Of course we all know about RPG's and FPS's and MMORPG's and RTS's and Puzzle games and Adventure games and so on and so forth. But at the moment I'll talk about a different way of classification. Of this type I read at the beginning of the year in Paul Newman's Videogames book (Newman, 2001) where he quoted Caillois, who was inspired by Huzinga (*citationception ^.^*) in declaring four main forms of distinguishing games from each other.
- Agon : it's representing competition as a main aesthetic factor in the game.
- Alea: randomness/ chance
- Ilinx : movement
- Mimicry : simulation/ make-believe/ role-play
A game is usually defined by at least two of these characteristics. Examples found in Newman's book encompass "Tetris" "Poker" "R360" or "Myst". I will name games I have played and by thinking on my own experience with the games will give my opinion on how this proprieties are present in the games.
Agon
Basing on the fact that competition in Newman's book is viewed as player vs player of player vs AI, the games will name that I consider have "competition" as a main aesthetic factor are : "Starcraft" (both 1 and 2 ), Need For Speed" and any MMORPG, but as a clear example let's say "Guild Wars" or "World of Warcraft" Even though all of them they have more or less of an RPG element, the main goal is that the player has to compete against either other players or the computer.
All of the games I have mentioned are part of different genres: a real-time strategy, a racing game and an online role-playing game. But the characteristics mentioned by Caillois in Newman's book are being attributed to games before they are split into genres. Going on this premise you could say that elements as "Agon" "Alea" "Ilinx" and "Mimicry" should be taken into consideration during the process of creation of the game and attributed to the mechanics and thus obtaining more or less desired mechanics and then aesthetics.
Alea
When looking for games that are based on randomness, the first place you have to look for are boardgames. In "Monopoly" for example, all your moves, both strategic and on the board, can only be undertaken after the dice roll. Also, the human factor in the game can be a major chance element, because, unless you can read minds, it's pretty hard to realize what your opponent is going to do, at least before half the game is already played. But to talk about a board game that is completely based on randomness or chance I'll say "Snakes and Ladders" . This game has a core mechanic based on die throws. The players do not interact with each other and the "fate" of the game is completely based on chance. Another game based on chance is "Liar's Dice". This game and variations of it are played regarding just on the results of dice throws. Even if a certain way of strategic thinking is needed to win, chance plays the main part.
Computer games also have lots of random generators embedded in them. Like the chance of a critical hit in role-playing games and MMO's like "Neverwinter Nights" "Fallout" or "Guild Wars", the chance to receive certain materials in MMO's by "mining" or "investigating" certain objects.
Ilinx
Most, if not all games have the element of "movement" in them, and in most of them is one of the main parts of the game. You move your character on the screen, you move your pieces on the board, you move pieces to complete sequences in solving puzzles. So are there any games that do not have "movement" in them?
Mimicry
Mimicry is an element that is present in all games that are part of the "Simulation" genre. Also, given the definition of the element, it's also embodied in games that are based on role-playing games. Games like "The Sims" or "RollerCoaster Tycoon" are based mainly on this element. Playing these games, you as a player, are put in a situation that simulates either life, like in "Sims", or the managing of a Six-Flags Amusement Park. But these games have a big difference. "Sims" is mostly a ludic game, with goals that the player sets for himself, but "RollerCoaster Tycoon" is paideic type of game, with goals set by the developers, even if the main goal for every mission is the same, and that is to keep the park running at a certain capacity, under certain circumstances, even if different nuances are added.
As I've said earlier, this type of element is also present in role-playing games, when you as a player, undertake the role of a hero/ saviour/ wizard that can't swim/ legendary personae that goes on a quest to save the world. Mimicry is used in this cases to put the player in situations that the "hero" would be put in and simulate what he/she would do.
As a first year, our task are, among others, to come up with two games, and I thought that a good ending would be how this elements are or would be used in this games. My individual game is a puzzle game, in which, you as a player, have to solve a small series of puzzles to advance further in the game. So at the moment my game contains both "Ilinx" and "Mimicry" because you play the role of a character and you move that avatar around the game.
