Emergence and progression - Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design - page 42

Modern video games include elements from both games of emergence and games
of progression. However, integrating emergence and progression so that the player
experiences both at once is not straightforward. It requires keen insight in the
structure of the mechanics that create them. In this topic, we will teach you a more
structured method for looking at mechanics. In the later chapters, we will return to
the integration of emergence and progressions and use these methods to shed new
light on the problem of integrating them.
Exercise
Games of chess are commonly regarded to have three phases: the opening, the mid-
dle game, and the end game—and yet the rules never change throughout the game.
This effect is an emergent property of the rules themselves, not an artificial construct
created by mechanics of progression.
1. Find another game that progresses through different gameplay phases. (You
should consider tabletop games as well as video games in your search.)
2. What causes this to happen?
3. Are the different phases truly emergent, or are they the result of a predesigned
scenario or arbitrary triggers?