Introduction to Game Systems Design

Dax Gazaway was raised in a gamer family. His parents met in a Dungeons & Dragons group, and he was surrounded with games being played and made. From a very early age, Dax was fascinated by the numbers in games. He would pour over monster manuals and board game books, dissecting the rules to figure out how the systems worked. Dax started in the video game industry in the late 1990s. During his tenure in the industry, Dax pioneered game system design at multiple independent and AAA studios, helping to refine and define the subdiscipline. In recent years, he has become a course director at Full Sail University, specializing in teaching new students the concepts and tools of the system designer. Dax has created new curriculum and multiple classes for system design students, and he teaches introduction to system design courses. The following is a selection of Dax's game design credits: Star Wars: Obi-Wan, System and level designer Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, System and level designer and QA liaison Star Wars: Bounty Hunter: System and level designer Gladius: System designer Syphon Filter franchise: Lead designer and system designer Spider Man 3: Lead system designer Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2: Lead system designer Guitar Hero franchise: System designer In addition, Dax has been the studio lead system designer for Row Sham Bow Games and a system design consultant for multiple projects.

• Preface     xx Chapter 1  Games and Players: Defined     1 Defining Game     2 Agreed Upon, Artificial Rules     2 Players Have an Impact on the Outcome     3 People Can Opt Out     4 Game Sessions Are Finite     4 Intrinsic Rewards     4 Game Attributes Summary     5 Finding the Target Audience for a Game: Player Attributes     6 Age     6 Gender     7 Tolerance for Learning Rules     7 Interest in Challenge     9 Desired Time Investment     10 Pace Preference     11 Competitiveness     11 Platform Preference     12 Skill Level     12 Genre/Art/Setting/Narrative Preference     13 Value Gained from Players     13 Payment     13 Other Forms of Value     16 Target Audience Value     17 Target Audience Composite     18 Chess     18 Galaga     18 Mario Kart     19 The Battle for Wesnoth     20 Bejeweled     20 What to Do with a Target Audience Profile     21 Further Steps     22 Chapter 2  Roles in the Game Industry     23 Core Management Team     24 Vision Holder     24 Lead Engineer     25 Lead Artist     25 Lead Designer     25 Producer     25 Lead Sound Designer     25 Team Subdisciplines     26 Art     26 Engineering     27 Production     28 Design     28 Sound Team     29 QA Team     29 Narrative Designer     30 Additional Roles     30 Further Steps     30 Chapter 3  Asking Questions     31 How to Ask a Theoretical Question     32 Steps of the Scientific Method     32 Defining a Question for Data Analysis     35 How to Ask for Help with a Problem     36 Why How You Ask Matters     36 Steps to Writing a Good Question     37 Further Steps     41 Chapter 4  System Design Tools     43 What Is Data?     44 Game Industry Tools     44 Documentation Tools     45 Image Editing Tools     45 3D Modeling Tools     46 Flowchart Tools     47 Databases     48 Bug-Tracking Software     49 Game Engines     49 Further Steps     50 Chapter 5  Spreadsheet Basics     51 Why Spreadsheets?     52 What Is a Spreadsheet?     54 Spreadsheet Cells: The Building Blocks of Data     54 Cells     54 The Formula Bar     55 Spreadsheet Symbols     56 Data Containers in Spreadsheets     60 Columns and Rows     60 Sheets     61 Workbooks     61 Spreadsheet Operations     63 Referencing a Separate Sheet     64 Hiding Data     65 Freezing Part of a Sheet     66 Using Comments and Notes     68 Using Formfill     71 Using Filters     77 Data Validation     80 The Data Validation Dialog     81 Time Validation     83 List Validation     84 Named Ranges     84 Further Steps     88 Chapter 6  Spreadsheet Functions     89 Grouping Arguments     90 Function Structure     90 More Complex Functions     93 Functions for System Designers     96 SUM     96 AVERAGE     97 MEDIAN     97 MODE     98 MAX and MIN     99 RANK     99 COUNT, COUNTA, and COUNTUNIQUE     100 LEN     100 IF     101 COUNTIF     101 VLOOKUP     102 FIND     102 MID     103 NOW     103 RAND     104 ROUND     105 RANDBETWEEN     105 Learning About More Functions     106 How to Choose the Right Function     106 Further Steps     107 Chapter 7  Distilling Life into Systems     109 An Abstract Example     114 Throwing     114 Sticks     115 Running     115 Teamwork     115 Putting Together the Mechanics     115 Story in Games     116 Further Steps     117 Chapter 8  Coming Up with Ideas     119 Idea Buffet     120 Sample Idea Buffet     120 Running a Brainstorming Session     121 Having Goals     121 Gathering the Troops     122 Giving Yourself a Block of Time     123 Don't Accept the First Answer     123 Avoiding Criticism     124 Keeping on Topic (Kind Of)     124 Capturing the Creativity     125 Keeping Expectations Reasonable     125 Percolating     125 Methods to Force Creativity     126 Bad Storming     126 Jokes     126 Building Blocks     127 Future Past     127 Iterative Stepping     127 Halfway Between     128 Opposite Of     129 Random Connections     130 Stream of Consciousness Writing     130 Further Steps     131 Chapter 9  Attributes: Creating and Quantifying Life     133 Mechanics Versus Attributes     134 Listing Attributes     134 Initial Brainstorming     135 Blue-Sky