Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay Would the

Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? Harvey Smith hsmith@ionstorm. com Randy Smith rsmith@ionstorm. com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Intro • Harvey Smith—Deus Ex/Invisible War • Randy Smith—Thief 1/2/3 • Ion Storm aesthetic goals » Improvisational (player-authored) gameplay » Benefits from large gameplay possibility space » Emergence provides more explorable space Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Our Topic • How to Add Meaningful Emergence to Video Games • Topics that have been covered elsewhere: » » History of Emergence and Narrative Emergence and Uncertainty Benefits and Costs/Risks of Emergence Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Focus • Less Theoretical, More Practical » Related to modern game system design » Skewed toward large-scale action games • Emergence within a game system context » No player psychology, social influence, etc. » Focus on the system space of game – Power-ups, Weapons, Tools, Monsters Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Disclaimers • Emergent gameplay isn't necessary to design good games • No holy wars, despite the provocative title of the presentation Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Takeaway • A practical approach to creating meaningful emergence in your own game designs. • You are a game designer » You design game systems » You want to focus on emergent gameplay » How do you accomplish this? Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

• Preamble Outline • Intro to Emergence • Creating Emergence – Creating Mechanics that result in emergent game dynamics • Qualifying Emergence – Creating emergent gameplay that results in meaningful game aesthetics • Wrapping Up • Q&A Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

I – Intro to Emergence • Definitions • Vocabulary • Examples Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

A Typical Real-World Definition • A discernable, higher-level behavior of a system which is not immediately obvious by looking at the low-level rules that govern the system’s behavior. • …let’s look at an example of realworld emergence Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Global Warming Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Global Warming Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Global Warming Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Global Warming Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Global Warming Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

MDA Framework • A rules-oriented approach to game design • Mechanics—The rules of the game • Dynamics—Real-time rules interactions • Aesthetics—Human emotional responses Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Emergence in Video Games (our definition) • A second order game Dynamic created by the interaction of first order game Mechanics. Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Example 01: GTA 3 • Player accidentally flips his car, which explodes, injuring nearby pedestrians who begin to attack him » » » Player takes a jump Car flips and lands upside down Car explodes Nearby pedestrians are injured by explosion Pedestrians begin to attack player Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Example 01: GTA 3 • Player accidentally flips his car, which explodes, injuring nearby pedestrians who begin to attack him » » Player takes a jump Car flips and lands upside down Car explodes Nearby pedestrians are injured by explosion » Pedestrians begin to attack player • Note that there is no explicit Mechanic describing this behavior Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Example 02: Tactical Shooter • Indirectly Connected game Mechanics » » » Gas barrels Leak poison when ruptured Poison Kills enemies and players Bullets Kill enemies, and Rupture gas barrels Weapons Fire bullets when dropped Enemies Fire bullets, and Drop weapons on death • Player shoots guard drops gun goes off when it hits the ground bullets rupture barrel poison leaks out poison kills other enemies Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Example 03: Thief • In order to injure a nearby guard, player ignites an oil puddle by knocking a candle off a table » » » Player throws a box at a table Table wobbles Candle falls off table Candle falls into oil puddle Oil puddle ignites Nearby guard is injured by the flames Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

MDA Framework Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

MDA Applied to Emergence • Mechanics » The rules of the game » You modify Mechanics to alter emergent interactions • Dynamics » Real-time interactions between Mechanics » Mechanics connecting to each other » Where emergence happens • Aesthetics » Human emotional responses » Wider exploration space, emergent narrative Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

II – Creating Emergence Quantitative • Mechanics • Connecting Mechanics Together • Relevant Technology • Populating the world with Mechanics Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Where Mechanics “Live” • Power-ups » “When guns hit the ground, they fire off bullets” • Environmental Objects » “When barrels are damaged, they release poison gas” • Simulations » “Cars can flip upside down when they land from jumps” • Autonomous Agents » “If pedestrians take damage, they attack whoever is responsible” • Etc. Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

more about Autonomous Agents Can act independently, possibly react dynamically to situations Guard AIs in Deus Ex and Thief Cars and Pedestrians in GTA 3 The Bat in Adventure Special properties Emergence without direct player intervention Make the world feel alive Create dynamic situations Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Creating Emergence by Adding Indirect Connections • Emergence fails to happen when Mechanics aren’t indirectly connected • Emergence can be created by adding more indirect connections – making the Mechanics “listen to” each other » Guard with torch slips on oil puddle » Guard falls to the ground » Nothing else happens Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Creating Emergence by Adding Indirect Connections • Emergence fails to happen when Mechanics aren’t connected • Emergence can be created by adding more connections – making the Mechanics “listen to” each other » » Guard with torch slips on oil puddle Guard falls to the ground Guard drops torch Torch ignites oil puddle • …let’s talk more about connecting Mechanics Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

The Tactical Shooter Example • Indirectly Connected Game Mechanics » » » Gas barrels leak poison when ruptured Poison kills enemies Bullets Kill enemies, and Rupture gas barrels Weapons Fire bullets when dropped Enemies Fire bullets, and Drop weapons on death Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Visualizing All Mechanics Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

