Hello
World,
Games are a
very intimate medium as they allow us to interact with them on a level not seen
in film or books. This interaction is performed through the games mechanics. Just
like a game’s plot, visuals and audio, these mechanics are able to add meaning
to an experience. This creation of meaning through mechanics is known as “Mechanics
as Metaphor” and is a very hot topic in the world of video game design. Many
video games have used this concept to great effect and I believe the same
theory is transferable to the world of tabletop gaming.
Due to the
free form nature of RPGs, a game’s plot, visuals and audio are often left in
the hands of the player. This means that it can be very difficult to convey
meaning through those areas and even when done the meaning is simple and
abstract. A good example of this the setting of Glorantha in which players are
heroes in a pre-apocalyptic world. The imagery and thought of being a hero even
when you know the end of the world is coming, creates a very distinct style of
campaign. But this also requires that the designer creates an in-depth setting
for the game to take place in, which is a route a lot of games choose to forgo.
This leaves
the most accessible tool to convey meaning within an RPG is through the
mechanics. But this is not an easy task and requires very conscious planning on
the part of the designer. This is because emotional aesthetics and meanings
than arise from the combination of all of the game’s elements. The theory of
game aesthetics was discussed in a paper by the name of Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics
(MDA) and is one of the first formally documented game design papers.
This paper
discusses how a games mechanics, the rules and calculations, leads to a set of
dynamics, the actual gameplay. From these dynamics aesthetics emerge, which are
the emotional response created by the game. These aesthetics are the driving emotive
reasons we play the game. The problem lies in the fact that designers and players
approach a game from opposite sides. A designer starts with the mechanics and
works their way through the dynamics to the aesthetics. While a player starts
with the aesthetics and ends at mechanics. As a result of this the most
important aspect to the player, the aesthetics, is often an after though to the
designer. By establishing your core aesthetics early, you can design your games
to better deliver upon them. Ensuring that all of a game’s mechanics and
dynamics are building towards the same aesthetics allows for the game to
generate a unified experience.
Mechanics
act as the fundamental ground work that the game is built on. By consciously implementing
a game’s mechanics in order to deliver on specific aesthetics. An example of
this can been seen in one of my in development games by the name of Consortia.
This game puts players in charge of a guild or organization and as a strong
focus on fellowship and teamwork. As such one of the main mechanics within the
game is the Bond System which grants character bonuses when working with
characters who they have a strong relationship with. This mechanic often led to
the dynamic of players combining their actions and working together to solve
problems. Which would instill the aesthetic of fellowship in the players.
That is
just an example of one mechanic delivering one aesthetic within the game. If within
the game all of the mechanics enforce the core aesthetics, an enjoyable and concise
experience being delivered. I wish all of you the best of luck on your future
designs and thank you for reading
- Patrick
Lapienis
If you are
interested in learning more about MDA Theory I have written two other articles
on it which can be found in the links below:
You can
also find the original MDA paper HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment