Notes: This entry is a summary of my ‘Visual Gaming’ and ‘Game Design and Development’ introduction session. As a part of education process, this one is a Fair use as it may contain a few citation from other books or writings. Feel free to recite, add or even criticize it and use it for your own purpose.
Game is a simulation of a simulation. It is a subset of reality. It is created to control the uncontrollable. It is to take a small part of reality and simulated it within the rules created by a common man. In other words: Game is not real.
People love to play game because it is not real. Reality is rarely associated with the term ‘play’ and of course saying ‘playing reality’ would sound too corny. Playing game is the way to escape from reality and involve oneself into a simulation where the environment is controlled and there is some certainties in dealing with it.
But no, I will not discuss the ‘Philosophy of Game’ with this one – I will discuss it later, as it will need many research, readings and of course, thinking. This entry will discuss about creating game. What are the important parts to be considered to create a successful and enjoyable game. As most of us already know how to play game, wouldn’t it be great to know how to create one?
So this is Part I of many entries I will write about creating game and in this part, I start with the very basic thing, what is the elements of game?
Elements of Game
Game depend on three basic elements; the goal, the rules and the mechanic. Each of the elements is hierarchical and the first two have to be the easiest to understand and mastered while the mechanic is the element that defined the game.
The goal sometime interchangeable with the ‘winning condition’, although some games doesn’t really have a ‘winning’. The goal could be as simple as score as many points as possible to the elimination of the opposition or in those non-winning game it could be to get better more and more in each stages. In short, the goal is the condition where a player is considered the best in the game. This element has to be very easy to understand and actually, there is no point of playing game if a person doesn’t understand the goal, isn’t it?
The rules is the controlling element. This is the part where the way to achieve the goal described. For example, soccer game has a very simple rule: to achieve the ‘winning condition’, one team must sent one ball into their opponent’s goal without using their hands. That’s it, pure and simple and with this simple rule, everybody could play a soccer game by just using an empty street and a couple of stone to create the goal. There are additional rules, of course, such as the ball must not go outside the field line, the goalkeeper can hold the ball inside the penalty area, each team must consist of 11 players and so on. But the basic rule is practically simple and everybody could understand and follow it without too much hassle. Another sample of the rules is a chessboard. Without a chessboard, there is no chess game. Again, very simple.
The mechanics, also known as ‘game play’ – but I prefer the word ‘mechanics’ as I find it is quite confusing using the term ‘playing the game play’, is the way rules manipulated to achieve the goal. For example, chess game is defined by the goal of elimination (of the king piece specifically) and the chessboard. Thus the mechanic is the one which responsible for determined how many chess pieces used and how each of different chess pieces moved. In soccer game, the mechanic is the way the ball played within the field. Each game has their own specific mechanics and it should takes time to master them.
The mechanic is the differentiator between a beginner and a master. Those who able to understand, mastered and control the mechanic are those who are known as masters. In chess game, the master is the one who understand expertly with the mechanic of the chess piece’s movement. In soccer, master players are those who has total control of the ball mechanism. They are excellent with dribbling, kicking, tossing and other manipulation with the ball. In addition, a master goalkeeper is the one who knows how to anticipate the incoming ball.
Those three elements are the key to a successful and enjoyable game. The first two are obvious since there will be no game without them. The mechanics part is the tricky part, it should be easy enough to understand but not too easy so everybody could mastered it in short time. Most of the game design discussions usually talk about the mechanics design and creating a creative and innovative mechanic is the most important thing in the game design industry.
Next I will write about translating these elements into a very specific game industry, digital game (video game, computer game, mobile game and all those game created digitally) industry. Until then, keep on playing!
12 months of classes and projects, 4 months of research, 4 months of writing and 30 minutes of defence.
It’s all done. The result? Master of Science in Digital Media.
Thanks for all of your support! I am glad that I have a lot of people supporting me, even though I don’t know some of you personally. It is an honor to have so many people supporting me through out this process.
I don’t know what to write now, I am still shaking a bit, I might go outside and enjoy the gloomy weather (It’s warm but cloudy).
Again, thank you and I’ll be back later with more story, more article and of course, more fun 
. Later!
Received just a minute ago:
Dear Mr. Avianto
Congratulations on finishing your written Master Thesis!! Now you must face the final part of the Masters Exam: the Defense (in German: Colloquium.) Yours will take place on Tuesday, June 21st at 11:00 in the conference room 2.3.07 on the second floor in the new office area next to Dr. Hasebrook’s office. Please be sure to arrive 10-15 minutes before the scheduled defense.
The Colloquium will consist of a 10-15 minute presentation involving a PowerPoint or other external digital media sources of the Master Thesis followed by 15-20 minute question and answer period relationg to the work, led by the First Examiner. Please note it is the First Examiners responsibility to lead the discussion and defense.
You will be examined by the First and Second examiners. Please note it is the First Examiners responsibility to lead the discussion and defense. The grade will be announced after your exam.
We emphasize that this is a formal event and therefore request that your choice of apparel reflect this. We recommend semiformal to formal attire.
We will provide still and sparkling water during the defense.
The Colloquium will be open to the University Public. A public announcement has been posted in the ISNM and the TNF, University of Lübeck, and University people not related to the ISNM may, and perhaps will, attend. These people also have the opportunity to ask questions during the Q&A period only upon permission and direction of the Chair (First Examiner) of the Colloquium. Please note that you do not need to feel as though you must present your thesis in a simplified manner for these people. It is simply required that the University Public be given an opportunity to attend.
If you have any further questions regarding the exam, please feel free to contact us.
Good luck.
Preparing now… The trick is how to compress 6 months of research and reading, more or less 70 pages of thesis plus tons of images/videos into 10-15 minutes presentation.
Update:
The Desk, 1 day prior to the Thesis Defence
Just want to let everybody know I am still alive. Been busy with The Thesis. June 10th is my thesis submission date and on June 17th or 21st (not quite set yet, I’ll let you know now it set.), I will have my defence.
Wish me luck!
Thesis defence
I will have my defence on June 17th, 2005. So my thesis should be printed, bound and delivered around early June. That means around two weeks from now. Yikes.
Kompas issue
It seems that this particular issue created a turbulent among blogger and other online communities like mailing list. Kompas was acting childish. That is my opinion. I probably will write about this later, time allowed.
Antiblog
This one is still related to the previous issue. It seems that there are some people really against blogs and bloggers, but still waste their time to leave flame bait comments — go figure. I have no grudge against them as I always said that blogging is always about choice and if someone doesn’t like your choice then so be it, you can’t make everybody happy, can you?
Podcasting
Again related to the previous issue. A person, who remains to be anonymous, said that “podcast” is nothing but an MP3 file. Err… no, in fact podcast doesn’t has to be audio. It could be anything, including pictures or videos. And to say that “podcast” is “just” an audio file really put you into a clueless, even ignorant, person. The different between podcast and “an audio file” is the method of delivery. Podcast is using RSS feed as a method of delivery and it is using a podcatcher software to automatically grab the file. While most podcaster websites still have direct link to their podcasting file, they do it just for the matter of convenience for those who doesn’t use a podcatcher software. Dude, you were shooting the street lamp and then boasted that you were shooting the moon with that argument.
There you go. Some of my recap of the previous weeks. Lots of things are happening here and there. It would be an interesting thing to watch where the Kompas situation will turn and for those who are against blogs and bloggers, why don’t you just stop bothering yourself by leaving flammatory comments — or trolling? Do something else better, well, you DO have something else better to do, right?
Will be back on my regularly, yeah right, writing schedule after I am done with my thesis. Later.