-1 Mechanic Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

-2 Mechanics Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Getting Mechanics to Connect • Again, it helps to have a rules oriented approach • It’s tempting to spam the world with Mechanics, to pile them on • Mechanics are independent, but indirectly connected • Some Mechanics are more highly connected • How do you get the best return on your investment? • Choose Mechanics that have relationships to each other Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Example from DX: IW: Choosing Where to Invest • Prismatic Resonator Biomod » Fewer Indirect Connections – Beam Triggers (3 types) • Bot Domination Biomod » More Indirect Connections – All robots (8 types), Cameras, Turrets, Spiderbombs » Bots are improvisationally useful for combat, door opening, setting traps, etc – Players started using spiderbombs to open doors Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Player Improvisation • Players ‘Unlocked’ Doors with Spiderbombs • Indirectly Connected Game Mechanics » Spiderbombs – Spawn Spiderbots » Spiderbots – Obey All Bot Rules • Susceptible to Bot Domination • Susceptible to EMP • Explode If Damaged Post-EMP » Bot Domination – Possess Bots – EMP Bots Post-Ejection » Doors – Can Be Locked/Lockpicked – Destroyed By Explosions Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Player Improvisation Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Invest in Related Mechanics • If you’ve already got these Mechanics: » Flamethrower can catch enemies on fire » Burning enemies can catch furniture on fire • Add more elements and Mechanics having to do with fire, e. g. : » » » Fire extinguishers Oil puddles Dynamite Candles Water arrows Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Supporting Technology • Takeaways » Some technology supports the implementation of emergence better than others » Need to work with technologists to evaluate your technology status Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Supporting Technology • Explicitly hard-coded Mechanics are messy and difficult to support • You might forget to implement one of them Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Supporting Technology • The Stimulus System is a generalized way for objects to listen to each other • You can describe objects intuitively Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Supporting Technology • Easier to create and modify connected Mechanics • More reliable and likely to create improvisational emergence Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Ion Storm’s Supporting Technology • Stimulus System » Generalized channel for objects to listen to each other » Don’t have to explicitly hard-code Mechanics • Property System & Object Hierarchy » Quick and easy creation and editing of objects • Scripting System » Quick and easy to describe resulting behaviors » Oil puddle: “When I receive fire stim, turn into a fire puddle” Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Populating the world with Mechanics • For Mechanics to connect, they typically have to exist in physical proximity to each other. » How rich is your world with Mechanics? E. g. – how many gas barrels exist in your world? » How often are the connected Mechanics in proximity to each other? E. g. – do you ever place guards near gas barrels? Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Examples of World Population from Thief • Negative example » Fire elementals that re-light torches when guards are nearby in Thief » Good idea, but Fire elementals and Guards / Torches were never in the same levels Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Examples of World Population from Thief • Positive example » Player shoots arrow at a candle to knock it over arrow misses and hits metal door instead nearby guard hears sound and comes to investigate » Physical surface, Sound Propagation, and Lighting house Mechanics in Thief » . . and they populate the world exhaustively. » What elements already exist in your world which you can add Mechanics to? Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

III – Qualifying Emergence Qualitative • Aesthetic Goals • Meaningful Emergence • Involving the Player Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

What are your Aesthetic Goals? • What do you hope for emergence to contribute to your game? » Deus Ex = Empower many emergent solutions » Thief = Creating the occasional sublimely tense moment of emergent challenge » GTA 3 = Simulate a dynamic, responsive, living world; Enable emergent mayhem » All three = Authoring your own experience (emergent narrative) Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Meaningful Emergence • In accordance with aesthetic goals • The player perceives the events • Impact on gameplay experience, Not just some wacky outcome » No gameplay relevance: Prox mine wall climbing » Gameplay relevance: Spider bomb door unlocking • Meaningful to the fantasy » Violates fantasy: Age of Empires sheep Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

How involved is the player? • Does the player have input into the Mechanics which create emergence? • Theoretical Game: There is a factory with lots of robots interacting emergently. If they touch you, you die, but they don’t react. Get to the other side. Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Robot Factory Game Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Player Perception of Emergent Experiences • Reactive – does not require player input » “Emergent challenge” – a challenging situation that develops emergently » E. g. – the previous robot factory example » E. g. – pedestrians in GTA 3 turn hostile toward the player Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Player Perception of Emergent Experiences • Proactive – player must provide input » “Emergent solution” or “Emergent strategy” – the player creates their own solution to a problem by leveraging their understanding of the game’s emergence » E. g. – igniting oil puddles by knocking a candle off a table in Thief » E. g. – player runs over pedestrian to summon ambulance for ambulance missions in GTA 3 Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

IV – Wrapping Up • Design Process • References Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Emergent Gameplay Design Process • Aesthetic Goals » Widening possibility space via emergent systems • Technology Considerations • Plan Game Systems » Player agent(s), tools, traps, resources, etc. » Decide where to invest, Disregard low connection Mechanics • Populate world with Mechanics • Evaluate system Dynamics » Quantitatively – Litmus test— 2 nd order consequence? – Common enough? – Perceptible? » Qualitatively – Dynamics match the fantasy? – Did you meet your aesthetic goals? • Iterate Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

References • Various References to Emergence » Marc Le. Blanc’s GDC Lectures • Rules of Play » Book by Eric Zimmerman and Katie Salen • Dynamics for Designers » Will Wright’s 2003 GDC Lecture • Complexification » Book by John L. Casti • Emergence » Book by Steven Johnson Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com

Q&A Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay Harvey Smith witchboy@zombieworld. com Practical Techniques for Implementing Emergent Gameplay (Would the Real Emergent Gameplay Please Stand Up? ) Randy Smith rsmith@ionstorm. com hsmith@ionstorm. com