Tools for creating Dramatic Game Dynamics

Tools for creating Dramatic Game Dynamics

Digital games have bought games and stories closer together then ever before.

Egyptian game of Senet which along with go is one of the oldest games known to humanity.

We cannot create drama directly, the way a storyteller scripts a story. Our task is a more indirect approach.

Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics

Mechanics are the program code and all its equipment

Dynamics is essentially the behaviour of the game.

The relationship between dynamics and mechanics is one of emergence. A games dynamics emerge from its mechanics.

A games aesthetics are its emotional content.

Aesthetics can challenge our intellect or physical prowess. It can foster social interaction. It can stimulate our imagination. It can provide us with a vehicle of self-expression. A games aesthetics come from the games dynamics. So how the game behaves is how determines how a player feels. A games mechanics exist all the time even as the game is not being played. However a games dynamics manifest when the game is played. 

When playing we flow from mechanics to dynamics and then aesthetics.

Following the three tools that govern game development allows us to refine the motivating questions of our inquiry into drama in games.

• How does drama function as an aesthetic of play?
• What kinds of dynamics can evoke drama?
• From what kinds of mechanics do those dynamics emerge?

The dramatic arc: Aesthetic Model for Drama

An aesthetic model of what drama is and how it happens.Tools used to formalise the design objectives.

Drama however is only one aesthetic from many.There are many more aesthetics to play a game each needing and with their own aesthetic model.

Dramatic arc

The dramatic arc is an aesthetic model for stories.

Drama as an Aesthetic

The dramatic arc is not a universal fact of all stories, but rather a desirable property of dramatic stories. The dramatic arc creates a frame of mind where individual moments become meaningful, powerful and relevant. 

Drama in games

All drama originates from conflict. Without conflict we will never have dramatic tension.

Dramatic tension is the product of two different factors:

Uncertainty: the sense the outcome of the contest is still unknown. Any player could win or lose.

inevitability: the sense that the contest is moving forward toward a resolution. The outcome is imminent.

Tension relies on these two factors in a combination-neither is sufficient by itself. So without uncertinty players merely become spectators and the outcome of the game merely becomes a forgone conclusion. Without inevitability on the other hand the outcome of the conflict seems distant. players are given little incentive to invest their emotions in the contest. 

Tension relies on these two factors in combination. 

Feedback Systems as Sources of Uncertainty 

Game State The complete status of a game at that particular moment i.e the data contained within a save file or the position and places of checkers pieces.

Scoring It is the rule of the game that gives us a numerical measurement of who is winning and by how much.

Game Mechanical Bias It is a rule of the game that gives one of the contestants an advantage over the other.

Controller It is the rule of the game that decides if the player receives the mechanical bias.

A good example of feedback systems used to alter the games dramatic feel and keep conflict interesting and uncertain is handicaps. Lets take a racing game fro example. If a player is loosing their top speed is increased so that they may have a chance to catch up to the player in front. This closing the gap and creating a much more dramatic feel.

Other sources of uncertainty

Pseudo-Feedback

Mechanics and dynamics that create the perception of negative feedback where one player takes the lead and the other players catch up however when we inspect the games mechanics no such cybernetic feedback system  are present.

Escalation

Dynamic scoring rate where more score is gained at the end of the game then at the start.

Decelerator

Attained by creating a slow part of a game where it gives the loosing players the illusion that they have closed the space between them and their opponent where in time measurement or score measurement for example their opponent is still in the lead by the same amount its just that they are closer to the player. As an example imagine a race with speed bumps both cars are racing around and one is clearly in the lead but gets to the speed bumps. Now the car in the front slows down to go over the speed bumps allowing the player behind to get close and feel they have caught up however then they also have to slow down and so the amount one is leading the other is the same in time in this instance however the distance is reduced creating the illusion of catching up though this still creates tension.

Cashing out

A method of scoring a game where the players are scored on best of say seven for example. Though each of these games have scoring also it makes no difference on the performance of ones score in a particular one of these games it is only a means of determining a winner for that stage. The loosing player still has an equal chance of winning overall no matter how bad they played in that previous round because it is just 1 of 7. Where as if that player had just one their forth game then that would be the win.

Positive and negative feedback

Positive

Helps bring the game to a climax. Preparing the winners to win and the looters to loose

Negative

Helps the loosing players reinvest their emotions. 

Feedback systems of real and illusory

Real are mechanics that affect how a looking player gets bias

Illusory 

Gives the feeling of a handicap however no mechanics actually in place to facilitate