Architectural Interiors and Exteriors in Computer Games

Inga Paterson Division of Computer Arts, University of Abertay, Dundee, United Kingodom http://computerarts.abertay.ac.uk

This paper looks at the design of place in a game environment. Many 3D video games have a strong orientation to streetscape and interior design. This paper questions what can be learned from architectural insights and examines how cul- tural references can be used in computer games to enhance the game experience by supporting game play through a deepened sense of immersion. Focusing on the cultural ideologies of play, this paper sets out to consider the suitability of real-world building design in the creation of game-world environments, with an emphasis on how level design can be enhanced through a deepened understanding of the virtual locations in which the game challenges are situated.

Keywords: Game-world; game-play; architectural-design; immersive environ- ments. Introduction of a simulated 3D game-world, architectural design methods and techniques for modelling world interi- Within the burgeoning discourse on game design, ors or exteriors don’t translate directly and a degree three areas of research currently invite much atten- of design amplification or manipulation is often tion: the relationship between game play and story; used. This paper mentions these factors and consid- the social dynamics of gaming, in particular on-line ers where design abstraction is best balanced with gaming; and the fast paced, technology driven area real-world references so that the game player can of visual fidelity in computer graphics. Enhancing comprehend a sense of place and navigate the game the game experience is a recurring objective within world efficiently. The way in which a player interacts each of these spheres of game-design research. with a game is closely linked to the visual experience This paper looks at a more neglected dimension of and the cultural references provided by the graphic game research - the design of place in a game en- objects as well as to the game play. This paper sets vironment. It looks at what can be learned from ar- out to identify ways in which an understanding of chitectural insights, and how cultural references can the broader cultural aspects of play can be used as be used in computer games to influence level design a framework to identify elements from architectural and enhance the game experience by supporting design that can be incorporated into game design, game play, and deepening the sense of immersion. to support a more immersive and engaging game The design of a game-world primarily supports experience. the game-play by defining the setting and physical The framework adopted for this research is boundaries for the game. Game design frequently based on the work of Sutton-Smith (1997, p.9), a manipulates real-world rules of physics in favour of prominent scholar of play in the twenty-first century, creating more engaging game-play. In the creation who has set out to categorise the implicit cultural

730 eCAADe 24 - session 17: virtual environments rhetorics found in the language of play theory, which look, are abstracted in design and represent a modi- he presents as the seven rhetorics of play: progress, fication or simplification of the real world because fate, power, identity, imaginary, self and frivolity. time, scale and physics are manipulated to suit the Today’s popular fascination with play is preced- purpose of the game (Rollings & Adams 2003, p.62). ed by a lengthy literature on the subject. The intent However, an extreme degree of design abstraction in using Sutton-Smith’s seven rhetorics of play is to in a game world can have a negative effect on the test the hypothesis that understanding how archi- user experience; without real-world references, navi- tectural design can influence the player’s naviga- gation is impaired, and it is hard for the user to com- tion through the game environment can support prehend a sense of place. Comprehension of, and game play. It is not intended to suggest that this is navigation through a game environment is condi- the definitive definition of play by disregarding the tioned by life experience in spatial worlds (Roudavski work undertaken by many respected scholars in this & Penz, 2003). To avoid user disorientation, a game domain. design requires enough clues from physical reality to enable users to comprehend and navigate the vir- Architectural Exteriors and Interiors in tual environment (Jakobsson, 2002). Games Immersion in Play The obvious way in which architectural design meets game design is in the latter’s depiction of simulated At first it would seem that game-designers, unlike 3D game-worlds that have a strong orientation to architects, interior designers and town-planners, streetscape and interior design. For example, Grand are freed from the need to comply with real world Theft Auto – San Andreas features street scenes from physics and can therefore indulge in unlimited three fictional metropolises that are based on Los choices for creating innovative, imaginary settings Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas. By contrast, for game worlds. Plainly, this is not the case because the stage-set style environments in The Sims carica- game design has its own set of demanding design ture suburban design. constraints. Generating a sense of accurate visual Altogether, the physical and temporal dimen- realism is a technological challenge, but creating sions of a game-world differ from those in the real the game experience is a complex design problem, world. They also vary according to the degree of which much like architectural design requires a ho- verisimilitude demanded by the genre of game. The listic and collaborative approach in the making of more a game represents the real world, the more ac- design decisions. curately its objects, interiors and exteriors need to The diverse nature of play phenomena, which mimic that world (Rollings & Adams 2003, p.81). The extends into numerous spheres of life, has been ana- commercial success of “realistic” vehicle and flight lysed according to the disparate play interests of dif- simulation games, such as GT Legends and Microsoft ferent academic disciplines (Sutton-Smith 1997, p.6). Flight Simulator: A Century of Flight, indicate the de- In the Rules of Play, the latest large compendium on mand for an immersive but safe experience of driv- play within the field of game design, Salen and Zim- ing and flying at high speed. Conversely, games in merman (2004, p.311) state, “the play of a game is the Monkey Island series are placed in a stylised, but the experiential aspect of a game”. The way in which unrealistic visual world, that features distorted per- a player interacts with a game is closely linked to spectives rendered in vivid colours, which sets the the visual experience provided by the graphic style scenes for equally eccentric game-play challenges. as well as to the gameplay. Creating a geometrically All games, no matter how visually realistic in complex and realistically textured world requires a

