I thought the "Formal Abstract Design Tools" article by Doug Church was an interesting read. It thought me to use proper "game vocabulary" when talking about games and about "Formal abstract design tools".
I learned that "Formal abstract design tools" is a framework used to create a vocabulary for describing a game and that it's used to break up a game into its components so that other game designers can understand them.
I then learned about different tools for games and where to find them. We can find them by looking at other good games that have already been created. After looking at these games we can take and formalize a few key aspects from them. I loved the Mario 64 game example given to us in the article as it helped me understand how Mario 64 used it's different design tools to create such an all-around game. Some of the tools I learned about in this article were "Intention", "Perceivable consequence" and "Story".
The "Intention" tool is a plan of your creation in response to an understanding of gameplay options and the current situation in the game world.
"Perceivable consequence" is a clear reaction from the game world to the action of the player.
The last tool that I learned in this article was "Story", the story drives the player closer to the completion of the game.
In my opinion, the article was very useful because it gave me an idea about how to pick games apart. I also think it was useful because I learned how to use an appropriate "game vocabulary" to analyze games so other designers can understand. This precise vocab helps designers to communicate better so that they can analyze games and better future ones. An important tip I learned is that not all tools necessarily work well together. If I'm going to create the experience I intend for my own game, I'll need to fully understand the ramifications of tool usage first.
I learned that "Formal abstract design tools" is a framework used to create a vocabulary for describing a game and that it's used to break up a game into its components so that other game designers can understand them.
I then learned about different tools for games and where to find them. We can find them by looking at other good games that have already been created. After looking at these games we can take and formalize a few key aspects from them. I loved the Mario 64 game example given to us in the article as it helped me understand how Mario 64 used it's different design tools to create such an all-around game. Some of the tools I learned about in this article were "Intention", "Perceivable consequence" and "Story".
The "Intention" tool is a plan of your creation in response to an understanding of gameplay options and the current situation in the game world.
"Perceivable consequence" is a clear reaction from the game world to the action of the player.
The last tool that I learned in this article was "Story", the story drives the player closer to the completion of the game.
In my opinion, the article was very useful because it gave me an idea about how to pick games apart. I also think it was useful because I learned how to use an appropriate "game vocabulary" to analyze games so other designers can understand. This precise vocab helps designers to communicate better so that they can analyze games and better future ones. An important tip I learned is that not all tools necessarily work well together. If I'm going to create the experience I intend for my own game, I'll need to fully understand the ramifications of tool usage first.
A Language Without Borders
(Image by Elizabeth Hargis)
Links I found Interesting
Formal Abstract Design Tools Article By Doug Church
A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research By Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek
How To Analyze A Video Game by understandmedia.com
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