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10 |
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11 |
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12 Elements |
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13 |
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14 |
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15 Layers of Design |
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16 |
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17 *by Brian Gleichman* |
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18 Dec 11,2002 |
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19 |
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20 |
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21 |
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22 |
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23 Layers of Design |
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24 |
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25 |
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26 (or RPG design from the ten thousand foot view) |
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27 |
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28 What do people think of when they think of game design? Generally things |
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29 like character generation, resolution mechanics, combat rules, etc. |
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30 Sadly this common view often causes people to miss most of the game as |
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31 it is actually played. This in turn results in either poor design that |
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32 fails to achieve its goals, or in poor evaluation of existing games |
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33 (which causes endless flamewars). |
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34 |
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35 In the simplest terms, an rpg campaign consists of two very different |
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36 influences- the Game itself and the Meta-Game. These terms are generally |
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37 understood by most gamers and are a useful short hand. That split |
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38 however covers too much ground for my taste and I've identified five |
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39 layers (one in Game, and four in the Meta-Game) that differ |
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40 significantly enough from each other that a solid treatment of the |
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41 subject must give each their due. |
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42 |
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43 Any game operates within (and is in effect designed for) these five |
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44 layers. Let's consider each of them in turn: |
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45 |
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46 |
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47 Game |
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48 |
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49 This layer is made up completely of the actual rules, i.e. the game's |
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50 mechanics. These rules must be objective and visible. |
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51 |
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52 By objective, we mean that the mechanics would be resolved the same way |
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53 and produce the same outcomes (assuming equal rolls, card picks, etc) no |
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54 matter who the players are (assuming they are of course following the |
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55 rules). For example, in HERO it takes a roll of 11 or less on 3d6 to |
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56 succeed with an unadjusted 11- skill. Thus a die roll of 10 will be a |
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57 success for any player in any group no matter the opinions and thoughts |
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58 thereof. |
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59 |
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60 By visible we mean that all data, resolutions and decisions in respect |
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61 to the mechanics are visible to all players at all times. |
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62 |
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63 It is very important to realize that this level's primary purpose is to |
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64 define LIMITS on the available actions and results. In chess rooks can |
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65 move vertically and horizontality but never diagonally. A broadsword |
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66 does a specified amount of damage- no more, no less in D20. Etc. It is |
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67 by forcing limits that the mechanics assure objectivity, visibility and |
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68 provide a framework for play. |
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69 |
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70 Game play at this level is based upon known certainties. Examples: "The |
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71 orcs have massed their greatest fighters in the center, we should..." or |
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72 "I have a 68% chance of taking down the goblin, but only a 33% chance on |
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73 the bigger hobgoblin. We're outnumbered right now and that's gives heavy |
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74 modifiers against us so I'll..." |
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75 |
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76 In general tactical game design if done (the subject of a previous |
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77 article of mine) exists at this layer. |
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78 |
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79 |
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80 Near Game |
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81 |
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82 This layer consists of any hidden mechanics. |
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83 |
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84 This includes but is not limited to such things as pre-plotted movement |
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85 (seldom used in RPGs, one example slightly modified is /The Burning |
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86 Wheel/), various rock-scissors-paper resolutions systems (hand-to-hand |
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87 combat in /Top Secret/, RSP itself in many LARPs, etc), hidden movement |
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88 (defined by Line of Site rules for the most part, D&D 3rd edition for |
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89 example defines the range limits of sight under various conditions), |
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90 hidden damage, and simultaneous assignment (such as the drop of the |
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91 initiative die in /The Riddle of Steel/) |
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92 |
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93 The effect of this layer is to move decisions away from the visible |
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94 certainties above to one of predicting the decisions of other players or |
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95 guessing what information that they are hiding. Examples: "Tom tends to |
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96 mass his power in the center but he likes the cover forests give as |
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97 well. Let's deploy here so as to be within range of both and send scouts |
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98 in those two directions" or "I'll buff with this hand, Bill can never |
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99 tell when I'm buffing". |
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100 |
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101 It should be noted that this layer remains objective and as such |