session 17: virtual environments - eCAADe 24 731 high level of production resources and exceptional world that avoids causing boredom or frustration processing capacity. The next generation of games and actively works to keep the player involved. platforms has greater technological capacity to ma- In his essay, Jenkins (2004) bridges the divide nipulate higher polygon counts and therefore prom- between the Ludologists, who argue in favour of ises games with a heightened degree of graphical the mechanics of game play, and the Narratologists, realism. Ever greater degrees of verisimilitude in who prefer to consider games in the context of other game graphics contribute to the feeling of immer- storytelling formats. Jenkins favours the theory that sion in a game but it has little worth when used only games are spaces rich with narrative potential, where for creating a visual emulation of aspects of the real the rhythm of the game play can be varied through world. O’Luanaigh (2006, p.7), a senior figure in the features of the game environment. He contends that European games industry, states that gameplay can memorable moments in games depend on sensa- be summed up quite simply; it’s where everything tions or perceptions as well as narrative hooks. The in the game feels right. This statement conceals the generation of a compelling place results from the complex design process involved in getting a game interplay between, the overall aesthetic, the game to “feel right”. The 400 Project, led by Noah Falstien play function and the emotional impact on the play- and Hal Barwood, currently lists 108 rules of game er. The topography of a well designed game world design and the eventual aim of the project is to doc- can draw a player to established settings that cre- ument 400 rules. ate challenges by impeding progress but ultimately the environment can support the player in the suc- Game Environment Design cessful resolution of the defined goals and conflicts (Jenkins, 2004). Kalay (2004, p.456) makes the distinction between the definition of space and place. A physical space The Seven Rhetorics of Play and their ap- becomes a place through the intervention of human plication to game-world design beings. People imbue spaces with social and cultural The next section focuses on the cultural ideologies meaning, transforming a mere space into a place; it of play and proposes taxonomy of play can help is a sense of place, not space, that makes it appropri- form a structure for the way environmental space ate to be naked in the bedroom but not classroom, works within computer games and suggests how and to sit at our window peering out but not at other this structure can support the rules of game design. people’s windows peering in… Places frame our ac- According to Sutton-Smith’s taxonomy (1997, p. tions by providing cues that organise social behav- 215 & p.220) the overall concepts conveyed by the iour in the world. seven rhetorics of play, and the form they each take, We have been conditioned from birth to inter- are as follows: act with the natural world and have learnt to inter- 1. Progress: play as adaptation, in the form of play pret the social and cultural cues associated with our and games built environment. Choices about the design and 2. Fate: play as existential optimism, in the form of organisation of game places have consequences chance. for both the game play and the narrative coherence 3. Power: play as hegemony, in the form of skill, in a game. Game worlds do not need to adhere to strategy and deep play. real world physics but ignoring social and cultural 4. Identity: play as social context, in form of festi- cues associated with the natural world increases the vals, parties and new games. challenge for game designers to create a believable 5. Imaginary: play as transformation, in the form of

