Game Design A Practical Approach

by Schuytema, Paul

• ISBN13: 9781584504719
• ISBN10: 1584504714
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-07-27
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

Game Design: A Practical Approach is written for new game designers, practicing designers, and serious gamers wanting to create their own designs. Throughout the pages of this book, you'll find a complete and practical introduction to the craft of game design, starting at square one with an exploration of just what a game and game design are. From there you'll explore the skills you need to have as a game designer and learn when and how to use them. Then you'll dive into the very practical nuts and bolts of a number of vital game design topics, including how to balance gamplay? what is risk-reward? how do you scale challenge? And along the way, you'll learn the scripting language, Lua, and work with a sample game as you test and explore the game design concepts being discussed. The book is packed with the invaluable insights and tips you need to master the art of game design, including a variety of "from the trenches" sidebars by some of the industry's top game designers. So whether you're a new designer, experienced professional, or serious gamer, you'll find the tools and wisdom you need to succeed as a game designer.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xiii
Preface	p. xv
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Introduction to Game Design	p. 1
What is Game Design?	p. 3
Foundations	p. 3
Game Design	p. 10
Summary	p. 15
Chapter Exercises	p. 16
What Does a Game Designer Do?	p. 17
Wear Many Hats	p. 17
Hedonistic Brainstorming	p. 21
How Much Freedom?	p. 22
Once the Design is Done	p. 26
The Game is Too Hard	p. 31
Summary	p. 32
Chapter Exercises	p. 33
Design Boot Camp: Doing Your Homework	p. 35
Gathering Information	p. 35
In Cold Blood	p. 37
Mind Mapping	p. 40
The Wonder of Children's Books	p. 43
What Inspired You to Make Games?	p. 47
Reporting Information	p. 52
Writing in a Wiki World	p. 55
Summary	p. 61
Chapter Exercises	p. 62
Design Boot Camp: Creativity and Gray Matter	p. 63
Care and Feeding of the Brain	p. 63
Creativity	p. 71
Forts: Going Too Far with Creativity	p. 73
Brainstorming Thoughts	p. 79
Summary	p. 82
Chapter Exercises	p. 82
The Design Document	p. 83
Design Document Components	p. 83
Hollywood Kahunapitch Document	p. 87
Be Funny	p. 101
Where to Start? Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None	p. 106
Our Game	p. 109
Summary	p. 114
Chapter Exercises	p. 115
Learning Our Tools	p. 117
Scripting Languages and Game Development	p. 117
Introduction to Lua	p. 118
Lua Basics	p. 119
Variables	p. 121
Operators	p. 122
Control Structures	p. 124
Functions	p. 127
Standard Libraries	p. 128
More on Strings	p. 131
Basic I/O	p. 134
Luaglue	p. 135
Summary	p. 143
Chapter Exercises	p. 143
Game Design Theory	p. 145
The Atoms of a Game	p. 147
Atoms	p. 147
What Does a Player Do?	p. 157
Quake 2 Experiment	p. 161
Summary	p. 163
Chapter Exercises	p. 163
Player Perceptions and Emotions	p. 165
Perception	p. 165
Quake Done Small	p. 169
Emotions	p. 174
Zork's Magic Raft	p. 179
Summary	p. 182
Chapter Exercises	p. 182
Player Challenge	p. 183
Player Actions	p. 183
Game Flow	p. 184
Challenge	p. 185
Summary	p. 198
Chapter Exercises	p. 198
Real-World Game Design	p. 199
User Interface	p. 201
Interface Atoms	p. 201
Pulling the Player Away	p. 204
Know Your Users	p. 207
General Interface Design	p. 207
Front-End Interfaces	p. 207
Informational Displays	p. 217
Summary	p. 225
Chapter Exercises	p. 225
Inventory and Power-Up Management	p. 227
Inventory System	p. 227
Designing Player Use Items	p. 230
Powerups or Items?	p. 232
Summary	p. 247
Chapter Exercises	p. 248
Environment Design	p. 249
Container for Interactivity	p. 249
Key Roles of Game Environments	p. 251
Flaming Trees	p. 251
Designing for Gameplay	p. 253
Prey Environments	p. 256
Form and Function	p. 261
Level Design Resources	p. 264
Eye Opener Implementation	p. 265
Summary	p. 274
Chapter Exercises	p. 274
Puzzle Design	p. 275
What is a Puzzle?	p. 275
Puzzle Design: Wiring Puzzle	p. 285
Level Designers	p. 287
Puzzle Variations	p. 287
Eye Opener Implementation	p. 294
Designing a Puzzle	p. 297
Summary	p. 303
Chapter Exercises	p. 303
Conflict Design	p. 305
Static Obstacles	p. 306
Dynamic "Artificially Itelligent" Obstacles	p. 307
Too Much Thought	p. 308
Summary	p. 333
Chapter Exercises	p. 334
Game Flow Design	p. 335
What is Game Flow?	p. 335
Missions and Scenarios	p. 337
Campaigns	p. 343
The Myth of Prester John	p. 345
Creating Game Flow	p. 350
Summary	p. 350
Chapter Exercises	p. 351
Storytelling	p. 353
What is a Story?	p. 353
Design Story	p. 359
How Do You Deliver a Story in a Game?	p. 360
Humor in Games	p. 363
Summary	p. 369
Chapter Exercises	p. 370
Next Steps	p. 371
Practice Your Skills	p. 371
Create a Demo Portfolio	p. 372
Breaking into the Business	p. 373
Summary	p. 379
About the CD-ROM	p. 381
Index	p. 383
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