How Game Designers Create Systemic Games | Emergence, Dynamic Narrative and Systems in Game Design
Channel: The Game Overanalyser
Date: 2019-12-05

In this video, we examine how Game Designers craft systemic games and emergent gameplay by using systems, complexity theory and dynamics. Emergence is the phenomena where the whole that is a game is more than the sum of its parts, and in this video, we examine how designers have to exercise second order thinking to create these systems. We also propose a taxonomy for different types of emergence, strategic, systemic and narrative emergence, and try to navigate our understanding of them all

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Systemics design requires an understanding of both emergence and complexity theory, and this is a skill that designers have to actively cultivate. Genres like the immersive sim, real time strategy ,turn based strategy as well as stealth games all use systemic elements, with each requiring different design subtleties. Even games like Dwarf fortress and zelda, breath of the wild use systemic design in different measure, and in this video, we try to generate a unifying framework that unite the design subtleties of all these genres under one rubric. We also examine prominent designers in this space, including Sid Meier, Will Wright, Jonathan Blow and Warren specter, and examine their unique approach to systemic design and emergent games. 

Sources

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5FUtrmO7gI&t=7s

-Rules of play Katie Salen Eric Zimmerman

-The Web of life Fritjof Capra

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WggIdtrqgKg

-Will Wright dynamics for game designers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBcfiiulw-8&t=1s

-Jonathan blow the main conflicts of modern game design
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGTV8qLbBWE&t=1s

-Mechanics dynamics aesthetics
https://users.cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA.pdf

-Alessia Leidacker  Systems are everywhere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gelpn4mksXQ

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyMsF31NdNc&t=11s

-Game Mechanics: advanced game design Ernest Adams

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8w1ScEulfU

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpOoTAVeEcU&t=12s

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-Zachtronics gdc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4uH1ynH3Rs&t=2s

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-Civilization post mortem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ-auWfJTts

-Deus ex postmortem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tffX3VljTtI

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdqhHKjepiE&t=8s

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-The open and the closed, games of emergence and games of progression
https://www.jesperjuul.net/text/openandtheclosed.html

-Ken levine narrative legos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p40p0AVUH70

-Jesse schell the future of storytelling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjrO-di22v8&t=45s

-Dwarf fortress, Eurogamer video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yWf6BHqiWM

-The open the closed and the emergent
http://gamestudies.org/1902/articles/soleradillon

-Clint Hocking Dynamics
https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014597/Dynamics-The-State-of-the

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https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1020788/Hearts-and-Minds

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https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1025011/This-is-Your-Brain-on

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