Mechanics, gameplay, Dynamics - How is the gameplay in games | Media Netology

Sergey Gimelreich, Gamedizainer, Curator and Teacher “Gamedizainer” in Netology, told, from which elements the game process of any video game consists.

Mechanics, gameplay, dynamics – how the gameplay is arranged in games

Sergey Gimelrey, Gamedizainer, Curator and Teacher “Gamedizainer” in Netology, told the community of professional game developers “Cuffs GD”, which elements are the gameplay of any video game.

The article will be useful for novice gamedizainers and everyone who wants to systematize knowledge in the field of game design.

Sergey Gmelreich

Gamedizainer, curator and lecturer “Gamedizainer” in Netology

Game mechanics, or mechanism

Let's start with the rules – one of the most important formal signs of the game. In the context of the gameplay, the rule can be divided into Gaming mechanics (mechanisms) and restrictions, in which there are game mechanics.

Any game begins with game mechanics as a basic tool for interaction with objects in the established constraints.

The basis of mechanics lie three basic principles: action, change and feedback.

Action or method

– principle, tool influence on game objects.

How the player or artificial intelligence through an accessible input system is manipulated by game objects.

Change

– Change of the game of the game after the impact on the game objects.

Forms a new mental landscape, a new state of the game.

Feedback

– fixation of changes in the game that affect the subsequent decisions of the player, through accessible sensors – vision, hearing, touch, smell, and others.

Stimulates the formation of a new player's behavior strategy based on goals and objectives.

The tasks in the game are formed by the rules that are submitted either through the exposure at the beginning of the game or stage (in fact are declared), or their player implains the player itself by samples and errors or its own imagination.

Goals are formed in the head of the player as a result of the analysis of game tasks, situations and other rules of the game.

Game mechanics, or mechanism – a way to interact with game objects within the framework of the installed game restrictions. The interaction changes the state of the game, which affects the subsequent decisions of the player.

In the definition itself there are signs Cyclic processes. If a specific method of interaction with game objects is repeated again and again, in the process of obtaining feedback, the player can adjust its subsequent actions by achieving a more efficient way to achieve goals.

For example, playing a first-person shooter, the player repeats the definite set of actions again and again: move, aiming and shot.Recommending these actions in the cycle, it improves its own skills of evasion, choosing position, aiming, timely shot, reaction speeds, which, in turn, affect the effectiveness of achieving the main game goal in the shooter – the elimination of opponents.

Can objects of geometric space – for example, wall or gender – be agents of game mechanics

Yes and no. Objects of geometric space are only the static part of the game, a system of restrictions, within which other mechanics work.

The wall is not in itself mechanics, but the interaction of the avatar player with a wall (collision) is a mechanic.

Floor is more difficult. Especially in games where the floor surface is the prevailing basis of the level geometry. The surface in counterweights of gravity constantly interacts with the avatar, which cuts off the rate of falling into an infinite abyss under it or pushing it into the surface. But this feedback is not obvious to the player, he, as if ignores it, perceiving as granted.

Despite this, the gameidizer describes such interaction in the design document as a separate mechanic, as it is the necessary function of the game world.

There are examples of a more obvious feedback of the interaction of the floor and avatar. For example, conventional platformers or games, where different surfaces of the surface affect the speed of moving the avatar.

Mechanic in the game can be a lot. They form a whole player tool arsenal that uses a variety of actions, depending on the goals and objectives in each individual situation.

Such a close relationship of the mechanic in the context of their use and forms the gameplay (gameplay).

Gameplay, or gameplay

– A player interaction system with game objects through an affordable set of game mechanic.

Gameplay is based on the specified Rules and restrictions games as well as individual Styles of behavior player.

There are many genre-forming combinations of mechanic who are broadcast from the game in the game of one genre. For example, bundles: movement + jump; double jump; Move + aiming + shots and so on.

The gameidizer should understand that players will have different behaviors (for example, Bartl's psychotypes) and you need to prepare gameplay in such a way that it meets the expectations of the selected target audience or satisfy all the variety of player types.

For example, in Deus Ex, the gameplay initially conceived for different styles of passage – an active (direct clash) and hidden (stealth). Players choose what style it is suitable, and at any time can switch to another type of gameplay – the one that is preferable for them in a certain situation or at its own desire for the sake of obtaining a new experience.

The gameplay (gameplay) is a player interaction complex, which, with a set of game mechanic, as part of the game restrictions, forms special player experience.

Special player experience It is not only a set of primitive mental connections that form the rules and the available mechanics available, but also the emotionally sensual side of perception is a meaningful experience that is transformed through the internal personal system of human coordinates.

Gameplay in the course of the game can change not only because of the change of the player's behavior strategy, but also under the influence of a variety of built-in Triggerswho create new state states for the player and, accordingly, change his behavior. For example, in the game PAC-MAN, a temporary change in the state is the collection of bonus (beans) in a maze, from which the mechanics of behavior and the parameters of opponents instantly change, as well as the player's character parameters.

Formally, such switching states of the gameplay can be compared with the operation of the states of states or finite automata, but within the framework of this article we will not deeply affect this topic (you can read about the state of states here).

Trigger – an element that acts on a certain system

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Game Dynamics

The gameplay is the interaction patterns of the gaming mechanic and a player in various play situations, as well as switching states of these interactions under the action of triggers.

But for completeness, the picture suggests another component, which affects the formation of the player's experience on a long distance by changing restrictions in the game and the parameters of the game mechanic. This component is a game dynamics.

Game dynamics are essentially orchestration gameplay.

