Holloway ludologyminitalk
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Monday, October 4, 2010
What about strange attractors?
While lamenting the loss of books (stuck in storage behind the sofa and kitchen chairs)
It occurred to me that chaos theory must have a lot to offer games analysis and modeling.
A game might be a system with states that tend to aggregate around attractors (perhaps one of dynamism that would favor the heroes and another of stability that would favor the hoards, schemers and strategists).
If a game could modeled to approximate that sort of system the parameters that need to be manipulated to approximate the desired system of states.
Similarly a game modeled on a system with sensitive dependence on initial factors could be used to to take similar but subtly different inputs to a variety of significantly different outcomes.
I'm sure there's a body of research on this out there and will Google it when I get the chance.
It occurred to me that chaos theory must have a lot to offer games analysis and modeling.
A game might be a system with states that tend to aggregate around attractors (perhaps one of dynamism that would favor the heroes and another of stability that would favor the hoards, schemers and strategists).
If a game could modeled to approximate that sort of system the parameters that need to be manipulated to approximate the desired system of states.
Similarly a game modeled on a system with sensitive dependence on initial factors could be used to to take similar but subtly different inputs to a variety of significantly different outcomes.
I'm sure there's a body of research on this out there and will Google it when I get the chance.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
and you burned so very, very brightly Roy.
Jaded idea I know and possibly insulting to some.....
Having achieved a catharsis in gamestate does sometimes life appear a little grey and muted by comparison?
Are you left looking for 11 on the dial?
Having achieved a catharsis in gamestate does sometimes life appear a little grey and muted by comparison?
Are you left looking for 11 on the dial?
Yesterday's excercise
Possibly following the reference to Steve McQueen my game yesterday added a physical skill where you flick your rider into the quarterpipe and into one of three foam pits to gain access to scoring/gambling potential. Apart from that it was pretty boring and derivative.And no real playing against others. Buckaroo anyone?
Group work was good but challenging. Our problem for me centered around choosing the game with the most ultimate potential and the game we could deliver on schedule (if it doesn't ship, it doesn't win). I'm glad we picked the one we did.
There was a slightly surreal quality to Veronica's interjected tasks in her game that I liked. Like when when the Jets break into song in Westside Story. Definitely worth another look.
Group work was good but challenging. Our problem for me centered around choosing the game with the most ultimate potential and the game we could deliver on schedule (if it doesn't ship, it doesn't win). I'm glad we picked the one we did.
There was a slightly surreal quality to Veronica's interjected tasks in her game that I liked. Like when when the Jets break into song in Westside Story. Definitely worth another look.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
It seems you think our work is not of benefit to the public.
Further to lionheart's post on why we play games and my question of could we survive without games/play?
A cynical non-gamer might, on a lazy day, dismissively answer the question of "why do we play games" with reference to the fact that "Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier" and that it must have something to do fantasy and wish fulfillment.
As a non-gamer I can see the potential that games may share with the other arts to allow underlying patterns to be discerned.
Personally when this happens to me (with music, literature, maths or code) I feel comforted that all is not chaos.
Its not a big leap from pattern to meaning.
I like my patterns to be indifferent to me (my taste in music tends towards plinky-ploink electronica). In light of this and following Alan's review of Halo Reach I feel this one may have something to offer me.
A cynical non-gamer might, on a lazy day, dismissively answer the question of "why do we play games" with reference to the fact that "Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier" and that it must have something to do fantasy and wish fulfillment.
As a non-gamer I can see the potential that games may share with the other arts to allow underlying patterns to be discerned.
Personally when this happens to me (with music, literature, maths or code) I feel comforted that all is not chaos.
Its not a big leap from pattern to meaning.
I like my patterns to be indifferent to me (my taste in music tends towards plinky-ploink electronica). In light of this and following Alan's review of Halo Reach I feel this one may have something to offer me.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Feelings about games I've played
Shear Madness Fairly Odd Parents online Flash game on Nick.
Good: Easy to understand, visuals and audio in keeping with the wacky aesthetic of the show.
Spongebob Invasion of the Patty Snatchers again flash on Nick.com.
Bad: Lame strategy game where you place "artillery" around a board to maximize its effect on the advancing hordes. Different artillery strengths not explicit , couldn't be bothered playing to find out. Culinary themed artillery link is lame.
Link between a strat game and SpongeBob is tenuous at best.
More SpongeBob game reviews later.
Good: Easy to understand, visuals and audio in keeping with the wacky aesthetic of the show.
Spongebob Invasion of the Patty Snatchers again flash on Nick.com.
Bad: Lame strategy game where you place "artillery" around a board to maximize its effect on the advancing hordes. Different artillery strengths not explicit , couldn't be bothered playing to find out. Culinary themed artillery link is lame.
Link between a strat game and SpongeBob is tenuous at best.
More SpongeBob game reviews later.
Friday, September 24, 2010
What's in a game?
Further to today's discussion I'm not sure I'm completely in agreement with the drift towards defining a game as anything that can be treated as a game or be fun.
It seems that a game should possibly be a metaphor/practice for a "more important" struggle.
In that sense a game is "false" or at least "life-lite".
I thinks games cannot have "dire consequences" if you lose.
A game should perhaps still potentially be fun (although obviously not as much fun) even if your losing.
Obviously then the "status of being a game" is influenced by the attitude of the agent to the game.
Is Russian roulette a game?
Is losing the family home, your family's livelihood and inheritance in a poker hand a game?
Is it appropriate to treat life as a game ie as of some diminished significance?
Brian Eno (while cultural embassador for the EU) defined culture as "everything we don't actually need to survive".
Games certainly are part of our culture. They may be regarded as "life-lite".
But could we survive without them?
It seems that a game should possibly be a metaphor/practice for a "more important" struggle.
In that sense a game is "false" or at least "life-lite".
I thinks games cannot have "dire consequences" if you lose.
A game should perhaps still potentially be fun (although obviously not as much fun) even if your losing.
Obviously then the "status of being a game" is influenced by the attitude of the agent to the game.
Is Russian roulette a game?
Is losing the family home, your family's livelihood and inheritance in a poker hand a game?
Is it appropriate to treat life as a game ie as of some diminished significance?
Brian Eno (while cultural embassador for the EU) defined culture as "everything we don't actually need to survive".
Games certainly are part of our culture. They may be regarded as "life-lite".
But could we survive without them?
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