Brainstorming     136 Researching Attributes     136 Referring to Your Own Personal Attribute Bank     138 Defining an Attribute     139 Considerations When Defining an Attribute     140 Grouping Attributes     141 Further Steps     143 Chapter 10  Organizing Data in Spreadsheets     145 Create a Spreadsheet to Be Read by an Outsider     146 Avoid Typing Numbers     146 Label Data     147 Validate Your Data     148 Use Columns for Attributes and Rows for Objects     148 Color Coding     149 Avoid Adding Unneeded Columns or Rows or Blank Cells     151 Separate Data Objects with Sheets     152 Reference Sheet     152 Introduction Sheet     153 Output/Visualization Sheets     154 Scratch Sheet     155 Spreadsheet Example     155 Further Steps     156 Chapter 11  Attribute Numbers     157 Getting a Feel for Your Attributes     158 Determining the Granularity for Numbers     158 Numbers Should Relate to Probability     158 Some Numbers Need to Relate to Real-World Measurements     159 User Smaller Numbers for Easier Calculations     160 Use Larger Numbers for More Granularity     161 Very Large Numbers Are Confusing     162 Humans Hate Decimals and Fractions, but Computers Don't Mind Them     163 Numbering Example     163 The Tension Trick     163 Searching for the Right Numbers     165 Further Steps     167 Chapter 12  System Design Foundations     169 Attribute Weights     170 DPS and Intertwined Attributes     173 Binary Searching     176 How Binary Searching Works     176 Lacking a Viable Range     179 Naming Conventions     180 Naming Object Iterations     185 The Problem with “New”     185 Iteration Naming Method 1: Version Number     186 Iteration Naming Method 2: Version Letter and Number     186 Special Case Terms     187 Using the Handshake Formula     188 Further Steps     194 Chapter 13  Range Balancing, Data Fulcrums, and Hierarchical Design     195 Range Balancing     196 How Range Balancing Works     197 Who Adjusts What     201 Data Fulcrums     203 What Is a Fulcrum?     203 Creating a Fulcrum     204 Testing a Fulcrum     204 Locking a Fulcrum     206 Using a Fulcrum for Data Creation     206 Unavoidable Cross-testing     208 Fulcrum Progression     209 Hierarchical Design     210 Starting the Hierarchy     211 Advantages of Hierarchical Design     212 Further Steps     213 Chapter 14  Exponential Growth and Diminishing Returns     215 Linear Growth     216 Exponential Growth     217 Parts of the Basic Exponential Growth Formula     218 Building Blocks of the Exponential Growth Formula     220 Tweaking the Basic Exponential Growth Formula     226 A Note on Iterations     227 Exponential Charts and Game Hierarchy     227 Further Steps     228 Chapter 15  Analyzing Game Data     229 Overview Analysis     230 Next-Level Deep Analysis     238 Practicing Data Analysis     240 Comparison Analysis     240 Canaries     241 Further Steps     244 Chapter 16  Macrosystems and Player Engagement     245 Macrosystem Difficulty Adjustment     246 Flat Balancing     246 Positive Feedback Loops     247 Negative Feedback Loop     249 Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment     251 Layered Difficulty Adjustment     253 Cross-Feeding     254 Balancing Combinations     255 Further Steps     255 Chapter 17  Fine-Tuning Balance, Testing, and Problem Solving     257 Balance     258 Why Balance Matters     258 General Game Balance     259 Breaking Your Data     261 Problems with Balancing Judged Contests     261 How to Start Balancing Data     263 Performing Playtests     265 Minimum Viability Testing     266 Balance Testing     267 Bug Testing     268 User Testing     269 Beta/Postlaunch Telemetry Testing     273 Solving Problems     275 Identify the Problem     276 Eliminate Variables     277 Come Up with Solutions     277 Communicate with the Team     277 Prototype and Test     277 Document the Changes     277 Further Steps     278 Chapter 18  Systems Communication and Psychology     279 Games as Conversations     280 Word Meanings     281 Noise     284 Reciprocity     286 Overstepping Bounds     286 Shallow Relationship     287 Right Balance     287 Reward Expectations     288 Further Steps     289 Chapter 19  Probability     291 Basic Probability     292 Probability Notation     292 Calculating One-Dimensional Even-Distribution Probability     293 Calculating One-Dimensional Uneven-Distribution Probability     299 Calculating Compound Probability     301 Calculating 2D6 “Or Higher” Cumulative Probability     309 Calculating the Probability of Doubles     310 Calculating a Series of Single Events     311 Calculating More Than Two Dimensions     316 Calculating Dependent Event Probability     318 Calculating Mutually Exclusive Event Probability     321 Calculating Enumerated Probability with an Even Distribution     321 Calculating Enumerated Probability with an Uneven Distribution     322 Calculating Attributes Weights Based on Probability     325 Calculating Imperfect Information Probability     327 Perception of Probability     328 Probability Uncertainty     328 Mapping Probability     329 Attributes of a Random Event     329 Mapping Probability Examples     331 Measuring Luck in a Game     334 Testing for Pure Luck     335 Testing for Luck Dominant     335 Testing for Luck Influenced     336 Adjusting the Influence of Luck     336 Chaos Factor     338 Further Steps     338 Chapter 20  Next Steps     341 Practice     342 Analyze Existing Games     342 Play New Games     342 Modify Existing Games     342 Work on Your Game     343 Keep Learning     343 Index     345