East Coast Game Conference Frustration in Games Much

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East Coast Game Conference Frustration in Games “Much of game design is managing (and

East Coast Game Conference Frustration in Games “Much of game design is managing (and causing) frustration” Wikipedia: "Lewis Pulsipher"; "Britannia (board game)"; "Archomental“ 26 April 2012 ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher

Note about the slides Ø Slides are provided primarily for those who want detailed

Note about the slides Ø Slides are provided primarily for those who want detailed notes later, not so much as an accompaniment to the talk Ø Consequently, they are “rather wordy” Ø Available now at http: //pulsipher. net/teaching 1. htm Ø Or go to pulsiphergames. com and look for teaching material ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher

Frustration Ø This is a “philosophical” rather than nutsand-bolts game design topic Ø The

Frustration Ø This is a “philosophical” rather than nutsand-bolts game design topic Ø The idea is to look at your game designs in a new way that might help you improve them Ø If you want nuts and bolts about learning to design games, read my book ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 3

Who Am I? Ø Commercial tabletop game designer Ø Teacher Ø Author Ø Computer

Who Am I? Ø Commercial tabletop game designer Ø Teacher Ø Author Ø Computer ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 networker and programmer Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 4

Game Designer Ø Designed games from an early age Ø Began playing commercial wargames

Game Designer Ø Designed games from an early age Ø Began playing commercial wargames in early ‘ 60 s, video games with Atari 2600 Ø Designer of several commerciallypublished board wargames from late 70 s l Most well-known, Britannia l most recently, second edition of Dragon Rage (originally 1982) Ø Forthcoming: Law & Chaos (Mayfair) ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher

Teacher Ø College teacher for most of the past dozen years: computer networking and

Teacher Ø College teacher for most of the past dozen years: computer networking and later video game design and production Ø 17, 000 classroom hours of teaching experience (college and graduate) Ø First to teach game design in North Carolina as far as I know (Fall ’ 04) ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 6

Author Ø Ø Ø Author of Game Design: How to Create Video and Tabletop

Author Ø Ø Ø Author of Game Design: How to Create Video and Tabletop Games, Start to Finish, summer 2012 l *Practical* advice for game design learners l http: //www. mcfarlandpub. com/book-2. php? id=978 -07864 -6952 -9 Contributor, Tabletop Analog Game Design, Hobby Games: the 100 Best, Family Games: the 100 Best Game design blog: http: //pulsiphergamedesign. blogspot. com/ Teach game design blog: http: //teachgamedesign. blogspot. com "Expert blogger", Gamasutra: http: //gamasutra. com/blogs/Lewis. Pulsipher/774/ ·former contributing editor, White Dwarf, Dragon, Space Gamer, etc. Ø ·former publisher, Supernova, Blood and Iron, Sweep of History, etc. Ø ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 7

Computer networking/programming Ø Worked a decade at Womack Medical Center, Ft. Bragg l l

Computer networking/programming Ø Worked a decade at Womack Medical Center, Ft. Bragg l l l “Programmer analyst”, then Chief of PC and Networking Support Y 2 K rep as well (yuck!) ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 8

Some of my work ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher

Some of my work ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher

Some questions Ø Ø Ø How many call themselves “hard core” players How many

Some questions Ø Ø Ø How many call themselves “hard core” players How many like tension when they play a game? How many like to play games against human opposition? Do you expect “opposition” from a puzzle? Are modern video games about depth or about variety? In terms of entertainment, how closely related are games and films? Games and novels? Games and puzzles? Ø Are games about earning something, or about being given something? ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 10

Nature of Frustration Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Chess/checkers/go- opposition Monopoly- randomness Charades and

Nature of Frustration Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Chess/checkers/go- opposition Monopoly- randomness Charades and other family games Arcade games-system, you're going to die Home-play video games Team Fortress/Left 4 Dead Justin--frustrated with teammates Settlers of Catan Tabletop D&D--arithmetic Freemium games and CCGs ("free to die") Social networking games—need for “energy” ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 11

Frustration in Games Ø A natural concomitant of opposition: l l "the feeling that

Frustration in Games Ø A natural concomitant of opposition: l l "the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals” (dictionary. com) "Frustration is a common emotional response to opposition. Related to anger and disappointment, it arises from the perceived resistance to the fulfillment of individual will. “ (Wikipedia) So if you play against someone else, frustration is to be expected Ø Challenge versus “I’m sick of this” Ø But what if you’re playing against a computer? Ø ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 12

Centuries of Tradition in Games Ø Put players on the “horns of a dilemma”

Centuries of Tradition in Games Ø Put players on the “horns of a dilemma” Ø The “agonizing decision” l l You don’t have all the information you need Removed under time-stress—you don’t have time to agonize Ø Games are (or were) about making decisions l Games were not “experiences” designed to elicit particular feelings, as some video games are ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 13

