Reading for 9/28
This reading also includes a complete set of games rules - which are good as an example of a moderately complicated mini-game - but you need not read the rules carefully. (Pay attention to his tips on game design, though.) You might find it interesting to see his game was published and has a pretty good rating on boardgamegeek. In fact, there is even an online version of this game you can play.
For discussion: Is the advice presented here for designing war games applicable to the sorts of group projects you are likely to do? To the (abstract?) game you design? Try to give concrete examples in your discussion. Interact with what other students have said.
posted by Anthony at
12:02 PM
6 Comments:
I think that the advice given is a great way to start off your game design. I like how he said to "plagiarize" because you can't just start off a game with completely new rules and expect it to be understandable. I have noticed that when you start a game the first thing you ask is "Does anyone know how to play?" because you want to get started without the hassle of reading the directions. Also, determining what you want your goal to be is a good idea because game designing seems to have to be made backwards. your game must be researched too, especially if it is themed. A war game is not going to be successful if it is based on a certain war and the names and battles are half incorrect. Making the game and sending it to someone is definitely the best way to see if your game is understandable and fun, you just need someone to tell you the absolute truth.
I think this will apply to our game designs in the future because he gives step by step tips to make the game successful. Also, since he has a successful game I would trust his input.
By
CourtneyLeighton, at Wed Sep 23, 03:28:00 PM 2009
Yes, the advice is most definitely applicable for both the group and individual projects. This article gives ten steps to help design a game; all of them are helpful. I believe the most important step after designing a game is "blind-testing." If another person does not understand how to play the game without the creator there, it obviously needs some work. I also belive that "plagarizing" and "keeping it simple" will benefit when trying to come up with ideas. It is hard to think of a brand new game that no one ever created before. Therefore, it is a good idea to "use available techniques." When creating our individual game, a good plan would be to look at a familiar game, but to build off of it and make it different. Also, keeping a game simple is a good plan. I know that when I want to play a game, it is often very frustrating to pick up a rule book 20 pages long instead of 1 or 2. A less complicated game is usually more fun to learn and teach others to play.
After reading this article, I realized how important research is for war games. Maps and different books and articles are used to help create an accurate picture of what happened. Like Courtney said, a war game would not be successful if information is incorrect.
By
rachelzomerfeld, at Thu Sep 24, 12:41:00 PM 2009
Basing our individual games and group games off of original games will be both helpful to the players and also the creator. Like Courtney stated "when you start a game the first thing you ask is 'does anyone know how to play?' because you want to get started without the hassle of reading the directions." Basing your game off of well known games will help the players to easily understand the rules and then begin to play. I also agree with Rachel when she says the rules are easier to understand when there are only 1 or 2 pages instead of 20. Then once the game is completed allowing others to play will help to have an outside influence in determining if your directions and game will be successful with others.
By
kaitlin barrett, at Sat Sep 26, 02:13:00 PM 2009
I feel this article was very well written by the author and allows us to understand the structure of games a little bit easier. Understanding the structure of a game will help us design our games both in groups and individually. The author gives 10 fairly simple rules to abide by when designing a game, which also allows you to understand it better to. I agree with Courtney and liek how the author noted to 'plagarize'. Since many of us have never created a game before, it would be much easier to have another game handy in order to guide us to create ours. I like how the author says 'concept development'. I often hear people say 'Whats the objective to the game?'. When you know the objective, you have an idea of what needs to be accomplished. I also like the advice the author gave abotu making a first draft of your rules. I myself try to remember to many rules about a game and get lost when it comes to basic concepts and objectives of winning. I also like the feedback advice. We often ask our peers, or people we know have played the game 'How is it?' or 'Is it any fun?'.. When designing our games, feedback would be helpful in oder to find out what we can change to make the game more fun or interesting. The author made it very clear of the purpose of a wargame and what it actually entails. This made me look at wargames totally differently. Before i read this article, a wargame most likely wouldnt of been my first pick. Howevever, after reading his explanations, i am able to understand wargames much better now. I liked that the author had to say about game design and game content, and i feel his article could be very useful to us.
By
Nicole.Najaka, at Sun Sep 27, 06:45:00 PM 2009
Considering the book gives a step by step process for creating a game, it will probably become a big part of every group's project. The steps are pretty straightforward, and seem like a good guide for game development. Personally, I had no idea how to even start creating a game, but now it shouldn't be that much of a problem. Even if the game is not a wargame, it will help to with the design process. It might even help with the creation of our Icehouse games. @Courtney, I laughed when the book said "plagiarize."
By
Thomas Mike, at Mon Sep 28, 07:44:00 AM 2009
I agree with Thomas Mike when he says that this guide will be very helpful when it comes to designing our group and individual games. This article gives 10 very helpful hints to do as we design our games. The author was right when he said to base your game off of one that already exists because not only is it easier to make your game, it will be easier for the players to figure out how to play the game. The author was also right in pointing out to watch all the extra rules that you add to existing games, because the designer can get carried away and end up confusing the players. If this happens the players won't enjoy playing the game and won't reccommend it to anybody else.
By
Alexa, at Mon Sep 28, 07:14:00 PM 2009
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