Emergence in Games

by Sweetser, Penny

• ISBN13: 9781584505518
• ISBN10: 1584505516
• Edition: CD
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-11-29
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

The future direction of game development is towards more flexible, realistic, and interactive game worlds. However, current methods of game design do not allow for anything other than pre-scripted player exchanges and static objects and environments. An emergent approach to game development involves the creation of a globally designed game system that provides rules and boundaries for player interactions, rather than prescribed paths. Emergence in Games provides a detailed foundation for applying the theory and practice of emergence in games to game design. Emergent narrative, characters and agents, and game worlds are covered and a hands-on tutorial and case study allow the reader to the put the skills and ideas presented into practice.

Author Biography

Dr. Penny Sweetser began working for The Creative Assembly, Australia in 2005 where she worked as a designer on Medieval II Total War and Medieval II Total War Kingdoms

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
About the Author	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Emergence	p. 2
Emergent Gameplay	p. 3
Emergence in Games	p. 5
Who This Book Is For	p. 15
How This Book Is Organized	p. 15
Emergence	p. 19
Complex Systems	p. 20
Complexity	p. 28
Scientific Approaches	p. 29
Chaos Theory	p. 32
Artificial Life	p. 35
Emergence	p. 39
Summary	p. 41
Additional Reading	p. 41
Class Exercises	p. 42
Playing Games	p. 43
Player Interaction	p. 43
The Evolution of Gameplay	p. 54
What Players Want	p. 64
Future of Gameplay	p. 74
Summary	p. 77
Class Exercises	p. 77
Emergence in Games	p. 79
Board Games	p. 80
Game Worlds	p. 83
Characters and Agents	p. 88
Emergent Narrative	p. 94
Social Emergence	p. 102
Developing for Emergence	p. 108
Emergent Games	p. 112
Summary	p. 113
Class Exercises	p. 114
Techniques for Emergence	p. 117
Linear Techniques	p. 118
Approximate Reasoning	p. 126
Machine Learning	p. 132
Complex Systems	p. 144
Artificial Life	p. 149
Choosing a Technique	p. 163
Summary	p. 165
Class Exercises	p. 167
Game Worlds	p. 169
Active Game Environment	p. 170
Property-Based Objects	p. 201
Emergent Game Worlds	p. 227
Summary	p. 231
Class Exercises	p. 232
Characters and Agents	p. 233
Sensing	p. 234
Acting	p. 242
Summary	p. 304
Class Exercises	p. 306
Emergent Narrative	p. 307
Narrative Structure	p. 308
Narrative Elements	p. 312
Summary	p. 354
Class Exercises	p. 355
Social Emergence	p. 357
Economies	p. 358
Social Structures	p. 384
Communities	p. 396
Artificial Social Networks	p. 400
Summary	p. 407
Class Exercises	p. 408
Conclusion	p. 411
Emergent Game Worlds	p. 412
Emergent Characters and Agents	p. 413
Emergent Narrative	p. 414
Social Emergence	p. 416
Developers	p. 417
Players	p. 417
The Future of Gameplay Is Emerging	p. 419
Bibliography	p. 421
Glossary	p. 431
Index	p. 439
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