week 2

A2 Elements of an esports game

Gameplay

Gameplay mechanics, e.g. running, jumping, shooting

The mechanics within gameplay are important to its success. Movements such as running, jumping, shooting, crouching, and in some games rolling and crawling need to be considered. When considering the creation of a game these elements can be quickly forgotten. These mechanics may provide another level of depth to a game, enabling for a more immersive gameplay, closer realism to the real-world practices.

consider the gameplay mechanics of at least 3 games that you have played, try and use games from different genres, e.g sports, fantasy and real time stratergy.

Goals

All games that have been created have some form of goal, these could be to collect a number of items, score more than your opponent, or to reach the end of a level, world or map. These goals should be clear to the users of the game, and, they should be made quickly to enable better engagement in the game. At the beginning of most games, a mini training/ orienteering section to the user is provided to support the user in the game mechanics and the types of goals and messages that they might experience on the way.

Progression

Once the game begins your players will need to move through the game, how is this done? Games like uncharted follow a game-long story that is broken into different quests and tasks that the player needs to complete, these quests provide skills and potential new abilities to the game's character.

Balance

Balance is a key foundational principle in the design of any esports game or game in general as it refers to the balance of advantages, opportunities, and challenges among players or teams. Providing balance is crucial to ensure that the game is fair, competitive, and enjoyable for everyone involved making them want to play for longer or to play again.

Winning Condition

The winning condition is important to giving your game an end objective, however, the condition for each game will be different.

Consider 3 games that you have played, what are the conditions for the completion of a level, or the complete game? Consider not only traditional games, but also educational games, ie Mathletics.

Many games have complexity settings on them, these range from beginner and novice, to expert and veteran. These complexities may change the winning conditions of some games removing "allowances" to game characters where they do not have to complete specific tasks or collect specific items to achieve.

Strategies.

Interaction model:

An interaction model in esports refers to how players interact with the game and with each other within the game. It includes various elements such as avatars, characters, vehicles, and omnipresence. Here's a discussion of these elements in the context of esports games:

Avatars: An avatar is the representation of the player within the game. It can take the form of a character or a vehicle. In esports games, avatars are an essential part of the interaction model as players use them to interact with the game world and other players. For example, in MOBA games like League of Legends, players control a hero with unique abilities and stats, while in racing games like Gran Turismo, players control a vehicle with unique handling characteristics.
Characters: Characters are a subset of avatars that represent the player within the game world. In esports games, characters have unique attributes, abilities, and skills that players use to interact with the game and other players. For example, in FPS games like Overwatch, each character has a unique set of weapons and abilities that players use to outmaneuver and outshoot their opponents.
Vehicles: Vehicles are another subset of avatars that represent the player within the game world. In esports games, vehicles can take many forms, from cars and planes to spaceships and mechs. Players use vehicles to interact with the game world and other players in racing, flying, and mech-based games. For example, in racing games like Forza Motorsport, players control cars with unique handling and tuning characteristics.
Omnipresence: Omnipresence refers to the ability of players to be present and interact with the game world and other players from anywhere in the world. In esports, omnipresence is enabled by online multiplayer modes that allow players to compete against each other remotely, regardless of their location. This has enabled esports to become a global phenomenon, with players from all over the world competing against each other in real-time.

Today in most esports titles players can compete in a number of player modes that provides them with different approaches and experiences to playing the title. We will look at the two most commonly available in title, single and multiplayer modes.

Single-player.

The single player mode is the most commonly available modes in all games. Single player allows individuals to compete in a solo game to achieve any potential objectives, or as a individual in a multiplayer game mode where all players are against each other, classic examples of this would be FIFA and Call of Duty.

Multiplayer.

The Multiplayer mode enables teams of players to work in group objectives in a game title, commonly known as "Duo's", "Trio's" and "Squds. This mode provides another player experience that involves communication, strategy and direction. Players in teams may have a team captain that controls many of the decisions that are taken in the game.

Rules

The use of rules in a game enables limits and restrictions to the gameplay that can make for a more enjoyable experience for the players. Some rules in games are often overlooked and taken as the norm, for example, a character not being able to walk outside of the map within the game, or, carrying on playing with zero health. Rules are boundaries to keep a game on a path of completion.

Consider some of the rules that you have come across in your games. Discuss amongst yourselves the importance of rules in the games. Create an argument to rules that you would like to remove from a game

The guidance that rules provide to a game can remove any ambiguity around how to play the game, think of them as a Do and Don't sheet.