732 eCAADe 24 - session 17: virtual environments fantasy. ing levels of complexity in animal play behaviours, 6. Self: play as peak performance or microperform- which includes both solitary and social forms of play. ance, in form of solitary and extreme games. Incorporating environmental features into the game 7. Frivolity: play as the world upside down, in the that support different levels of play complexity can form of nonsense. intensify the sense of progress in a game. The first Ten rules listed in the 400 Project (Barwood & level of play is expressed by isolated and repeated Falstein, 2006) that apply directly to the design of actions without defence or counterattack by oth- game worlds include: ers. In a game environment, providing a calm, con- ID 1. Fight player fatigue; actively work to keep the flict and challenge free space gives the player the player involved chance to explore their surroundings and practice ID 3. Maintain a consistent level of abstraction their navigation skills. Game challenges involving ID 6. Provide clear short-term goals; lead the player non-contact solo play encourage the player to move towards goals by environmental cues his or her avatar through the environment in a vari- ID 10. Maintain the suspension of disbelief; ensure ety of ways. Pleasure can be derived from success- the player is imaginatively involved in the game ful avatar actions such as scaling a wall, jumping a ID 11. Emphasise exploration and discovery; let the chasm, shimmying across a ledge, crawling through player figure out the territory of the game a tight space or squeezing through a closing door. In ID 52. Make the game design familiar, yet different Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, the player must ID 70. Provide visual weenies to draw the player to- navigate Lara Croft successfully through authentic wards distant but visible objects looking Parisian streets, sewers, and even a creepy ID 71. Maintain consistency; things that look alike subterranean catacomb. should behave alike Complex forms of play include social play – some- ID 73. If a player can see it, they should hear it; use times without contact, such as chasing, and some- audio to support visual cues times with contact, such as sparring or wrestling. The ID 83. Design levels with a back-story game world can be designed to enhance these forms of social play by incorporating places that encour- Progress age game-play challenges. One flees from an enemy A sense of progress within a game results from ad- down a labyrinthine catacomb in Quake 3 Revolution, vancement through improved ability to confront set or anticipates contest in a sports arena or wrestling challenges within specified rules, and boundaries of ring in WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw, and unexpectedly time and space. The form of challenge is dependent encounters conflict in a scientific laboratory in Half- on the genre of game, but in a 3D game world, spa- Life 2 or derelict log cabin in Resident Evil. tial awareness and the ability to navigate through Complex social play involves games with objects a simulated environment are usually basic compo- and features in the landscape. Examples of this type nents of the game-play challenge. of play in the physical world include Hide and Seek A carefully designed game environment with and King of the Castle. In computer games, this type appropriately positioned architectural elements can of social play is represented by challenges, which focus the game play by directing or constricting the require, for example, the capture of key buildings or action. This can support game rule (ID 6) by provid- the use of columns and shadows cast by strategically ing the player with clear short-term goals using en- placed lights to conceal players from one another. vironmental cues to lead the player towards those The designers of Thief Deadly Shadows use light- goals. ing and appropriate architectural features to create Fagan (Sutton-Smith 1997, p.20) identified ris- a convincing medieval atmosphere that requires

