limited movement
- etc
Convaying an emotion/feeling.
Notes: 'Click to Enlarge'.
