scholarly journals Story beats in videogames as value-driven choice-based unit operations

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (38) ◽  
pp. 5-31
Author(s):  
Michał Mochocki ◽  
Raine Koskimaa
Keyword(s):  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Game Studies ◽  
Unit Operation ◽  
Action Unit ◽  
Unit Operations ◽  
Cognitive Narratology ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
Game Design Patterns

We present a framework of story beats, defined as microunits of dramatic action, as a tool for the ludonarrative analysis of videogames. First, we explain the Goal - Action - Reaction - Outcome model of the story beat. Then, we present six types of story beats, Action, Interaction, Inaction, Mental, Emotion, and Sensory, providing videogame examples for each category. In the second half of the paper, we contextualise this framework in the classic game studies theory of videogame narrative and player action: unit operations, gamic action, anatomy of choice, and game design patterns, wrapping it up in the most recent trends in cognitive narratology. Ultimately, we present the story beat as a ludonarrative unit, working simultaneously as a ‘unit operation’ in the study of games as systems, and as a microunit of character action in narrative analysis. The conclusion outlines prospective directions for using story beats in formal, experiential, and cultural game research.

scholarly journals Pegasus: A Simulation Tool to Support Design of Progression Games

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Marcelo Arêas R. da Silva ◽  
Geraldo Bonorino Xexéo
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Discrete Event ◽  
Simulation Tool ◽  
Support Design ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Event Simulation ◽  
Game Designer ◽  
Game Elements ◽  
Game Design Patterns

The process of designing a game involves many phases. We can summarize the work of the game designer as satisfactorily converting the idea in their mind to a digital game, which is not a simple task. Therefore, game designers should have a variety of tools to assist them. However, there are not that many specialized tools to support the game design process. Herein, we describe the experience of using Pegasus to design a part of a game. We propose an environment to simulate progression games based on game design patterns. Thus, we described the interaction of the game designer with Pegasus in such an environment, in order to support the process of creating, testing, and refining game elements before proceeding to the programming phase. Each configuration of the game elements corresponded to a simulation that could be performed multiple times, like in discrete event simulation. The results showed that Pegasus has the potential to support game design. Additionally, we presented some support components that were created to facilitate the use of the tool.

Once More With Feeling: Game Design Patterns for Learning in the Affective Domain

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 215-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Dormann ◽  
J. R. Whitson ◽  
M. Neuvians
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Affective Domain ◽  
Game Design Patterns

scholarly journals A Game of COVID. Ludification as a Way to Make Sense of a Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Hans Raab ◽  
Claus Christian Carbon ◽  
Niklas Döbler
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Spatial Awareness ◽  
Economic Crises ◽  
Catastrophic Events ◽  
Complex Situation ◽  
Cooperative Effort ◽  
Western Countries ◽  
Cognitive Scripts ◽  
Game Design Patterns

Many aspects of handling the COVID-19 pandemic in Western countries bear resemblance to game-design patterns like point displays and leader boards, the visible assumption of roles, classic archetypes, collection and hoarding of resources, and spatial awareness. We argue that these patterns emerge as people lack cultural and individual norms and cognitive scripts to handle a pandemic, in contrast to other catastrophic events like wars and major economic crises. Understanding this spontaneous ludification of a serious and complex situation in terms of Johan Huizinga's homo ludens can raise awareness for possible failings in dealing with COVID-19. It also has the potential to strengthen people's motivation for cooperative effort.

scholarly journals Teaching Software Engineering Topics Through Pedagogical Game Design Patterns: An Empirical Study

Information ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Nuno Flores ◽  
Ana C. R. Paiva ◽  
Nuno Cruz
Keyword(s):  
Software Engineering ◽  
Game Design ◽  
Serious Games ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Traditional Teaching ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Software Engineering Education ◽  
Software Estimation ◽  
Game Design Patterns

Teaching software engineering in its many different forms using traditional teaching methods is difficult. Serious games can help overcome these challenges because they allow real situations to be simulated. However, the development of serious games is not easy and, although there are good practices for relating game design patterns to teaching techniques, there is no methodology to support its use in a specific context such as software engineering. This article presents a case study to validate a methodology that links the Learning and Teaching Functions (LTF) to the Game Design Patterns (PIB) in the context of Software Engineering Education. A serious game was developed from scratch using this methodology to teach software estimation (a specific topic of software engineering). An experiment was carried out to validate the effectiveness of the game by comparing the results of two different groups of students. The results indicate that the methodology can help to develop effective educational games on specific learning topics.

scholarly journals A Learning Outcome-Oriented Approach towards Classifying Pervasive Games for Learning using Game Design Patterns and Contextual Information

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 59-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Schmitz ◽  
Roland Klemke ◽  
Marcus Specht
Keyword(s):  
Game Design ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Affective Learning ◽  
Context Information ◽  
Pervasive Games ◽  
Games For Learning ◽  
Educational Potential ◽  
Game Design Patterns

Mobile and in particular pervasive games are a strong component of future scenarios for teaching and learning. Based on results from a previous review of practical papers, this work explores the educational potential of pervasive games for learning by analysing underlying game mechanisms. In order to determine and classify cognitive and affective learning outcomes, the authors propose employing game design patterns for mobile games and context information. Context information, in the course of this article, is introduced as an additional characteristic feature of mobile game design patterns. With the proposed framework the authors aim to understand how pervasive game content may support learning. Findings from their research indicate that context information directs the use and presentation of content within a game and thus influences learning effects of individual patterns. This work concludes with a discussion on the shortfalls and potentials, which the authors’ framework for analysis provides.

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