Introduction to Game Systems Design

by Dax Gazaway

Overview

As games grow more complex and gamers' expectations soar, the discipline of game systems design becomes ever more important. Game systems designers plan a game's rules and balance, its characters' attributes, most of its data, and how its AI, weapons, and objects work and interact. Introduction to Game Systems Design is the first complete beginner's guide to this crucial discipline. Writing for all aspiring game professionals, even those with absolutely no experience, leading game designer and instructor Dax Gazaway presents a step-by-step, hands-on approach to designing game systems with industry-standard tools. Drawing on his experience building AAA-level game systems (including games in the Star Wars and Marvel franchises), Gazaway covers all this, and more:

• Exploring the essentials of game design and its emerging subdisciplines
• Asking the essential questions at the heart of all design
• Getting started with modern game system design tools, including the spreadsheets most professionals now use
• Creating systems and data from a blank page
• Populating and quantifying a world of data into a game
• Tuning and balancing game systems
• Testing game systems and data
• Leveraging communication, psychology, and rewards within your games
• Balancing game probability within systems

Whether you're a college freshman entering a game design program, an indie developer using Unreal or Unity, a Dungeon Master, or anyone who wants to really understand modern games, this guide will help you get where you want to go.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780137440849
Publisher:	Pearson Education
Publication date:	08/17/2021
Series:	Game Design
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dax Gazaway was raised in a gamer family. His parents met in a Dungeons & Dragons group, and he was surrounded with games being played and made. From a very early age, Dax was fascinated by the numbers in games. He would pour over monster manuals and board game books, dissecting the rules to figure out how the systems worked.




Dax started in the video game industry in the late 1990s. During his tenure in the industry, Dax pioneered game system design at multiple independent and AAA studios, helping to refine and define the subdiscipline. In recent years, he has become a course director at Full Sail University, specializing in teaching new students the concepts and tools of the system designer. Dax has created new curriculum and multiple classes for system design students, and he teaches introduction to system design courses.




The following is a selection of Dax's game design credits:




Star Wars: Obi-Wan, System and level designer
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, System and level designer and QA liaison
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter: System and level designer
Gladius: System designer
Syphon Filter franchise: Lead designer and system designer
Spider Man 3: Lead system designer
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2: Lead system designer
Guitar Hero franchise: System designer




In addition, Dax has been the studio lead system designer for Row Sham Bow Games and a system design consultant for multiple projects.