session 17: virtual environments - eCAADe 24 733 stealth tactics to navigate through the shadowy Power kingdom. Hegemony in games is established through forms of contest, which demand physical skill and/or in- Fate tellectual strategy. In both solitary and social play Dice throws and random draws are recurring features progress is often rewarded by objects that give the in traditional games; chance forms a big element of player additional power to confront the challenge or play. In ancient Greek mythology, a major source of to augment the player’s score. MMOGs demonstrate concepts for videogames, the creation of the uni- group play where there is a contest and struggle for verse itself involved chance in the form of Zeus, Po- superiority between opposing factions. Equally, col- seidon and Hades playing dice, respectively winning laboration is often a feature of group play. the heavens, the seas and Hell (Woudhuysen 2001, Architecture in the physical world has long been p.101). Introducing an element of chance or fate into used as a tangible mode of expressing the ancient a game can heighten excitement because the player ideology of power. Buildings have been analysed has a passive role and cannot depend on intelligence within the context of power relations, and history or skill to affect the outcome. shows many examples of where extreme forms of Architectural features that force choice, such architecture have symbolised extreme forms of as a series of doors, a maze or a labyrinth, introduce power. chance to a game. The designers of the Tomb Raider In games, virtual world design tends to copy series manipulate the player’s perception of the en- real-world methods of symbolising levels of power vironment by camouflaging certain routes, by forc- through the built form. It does this principally with ing decisions to be made about locations featuring architectural scale, complexity and ornamentation. shiny or dull textures and by changing the perspec- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City features a vast cityscape tive to lead the player’s eye to situations that require that is based on Miami where ownership of property impulse reactions. becomes a key element in the game to establish The environments in massively multiplayer on- domination through glamour, power and corrup- line games (MMOGs), which bring together large tion. The Walt Disney Imagineers use visual “weenies” numbers of players, introduce an element of chance in theme park design to draw crowds through the into the game through the random unpredictabil- parks towards distant but visible objects at featured ity of crowd behaviour. In Everquest: Prophecy of Ro, central locations. (ID 70). This device is used in Vam- players who are drawn towards urban based battle pire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines where the central grounds to reinforce the role they are playing, now antagonist resides in the high-rise, Venture Tower in have the option of destroying walls in the game envi- downtown LA, where he commands the population ronment to affect the outcome of tribal conflicts. from his penthouse office. The height and ever-vis- The recurring themes in games of sorcery and ible presence of the building reminds players of their magic reflect real life attempts to influence fate established place in the game society (Wikipedia, through divination, prayer, superstition, and gam- 2006). bling. The game strategy in Black and White 2 com- pels the player to make moral choices to rule over Identity the entire game world as a good or evil deity. This The overall concept conveyed by the identity rheto- technique helps fight player fatigue (ID 1) and keeps ric is play as social context. MMOGs, which enable the player actively involved because their every de- thousands of players to play in virtual worlds, dem- cision can affect the buildings, flora and fauna to re- onstrate interesting instances of how identity can be flect the player’s moral choices (Lionhead, 2005). expressed through play. Complex social dynamics

734 eCAADe 24 - session 17: virtual environments have evolved within these virtual communities be- Visionary environments can result from a deliberate- cause of the immense popularity of these games. A ly playful approach to the design by exploring “ele- deeper analysis of the convoluted nature of online ments such as reversal and inversion, exaggeration, identity is beyond the scope of this paper. However, paradox” and by “playing with boundaries…infinity, within the context of seeking instances of virtual ar- space and time” (Rollings & Adams, 2003). chitectural design that support the identity rhetoric, Darwinia combines metaphors to create an in- then good examples can be found in MMOG envi- novative game based on a virtual theme park set ronments in the form of virtual cities and villages inside a computer network where the task is to stop which mimic real world forms of community bond- a virus from destroying the world. The fractal-gener- ing. Each realm in World of Warcraft includes towns, ated landscapes, although abstract in appearance, forts, outposts and cities. Every major city represents provide sufficient cues for the player to navigate the capital and social hub for the races that inhabit the environment without getting frustrated or lost. them (Blizzard, 2004). The strong back-story (ID 83) Psychonauts is a wildly, surreal action-adventure associated with each of these places provides a game set mostly in the minds of bizarre characters sense of unique character that helps differentiate where each mental landscape is represented by rec- one place from another. Certain buildings in the ognisable but distorted themes such as a war-torn fictional world perform easily identifiable functions battlefield or a twisted version of a 1950s suburban such as transportation hubs, banks, taverns and shops, neighbourhood. that provide the player with familiar, real-world, rules of behaviour. Whereas other locations which have a Self specific purpose in the game environment, such as Sutton-Smith (1997, p.173) states the rhetorics of combat-areas and class-headquarters are associated the self in play theory focus on play as having its with less recognisable forms of social convention basis in the psychology of the individual player. This that have to be learnt from within the context of the he describes as play as peak performance or micro game (ID 52). performance where play occurs as an optimal expe- rience that is intrinsically motivated to gain escape Imaginary and release. A critical factor in the pleasure of play- The imaginary rhetoric is play as transformation, ing is the degree to which an individual becomes which takes its form through fantasy. It could be absorbed in play. Good game design can intensify argued that all genres of video games contain an the player’s absorption by supporting the illusion of element of fantasy based on the game’s degree of being immersed in an alternative universe. While a design abstraction. In Kalay’s (2004, p.466-469) terms game world may have its own laws of physics that this ranges from the design of “hyperreallity cyber- don’t apply in the real world, applying these laws spaces” that attempt to mimic the physical world, consistently is a key issue in maintaining the play- through to highly abstract worlds, he describes as er’s suspension of disbelief. It’s important to avoid “hypervirtuality”, where all real world references are including unnecessary features within the context intentionally disregarded. Good game design should of the game because their presence can destroy the ensure that the chosen level of abstraction is consist- illusion of the game. The designers of Beyond Good ently maintained and objects that look similar in the and Evil have created a visually and emotionally rich environment should behave in comparable ways (ID place by carefully considering the overall mis-en- 3 and ID 71). scene. The atmospheric surroundings created by the In this category, imaginative use of metaphor lighting and texturing is made even more intimidat- can be employed to express real world occurrences. ing by the ambient and game sounds (ID 73).

