Chris Crawford on Game Design by Crawford, Chris -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Copyright About the Author About the Technical Reviewers Tell Us What You Think Introduction Definitions, Definitions Some Milestone Games

Old-Style Games Board Wargames Other Non-Computer Games Videogames Computer Games

Play

History of Play Play Is Metaphorical Play Must Be Safe Play Need Not Be Exotic The Fun Factor

Challenge

Challenge Necessitates Rules The Point Is the Challenge, Not the Goal Dimensions of Challenge Challenge and Identity

Conflict

Mars, Venus, and Conflict Dimensions of Conflict Directness of Conflict Intensity of Conflict Intensity and the Evolution of Taste

Interactivity

History Other Attributes of the Computer So What Is Interactivity? Is More Interactivity Better? How Do We Measure Interactivity? Low-Interactivity Entertainment Designs Process Intensity Versus Data Intensity

Creativity: The Missing Ingredient

How Serious Is the Problem? Where Does Creativity Come From? How to “Get Creative” A Tyrannosaurus Rex for Ideas The Politics of Innovation

Common Mistakes

Obsession with Cosmetics Incremental Accretive Design

The Education of a Game Designer

Get a Degree Education Versus Schooling

Games I'd Like to Build

Galilean Relativity Napoleonic Cavalry Napoleon in Space Attack of the Cellular Automata Volkerwanderung Third-World Dictator Lies Spies The Wheels of Commerce Corporate Politics Evolution The Self-Modifying Game Mooser-Gooser So What Does All This Mean?

Storytelling

Adventure Games Backstory Cut Scenes Integrated Cut Scenes Here Come the Academics! Role-Playing Games The Real Problem Tackling the Problem

Random Sour Observations

Massively Multiplayer Monsters Licensed Games New Input Devices The Sims Short-Term Thinkers Everybody's a Game Designer Hollywood Envy Young Males Sleaze

Tanktics

Map Calculating Line of Sight Planning Moves Initial Programming Enter the KIM-1 Input and Output Linguistic Input Sound Effects Showing It Off Porting Production, Marketing, and Sales Avalon-Hill Fade Away Results

Legionnaire

A Record-Setting Blunder Disruption Terrain Sales First Draft Design Conclusions

Wizard

VCS Technology Designing the Game Asymmetric Combat Lines of Sight (LOS) Disposition and Conclusion

Energy Czar Scram

Input Structures Oh Yes, It Was Supposed to Be a Game, Wasn't It? Coda

Eastern Front (1941)

The Scrolling Map The Combat System AI Tuning Conclusion

Gossip

AI Implementation Woes Conclusions

Excalibur

Camelot The Interpersonal Subgame Diplomacy The Strategic Map The Battle Subgame Overall Course of Play The Manual Conclusions

Balance of Power

The UnWar Game Early Efforts The Rubber Map Thank You, National Enquirer Research Building the Map Memory Headaches Making It a Game Publisher Woes I Get by with a Little Help from the Press The Wheel of Fortune

Patton Versus Rommel

To Hell with Grids Geometric AI

Siboot

A Lesson for Designers First Draft Proposal The First Proposal Design Essays Economies Intransitive Combat Relationships The Inverse Parser The Display Interstitial Stories The Novella Conclusions

Guns & Butter

Designing the World Building Provinces Adding Mountains, Deserts, and Forests Naming Names First-Person Firing Squad The Economic System Combat Faces The Ideas Behind the Game Results

Balance of the Planet

Values Implementing a Value System The Politics of the Game Higher Levels of Play Balancing the Equations Artwork Schedule Hassles Results

Patton Strikes Back

Simple Rules Clean User Interface and Strong Visual Presentation Explain the History Color Hassles Anti-Piracy Results

Themes and Lessons

People, Not Things! Faces Gameplay Help Language Art Over Money The Harsh Realities of Business

Old Fart Stories

Early Sound and Music An Early Multiplayer Game Getting a Job E.T. Alan Kay Lost in the Shuffle International Sales The Locked File Cabinet Bill Carris Marketing Wisdom The Dragon Speech The Great Pratfall A More Serious Pratfall Problems of Decentralization The Unrevenged Review Failed Humor The Sins of Youth Corporate Politics Blinded by Your Own Equipment Thinking Big The CGDC

Glossary Index

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