Why is skill an important component in games and what tools does the designer have at their disposal to deploy this element?
test
hard-core strategy doesn't work so well in family games. games that include luck are approachable and winnable by anyone.
delaying/preventing solvability
game is solvable if possibility space can be exploited so a player can play correctly and always win.
tic-tac-toe fun for short time - player eventually solves. once game is solved it loses struggle towards a goal.
not all solvable games = bad. chess is solvable, but possibility space is very large. games with small possibility space need something to keep fresh - random element?
making play competitive
winning in chess = earned victory. losing = error in your play not luck. random elements keep players interested for longer. higher chance at victory, defeat less bitter when you can blame on luck.
increasing variety
no random elements = start the same, certain patterns emerge. tile-based games allow players to build in dozens of different ways. random elements can increase variety of player's experience + increases replay value.
creating dramatic moments
watching a process play out can be compelling under right circumstances. level of excitement or tension created by chance increases in direct proportion to how much one has riding on results.
enhancing decision making
essence of games = decisions players make
strategy = players have info and know outcome of move they make.
all variables known = decisions aren't particularly exciting (opportunity to capture queen in chess for free with no drawbacks isn't interesting decision because there's clear right answer)
random elements = no longer a strategy that's always right
moves might have high chance of failure but also big potential payoff - risky choice. others safe but small gain
deciding between moves becomes more complicated + compelling
mechanics of chance
dice
single die is random. roll multiple and add together = numbers in middle are frequent, numbers at extreme ends are rolled rarely. frequency of rolls becomes similar to bell curve. 2D6 common roll is 7, least are 2 and 12. more dice, more heavily result skews toward center (randomness decreased). greater number of faces on each die, greater the range (randomness increased)
previous rolls never influence future ones
cards
shuffled - randomising order
face-down on table - information hidden from player
dealt to players to only look at their own cards - each player has privileged info.
finite number of cards with any game, revealing a card affects probability of other cards.
blackjack - probabilities reset when all cards are collected and reshuffled.
some card games even include a card that forces deck to be reshuffled when drawn - randomly varying amount of randomness in deck. if deck reshuffled after every draw, drawing a single card from a deck of n cards is equivalent to rolling a die with n sides.
pseudo-random number generators
computer generated. in excel, enter =RAND()*5+1 in cell, format cell to show 0 decimals - simulates D6 roll
hidden information
nonrandom info concealed from player, it's still random from player's perspective.
e.g. Go Fish player must ask another for a card of a chosen type. without any further info this is a random guess, even though other player knows what they have. it's random to the original player.
RTS games include fog of war that conceals info about what opponent is building. although not entirely random, the uncertainty of how to respond to unknown threats creates random dynamics,
when hidden info is also random, danger of player becoming confused/frustrated. they should be able to understand consequences of actions.
all randomness is not created equal
poker - luck or skill? has elements on both. which dominates the game? answer depends on how many hands played - small number of hands, likely one player dealt more winning hands (luck based). more hands played, player ends up with same total number of winning hands, focus of game shifts to who maximizes money he earned from each hand.
purely random vs measured randomness, where nature of random elements are known and planned for by players. each hand may be random, but with sufficiently large number of them, randomness decreases
completely random games
children's games
not developed cognitive skills necessary to understand complex decision making - enjoy watching what happens as random elements collide. ironically children attribute it to their skill in rolling or selecting cards
gambling games
defining mechanic = real money won & lost. without money at stale, pure-luck gambling games lose appeal.
these games still offer choice, while still holding their pure chance.
role of skill in games
good game = series of interesting decisions. success of decisions is a measure of player skill. cause players to exercise their skills and reward with immediate feedback.
"magic circle" engaging a player so they fall through the monitor into the game.
when constantly making decisions, player enters state called flow - optimal playstate that designers works hard to achieve.
types of decisions
obvious decisions
highest number game: first player chooses any number. after hearing choice, other player chooses different number. highest number wins. not interesting for second player. the winning decision is so obvious it's not really a decision at all. talisman - primary mechanic is rolling a die and moving along track that many spaces, clockwise or counter. direction to move is choice, but one space harms player as much as other helps - obvious decision.
once monopoly has ran out of choices (all spaces owned) people usually wait for game to end.
in most cases where decision is blindingly obvious, designer can remove choice and make automatic. e.g. modern RPGs rarely require players to rest and eat, although in 80s & 90s they did. games now do it automatically. by automating trivial decisions, focus given to interesting ones.