The group project game is about a character who has to battle his way home through a horde of aliens. This game has three elements in it : "Agon" "Ilinx" and "Mimicry" by having you playing the role of character, which moves around the game world and the competition is also recently added by the new elements added to the game, and on the basis of a high-score, players can compete against each other.
Game designers should be familiar with these kind of elements, because, by adding them to a game designers can in a way expect certain dynamics and aesthetics from the players. I believe that, taking part in this course, it's good to apply what we've learned to what we do, so we won't forget. Learning to be a games designer is like learning a new language, and if it's not constantly practised it's going to be forgotten.
"A game is a series of interesting choices"
Sid Meier
All of the games I have mentioned are part of different genres: a real-time strategy, a racing game and an online role-playing game. But the characteristics mentioned by Caillois in Newman's book are being attributed to games before they are split into genres. Going on this premise you could say that elements as "Agon" "Alea" "Ilinx" and "Mimicry" should be taken into consideration during the process of creation of the game and attributed to the mechanics and thus obtaining more or less desired mechanics and then aesthetics.
Alea
When looking for games that are based on randomness, the first place you have to look for are boardgames. In "Monopoly" for example, all your moves, both strategic and on the board, can only be undertaken after the dice roll. Also, the human factor in the game can be a major chance element, because, unless you can read minds, it's pretty hard to realize what your opponent is going to do, at least before half the game is already played. But to talk about a board game that is completely based on randomness or chance I'll say "Snakes and Ladders" . This game has a core mechanic based on die throws. The players do not interact with each other and the "fate" of the game is completely based on chance. Another game based on chance is "Liar's Dice". This game and variations of it are played regarding just on the results of dice throws. Even if a certain way of strategic thinking is needed to win, chance plays the main part.
Computer games also have lots of random generators embedded in them. Like the chance of a critical hit in role-playing games and MMO's like "Neverwinter Nights" "Fallout" or "Guild Wars", the chance to receive certain materials in MMO's by "mining" or "investigating" certain objects.
Ilinx
Most, if not all games have the element of "movement" in them, and in most of them is one of the main parts of the game. You move your character on the screen, you move your pieces on the board, you move pieces to complete sequences in solving puzzles. So are there any games that do not have "movement" in them?
Mimicry
Mimicry is an element that is present in all games that are part of the "Simulation" genre. Also, given the definition of the element, it's also embodied in games that are based on role-playing games. Games like "The Sims" or "RollerCoaster Tycoon" are based mainly on this element. Playing these games, you as a player, are put in a situation that simulates either life, like in "Sims", or the managing of a Six-Flags Amusement Park. But these games have a big difference. "Sims" is mostly a ludic game, with goals that the player sets for himself, but "RollerCoaster Tycoon" is paideic type of game, with goals set by the developers, even if the main goal for every mission is the same, and that is to keep the park running at a certain capacity, under certain circumstances, even if different nuances are added.
As I've said earlier, this type of element is also present in role-playing games, when you as a player, undertake the role of a hero/ saviour/ wizard that can't swim/ legendary personae that goes on a quest to save the world. Mimicry is used in this cases to put the player in situations that the "hero" would be put in and simulate what he/she would do.
As a first year, our task are, among others, to come up with two games, and I thought that a good ending would be how this elements are or would be used in this games. My individual game is a puzzle game, in which, you as a player, have to solve a small series of puzzles to advance further in the game. So at the moment my game contains both "Ilinx" and "Mimicry" because you play the role of a character and you move that avatar around the game.
The group project game is about a character who has to battle his way home through a horde of aliens. This game has three elements in it : "Agon" "Ilinx" and "Mimicry" by having you playing the role of character, which moves around the game world and the competition is also recently added by the new elements added to the game, and on the basis of a high-score, players can compete against each other.
Game designers should be familiar with these kind of elements, because, by adding them to a game designers can in a way expect certain dynamics and aesthetics from the players. I believe that, taking part in this course, it's good to apply what we've learned to what we do, so we won't forget. Learning to be a games designer is like learning a new language, and if it's not constantly practised it's going to be forgotten.
"A game is a series of interesting choices"
Sid Meier
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