Things that might need to be covered are;

Environment, Player, Competitions, Progression, Multiplayer, Single Player, Goals/Targets/Achievements, Codes of Conduct for team talk, Codes of Conduct for text chat.

Challenges and rewards

In most games nowadays there are mini-challenges or quests that run alongside the main game. These challenges and quests provide the game player with another level of interactivity with the game. A classic example of this can be seen in the Fortnight game. In the image below players can see weekly and daily quests that enable them to build their XP to allow them to improve their playing ability and open other perks and rewards.

Image taken from Epic games

Rewards in games can be earnt as discussed above, however, in some game titles, the developers have opened their own currency that players can purchase to buy perks, weapons, skins, and much more.

Player mechanics.

Mechanics are a way for players to achieve game goals, take player actions, and advance strategies to help them progress throughout the game.

A great discussion on Game and Player Mechanics from www.GameDesignSkill.com says

Game mechanics are the interlocking pieces of the game that can interact with each other in a meaningful way. It doesn’t matter if you’re designing a roleplaying game (RPG), a first-person shooter (FPS) or an action adventure game. There are parts of the game that have meaningful consequences, and parts that are fluff.

Mechanics are the bits with consequence. The exact same thing can be a mechanic in one game and fluff in another. If you fire a flaming arrow in one game, and it burns away a patch of vines revealing a path, it’s a mechanic; it can meaningfully affect the game world.

In another game, the exact same concept, a flaming arrow, might trigger an amazing VFX of burning grass, but otherwise act just like a normal arrow. In that case, the fire is fluff; it has no meaningful effect on gameplay.

Games Design Skills

If we take the Mario Game we can see that the player Mechanics are;

- Landing on an enemy should trigger a unique reaction in each enemy. Here are some examples we’ve brainstormed:
  - Goomba – squishes flat, dies after a moment
  - Koopa – retreats into its shell, moves again if Mario runs into it later
  - Spiny – hurts Mario (should not be dealt with this way – fireball instead)
  - Buzzy Beetle – retreats into shell, immune to fireballs.
  - Lakitu – dies and leaves his cloud behind
  - Lakitu Cloud – lets you ride and control the cloud. (note: delayed till a future game due to technical limitations)

Player skill level

Player skill as mentioned previously can impact the "enjoyment" factor of a game. There are a number of skill levels that can occur in game play these are

grassroots

When looking at player skills and abilities Grassroots events provide an opportunity to create and nurture new talent, but a safe space for diversity and inclusion. These are normally community-led and allow for new and potential future esports greats to emerge.

amateur

Amateur players are those that have interests in the competitive arenas, they normally have no membership or alliance with any team in esports and participate in a casual manner.

semi-pro

Semi-pro players fall into a bracket where they are part-time. This may mean that participation in competitions and events may fall inside times when they are not working. Semi-professional players can have sponsorships and team memberships however this may not be the sole provider of any revenue streams that the individual may have.

professional

Professional players are individuals who are at the top of an elite few who are considered the best players within a title. These players may compete as part of a team or individually, and they can be found to participate in many competitions and championship events. Professional players may also use their membership and sponsorship as their main source of income allowing them to further practice and compete in events.

Game structure.

The game structure is essentially the "skeleton" of the game, providing a roadmap for the game's design and development. It helps to ensure that the game is cohesive and balanced, with a clear progression from beginning to end.

Some key components of game structure include:

Story: This includes the game's setting, characters, and narrative arc.
Gameplay mechanics: These are the rules and systems that govern how the game is played, including things like controls, combat, puzzles, and other interactive elements.
Levels: These are the individual stages or areas that make up the game, each with its own unique challenges and objectives.
Objectives: These are the specific goals that the player must achieve in order to progress through the game, such as collecting items, defeating bosses, or solving puzzles.
Progression systems: These are the mechanics that determine how the player advances through the game, such as experience points, levelling up, or unlocking new abilities.

Last Updated
2023-09-22 14:17:33

Links to Learning Outcomes		Links to Assessment criteria
		A.P1 Explore different principles of games Design A.P2 Explain how these esports principles are used in games design A.M1 Compare two different design principles in two different games genres A.D1 Evaluate the different game design principles and the impact they have on the different genres of games in

Links to Learning Outcomes

Links to Assessment criteria

A.P1 Explore different principles of games Design

A.P2 Explain how these esports principles are used in games design

A.M1 Compare two different design principles in two different games genres

A.D1 Evaluate the different game design principles and the impact they have on the different genres of games in

English

Maths

How 2's Coverage

Anonymous Assessment - Learners assess an anonymous piece of work containing deliberate mistakes against given success criteria.

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