meaningless decisions
more frustrating than a choice with obvious right answer is choice with no right or wrong answers at all. though choice is present, has no effect on outcome. e.g. early RPG's "does though wish to see the king?" player can choose yes or no. regardless of choice, player ends up seeing the king.
decisions are interesting because they affect outcome of game. meaningless decisions are not interesting because they don't affect anything. usually better to eliminate from game.
player perception - modern games offer choice in narrative that doesn't affect outcome, however player perceives it does. only obvious after replaying game that they're meaningless.
blind decisions
roulette - real decision of what number to bet on. decision not obvious, isn't meaningless, not interesting. entirely random. game still compelling because it offers cash as reward.
strategic games can inadvertently include blind decisions. if a player approaches NPC and is given choice of how to introduce himself without any information, choice is made blind. decision becomes interesting and rewarding if player heard rumours about NPCs earlier.
blind decisions can be turned into other kinds of decisions by giving player some informtation
tradeoffs
happens when player doesn't have enough resources to accomplish all of his goals. these decisions can become obvious if one choice is better than the other.
dilemmas
similar to tradeoff, occurs when all choices will harm player.
prisoner's dilemma: two players have to independently make a choice - attempt to cooperate or defect (stab partner). if both players cooperate, each pay minor penatly. if both players defect, each pay heavy penalty. if one player defects whilst other cooperates, one who tried to cooperate pays max penalty whilst one who defected gets no penalty at all. it's a dilemma because no matter what opponent does, player can reduce his personal penalty by defecting. however, by following this optimal strategy, players end up in the suboptimal situation of everyone defecting.
risk versus reward tradeoffs
form of tradeoff. happens when player finds themselves faced with situation that has multiple outcomes but they have different levels of risks.
common in board games with dice, cards or other random mechanics. often have option to make safe move with small reward, or risky move with high reward (penalty if failure)
frequency or anticipation of decisions
frequency with which players make decisions is paramount. designer's goal is to keep players brain busy with possibilities. sims is great at this.
sometimes decision isn't frequent, but anticipation of a pending decision sustains player with thoughts. e.g. fps games where you're waiting in an elevator.
strategy and tactics
strategy consists of immediate goals that must be performed in order to achieve grand strategy. tactics are lowest level of micro decisions when carrying out a strategy.
tradeoffs make for interesting strategic or tactical decision-making. fast decisions are limited to tactics. games that focus on tactics can use tradeoffs or fast decisions (or mixture) resulting in different gameplay.
completely skill-based games
tend to have some elements of chance. purely skill based games like tic tac toe can be solved and decisions that were once interesting can become obvious decisions when there ends up being one right move. designing game like this requires enough depth of choices in game that can't easily be solved.
most skill games are physically based action games - it's not about getting right answer but getting quickly.
mechanics of skill
auctions
designers can vary their mechanics. instead of auctioning single item, items can be auctioned in groups. multiple auctions can be performed at once. etc etc.
purchases
choices come from what to purchase, when to purchase etc
limited-use special abilities
players can gain advantage but use only once per game. a player knows what advantage he will get by using ability, but unknown whether a better use will be available later.
dynamic limited-use special abilities
varying strength of ability = strategic nature of decision is amplified. e.g. longer you hold item's button down, more powerful it may become. using now or saving it presents the player with interesting decision.
explicit choices
weighing the relative value of one choice compared to the other e.g. choose one: gain 10 gold or heal 5 life
limited actions
one avatar = all actions taken through that avatar. multiple avatars, choosing which one takes which action becomes difficult. happens in final fantasy.
trading and negotiation
multiple players working together toward mutual goals. mix of cooperation versus competition. alliances forged and broken.
strategic evaluation
assessing success of strategy and tactics - interview players/watch them play and gather info on your game. not everyone likes chess, go or risk. strategy in your game should commensurate with audience's desire for the same.
do players care when other players are taking their turn?
high degree of strategy = reluctant to leave table
strategic game requires players to care about outcome of each player's move - other player's moves affect their own.
are players making long-term plans?
strategic games invite strategies that are carried out over multiple turns. stifled by existing mechanics of game/allowed too much latitude, unable to see how strategy could be sustained. ask players what they plan to do or how they think they will win. usually reveals a strategy or lack thereof.
are there multiple strategies for multiple games?
player should have an idea of how he will approach the play of the game. more rich the strategic opportunities are, more diverse answers will be.
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