Games as Systems of Uncertainty - Ch 15

Uncertainty is a key element in meaningful play.
-on a macro-level (relating to overall outcome of the game) and micro-level (related to specific operations of chance within the game)
-uncertainty is important in game design because if players know what is going to happen in a game, the play would be meaningless

-Outcome would be predetermined

-players’ choices wouldn’t have impact

-players’ choices have no meaning

-no reason to play

-meaningful play wouldn’t occur because it emerges from the relationship of decision and outcome
certainty: certain game is no fun
risk: a situation which has some uncertainty but the player knows the nature of the uncertainty in advance
uncertainty: a situation where players have no idea about the outcome of the game

Experience of randomness: paradoxical and mysterious
little randomness, too boring
too much feeling of randomness, too chaotic

Probability: In a game, -chance elements introduce randomness leading to uncertainty
-mathematical knowledge of probability leads to knowing the unknowns, increasing certainty
combined outcome: result of putting together basic outcomes

e.g. dice example, probability of rolling an even number 2, 4, 6 ⅙+ ⅙ + ⅙  = 3/6 = 50%

-chance and game play is highly related
-chance can be explained as players having no control on the outcome, passive players
-truth is player is still active for decision making in a meaning play
-meaningful play requires the player to be active and engaged

Breakdowns in Uncertainty:
three problematic contexts of probability:
-Breakdown 1: Computer Randomness: One has to understand how a computer randomly generated a number, etc. And how randomness occurs in the game’s program.
-Breakdown 2: Strategizing Chance: when the use of chance becomes strategic
demonstrate the difference between randomness and non-randomness are more subtle,

make sure randomness happens as you intend

-Breakdown 3: Probability Fallacies: ways that players conceptualize and understand randomness, mostly public fall into wrong definitions of chance

One can design a game and pay attention to randomness:

-to avoid :

breakdown #1: randomly generated component can be a secret code,and at some point the player can shift the operation of chance to his advantage

breakdown #2: players can legally construct or modify the random component of a game
breakdown #3: design a game around one of the misunderstandings of probability