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Reifying Game Design Patterns a Quantitative Study of Real Time Strategy Games Jens Berg, Tony Högye

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Reifying Game Design Patterns a Quantitative Study of Real Time Strategy Games Jens Berg, Tony Högye Reifying Game Design Patterns A Quantitative Study of Real Time Strategy Games Jens Berg, Tony Högye Faculty of Arts Department of Game Design Bachelor’s Thesis in Game Design, 15 Credits Program: Game Design and Graphics & Game Design and Programming Supervisor: Jakob Berglund Rogert Examiner: Ernest Adams June 2017 Abstract Communicating design is in many aspects a difficult process. Game design is not only directives on look and feel, but also carries intentionality. To properly convey intentionality, a common abstract vocabulary is a well-established method for expressing design. Game design patterns are an attempt to formalize and establish such a vocabulary. Game design patterns are a debated tool and this paper aims to examine the practical application of a pattern through a quantitative study in order to strengthen the potential for a more cohesive definition of the term. This is done by first establishing a game design pattern through observation of RTS games. The pattern is then studied through implementation in three commercial RTS games. The results focus on quantitative data gathered from AI vs AI matches related to game pacing. Through testing and analysis of the AI matches it can be stated that game design patterns in a contextualized setting supports the idea of using game design patterns as a formal tool. It was further concluded that the AI also came with limitations in how the collected data is applicable to the overall design of the games. Additional studies using quantitative data in conjunction with qualitative observations could lend further support to game design patterns as a useful tool for both researchers and developers. Keywords: Game Design Patterns, Game Design, Real Time Strategy Games, RTS, AI, Level Design. Abstrakt Kommunikation av design är i många avseenden en invecklad process. Design av spel innebär inte enbart riktlinjer för utseende och känsla, utan också intentionalitet. En beprövad metod för att uttrycka design och intentionalitet är skapandet av ett gemensamt vokabulär. Game design patterns är ett försök att upprätta och formalisera just ett sådant vokabulär inom speldesign. Game design patterns är ett debatterat verktyg och detta arbetet ämnar undersöka den praktiska tillämpningen av ett pattern genom en kvantitativ studie för att stärka potentialen för en mer sammanhängande definition av termen. Detta utförs genom att först etablera ett game design pattern med hjälp av observation av RTS-spel. Sedan studeras det genom implementation i tre kommersiella RTS-spel. Resultatet fokuseras på kvantitativ data relaterat till pacing som insamlas från matcher mellan två AI. Genom analys av AI-matcherna kan det anses att game design pattern i en kontextualiserad inramning stöder teorin att använda design patterns som ett formellt designverktyg. Vidare drogs slutsatsen att användandet av AI också innebär begränsningar i hur tillämplig den insamlade datan är i den övergripande designen av spel. Fler studier med kvantitativ data ihop med kvalitativa observationer kan ytterligare stödja idén om game design pattern som ett användbart verktyg för både forskare och utvecklare inom spel. Table of Contents 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Limitations .............................................................................................................................. 2 2 Background ................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Formal Tools for Game Design .............................................................................................. 3 2.2 Game Design Patterns ............................................................................................................ 3 2.3 Conceptual Relationship Model ............................................................................................. 4 2.3.1 Contextualization ............................................................................................................. 5 2.3.2 Relationship Between Layers........................................................................................... 5 2.4 Related Work with Design Patterns ........................................................................................ 6 2.5 The Design Pattern Template ................................................................................................. 6 2.6 Pacing ..................................................................................................................................... 7 2.7 Real-time Strategy Games ...................................................................................................... 7 2.7.1 Economy .......................................................................................................................... 7 2.7.2 Tangible Resources .......................................................................................................... 8 2.7.3 Level Design .................................................................................................................... 8 2.7.4 AI ..................................................................................................................................... 8 2.8 StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty ................................................................................................ 9 2.9 Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne ............................................................................................ 9 2.10 Age of Empires II HD .......................................................................................................... 9 3 Materials ...................................................................................................................................... 11 StarCraft II Galaxy Map Editor .................................................................................................. 11 Warcraft III World Editor ........................................................................................................... 11 Age of Empires II HD Map Editor ............................................................................................. 11 Cheat Engine ............................................................................................................................... 11 StarCraft II 10x Game Speed ...................................................................................................... 11 4 Method ........................................................................................................................................ 12 4.1 Design Pattern: Resource Point ............................................................................................ 12 4.2 AI Testing ............................................................................................................................. 13 4.3 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................... 13 4.3 Tests: StarCraft II ................................................................................................................. 13 4.3.1 Contextualization of Resource Points ............................................................................ 13 4.3.3 Original map: Agria Valley ........................................................................................... 14 4.3.4 Affordance: Quantity ..................................................................................................... 15 4.3.5 Affordance: Placement ................................................................................................... 15 4.3.6 Affordance: Accessibility .............................................................................................. 16 4.4 Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne .......................................................................................... 17 4.4.1 Contextualization of Resource Points ............................................................................ 17 4.4.2 Original map: Hills of Glory .......................................................................................... 17 4.4.3 Affordance: Quantity ..................................................................................................... 18 4.4.5 Affordance: Placement ................................................................................................... 18 4.4.6 Affordance: Accessibility .............................................................................................. 18 4.5 Age of Empires II HD .......................................................................................................... 19 4.5.1 Contextualization of Resource Points ............................................................................ 19 4.5.2 Original Map: Highlands ............................................................................................... 20 4.5.3 Affordance: Quantity ..................................................................................................... 20 4.5.5 Affordance: Placement ................................................................................................... 21 4.5.6 Affordance: Accessibility .............................................................................................
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