Just an Ordinary Day - Game Invaders: The Theory and Understanding of Computer Games - page 105

Table 7.4 Table of Surprises: Entering the Underwater Base

Attractors Connectors Rewards

Crates, health, explosions,
upper fl oors
(complex, mystery, fear)
Intention: try and make this
all out
NB: initial complex attractor
a major choice point

Basic navigation
controls

Activity: assess new situation

(local)
Reward: begin mission main objective

Explosions
(fear)
Intention: get to safety

Basic navigation
controls,
packing crates

Activity: get behind the big crates
(dynamic)
Reward: time to plan

Health
(desire)
Intention: increase health

Basic navigation
controls

Activity: walk over health
(local)
Reward: begin mission main objective

Doorway
(mystery, desire)
Intention: is there one or
more of the consoles
through the door?

Basic navigation
controls

Activity: walk, fi ght through door
(local)
Reward: satisfy intention or more of
the base to explore

Tables of Surprises here describe gameplay in terms of relevant game content and
possible player behaviors they allow us to visualize scenes and levels in far more
detail then do screen shots. In effect, Tables of Surprises are to games what story
boards are to fi lm and animation.
The switch to action - adventure and then back to FPS seems to be part of the
nature of assault levels even thought they are typically to be found in shooters . You
have to fi nd out what the details and logistics of your mission are and then you have
to actually accomplish it. As you play the level you build up a mental map of what
you have to do, as well as where and how. After a while action - adventure gives way
to FPS because you know what you have to do and where to go to do it.

SUMMARY

POs are a means of analyzing games in terms of the underlying dynamics of game-
play and they can be used to do this at varying levels of granularity. By this, we
mean that we can take a very high level view of a game in terms of major retainers
and their attractors or we can study a game, more likely a small portion, in far greater
detail. In the latter case we would look at the moment-by-moment attractors and
rewards that over time build up into recognizable activities. Perceptual mapping
allows us to look for patterns of attractors which seem to fall into a remarkably small