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<H1>[MUD-Dev] Secrets of the Game Designers</H1>
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<LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI>
<LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Secrets of the Game Designers</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: <A HREF="mailto:s001gmu#nova,wright.edu">s001gmu#nova,wright.edu</A></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 12:48:26 -0400 (EDT)</LI>
<LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI>
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<PRE>
Found this at Gamespot:
<A HREF="http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_08/04_wizards/index.html">http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_08/04_wizards/index.html</A>
---<cut>---
Secrets of the Game Designers
MILWAUKEE - Although many of the sessions involved
"deep background" revelations of upcoming and
unannounced deals - and some sessions went over
old territory - the Game Designer's Conference 1
(GDC1) featured an extremely interesting impromptu
session on "What Makes a Good Game?"
GDC1 is a pre-GenCon Gaming Convention event
that hosts board game, role-playing, and computer
game designers on an invitation-only basis for
think-tank/brainstorming sessions. Most material
will not be published, but Monday's impromptu
session certainly makes for interesting
observation.
Consider, what do the following designers have in
common: Richard Garfield of Magic: The
Gathering (the revolutionary collectible card
game); Jeff Grubb, one of the designers of TSR's
Forgotten Realms world and Marvel
Super-Heroes role-playing game; Lester Smith,
designer of the Dark Conspiracy role-playing
game; Michael Stackpole, author of the stories
behind Wasteland, Bard's Tale III, and StarTrek:
The Original Series computer games for Interplay;
and Mike Fitzgerald, reviewer for Scrye magazine
and designer of the Mystery Rummy: Jack the
Ripper card game?
Would their list of "What Makes a Good Game?"
agree with yours?
Test out your theory by reading this list (in no
particular order) created by this brain trust,
representing all types of gaming worlds and
genres.
What Makes a Good Game?
1. Lots of positive reinforcement to keep gamers
playing.
2. A framework for social interaction.
3. A level of engagement beyond the norm.
4. Authentic decisions with reasonable data and
consequences.
5. Clear sense of role and goal within the game
context.
6. Vicarious thrills with suspended disbelief.
7. A replayable potential (the "What if?" factor).
8. A simple interface (non-intrusive on the PC/less
clutter in physical games).
9. Enough options that the player always has a
move to make.
10. A reasonable learning curve.
11. An environment/system worth an emotional
investment.
12. Clean and clear rules.
13. An enjoyment quotient that is equal to the time
investment.
14. Potential use of unlimited power (lots of skill or
lots of dice).
15. Pacing that gives one a sense of improvement
paced with challenge/place to savor
accomplishment.
16. Tactilicity (stuff to grab and control - pieces in
board games/miniatures, for example)
17. Heuristics - a sense of how one is doing and
how to become better.
18. A quality of engendering stories about the
game or bragging rights.
19. A sense of accomplishment and competence.
By Johnny Wilson , Computer Gaming World
---<cut>---
-Greg
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>[MUD-Dev] Re: [IDEAS] Starting from scratch</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00532" HREF="msg00532.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: [IDEAS] Starting from scratch</A></strong>,
Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:adam#mail,angel.com">adam#mail,angel.com</a>, Thu 06 Aug 1998, 18:26 GMT
</LI>
</ul>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00520" HREF="msg00520.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: [IDEAS] Starting from scratch</A></strong>,
Ross Nicoll <a href="mailto:rnicoll#calmar-mud,com">rnicoll#calmar-mud,com</a>, Thu 06 Aug 1998, 15:20 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01010" HREF="msg01010.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: [IDEAS] Starting from scratch</A></strong>,
J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#under,engr.sgi.com">claw#under,engr.sgi.com</a>, Fri 11 Sep 1998, 02:34 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01018" HREF="msg01018.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: [IDEAS] Starting from scratch</A></strong>,
Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:adam#angel,com">adam#angel,com</a>, Fri 11 Sep 1998, 18:34 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</ul>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00494" HREF="msg00494.html">[MUD-Dev] Secrets of the Game Designers</A></strong>,
s001gmu <a href="mailto:s001gmu#nova,wright.edu">s001gmu#nova,wright.edu</a>, Wed 05 Aug 1998, 16:51 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00493" HREF="msg00493.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: 3D World Models</A></strong>,
S. Patrick Gallaty <a href="mailto:choke#sirius,com">choke#sirius,com</a>, Wed 05 Aug 1998, 16:12 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00489" HREF="msg00489.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Socket-Script: Socket-capabable script language and matching library</A></strong>,
Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Wed 05 Aug 1998, 13:29 GMT
<UL>
<li><Possible follow-up(s)><br>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00490" HREF="msg00490.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Socket-Script: Socket-capabable script language and matching library</A></strong>,
Chris Gray <a href="mailto:cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA">cg#ami-cg,GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA</a>, Wed 05 Aug 1998, 13:33 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00491" HREF="msg00491.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Socket-Script: Socket-capabable script language and matching library</A></strong>,
Adam J. Thornton <a href="mailto:adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU">adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU</a>, Wed 05 Aug 1998, 15:05 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
</UL></BLOCKQUOTE>
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