Hello World,
I have heard it said that games are like mind control. They
convince somebody to overcome unnecessary obstacles and act in an anomalous
manner. From the view of an onlooker it would seem as though a gamer was crazy.
Why would any sane person spend their already limited time and money, doing
extra work in which there is no apparent reward? To most gamers the innate gut reaction to
this kind of question is because games are ‘fun’, but why is a game fun?
At their core games
are built on rewards. The medium has been engineered over the decades to be as
engaging and fulfilling as possible.
Everything from the thrill of overcoming a boss, to the challenge of
figuring out a puzzle are all activities which are innately satisfying.
Although games are built on reward systems it is very important as a designer
to implement them effectively into your game. And this first step to doing that
is to understand the two types of rewards, extrinsic and intrinsic.
Extrinsic rewards are some kind of payment received for
performing a task. While generally referring to physical payouts, such as money
in a poker game, or a salary at a job, games most capitalize on this phenomenon
through in game rewards. Think about all those times you have grinded in a game
to get the best gear, or unlock the next part of the story. In a game like Dungeons and Dragons, these
extrinsic rewards are seen in the form of items, gold and experience. Loot and
XP may not be the only reason you risk your characters life exploring ancient
ruins, but it sure as hell helps.
Intrinsic rewards on the other hand are rewards that come
from within the action itself. These often take the form of psychological and
chemical rewards within our own body. Examples of this are the camaraderie of
spending time with friends, the hope of
being successful or feeling a part of something bigger. In short, intrinsic
rewards are when the act of playing the game is its own reward. This style of reward, while harder to create
within a game, has a much more lasting effect on the player. It should be the
goal of the designer to have every aspect of play be as intrinsically rewarding
as possible. This is however much easier said than done, especially in tabletop
games.
In a good video game, everything is working together to make
that moment as intrinsically rewarding as possible, everything from the music,
to the atmosphere, to the in game mechanics.
The developer acts almost as a conductor making these elements all come
together to create one experience. This makes it much easier for the game to
illicit intrinsic rewards on its own merits, rather than depend on how the player
is feeling at that moment. Tabletop games on the other hand are a much more
variable medium. The way in which one group runs a game could be completely
different to the way another group approaches it. In either scenario, it is the
group itself that has the largest bearing on the intrinsic rewards, rather than
the system. I believe this is where the whole “System Doesn’t Matter” mentality
comes from. That isn’t to say that systems can deliver their own intrinsic
rewards, but these rewards are best received when approaching the game from a
specific mindset. I have seen no better
example of this than Dungeons and Dragons. DnD is the most intrinsically
rewarding when you play the game as a combat heavy dungeon crawler. While
plenty of groups have lots of fun playing the game outside this niche, their
intrinsic rewards are coming from the group itself.
One of the most effective tools I have found for managing
reward systems is to have your extrinsic rewards encourage players to get into
the mindset required to fully engage with the game’s intrinsic rewards. When
you are creating your game you know the mindset you want your players to be in.
You have a clear vision of how a session plays out, how the players act, the
types of the decisions they make. While it isn’t possible for all players to be
in that mental state all the time, you can encourage them to be in it as much
as possible. A good way to do this is to make playing in the right mindset the
best strategy for playing the game. If you look at Planet Crashers, I designed
the game to be enjoyed in a comedic, beer and pretzels mentality. To encourage
this style of play, I gave the players a better chance of success if they acted
in comedic and cliché ways. This encourages the players to get into the right
mindset to fully enjoy the game.
Some possible methods to implement extrinsic rewards are as
follows.
- Character Advancement
- Mechanical bonuses to actions
- Recovery of resources
- Loot
Although all of these methods and more can be implemented
into your game, it is important to consider what kind of behaviors you are
encouraging. Try to align encouraged play with the game’s most engaging play.
If the best way to get loot and XP is to go dungeon crawling, your players will
want to go dungeon crawling.
If you have any examples of how you have used extrinsic and
intrinsic rewards , or have suggestions for future topics send me a message
using the contact form on the right hand side!
And as always, Thanks for reading.
-Patrick
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