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102 contains many of the characteristics of the Game layer. But it has moved |
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103 into the Meta-Game to a large extent as the focus switches from visible |
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104 characters and their abilities (stats, locations, resources) to players |
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105 and their abilities (to guess and deceive). |
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106 |
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107 In general, strategic game design if done (a subject of a future |
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108 article) exists at this level. |
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109 |
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110 |
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111 Near Meta-Game |
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112 |
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113 This layer consists of any subjective or invisible mechanics. |
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114 |
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115 Subjective Mechanics are those that rely upon the interpretation of the |
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116 GM (or a player) to determine the final effect. D&D alignment is the |
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117 classic example of such a subjective mechanic, the GM is required to |
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118 determine when and if a character violates his Alignment and the player |
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119 is required to role-playing with its goals and limits in mind. Another |
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120 example is fumble mechanics where the actual effect is left up to the GM. |
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121 |
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122 Another way of looking at these mechanics is to view them as "guiding |
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123 mechanics" or "advisory mechanics'. They may point in a direction, but |
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124 how far you go and sometimes even if you make the trip at all is |
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125 squarely a heavily subjective decision of the GM/Player. |
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126 |
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127 A number of systems even toss combat modifiers that they normally |
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128 reserve for the Game Layer here. In HERO System for example the GM is |
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129 advised to give a bonus (+1 to +3) for creative and/or unexpected types |
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130 of attacks. In /Age of Heroes/, I leave specific terrain modifiers up to |
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131 the GM after providing a few examples. |
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132 |
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133 |
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134 Meta-Game |
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135 |
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136 This layer consists of pure subjective resolution/methods, "group |
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137 contracts', and role-playing itself. |
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138 |
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139 Subjective resolution is free form or mechanic-less play. The classic |
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140 example is a GM or player just calling the outcome of an action: "I |
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141 think your character is more than able to track down the guy by using |
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142 legwork, you find him that evening at 8 PM". |
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143 |
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144 However subjective methods covers more ground first comes to mind |
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145 including the "world" and adventure design essential to RPGs. If the GM |
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146 has decided (without resort to mechanics) that the mob boss has three |
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147 bodyguards, each highly skilled- he has engaged in the pure subjective |
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148 resolution of a question. |
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149 |
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150 Huge sections of most games are turned over to Subjective |
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151 Resolution/Methods. One of the interesting aspects of that is that by |
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152 nature you can't design rules for it, each person does that himself |
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153 according to his own needs and desires. At best one can provide advice. |
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154 Thus in game design terms, this method is defined not by rules enforcing |
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155 limits, but by the absence of rules preventing subjective |
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156 decision-making. It is worth remembering that not including rules is as |
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157 a result game design as well. |
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158 |
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159 Group Contracts are those agreements made by members of a group to |
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160 either engage ("we want to do a lot of hack and slash," "Let's try to |
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161 keep the game focused on court intrigue," "players should create |
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162 characters that work with others") or refuse ("we don't want evil |
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163 characters," "no rape will occur in this campaign) events, ideas or |
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164 storylines. Such group contracts are often informal although there are |
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165 exceptions, and they tend to be added on top of the game outside the |
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166 control or influence of the designer. |
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167 |
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168 Role-playing itself is typically done at this layer with the players |
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169 determining the personality, actions and reactions completely on their |
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170 own without input from mechanical rules. |
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171 |
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172 The main characteristic of this layer is that it's subjective. It is |
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173 also limited only the constraints accepted by the players themselves. |
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174 Since it's contained mostly within the minds of the players, it is also |
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175 in large part hidden with uncertain influences or outcomes. |
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176 |
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177 |
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178 Far Meta-Game |
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179 |
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180 These are influences unrelated to the game itself, but even so they |
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181 still carry great impact. There is almost no way to define all the |
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182 possible examples for the extent of their reach. Common ones are "GM's |
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183 girlfriend syndrome" or "Sherri worked late and is off her game, let's |
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184 be easy on her." |
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185 |
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186 There is however one point in this layer where game design does matter: |
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187 the decision to play the game at all. Here we get game design that |
