Unit 3 5 Resources and Boundaries

Game Art and Design
Unit 3 Lesson 5
Resources and Boundaries
2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

STEMCenter for Teaching and Learning
Big Idea
Knowledge of the basic skills and
components of any field makes one
uniquely prepared to perform at a high
level in that area.
2011
GAME RESOURCES

Natural Resources

Economic Resources

Human Resources

Lifes Resources

When Resources Run Out

Game Resources

Game Resources
Game resources play much the same
role as resources play in real life.
A game designer must consider:
Manage resources
Control access
Replenish
Destroy
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Game Resources
Designers must plan how players find or
earn resources needed to stay alive and
healthy and ultimately win the game.
Games are designed around unequal
distribution of resources.
Unequal distribution of resources creates
conflict and tension.
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Game Resources
Must have a purpose in the game
UTILITY
If resources do not have utility, they will

not help the player reach their goals.
Must be limited in the game

SCARCITY
If resources are abundant, they will lose

their value in the system.
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Typical Game Resources
Lives
Units
Health
Currency
Actions
Objects
Terrain
Time
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Game Resources: Lives

Classic scarce resource in action games.
Arcade games are built on the
management of lives.
Super Mario Brothers:
Number of lives to
accomplish your goals
Lose your lives
and you start over
Do well, earn more
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Game Resources: Units

Player are represented by one or more
objects called units.
Units may be all of one kind (Checkers),
or of different types (Chess).
Units keep value throughout the game
or may change, upgrade, or evolve
Units may be finitegone once lost.
Can be renewable, with a cost per unit.
Designers must consider how players
will manage units.
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Game Resources: Health

Can be a separate
resource, or it can be an
attribute of a life.
When used as a resource,
it helps to dramatize the
loss of lives and units.
When used as a resource,
there is usually some way
to increase it.
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Game Resources: Health

How can players increase health?
Pickup a medical kit

Rest or camp out
How much time it takes to regain health

depends on the game.
There has to be some way for the
players to measure health during the
game.
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Game Resources: Currency

One of the most powerful resources.
Used to facilitate trade.
Creates an in-game economy.
Instead of currency, some games use a
barter system to represent the same
concept.
Does not have to be represented by a
traditional banknote.
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Game Resources: Actions

Moves or turns:
In the game 20 Questions,

there is a limited number of
questions.
In some games there is a
limited number of moves or
turns per round.
Actions that are powerful

are usually restricted or
managed.
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Game Resource: Objects

Not all objects function as resources.
Must have UTILITY and SCARITY to be
considered a resource:
Weapons, potions, armor are resources.

Scarcity is accomplished by purchase
price, the cost of time to locate it, or the
risk involved in fighting off monsters or
other protective methods.
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Game Resources: Power Up

Classic type of resource
In Super Mario Brothers - magic

mushrooms
In Jak and Daxter - Blue Eco
Usually overpowered resources beyond

the normal resources of the game.
The power of a Power up is balanced
by its scarcity and short use time.
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Game Resource: Terrain

Important part of real-time strategy
games and map-based war games.
Resources such as oil, gold, or wood
may limited to specific areas on the
terraingain the terrain and control the
resources.
The Double-Jeopardy square is an
example with special value.
The bases in baseball.
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Game Resource: Terrain
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Game Resources: Time

Restricting player action
by time (chess).
Phases of the game
controlled by time.
Basketball and football
both use a game clock.
Musical chairs or hot
potato use time to
create game tension.
2011
GAME BOUNDARIES

Game Boundaries
Boundaries are what
separate the game from
everything that is not the
game.
Can be physical like the
edge of an arena, playing
field, or game board.
Can be conceptual social
agreement to play.
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Game Boundaries
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Game Boundaries
Why important:
Players could run or move

anywhere.
No restrictions on plays.
Game boundaries must

be clearly explained in
the rulesfollowed by all
players and teamsand
be enforced fairly.
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Game Boundaries
Serve as a way to
separate everything
that goes on in the
game from daily life.
While you may act the part of a cutthroat opponent against your best friend
within the boundaries of the game, you
can shake hands at the end of the game
and walk away without any real harm to
your friendship.
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Game Boundaries Not Clear

Free-Form Games:
Tag is usually played with

loosely defined boundaries
Magic: The Gathering,
players purchase an initial
deck with enough cards to
get started to create
better decks, players can
buy or trade other cards
to add to their collection.
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Game Boundaries: Open

Open games are
games where the
rules and objectives
continually change
while the game is
being played.
These games are
open to
transformation.
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Game Boundaries: Closed

Have specified fixed
players.
Fixed rules.
Fixed procedures.
Fixed action alternatives
and outcomes.
Clearly define what is in
the game versus what is
outside the game.
2011
Big Idea
Knowledge of the basic skills and
components of any field makes one
uniquely prepared to perform at a high
level in that area.
2011
Game Art and Design

Unit 3 Lesson 5
Resources and Boundaries
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Unit 3 5 Resources and Boundaries

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Game Art and Design

2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

When Resources Run Out

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

If resources do not have utility, they will

Must be limited in the game

If resources are abundant, they will lose

Typical Game Resources

Game Resources: Lives

Game Resources: Units

Game Resources: Health

Game Resources: Health

Pickup a medical kit

How much time it takes to regain health

Game Resources: Currency

Game Resources: Actions

In the game 20 Questions,

Actions that are powerful

Game Resource: Objects

Weapons, potions, armor are resources.

Game Resources: Power Up

In Super Mario Brothers - magic

Usually overpowered resources beyond

Game Resource: Terrain

Game Resource: Terrain

Game Resources: Time

2011 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

Players could run or move

Game boundaries must

Game Boundaries Not Clear

Tag is usually played with

Game Boundaries: Open

Game Boundaries: Closed

Game Art and Design

2014 International Technology and Engineering Educators Association,

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