Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
2
On Game Design
Design is essentially a synonym for plan. When we design a game,
we not only have to plan what kinds of actions will be possible
in a game, but also all of the types of
inter
actions that could take
place. Game design is all about planning. In this chapter, I'll be giving a
detailed walk-through of what I believe to be the best approach to creat-
ing games that will stand the test of time. Th e best way to start is to fi lter
out any
bad
reasons we may have for wanting to make games.
The Medium and the Message
Th e fi rst thing to ask when you're about to embark on the journey of
game design is, am I sure that a game is what I want to make? Because
of the almost limitless technology available to a digital game designer,
it's tempting to believe that games are a good place to express just about
anything. While it's true that you can express anything in a digital inter-
active application,
a game is a specifi c thing. A game is a system of rules
in which agents compete by making endogenously meaningful decisions.
Th is sort of a system is very good at expressing abstract concepts
such as spatial relationships—as in, this object is above that object—and
numeric expressions—or, agent A has more of resource X than agent B.
