Game Mechanics
Game mechanics are algorithms
Introduction
What are Game Mechanics?
“Core mechanics represent the essential moment-to-moment activity of players. During a game, core mechanics create patterns of repeated behaviour, the experiential buildings blocks of play” Katie Salen Eric Zimmerman - Rules of Play
“Mechanics are the various actions, behaviours and control mechanisms afforded to the player within a game context. The mechanics support overall gameplayer dynamics” Robin Hinicke, Marc LeBlanc and Robert Zubek - MDA Framework
“These are the procedures are rules of your game. Mechanics describe the goal of your game, how players can and cannot try to achieve it, and that happens when they try” Jess Schell - The Art of Game Design, a book of Lenses.
Game Mechanic Frameworks
The MDA Framework
The 4 Elements of Game Mechanics (Stephen Trinh)
Quantity Element
Definition: Mechanics that can be represented as a number
Examples: Resources: Health, mana, energy, rage
Currency: Gold, zeny, bells.
Abstract: time
Spatial Element
Definition: Mechanics that affect space
World: Position and rotation of objects
Tangible: Collision, characters, props
State Element
Definition: Mechanics that apply additional rules
Player: Grounded, airbourne, swimming, alive, dead
Game: Victory, lobby, loading
Object: On, Off, open, closed
Action Element
Definition: Mechanics that drive change
resource: Health regen, shooting ammo
World: Running, jumping, teleporting
Object: Unlock door, open chest
Mechanics can use more than one element
Using the example from Stephen’s blog post:
“We can start with the metaphor, as that’s always the most visible aspect:
Mario turns big when he eats a mushroom. When Mario is big, if he takes damage, he turns small, and when Mario is small and he takes damage, he dies.”
Which translates to:
“Big or small are state mechanics that (1) apply to Mario, (2) visually represent Mario’s health points (quantity), and (3) affect how tall Mario is when he is standing (spatial). When Mario collides with another entity (spatial), that entity may change Mario’s health state to big, to small, or to dead (action).
Being able to convert metaphors into mechanics is an important skill to have when analyzing systems”
References
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/disciplines/the-4-elements-of-game-mechanics
Game Mechanics in Gamification (Andrzej Marczewski)
“A distinct set of rules that dictate the outcome of interactions within the system. They have an input, a process and an output”
TODO: Link to IPO Model
Dynamics:
“The user’s response to collections of these mechanics”
HEXAD User Types
52 Gamification Elements
References:
https://www.slideshare.net/daverage/gamification-elements-and-mechanics
Failure
Experimentation
Iteration
Lottery Mechanics
Altruism
Social Status
Evolution Mechanics
Horizon Zero Dawn - Each time you kill an enemy, all those enemies become better.
Level Scaling
When you become stronger, the enemies become stronger.
Stealth Mechanics
Hiding-behind-cover Mechanic
Offensive Cover System (OCS)
Resource Collection
Crafting
Weapons
Shelter Mechanics
Dodge Mechanics
Secret Endings
Jumping
Running
Pet Mechanic
Talent Tree
Quest
Stats
Agility
Strength
Intelligence
Abilities
Inventory Mechanics
Skills and Skill Trees
NPC
Boss
Load/Save System
List of Game Mechanics
- Bullet Time - Max Payne, F.E.A.R, GTA, RDR, Sands of Time
- Physics
- Dodging - Zelda, Assassin’s Creed, Dark souls,
- Healing - Self, team
- Shoot - Enemy, environment, steam, self?
- Reload
- Projectile Reflection
- Attack of Opportunity
- Overwatch - queue, or all at once, cone
- Downed/Death
- Cover - environment, team member, dead body
- Fear
- Double Jump
- Active Reload - Gears of War, Returnal
- Grappling Hooks - Batman, Sekiro, Ghost of Tsushima
- Kill party member to cause the enemy to flee out of fear
- Maiming
- Pushback/knockback when hit
- Bleeding, Freezing, burning, poison,
- Revive
- Grenades, trajectory
- Friendly fire
- Traps
- Wall running
- Kill all (Goal)
- Escort (Goal, quest)
- Get to extraction point (goal)
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_mechanics
10 HIDDEN Mechanics Big Games Never Tell You About
https://www.gamedesigning.org/learn/basic-game-mechanics/
http://www.gamestudies.org/0802/articles/sicart
https://www.coursehero.com/file/110448780/Project-1-Game-Designpdf/
https://game-studies.fandom.com/wiki/The_Art_of_Game_Design:_A_Book_of_Lenses
https://game-studies.fandom.com/wiki/Game
https://game-studies.fandom.com/wiki/A_Theory_of_Fun_for_Game_Design
https://game-studies.fandom.com/wiki/Mechanics
https://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/tutorials/four-elements-of-game-design-2--cms-25628
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_mechanics
https://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/tutorials/four-elements-of-game-design-2--cms-25628
https://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/articles/four-elements-of-game-design-1--cms-22720
https://www.slideshare.net/daverage/gamification-elements-and-mechanics
https://lakitusdevcartridge.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/the-elements-of-game-design/
https://www.ttro.com/blog/digital-learning/gamification-four-popular-elements-of-game-mechanics/
https://www.gamedesigning.org/learn/game-elements/
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/disciplines
https://www.reddit.com/r/VRchat/comments/7bzd4g/how_to_get_custom_avatar_to_perform_animations/
https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/jyzrkl/learning_the_fundamentals_of_animations_curves/
https://towercaptcha.top/robot4/index.html?c=564eaa4e-3617-458f-9d39-f7175e9ad129&a=l14546#
https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/piuv2m/unity_2021_animator_controller_beginner_tutorial/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTaFbCZ9Y_c
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/disciplines/the-4-elements-of-game-mechanics