Table of Contents

Preface xx


Chapter 1 Games and Players: Defined 1


Defining Game 2


Agreed Upon, Artificial Rules 2


Players Have an Impact on the Outcome 3


People Can Opt Out 4


Game Sessions Are Finite 4


Intrinsic Rewards 4


Game Attributes Summary 5


Finding the Target Audience for a Game: Player Attributes 6


Age 6


Gender 7


Tolerance for Learning Rules 7


Interest in Challenge 9


Desired Time Investment 10


Pace Preference 11


Competitiveness 11


Platform Preference 12


Skill Level 12


Genre/Art/Setting/Narrative Preference 13


Value Gained from Players 13


Payment 13


Other Forms of Value 16


Target Audience Value 17


Target Audience Composite 18


Chess 18


Galaga 18


Mario Kart 19


The Battle for Wesnoth 20


Bejeweled 20


What to Do with a Target Audience Profile 21


Further Steps 22


Chapter 2 Roles in the Game Industry 23


Core Management Team 24


Vision Holder 24


Lead Engineer 25


Lead Artist 25


Lead Designer 25


Producer 25


Lead Sound Designer 25


Team Subdisciplines 26


Art 26


Engineering 27


Production 28


Design 28


Sound Team 29


QA Team 29


Narrative Designer 30


Additional Roles 30


Further Steps 30


Chapter 3 Asking Questions 31


How to Ask a Theoretical Question 32


Steps of the Scientific Method 32


Defining a Question for Data Analysis 35


How to Ask for Help with a Problem 36


Why How You Ask Matters 36


Steps to Writing a Good Question 37


Further Steps 41


Chapter 4 System Design Tools 43


What Is Data? 44


Game Industry Tools 44


Documentation Tools 45


Image Editing Tools 45


3D Modeling Tools 46


Flowchart Tools 47


Databases 48


Bug-Tracking Software 49


Game Engines 49


Further Steps 50


Chapter 5 Spreadsheet Basics 51


Why Spreadsheets? 52


What Is a Spreadsheet? 54


Spreadsheet Cells: The Building Blocks of Data 54


Cells 54


The Formula Bar 55


Spreadsheet Symbols 56


Data Containers in Spreadsheets 60


Columns and Rows 60


Sheets 61


Workbooks 61


Spreadsheet Operations 63


Referencing a Separate Sheet 64


Hiding Data 65


Freezing Part of a Sheet 66


Using Comments and Notes 68


Using Formfill 71


Using Filters 77


Data Validation 80


The Data Validation Dialog 81


Time Validation 83


List Validation 84


Named Ranges 84


Further Steps 88


Chapter 6 Spreadsheet Functions 89


Grouping Arguments 90


Function Structure 90


More Complex Functions 93


Functions for System Designers 96


SUM 96


AVERAGE 97


MEDIAN 97


MODE 98


MAX and MIN 99


RANK 99


COUNT, COUNTA, and COUNTUNIQUE 100


LEN 100


IF 101


COUNTIF 101


VLOOKUP 102


FIND 102


MID 103


NOW 103


RAND 104


ROUND 105


RANDBETWEEN 105


Learning About More Functions 106


How to Choose the Right Function 106


Further Steps 107


Chapter 7 Distilling Life into Systems 109


An Abstract Example 114


Throwing 114


Sticks 115


Running 115


Teamwork 115


Putting Together the Mechanics 115


Story in Games 116


Further Steps 117


Chapter 8 Coming Up with Ideas 119


Idea Buffet 120


Sample Idea Buffet 120


Running a Brainstorming Session 121


Having Goals 121


Gathering the Troops 122


Giving Yourself a Block of Time 123


Don't Accept the First Answer 123


Avoiding Criticism 124


Keeping on Topic (Kind Of) 124


Capturing the Creativity 125


Keeping Expectations Reasonable 125


Percolating 125


Methods to Force Creativity 126


Bad Storming 126


Jokes 126


Building Blocks 127


Future Past 127


Iterative Stepping 127


Halfway Between 128


Opposite Of 129


Random Connections 130


Stream of Consciousness Writing 130


Further Steps 131


Chapter 9 Attributes: Creating and Quantifying Life 133


Mechanics Versus Attributes 134


Listing Attributes 134


Initial Brainstorming 135


Blue-Sky Brainstorming 136


Researching Attributes 136


Referring to Your Own Personal Attribute Bank 138


Defining an Attribute 139


Considerations When Defining an Attribute 140


Grouping Attributes 141


Further Steps 143


Chapter 10 Organizing Data in Spreadsheets 145


Create a Spreadsheet to Be Read by an Outsider 146


Avoid Typing Numbers 146


Label Data 147


Validate Your Data 148


Use Columns for Attributes and Rows for Objects 148


Color Coding 149


Avoid Adding Unneeded Columns or Rows or Blank Cells 151


Separate Data Objects with Sheets 152


Reference Sheet 152


Introduction Sheet 153


Output/Visualization Sheets 154


Scratch Sheet 155


Spreadsheet Example 155


Further Steps 156


Chapter 11 Attribute Numbers 157


