3.17 Construction: Animal Crossing and Settlers of Catan
3.18 Exploration: Stationfall and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
3.19 Solution: Day of the Tentacle
3.20 Outwit: Diplomacy
Figure 3.21: Super Mario Bros. and Connect Four
3.22 SSX Tricky: learn the trick procedures to score “Tricky Points”
Figure 3.23: WarCraft II — unit properties
Figure 3.24: Dimensions of a football field
Figure 3.25: Jak II — Almost out of mana
3.26 Galaxian: two lives left
3.27 Checkers: simple units
Figure 3.28: Diablo — low health meter on lower left of screen
Figure 3.29: Ultima Online — player knapsack with sack of gold
Figure 3.30: Enter the Matrix — “focus”
Figure 3.31: Super Mario Bros. — magic mushroom
Figure 3.32: Scrabble — triple letter score
Figure 3.33: Chess clock
Figure 3.34: Pong and Quake III opponents
Figure 3.35: Boundaries of a tennis court
Figure 3.36: Civilization III ranking screen
Chapter 4: Working with Dramatic Elements
Figure 4.1: “Flow” diagram
Figure 4.2: An activity that requires skill: Tony Hawk Pro Skater
Figure 4.3: Merging action and awareness: Metal Gear Solid 3
Figure 4.4: Clear goals and feedback: Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions
Figure 4.5: Concentration on the task: Asteroids
4.6 Paradox of control: Civilization 3
Figure 4.7: Loss of self-consciousness: Dance Dance Revolution
Figure 4.8: Transformation of time: Dark Age of Camelot
Figure 4.9: Space Invaders
Figure 4.10: Pitfall and Diablo
Figure 4.11: Myst
Figure 4.12: Digital game characters (clockwise from top left): Duke Nukem, Guybrush Threepwood, Munch, Link, Sonic the Hedgehog, Lara Croft, and Mario
Figure 4.13: Branching story structure
Figure 4.14: Classic dramatic arc
Figure 4.15: Donkey Kong
Chapter 5: Working with System Dynamics
5.1 Diablo: character properties
5.2 WarCraft II: going up against an ogre
Figure 5.3: Partial tic-tac-toe game tree
Figure 5.4: Various game structures
Figure 5.5: Pit
Figure 5.6: Barterable resources from Settlers of Catan
Figure 5.7: Monopoly money and property
Figure 5.8: Player-run establishment in Ultima Online
5.9 Magic: The Gathering cards
Figure 5.10: R Pentomino over several generations
Figure 5.11: Glider “walk” cycle
Figure 5.12: The Sims
5.13 Indirect control: Rollercoaster Tycoon
Figure 5.14: Positive and negative feedback loops
Figure 5.15: Reinforcing and balancing relationships over time
Chapter 6: Conceptualization
Figure 6.1: Example idea tree
Figure 6.2: Idea cards
Figure 6.3: Working at the whiteboard
A Roper Collage: Diablo (below) WarCraft II (right) WarCraft III (lower right)
Chapter 7: Prototyping
Figure 7.1: Prototyping materials
Figure 7.2: Battleship grids
Figure 7.3: Battleship grids with ships
Figure 7.4: Battleship grids during play
Figure 7.5: FPS Prototype example
Figure 7.6: FPS prototype example with additions—clockwise from top left: hit percentage, hit points, and first aid
Figure 7.7: Lemmings third party level editor (game type: puzzle)
Figure 7.14: Physical prototype with procedures outlined
Figure 7.15: More physical prototype examples
Chapter 8: Playtesting
Figure 8.1: Model for iterative game design: playtest, evaluate, and revise
Figure 8.2: Types of playtesters appropriate for each stage of prototyping
SiSSYFiGHT 2000 interface from software prototype
SiSSYFiGHT 2000 game interfaces
Figure 8.3: Playtesting sessions for physical prototypes: Matt Kassan of Atari and Richard Wyckoff of Pandemic Studios give student designers feedback on their designs.
Figure 8.4: More playtesting sessions for physical prototypes: Steve Ackrich of Atari and Neal Robison of VivendiUniversal give student designers feedback on their designs.
Figure 8.5: The play matrix
Figure 8.6: The play matrix including games
Figure 8.7: Observations and Playtester Comments
Gaming expertise
Microsoft playtesting lab (Photo by Kyle Drexel)
Tape of Halo user test. The inset shows a player’s hand responses monitored
Chapter 9: Functionality, Completeness, and Balance
Figure 9.1: What are you testing for?
9.2 Deus Ex: gameplay screens, inventory, and LAM (smallest image)
9.3 Ultima Online: EvilIndeed makes a kill
Figure 9.4: EverQuest
Figure 9.5: Connect Four—center column is flanked by three columns on either side
Figure 9.7: WarCraft II—Bloodlusted orcs attack a human stronghold
Figure 9.8: Command & Conquer: Generals
Figure 9.9: NetRunner—corporation cards versus runner cards
Figure 9.10: Illuminati Deluxe
Figure 9.11: Civilization difficulty levels
Figure 9.12: Balancing for the median skill level
Figure 9.13: Tetris for Game Boy
Figure 9.14: MotoGP and Road Rash
Warcraft III
Chapter 10: Fun and Accessibility
Figure 10.1: Setting personal goals: SimCity
Figure 10.2: Making interesting choices: Civilization III
Figure 10.3: Living out fantasies: Star Wars Galaxies
10.4 Magic: The Gathering Online: card collection screens
10.5 Destruction: The Hulk
Figure 10.6: Decision scale
Figure 10.7: Cake-cutting dilemma payoff matrix
Figure 10.8: Prisoner’s dilemma payoff matrix
Figure 10.9: Transporter game payoff matrix
10.10 Being stealthy: Thief
10.11 Warcraft III: fog of war turned off (left) and on (right)
10.12 Mission: Medal of Honor: Mission 2–4 “What Comes Around”
Figure 10.13: Tape from Halo user test: stuck at a broken doorway—note video insert of player's hands trying different control combinations, lower left
Figure 10.14: Microsoft playtesting lab
Figure 10.15: Microsoft usability lab
Chapter 11: Controls and Interfaces
Figure 11.1: Spacewar on the DEC PDP-1 and custom controller
Figure 11.2: Counterclockwise from top left, controls for: Atari 2600, NES, PlayStation 2 and Xbox