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188 attempts to make entry easy and attractive either by way of light and |
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189 simple rules, by seductive settings, or "new" concepts. These days we |
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190 see lots of effort to design at this layer in an attempt to expand or |
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191 open up new markets, often at the cost of other Layers. |
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192 |
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193 |
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194 Designing by Layers |
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195 |
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196 One of the first things a designer should do is decide which parts of |
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197 the game are to be handled by which Layer and for what reasons. |
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198 |
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199 This will in large measure determine the character of the game and the |
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200 campaigns that result from it. Those things contained at the Game layer |
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201 will be highly defined and limited. Those at the Near Game will defined |
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202 and limited, but unknown to some in the short term. Those at the Near |
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203 Meta-Game will be guided, but not specifically controlled. The Meta-Game |
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204 level itself is its own lord and master. The Far Meta-Game may cause the |
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205 design to forgone certain mechanics as "too complex for his market" or |
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206 otherwise unacceptable. |
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207 |
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208 For example, I designed /Age of Heroes/ to handle character creation, |
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209 advancement, combat, etc at the Game Layer. A few elements (like the |
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210 Personal Appearance Stat) are covered in the Near Game. I assigned a |
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211 large number of areas (all the world design, storyline, and |
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212 role-playing) to the Near Meta-Game. I gave no attention to the Far |
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213 Meta-Game not really caring why people chose to play. |
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214 |
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215 An important concept to keep in mind is the fact that it's quite |
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216 possible to move elements I lumped into specific layers above to another. |
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217 |
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218 A number of games for example move some parts of role-playing from its |
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219 normal Meta-Game subjective method to a subjective mechanic in the Near |
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220 Meta-Game. (D&D's alignment) or even to the Game Layer (CoC's Sanity at |
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221 certain points). Another example of crossing Layers is those systems |
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222 that determine at the Game Layer which player has control (and sometimes |
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223 for what ends) in the Meta-Game. |
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224 |
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225 Since such "crossing" of layers is typically defined in one and resolved |
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226 in another, I've coined the time "Calling to the X Layer" (such as |
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227 Calling to the Meta-Game) for this type of design. It's an increasing |
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228 common method that many are finding exciting. |
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229 |
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230 |
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231 Judging by Layers |
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232 |
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233 Anyone attempting to judge the usefulness of a game system can benefit |
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234 by considering five layers if they are interesting in not greatly |
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235 misrepresenting other people's campaigns and tastes. |
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236 |
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237 For example, it's easy to say that D20 or /Age of Heroes/ are purely |
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238 hack and slash designs given that most of the rules cover combat and |
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239 near combat events. They have forgotten the importance of the Meta-Game |
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240 level and the fact that both games are specifically designed to use it |
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241 for certain parts of the campaign. It's entirely possible for a group to |
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242 spend five gaming nights in pure role-playing without a single die being |
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243 toss, and then engage in a single evening's combat. To characterized |
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244 such a campaign as hack and slash would be a grave error- and a defining |
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245 statement of the limits of looking at a single Layer. |
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246 |
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247 Knowing the Layers and your own tastes in them can be helpful anytime |
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248 you're thinking of trying out a new game system. It will quickly point |
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249 you towards things not to your taste and allow you to house rule it away |
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250 from the start or to turn your attention elsewhere. |
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251 |
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252 |
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306 |
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307 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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308 |
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309 |
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310 Previous columns |
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311 |
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312 * Elements of Strategy </news+reviews/columns/elements11feb03.html> |
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313 by Brian Gleichman, 11feb03 |
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314 * Rationales for Mechanics (or the Case for Designer's Notes) |
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315 </news+reviews/columns/elements14jan03.html> by Brian Gleichman, |
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316 14jan03 |
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317 * Layers of Design </news+reviews/columns/elements11dec02.html> by |
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318 Brian Gleichman, 11dec02 |
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319 * Elements of Tactics </news+reviews/columns/elements01nov02.html> |
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320 by Brian Gleichman, 01nov02 |
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321 * Elements of Complexity |
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322 </news+reviews/columns/elements20sep02.html> by Brian Gleichman, |
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323 20sep02 |
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324 |
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325 |
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326 Other columns </news+reviews/columns.html> at RPGnet |
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