session 17: virtual environments - eCAADe 24 735 Characteristics of play most relevant to the self- appropriateness is the measure of the fit between rhetoric include a loss of self-consciousness dur- the environment and the inhabitants’ expectations. ing play where the player becomes so absorbed Such expectations are a matter of social conven- other realities are forgotten. Attention is focused tions, cultural norms, education and ethnicity” on the relevant operations and motivations that (2004, p.460). Game scenarios that challenge social are bounded by the rules of the game, making conventions deliberately test the moral convictions everything outside the play immaterial. A feeling of the player often by using black humour derived of control over actions and of the environment is from gross situations. The Grand Theft Auto series a necessary quality for this type of play. In a rac- has acquired notoriety for pushing the boundaries ing game such as GT Legends, the player strives for of what is morally acceptable within a game envi- peak performance by developing skills in negotiat- ronment. Nonetheless, the success of the games ing the race circuit and other classic racing cars at in the series attests to the enjoyment that can be breakneck speeds. Attention to detail in the accura- found in pretending to behave in ways that disre- cy of the racetracks and car designs, combined with gard normal social conventions by player the role the convincing depiction of engine and associated of a criminal in a big city. The game scenarios are car sounds unite to immerse the player in self-ab- based in urban scale boroughs linked by transpor- sorbed play. tation systems that feature recognisable tourist are- as, business districts and urban shopping neighbour- Frivolity hoods. The resemblance to authentic places pro- The core of play from this stance is based on non- vides cues to the player that the social behaviour in sense and inversion (Sutton-Smith, 1997 p.201). A the game is at odds with their cultural norms. frivolous expression of architecture can be seen in follies built purely for the whimsical pleasure of a Conclusion wealthy owner. In games, the deliberate inversion of real-world expectations can lead to pleasure through Places within games provide settings for complex surprise and nonsense, or black humour through and rich events (Kalay 2004, p.470). grotesque realism. The design and organisation of game places Frivolity can also be incorporated into game must include some recognisable social and cul- design in less obvious ways. Environmental fea- tural cues to enable users to comprehend and tures that could be seen as being frivolous from navigate the virtual environment. While it is ob- an architectural design perspective could enhance vious that Sutton-Smiths seven rhetorics of play the player’s experience by supporting progression is not a definitive list, recognition of the cultural through a game. Nintendo has managed to main- rhetorics of play can provide an alternative start- tain the successful formula of their Super Mario ing point for the design structure of a game en- Brothers series. One of the winning features of this vironment. Physical architecture offers the game amusing action adventure game is the deliberately designer metaphors for virtual worlds that have fantastical and colourful environments where real meaning based on experiences people associate world conventions are subordinate to playful rules with them. Combining the cultural character- such as transportation through warp pipes con- istics of play with the social understandings of cealed in a mushroom kingdom. An essential factor our built environment can help identify ways to in the rhetoric of frivolity is that, “players feel they support a more immersive and engaging game can transcend reality and indeed morality” (Sutton- experience. Smith, 1997 p.213). Kalay maintains, “conceptual

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