"Salt, in everything?" Player Motivations; Copying Others
Jul 20, 2023
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Kelsey McKinney, a writer for Defector, and Quantic Foundry, a research organization analyzing gamer motivations, join the hosts to discuss player motivations and copying others in game design. They also touch on attending Origins Game Fair, frustrations with cliffhangers in TV shows, complexity in competitive sports, eating salty food, analyzing and incorporating others' work, and amusing horse names in games.
Game designers should prioritize customization, discovery, power progression, and mayhem for players like Ellen.
Copying others can save time and provide a starting point in game design, but intentional tweaks and changes are necessary to create something unique.
Finding a balance between borrowing ideas and creating something original is crucial in game design to achieve a successful and well-executed design.
Deep dives
Ellen's Gaming Profile: Bounty Hunter
Ellen's gaming profile is categorized as a Bounty Hunter, a solo action-oriented explorer who enjoys customization and discovery. She also values power progression and unleashing mayhem.
Exploration and Immersion in Games
Ellen is motivated by high-octane solo world exploration and being whisked away into another world through immersive experiences.
Designing for Immersion and Customization
For Ellen's gaming profile, game designers should focus on creating game worlds that allow for customization and discovery, while providing opportunities for power progression and the ability to unleash mayhem.
The Importance of Removing Pain Points
Developers should prioritize removing any pain points, such as cumbersome menus or excessive UI navigation, to enhance the gaming experience for players like Ellen who value smooth and engaging gameplay.
Copying can be a valuable design approach
Copying others can be a valuable approach in game design. Instead of reinventing the wheel, taking inspiration from existing games can save time and provide a starting point. However, it's important to not simply copy and paste, but to analyze and understand what aspects of the game work and why. By making intentional tweaks and changes, developers can create something unique and improve upon existing ideas.
Recognizing the line between inspiration and copying
When taking inspiration from other games, it's important to find a balance between borrowing ideas and creating something original. Rather than outright copying, analyzing the aspects that resonate and making changes based on personal preferences can lead to a more successful and unique game. Recognizing the choices made by the original developers and understanding the impact of those decisions is crucial in creating a thoughtful and well-executed design.
After a fairly self-indulgent meta, your nice hosts eventually get into the nitty-gritty of both Player Motivation and Copying Others. Listen after the outro to hear a plethora of fun horse names!