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Mastering Game Mechanics

MrPeriodMrPeriod
edited April 2013 in GeekNights

Presented at PAX East 2013 on Saturday in the Tabletop Theatre, our 21st PAX panel/lecture, in "Mastering Game Mechanics" we take you through a variety of "game mechanics" and consider their use and purpose.

Despite the staggeringly vast variety of games out there in the world, they draw primarily from a core set of basic mechanics. Many games which at first seem very different share fundamental design patterns, subgames, and strategies. What is a “draft,” and more importantly, what is its true function? Where to rondels come into play? What is the purpose of an arbitrary decision? What does “skill based movement” mean for a game? Are all auctions created equally?

Whether you are a player, maker, or even simply observer of games, understanding these core components will provide a surprising degree of insight into their nature. Join us in our 21st PAX panel to explore the nature, lexicon, design, and strategy of game mechanics, drawing from videogames, board games, even role playing games and sports.

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Comments

  • BantaBanta
    Holy crap, I love that bidding idea for Magic. I'm going to start messing around with that and see what I can come up with.
  • AxelAxel
    So I just started, but when Scott said "D&D doesn't have turns," I got confused. Umm...Rolling for initiative to decide what the order of turns is? That's kinda D&D's thing.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited April 2013
    So I just started, but when Scott said "D&D doesn't have turns," I got confused. Umm...Rolling for initiative to decide what the order of turns is? That's kinda D&D's thing.
    That's turns within the combat. It doesn't have turns at the top level like other tabletop RPGs.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • AxelAxel
    Ah. Okay. I didn't realize you were differentiating between those. Yeah, there are no top-level turns. It's free-form 'til combat.
  • RymRym
    You actually prove our point in other lectures about how D&D is so combat-focused that most players think of the game primarily in terms of its combat system.
  • AxelAxel
    Well, yeah. D&D is two games - A mostly rule-less game where people always want to break the rules, and a very rule-heavy game where everyone argues over rule interpretation.
  • ApsupApsup
    Every time the example about Mario Kart and blue shell comes up in your lectures, I wonder what if the player who's first knows how to dodge the blue shell (in those Mario Karts where it's possible, not sure if that's all of them). Then they really and actually are on first place.
  • AxelAxel
    That shit is tough. And not in every game. A lot of the newer ones it creates an explosion radius, and getting out of it is nigh impossibru.
  • AprecheApreche
    Every time the example about Mario Kart and blue shell comes up in your lectures, I wonder what if the player who's first knows how to dodge the blue shell (in those Mario Karts where it's possible, not sure if that's all of them). Then they really and actually are on first place.
    Here's how I remember it. In the original Mario Kart I do not think there was a blue shell. If there was, it turned up very rarely.

    N64 had blue shells all over, and was the most random of the Mario Karts. There may have been rare instances of being able to dodge the blue shell, but it wasn't something you could master and pull of all, or even a majority, of the time. A rare fluke. Even if you did it, another blue shell would appear. Usually at least two blue shells per race.

    Super Circuit is the best Mario Kart. It's actually a skill-based race first and random items are secondary. If you race perfectly, nothing can touch you. A red or blue shell will hover behind your ass. As long as you maintain your top speed, do not hit any walls, do not go off course, and perfectly drift around every corner, the shell will just hover on your ass. After some number of seconds, it will give up. You can also hold a shell behind you without firing it as a defense. So if you hit a bump, that blue shell will just hit your defending shell, and not disturb your race.

    All other Mario Karts since then are more like the N64, but less nonsense. Lots of blue shells that are nearly impossible to dodge, but blue sparks matter more than items making the race results less random.

    Please correct me if my memory is wrong.
  • AxelAxel
    Also, in terms of Traitor mechanics, it works really well in The Resistance. Moves are all secret, and the game is about figuring out who is lying. It can become obvious based on who each person picks as the team to go on missions, but good spy players will be able to keep it less obvious. So long as they can pretend that they believe certain other players are spies and that they don't trust them, and provide good arguments why, it's less obvious. The game is almost entirely outside the mechanics, which is strange, but makes it a fun experience with certain people.
  • ApsupApsup
    Please correct me if my memory is wrong.
    As my memory is horrible and I don't have a lot of personal knowledge about most Mario Karts, I believe you. I'm also pretty sure that there wasn't blue shells in the first Mario Kart.

    But I know that dodging the blue shell is hard, but possible in the NDS Mario Kart, as I knew a guy who was able to do that.

  • YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
    Well, yeah. D&D is two games - A mostly rule-less game where people always want to break the rules, and a very rule-heavy game where everyone argues over rule interpretation.
    That's a brilliantly-succinct explanation of D&D.
  • SailSail
    You can't do it anymore in MK7, but since it used to be that the blue shell always attacked the player in 1st place, I dodged them by slowing down and letting the 2nd place player unwittingly overtake me.
  • AprecheApreche
    You can't do it anymore in MK7, but since it used to be that the blue shell always attacked the player in 1st place, I dodged them by slowing down and letting the 2nd place player unwittingly overtake me.
    That only works if second place is close enough to you and you know the blue shell has been launched. Many times first place is way far ahead. Also, if second place is part of the pack, slowing down for them may let third place take first since you have to re-accelerate. Also, remember the blue shell variant with the AoE.
  • AxelAxel
    Well, yeah. D&D is two games - A mostly rule-less game where people always want to break the rules, and a very rule-heavy game where everyone argues over rule interpretation.
    That's a brilliantly-succinct explanation of D&D.
    It's what I've learned over time now. Out of combat, no one follows the actual rules. DM's ignore pre-set DC's for things to make sure the game runs as they want (Actions that were too easy can't be achieved, actions that were too hard are possible, etc.), and players want to use skill checks to do ludicrous things. During combat, everyone argues over the smallest of rule interpretations, and what they mean. This is fixed a bit in Pathfinder where rules for Combat Maneuvers are simplified, but it doesn't stop the arguments.
  • SailSail
    You can't do it anymore in MK7, but since it used to be that the blue shell always attacked the player in 1st place, I dodged them by slowing down and letting the 2nd place player unwittingly overtake me.
    That only works if second place is close enough to you and you know the blue shell has been launched. Many times first place is way far ahead. Also, if second place is part of the pack
    If you're far ahead enough that no one can overtake you, you don't slow down because it doesn't really matter if you get hit. Also the blue shell has a blast radius so it's a problem to the people that are near them as well.
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