Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design

Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design

by Andrew Rollings, Ernest Adams
Released May 2003
Publisher(s): New Riders
ISBN: 1592730019

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Book description

How often have you heard "anyone can design a game?" While it seems likean easy job, game ideas are cheap and plentiful. Advancing those ideasinto games that people want to play is one of the hardest, and mostunder-appreciated, tasks in the game development cycle. Andrew Rollingsand Ernest Adams on Game Design introduces both students and experienced developers to the craft of designing computer and video games for the retail market. The first half of the book is a detailed analysis of thekey game design elements: examining game concepts and worlds,storytelling, character and user interface design, core mechanics andbalance. The second half discusses each of the major game genres(action, adventure, role-playing, strategy, puzzle, and so on) andidentifies the design patterns and unique creative challenges thatcharacterize them. Filled with examples and worksheets, this book takesan accessible, practical approach to creating fun, innovative, andhighly playable games.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. About the Authors
  3. About the Technical Reviewers
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Tell Us What You Think
  6. Introduction
  7. The Elements of Game Design
    1. What Is Game Design?
      1. Art, Science, or Craft?
      2. The Anatomy of Game Design
      3. Documenting the Design
      4. Anatomy of a Game Designer
      5. Putting It Together
    2. Game Concepts
      1. Getting an Idea
      2. The Elements of a Game
      3. Understanding Your Audience
      4. The Genres of Interactive Entertainment
      5. The Types of Game Machines
      6. Motivations That Influence Design
      7. Putting It Together
    3. Game Settings and Worlds
      1. The Purpose of a Game Setting
      2. The Dimensions of a Game World
      3. Realism and Abstraction
      4. The Save-Game Issue
      5. Putting It Together
    4. Storytelling and Narrative
      1. Stories in Games
      2. The Story Vehicle
      3. Putting It Together
    5. Character Development
      1. Art-Driven Character Design
      2. Story-Driven Character Design
      3. Putting It Together
    6. Creating the User Experience
      1. What Is the User Experience?
      2. The Human-Computer Interface
      3. Components of the User Experience
      4. Putting It Together
    7. Gameplay
      1. Use of Language
      2. Defining Gameplay
      3. Putting It Together
    8. The Internal Economy of Games and Game Balancing
      1. What Is Game Balance?
      2. Static Balance
      3. Dynamic Balance
      4. Tools for Balancing
      5. Putting It Together
  8. The Genres of Games
    1. Action Games
      1. Action Game Genres
      2. Design Elements
      3. Special Design Considerations for Action Games
      4. Putting It Together
    2. Strategy Games
      1. The Common Elements of Strategy Games
      2. Putting It Together
    3. Role-Playing Games
      1. The Common Elements of Role-Playing Games
      2. Putting It Together
    4. Sports Games
      1. The Common Elements of Sports Games
      2. Special Design Issues for Sports Games
      3. Putting It Together
    5. Vehicle Simulations
      1. The Common Elements of Vehicle Simulations
      2. Other Vehicles
      3. Special Design Considerations for Vehicle Simulations
      4. Putting It Together
    6. Construction and Management Simulations
      1. The Common Elements of CMSs
      2. Special Design Considerations for CMSs
      3. Putting It Together
    7. Adventure Games
      1. What Is an Adventure Game?
      2. The Common Elements of Adventure Games
      3. User Interface Design
      4. Special Design Considerations
      5. Putting It Together
    8. Artificial Life, Puzzle Games, and Other Genres
      1. Artificial Life Games
      2. Puzzle Games
      3. Games for Girls
      4. Putting It Together
    9. Online Games
      1. Advantages of Online Games
      2. Disadvantages of Online Games
      3. Design Issues for Online Gaming
      4. Persistent Worlds
      5. Putting It Together
    10. The Future of Gaming
      1. Gaming Hardware
      2. The Future of Game Programming
      3. Game Genres
      4. Broadband Networking
      5. The Distant Future
      6. Interactive Entertainment as an Art Form
      7. A Few Final Words
  9. Appendixes
    1. Sample Design Documents
      1. Creating and Using Design Documents
      2. The High-Concept Document
      3. The Game Treatment
      4. The Design Script
    2. Bibliography
      1. Game Design
      2. Game Theory
      3. History and Sociology of Video Games
      4. Architecture and Graphic Design
      5. Writing and Narrative
  10. Index

Product information

  • Title: Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design
  • Author(s): Andrew Rollings, Ernest Adams
  • Release date: May 2003
  • Publisher(s): New Riders
  • ISBN: 1592730019