This week, my peers and I are gearing up to start creating an interactive nonfiction game using Twine. To prepare, we read Julialicia Case, Eric Freeze, and Salvatore Pane’s, Approaches to Game Construction. While I would consider myself a pretty avid gamer, I am not super versed in computer games. So, I think this will be a fun chance to learn more about what goes into them on a surface level. I imagine actual game construction is one million times more complex.
Many of the things in Approaches to Game Construction I felt like I knew but hadn’t given much time to categorize and consider. There are different types/classifications of players: achievers, explorers, socializers, killers, and/or action, social, mastery, achievement, immersion, and creativity players. The type of player will dictate what games they play and how they will interact with a certain game. Knowing who you are targeting with your game is crucial to making design and gameplay choices. A question I’ll be asking myself as I go through this process is “What features will attract to different audiences and how can I harness that?” The assignment we’ve been given limits what we can do, but there are many creative avenues we can follow. There won’t be any exciting fight mechanics or open world wonders to explore in the traditional sense, but I think we can harness parts of Twine to simulate the feeling. We can provide high stakes choices, create a pressuring atmosphere, embed tokens or items needed, or create a calm, flowing, relaxing environment.
Based off the reading, one thing that I would like to integrate in the Twine game is the use of an avatar. While you cannot (that I know of right now) create an avatar in Twine, you can make it so that the player can input a username, and be talked to/referred to. This makes it so that the user feels more immersed and a part of the game. Integrating avatars or usernames promotes belonging.
For many gamers, we want to feel connected to a game. Whether its through story, wanting to win, or feeling comfort, there needs to be a reason to want to keep going. A game that may have horrible graphics may be loved and cherished for its plot and characters. Approaches to Game Construction really got me thinking about how I wanted plot to play out. What information will I be giving to the players? How will I immerse them mentally and emotionally? What about senses? What sounds and visuals can I use to evoke smell and taste? How will that play on emotion?
Some last piece of advice that I thought was helpful was the tips regarding choice. Players need to be aware of the choices they are making, the consequence of that choice, the impact it has on other aspects of the game (before and after), and the fact that their choice may be permanent. Approaches to Game Construction gave me a lot of things to think about as I start to work on the class assignment. It has opened some creative doors that I’m excited to explore.