Getting a Feel for Your Attributes 158


Determining the Granularity for Numbers 158


Numbers Should Relate to Probability 158


Some Numbers Need to Relate to Real-World Measurements 159


User Smaller Numbers for Easier Calculations 160


Use Larger Numbers for More Granularity 161


Very Large Numbers Are Confusing 162


Humans Hate Decimals and Fractions, but Computers Don't Mind Them 163


Numbering Example 163


The Tension Trick 163


Searching for the Right Numbers 165


Further Steps 167


Chapter 12 System Design Foundations 169


Attribute Weights 170


DPS and Intertwined Attributes 173


Binary Searching 176


How Binary Searching Works 176


Lacking a Viable Range 179


Naming Conventions 180


Naming Object Iterations 185


The Problem with “New” 185


Iteration Naming Method 1: Version Number 186


Iteration Naming Method 2: Version Letter and Number 186


Special Case Terms 187


Using the Handshake Formula 188


Further Steps 194


Chapter 13 Range Balancing, Data Fulcrums, and Hierarchical Design 195


Range Balancing 196


How Range Balancing Works 197


Who Adjusts What 201


Data Fulcrums 203


What Is a Fulcrum? 203


Creating a Fulcrum 204


Testing a Fulcrum 204


Locking a Fulcrum 206


Using a Fulcrum for Data Creation 206


Unavoidable Cross-testing 208


Fulcrum Progression 209


Hierarchical Design 210


Starting the Hierarchy 211


Advantages of Hierarchical Design 212


Further Steps 213


Chapter 14 Exponential Growth and Diminishing Returns 215


Linear Growth 216


Exponential Growth 217


Parts of the Basic Exponential Growth Formula 218


Building Blocks of the Exponential Growth Formula 220


Tweaking the Basic Exponential Growth Formula 226


A Note on Iterations 227


Exponential Charts and Game Hierarchy 227


Further Steps 228


Chapter 15 Analyzing Game Data 229


Overview Analysis 230


Next-Level Deep Analysis 238


Practicing Data Analysis 240


Comparison Analysis 240


Canaries 241


Further Steps 244


Chapter 16 Macrosystems and Player Engagement 245


Macrosystem Difficulty Adjustment 246


Flat Balancing 246


Positive Feedback Loops 247


Negative Feedback Loop 249


Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment 251


Layered Difficulty Adjustment 253


Cross-Feeding 254


Balancing Combinations 255


Further Steps 255


Chapter 17 Fine-Tuning Balance, Testing, and Problem Solving 257


Balance 258


Why Balance Matters 258


General Game Balance 259


Breaking Your Data 261


Problems with Balancing Judged Contests 261


How to Start Balancing Data 263


Performing Playtests 265


Minimum Viability Testing 266


Balance Testing 267


Bug Testing 268


User Testing 269


Beta/Postlaunch Telemetry Testing 273


Solving Problems 275


Identify the Problem 276


Eliminate Variables 277


Come Up with Solutions 277


Communicate with the Team 277


Prototype and Test 277


Document the Changes 277


Further Steps 278


Chapter 18 Systems Communication and Psychology 279


Games as Conversations 280


Word Meanings 281


Noise 284


Reciprocity 286


Overstepping Bounds 286


Shallow Relationship 287


Right Balance 287


Reward Expectations 288


Further Steps 289


Chapter 19 Probability 291


Basic Probability 292


Probability Notation 292


Calculating One-Dimensional Even-Distribution Probability 293


Calculating One-Dimensional Uneven-Distribution Probability 299


Calculating Compound Probability 301


Calculating 2D6 “Or Higher” Cumulative Probability 309


Calculating the Probability of Doubles 310


Calculating a Series of Single Events 311


Calculating More Than Two Dimensions 316


Calculating Dependent Event Probability 318


Calculating Mutually Exclusive Event Probability 321


Calculating Enumerated Probability with an Even Distribution 321


Calculating Enumerated Probability with an Uneven Distribution 322


Calculating Attributes Weights Based on Probability 325


Calculating Imperfect Information Probability 327


Perception of Probability 328


Probability Uncertainty 328


Mapping Probability 329


Attributes of a Random Event 329


Mapping Probability Examples 331


Measuring Luck in a Game 334


Testing for Pure Luck 335


Testing for Luck Dominant 335


Testing for Luck Influenced 336


Adjusting the Influence of Luck 336


Chaos Factor 338


Further Steps 338


Chapter 20 Next Steps 341


Practice 342


Analyze Existing Games 342


Play New Games 342


Modify Existing Games 342


Work on Your Game 343


Keep Learning 343


Index 345