Game Design Origins - Game Design Essentials - page 4

the broad range of game types. Simply trotting out names of games and a brief
description of the products won't help you understand why certain games or
trends in gaming developed the way they did.
Why are There Rules?
To say that a game has rules is another way of saying there is a structure to
adhere to in order to understand how the player can compete and win. The term
rules sounds stifling, but in the world of gaming, it's the very framework that
allows the player to master the gameplay.
This isn't to say that every single game has rules; however, some people would
argue that having rules is one of the definitions of what a game is. Other gamers
prefer to design and/or play more freeform games that don't rely on rules. All
games must have some sort of game mechanic in order to be created, so if you
eliminate that as a definition of rules, then technically there are games without
rules, and there are games that can be played differently from the intended set
of goals laid out by the developers.
Game mechanics are basically the building blocks of the game design. For
example, in World of Warcraft , mana for spells is a game mechanic. The game
uses the concept of mana to define how many spells a player can cast. Combine
that with the game mechanic of “spirit” to define how fast a player replenishes
their mana. Mechanics and rules are pretty closely entwined. Mechanics tend to
be more subtle, behind-the-scenes rules, though they can also be pretty large
and noticeable, like games that are turn-based—a turn is a game mechanic to
control the amount of action a player can do in a given situation. Games with-
out rules are primarily sandbox games , where you're typically given a world and
some direction and then set free to do as you will. To allow you to act freely, a lot
of variety in game mechanics is built into these games. A term for that is emer-
gent gameplay : basically, making the world interactive enough that the player
can do things the designers hadn't originally intended.
Designer Will Wright creates games that fall into this sandbox category. Take a
look at his creation, The Sims , which is essentially an ecology god game. You're
given all the tools to affect the makeup of a planet, and you watch how it evolves
and what sorts of life forms thrive. Everything in the world, from the buildings to
the weather to the beings that inhabit it, is decided on by the player.
Will Wright commented on the way he played Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ,
explaining that he didn't play the game as the designers intended, which would
have involved stealing cars and doing missions to build a criminal empire. He
instead played as though his character was a homeless guy wandering around
the city and trying to survive.