Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 5
Creative and
Expressive Play
Playing any game involves an element of self-expression because the decisions a
player makes reflect his play style: cautious or reckless, aggressive or defensive, and
so on. Video games can let players express themselves in the ways traditional games
always have and in a variety of other ways as well. This chapter examines several
types of creative play that you can build into a game: self-defining play, in which
players modify the avatar that represents them in the game; constrained creative
play, in which players may exercise their creativity but only within certain limits;
freeform, or unconstrained, creative play; and storytelling, in which players present
other players with a drama of their own invention. We end the chapter by briefly
discussing some features you may wish to include that allow players to modify your
game for their own entertainment: level editors, mods, and bots.
Self-Defining Play
When a player selects a token to represent herself in
Monopoly
, she chooses an ava-
tar and so engages in an act of self-definition. Many games allow the player to
choose an avatar from a number of different ones available and to customize the
avatar in various ways. Because the avatar represents the player in the game world,
these activities are called
self-defining play
. Players greatly enjoy defining them-
selves, choosing an avatar that either resembles them physically (if it's a human
character) or that is a fantasy figure with whom they identify. Female players in
particular like to choose or design avatars and dislike having to play with avatars
that they find unappealing. Boys and men are more willing to play with a default
avatar the game supplies.
Forms of Personality Expression
Self-defining play gives the player an opportunity to project his personality into
the game world by means other than gameplay choices. It takes several forms:
Avatar selection
allows the player to choose from a number of predefined avatars,
usually at the beginning of the game. These avatars are most often humanoid char-
acters, but in driving and flying games, they're vehicles. Many driving games start the
player with a small selection of cars, motorcycles, or whatever vehicles are involved
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