What’s necessary, what isn’t? ØA reviewer (of Shank 2) complained that “Despite some improvements

What’s necessary, what isn’t? ØA reviewer (of Shank 2) complained that “Despite some improvements and a fun new co-op mode this sequel packs in too much unnecessary frustration. ” Ø Where does the “deliciously agonizing decision” end and unnecessary frustration begin? Ø When does the number of decisions itself become frustrating? ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 14

Tension in Games Ø From opposition Ø From uncertainty Ø From "fiddliness" ECGC 25

Tension in Games Ø From opposition Ø From uncertainty Ø From "fiddliness" ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 15

Kinds of frustration from player’s point of view Ø frustration that produces desirable tension

Kinds of frustration from player’s point of view Ø frustration that produces desirable tension (“good game”) Ø frustration that's acceptable (“it’s not perfect”) Ø frustration that's unacceptable (“crummy game” Ø frustration that's intolerable (I’ll quit that game”) ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 16

Types of Frustration from Designer’s Point of View Ø Frustration with other players Ø

Types of Frustration from Designer’s Point of View Ø Frustration with other players Ø Frustration with the game mechanics Ø Frustration with the interface Ø Frustration with extraneous factors ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 17

Frustration with opposition Ø “Pv. P” versus “Pv. E” Ø Or with the computer

Frustration with opposition Ø “Pv. P” versus “Pv. E” Ø Or with the computer Ø Expected by those who see games as challenges or intellectual tussles Ø Not desired by those who play games purely as entertainment l l Party games Social networking and many other casual games ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 18

Opposition related to losing Ø How l l l competitive is the game? Puzzles

Opposition related to losing Ø How l l l competitive is the game? Puzzles not very competitive—you can’t lose Contests: time how fast players can do something, or how much they can do in a given time Races Puzzle-contests (“multi-player solitaire”) Story-based games Ø Direct versus indirect competition ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 19

Frustration with the game mechanics “Pv. E” versus “Pv. P” Ø Unnecessary mechanics Ø

Frustration with the game mechanics “Pv. E” versus “Pv. P” Ø Unnecessary mechanics Ø l Ø Designers need to abstract and automate l l Ø “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. ” Abstract: combine two functions into one Automate: let the game do something instead of making the player do it Simple game mechanic choices l Memorization, e. g. , in Stratego ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 20

Frustration with the interface ØA l l huge problem in video games How often

Frustration with the interface ØA l l huge problem in video games How often do we read about games “ruined” by difficult interfaces Players would really like to think at the game and have it do what they wish Ø “Intuitive” l l is a meaningless word IF it means anything at all, it means “familiar” Don’t deviate from familiar interface without very good reasons ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 21

Frustration with extraneous factors Ø Video games automatically take care of many of these

Frustration with extraneous factors Ø Video games automatically take care of many of these problems: l l l Arithmetic/calculation Sameness Color Blindness Writing things down Number of choices Planning ahead ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 22

Frustration and Casual Games Ø “Entertainment” doesn’t imply frustration Ø Many players don’t want

Frustration and Casual Games Ø “Entertainment” doesn’t imply frustration Ø Many players don’t want to be challenged by their entertainment Ø Some players want to see a story, not fight with the game Ø The new game players (from Facebook) are equivalent of tabletop mass market ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 23

Frustration and “Social Network” games Many social network games are very simple puzzles (you

Frustration and “Social Network” games Many social network games are very simple puzzles (you can’t lose to a puzzle) Ø After designing games for centuries to avoid unnecessary frustration, now we deliberately incorporate frustration Ø l l l “Pain points” to persuade players to spend their money. “Energy” limitations Tasks/unlocks that require items that (practically speaking) must be bought ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 24

Ethan Levy on F 2 P game monetization Ø Emotion is the key to

Ethan Levy on F 2 P game monetization Ø Emotion is the key to monetization Ø Impatience (frustration) Ø Revenge (frustration) Ø Dominance (frustration through opposition) Ø Jealousy (frustration) Ø Accomplishment Ø Exhilaration ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 25

21 st century Lower Tolerance of Frustration Ø Age l of Instant Gratification “Patience

21 st century Lower Tolerance of Frustration Ø Age l of Instant Gratification “Patience used to be a virtue” (billboard alcohol advertisement) Ø Age of Convenience Ø Generation “Me” Ø Doing “just enough to get by” Ø Activity rather than winning and losing (“lose turn” card, downtime) ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher 26

Comments? Questions? Copyright 2012 Lewis Pulsipher ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher

Comments? Questions? Copyright 2012 Lewis Pulsipher ECGC 25 -26 April 2012 Dr. Lewis Pulsipher