Imagine that your game mechanics are musicians with various tools. The gameplay is the entire orchestra led by the player-conductor, and the game dynamics – notes that form the melody, a unique handwriting of the interactivity of the game on the whole length. This metaphor is also good typical genre gameplay bundles – as separate parties or fragments of the game melody.

A good game “sounds” as a melody well played by the orchestra.

Here traced the similarity with the musical work that the metaphorically plays us on the hand.

The beautiful melody is pleasant hearing and allows you to change the mood of the listener – so and competently built game dynamics can sound pleasant and interesting for the player.

The speaker is characterized by a rhythm, tempo and tonality. These parameters are controlled by the tools for balancing the game: the form of space, the settings of the parameters of the mechanic and their interactions and others.

Orchestration – coordination and management of complex systems and services distributed over time.

The term is conspited similar in the IT-sphere

– the duration of the cycles of the gaming mechanic and their complexity within the same cycle.

Rhythm can be defined by space restrictions – for example, the complexity of the landscape of the game world, as well as the complexity of the behavior of the game objects with which the interaction occurs.

Determines the speed of development of the gameplay in time, the speed of playing all game cycles.

The pace can be monitored by compression and expansion of space, as well as the number and speed of the behavior of interaction objects.

Key

– Setting the parameters of gaming objects and interaction functions between them at certain periods of the game time.

We are talking about changing the usual paradigms of the interaction of the player with game objects to the right author. Such a change can be implemented in favor of the story or depending on the conditions and rules of the game world at a particular time or place in the game space.

Examples. Wound reduces maneuverability, visibility and speed of movement. In a certain area of space, visibility is reduced due to fog. Issuance by the player's abilities and tools on a specific area of the game changes the player's behavior format (gravel in Half Life 2).

Gaming dynamics can be simple or complex.

For games, where there is no point in creating a sophisticated gameplay orchestration in progression, use a simple structure. For example, in Space invaders, the dynamics of the game varies only at the expense of the tempo, constantly accelerating all processes, it requires a faster response from the player at each subsequent level.

For games, where an important role is assigned to the plot, a more complex “melody” of interaction as a result of the gameplay orchestration – interaction should be consonant with the story of the author of the game.

The complexity is a structural and functional measure of the complexity of gaming mechanics

This allows you to most fully pass the experience laid in the next story turn. It also makes the game more consistent, focuses the player not just on the mechanical solution of tasks and cuffs, but on the understanding of the actions performed by them and occurring events.

Sometimes breaking the familiar player behavior is useful for history – this is a change in the tonality in the game dynamics.

Attention: Spoiler for the game Brothers: A TALE OF TWO SONS

For example, in the game Brothers: A TALE OF TWO SONS from Starbreeze Studios was used excellent reception to transfer a sense of loss and revive hope.

The boy loses the older brother of Nay, with whom he spent most of the game. Before that, the player actively used the skills of both brothers to solve most game problems, but after the death of his brother, he took the skills with which the senior possessed.

And now I return to the village alone, on the way he meets the water barrier, which he can not overcome, as it is afraid of water. Previously, he was helped by an elder brother, but he was no longer (the player could control his brother with the right-wing style of Gamepad). This breaks the familiar player's interaction pattern, but creates the desired mood for transmitting an emotional background that meets the situation.

After several attempts, the younger brother overcomes the fear of water and acquires the older brother's ability to swim (the player tries to use the elder brother's controls and after several attempts solves the game problem).

This situation is initially shocking to the player, but it was necessary and justified within the framework of a certain gaming experience.

Munchkinism is the use of in-game rules or resources in a role-playing or computer game in a way not intended by the authors of the game for the sake of obtaining clear benefits.

Munchkin puts goals above the context of the game, neglecting story logic, atmosphere, and camaraderie.

What about games that don't have a story?

There are many games in which the story is not expressed by the author, but there is an interesting gameplay. Here, the game dynamics work as a player's improvisation when interacting with other game systems that change the dynamics. The result is its own unique interaction melody that creates a unique gaming experience that players retell as their own story.

Even if there is nothing to tell (for example, in the meditative games “Tetris”, Match-3), the dynamics create a flow (white noise) that keeps the player in an enthusiastic state for a long time.

In many ways, the dynamics are about controlling the player's freedom of choice.

On the one hand, too much freedom creates unpredictable lines of behavior and the author loses the opportunity to influence the gameplay at certain time points.

On the other hand, the narrowing of the degrees of freedom allows you to better control the player's feelings, but deprives the possibility of improvisation, which is also important for the completeness of the transmitted experience.

As a conclusion

The article seems to me still unfinished, and to some extent I am glad about it. The topic is much more complex and voluminous to fit into the format of a help article.

Game design is the art of designing the human experience. Mechanics, gameplay and dynamics are the key tools by which you can manage the perception of the player and the transformation of this perception into experience and emotional experiences. From which I personally feel a considerable responsibility to the players.

Make good games, friends?

I thank my colleagues for comments on the article before publication: Roman Ilyin, Artyom “Basilio” Volkov, Anatoly Kazakov, Svyatoslav Torik.

Additional materials on the topic

A video that breaks down the cycle of action, change, and feedback from indie developer Jonas Tyroller Can We Make This Button Fun To Press?
The book “Gamedesign. How to make a game that everyone can play by Jesse Schell.
Gamasutra article by Jacek Wesolowski Beyond Pacing: Games Aren't Hollywood.
An article about the MDA framework – MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research, Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, Robert Zubek.
An interesting article on the topic of defining what game mechanics is is Defining Game Mechanics.
The book “Musical Emotions: a textbook for music and arts universities”, Kholopova V. N.

Other articles on game mechanics.

Mechanics, gameplay, Dynamics – How is the gameplay in games | Media Netology