[MUD-Dev] Secrets of the Game Designers

[s001gmu at nova.wright.edu]

Found this at Gamespot:

  http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_08/04_wizards/index.html

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Secrets of the Game Designers

               MILWAUKEE - Although many of the sessions involved
               "deep background" revelations of upcoming and
               unannounced deals - and some sessions went over 
               old territory - the Game Designer's Conference 1 
               (GDC1) featured an extremely interesting impromptu
               session on "What Makes a Good Game?" 

               GDC1 is a pre-GenCon Gaming Convention event
               that hosts board game, role-playing, and computer
               game designers on an invitation-only basis for
               think-tank/brainstorming sessions. Most material
               will not be published, but Monday's impromptu
               session certainly makes for interesting
               observation. 

               Consider, what do the following designers have in
               common: Richard Garfield of Magic: The
               Gathering (the revolutionary collectible card
               game); Jeff Grubb, one of the designers of TSR's
               Forgotten Realms world and Marvel
               Super-Heroes role-playing game; Lester Smith,
               designer of the Dark Conspiracy role-playing
               game; Michael Stackpole, author of the stories
               behind Wasteland, Bard's Tale III, and StarTrek:
               The Original Series computer games for Interplay;
               and Mike Fitzgerald, reviewer for Scrye magazine
               and designer of the Mystery Rummy: Jack the
               Ripper card game? 

               Would their list of "What Makes a Good Game?"
               agree with yours? 

               Test out your theory by reading this list (in no
               particular order) created by this brain trust,
               representing all types of gaming worlds and
               genres.

               What Makes a Good Game?

               1. Lots of positive reinforcement to keep gamers
               playing.
               2. A framework for social interaction.
               3. A level of engagement beyond the norm.
               4. Authentic decisions with reasonable data and
               consequences.
               5. Clear sense of role and goal within the game
               context.
               6. Vicarious thrills with suspended disbelief.
               7. A replayable potential (the "What if?" factor).
               8. A simple interface (non-intrusive on the PC/less
               clutter in physical games).
               9. Enough options that the player always has a
               move to make.
               10. A reasonable learning curve.
               11. An environment/system worth an emotional
               investment.
               12. Clean and clear rules.
               13. An enjoyment quotient that is equal to the time
               investment.
               14. Potential use of unlimited power (lots of skill or
               lots of dice).
               15. Pacing that gives one a sense of improvement
               paced with challenge/place to savor
               accomplishment.
               16. Tactilicity (stuff to grab and control - pieces in
               board games/miniatures, for example)
               17. Heuristics - a sense of how one is doing and
               how to become better.
               18. A quality of engendering stories about the
               game or bragging rights.
               19. A sense of accomplishment and competence.

               By Johnny Wilson , Computer Gaming World
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-Greg