-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 249
Design Principles typo/grammar pass #532
New issue
Have a question about this project? Sign up for a free GitHub account to open an issue and contact its maintainers and the community.
By clicking “Sign up for GitHub”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy statement. We’ll occasionally send you account related emails.
Already on GitHub? Sign in to your account
base: master
Are you sure you want to change the base?
Changes from all commits
File filter
Filter by extension
Conversations
Jump to
Diff view
Diff view
There are no files selected for viewing
| Original file line number | Diff line number | Diff line change | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
@@ -3,45 +3,45 @@ This doc is actively under development and is not fully complete. Things may cha | |||||||||
| ``` | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| # Design Principles | ||||||||||
| Here we go into more detail about each of SS14's Core Design Pillars breaking them down further into design principles. Once again these are not hard requirements, but expect to recieve heavy scruitiny on your design if you aren't following these. | ||||||||||
| Here we go into more detail about each of SS14's Core Design Pillars by breaking them down further into design principles. Once again, these are not hard requirements, but expect to recieve heavy scrutiny on your design if you aren't following these. | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| ## Chaos | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| The inherent complexity of Space station 14's sandbox combined with the unpredictabiltiy of human players creates a truely chaotic environment where anything can happen. This should be embraced when designing mechanics to fit SS14, especially with regards to giving players opertunities to cause mischief. | ||||||||||
| The inherent complexity of Space station 14's sandbox combined with the unpredictabiltiy of human players creates a truly chaotic environment where anything can happen. This should be embraced when designing mechanics to fit SS14, especially with regards to giving players opportunities to cause mischief. | ||||||||||
|
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| One key mantra to use when making new mechanics is "nothing is perfect", conceptually this means that **your mechanic should not allow for "perfect" solutions**. Make sure to sprinkle plently of opertunities for players to intentionally or unintentionally screw up while interacting with your mechanic. | ||||||||||
| One key mantra to use when making new mechanics is "nothing is perfect". Conceptually, this means that **your mechanic should not allow for "perfect" solutions**. Make sure to sprinkle plently of opportunities for players to intentionally or unintentionally screw up while interacting with your mechanic. | ||||||||||
|
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| It's also important to differentiate between potential chaos and guarunteed chaos. Mechanics should generally introduce potential chaos in the form of the choices players make while interacting with them. Mechanics that guaruntee a chaotic situation will always occur should be avoid since this negatively impacts player agency. | ||||||||||
| It's also important to differentiate between potential chaos and guaranteed chaos. Mechanics should generally introduce potential chaos in the form of the choices players make while interacting with them. Mechanics that guarantee that a chaotic situation will always occur should be avoided since they would negatively impact player agency. | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| New mechanics should also be integrated with existing mechanics when possible, to further increase variety in the potential outcomes players have when interacting with them. | ||||||||||
| New mechanics should also be integrated with existing mechanics when possible to further increase variety in the potential outcomes players have when interacting with them. | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| ## Seriously Silly | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| SS14 at it's heart is a horror comedy: on one hand you have a souless megacorp that cares nothing of its employees while exposing them to the horrific dangers of unknown space, while on the other you have clowns and incompetent assistants causing all sorts of hilarious disasters. | ||||||||||
| SS14, at its heart, is a horror comedy: on one hand you have a souless megacorp that cares nothing of its employees while exposing them to the horrific dangers of unknown space, while on the other you have clowns and incompetent assistants causing all sorts of hilarious disasters. | ||||||||||
|
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| The situations that regularly happen in SS14 are absolutely unhinged yet players generally take them seriously. When you are creating content or mechanics, you should lean into this dissonance and embrace the fact that something can be silly and serious at the same time. | ||||||||||
| The situations that regularly happen in SS14 are absolutely unhinged, yet players generally take them seriously. When you are creating content or mechanics, you should lean into this dissonance and embrace the fact that something can be silly and serious at the same time. | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| When creating a new mechanic try to introduce ways that things can go horribly, horribly and hilariously wrong (or right depending on who you ask). Try to create situations that would be hilarious to hear told as a story but would be terrifying to be in as a player. | ||||||||||
| When creating a new mechanic, you should try to introduce ways that things can go horribly, horribly and hilariously wrong (or right, depending on who you ask). Try to create situations that would be hilarious to hear told as a story but would be terrifying to be in as a player. | ||||||||||
|
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| ## Dynamic Environment | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| The environment of a SS14 round is as much a character as the players, and can dramatically change over the course of a round. Players have the complete freedom to shape the gameworld the way they wish whether by building, destroying or changing things on the station. | ||||||||||
| The environment of a SS14 round is as much a character as the players, and can dramatically change over the course of a round. Players have the complete freedom to shape the gameworld the way they wish whether by building, destroying, or changing things on the station. | ||||||||||
|
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| SS14 is a game where it should be possible for players to decide to "make their own station with blackjack and hookers", and go do just that, or continue playing a round and rebuild the station after it was sliced in half (Both of these have occured multiple times in the history of SS13 and SS14). | ||||||||||
| SS14 is a game where it should be possible for players to decide to "make their own station with blackjack and hookers", and go do just that, or continue playing a round and rebuild the station after it was sliced in half (Both of these have occured multiple times in the history of SS13 and SS14.) | ||||||||||
|
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| Because of this, **Mechanics *cannot* be location specific or require items that cannot be obtained after roundstart**. The decision to call the shuttle should never be made due to losing an uncraftable item or being unable to rebuild something required for a game mechanic. | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| ## Intuitive and Inter-Connected Simulation | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| If SS14's heart is being a horror comedy, then SS14's soul is simulation. SS13/14 has come a long way from the simple atmospherics simulator that Exadv1 wrote all those ages ago, yet at its Core SS14 features indepth atmospheric and power simulation. | ||||||||||
|
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| Part of the unique experience of Spacestation 14 is interacting with its indepth simulation gameplay while dealing with the chaos that comes from antagonists and random events. SS14's indepth simulation and numerous inter-system interactions work for the average player because "They just make sense". | ||||||||||
| Part of the unique experience of Spacestation 14 is interacting with its indepth simulation gameplay while dealing with the chaos that comes from antagonists and random events. SS14's indepth simulation and numerous inter-system interactions work for the average player because "They just make sense." | ||||||||||
|
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| Realism is not important and may end up causing gameplay/readability issues for players. **It's far more important that a Mechanic/Simulation is Intuitive than Realistic.** If a system completely realisticly models a subject but requires someone with a PHD to understand how it works, that is a major problem. | ||||||||||
| Realism is not important and may end up causing gameplay/readability issues for players. **It's far more important that a Mechanic/Simulation is Intuitive than Realistic.** If a system completely realistically models a subject but requires someone with a PhD to understand how it works, that is a major problem. | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| Any simulation-based mechanic or interaction should be easy to learn from in-game information alone and not require wiki, or textbook, diving to understand. | ||||||||||
| Any simulation-based mechanic or interaction should be easy to learn from in-game information alone and not require wiki- or textbook-diving to understand. | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| When designing simulation-based mechanics try to think of the different ways that existing systems/mechanic will interact with them. Inter-connected systems also help create more opertunties for players to create unique situations stemming from how those systems interact. | ||||||||||
| When designing simulation-based mechanics, try to think of the different ways that existing systems/mechanics will interact with them. Inter-connected systems also help create more opportunties for players to create unique situations stemming from how those systems interact. | ||||||||||
|
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| ## Player Interaction | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ When you design a mechanic, you should be very conscious of the choices and info | |||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| Another word for this is Metagame (Meta for short), or where a particular choice, item, ability, etc. becomes the best possible option and all others are ignored in favor of getting the best advantage. **Avoid designing mechanics in a way where a "Meta" may be developed.** | ||||||||||
|
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
Suggested change
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| Care should also be taken to make sure that player interactions do not overly limit other player's agency, especially when conflict is involved. If your mechanic involves conflict both players should always be given some counterplay options, ideally in a way that can be learned as a skill. | ||||||||||
| Care should also be taken to make sure that player interactions do not overly limit other players' agency, especially when conflict is involved. If your mechanic involves conflict, both players should always be given some counterplay options, ideally in a way that can be learned as a skill. | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| This also goes for non-combat interactions as well, avoid creating situations where players are "Railroaded" into a specific action either mechanically or by the metagame. **A player should never feel like they have no options in their situation**. | ||||||||||
| This also goes for non-combat interactions as well; avoid creating situations where players are "Railroaded" into a specific action either mechanically or by the metagame. **A player should never feel like they have no options in their situation**. | ||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
There was a problem hiding this comment.
Choose a reason for hiding this comment
The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.