Spector's Deus Ex Rules of Roleplaying
Summary
TLDRDr. Lou Pulser discusses Warren Spector's rules for creating engaging video games, drawing from the development of Deus Ex. The rules emphasize clear goals, problem-solving over puzzles, multiple solutions, avoiding forced failures, character-driven gameplay, and rewarding players' increasing skills. Additions from other designers suggest tailoring challenges to players' abilities, using varied tools, and thoughtful level design. Spector's single-player focus shapes these guidelines, which may differ from multiplayer RPG dynamics.
Takeaways
- đŻ Players need clear goals to know what they're supposed to do, a modern approach in video games.
- 𧩠Focus on problems, not puzzles, allowing multiple solutions for more engaging gameplay.
- đ« Avoid forced failures where players can't foresee or prevent negative outcomes.
- đ€ Emphasize character-driven gameplay, letting players choose their interaction style.
- đ NPCs should not overshadow players; players should be the primary actors in the game.
- đ§ Increase game difficulty gradually as players become more skilled and smarter.
- đ Reward players regularly and unpredictably to keep engagement high.
- đ Think in three dimensions and avoid linearity to create a more interconnected and immersive environment.
- đ Design missions and problems keyed to players' skills, augmentations, and tools for varied gameplay.
- đ« Combat should require strategic thinking, not just the use of the biggest weapon available.
Q & A
Who is the speaker in the video script?
-The speaker is Dr. Lou Pulser.
What video game is Dr. Lou Pulser discussing?
-Dr. Lou Pulser is discussing the video game 'Deus Ex.'
Who led the creation of 'Deus Ex'?
-Warren Spector led the creation of 'Deus Ex.'
What is the first rule mentioned by Dr. Lou Pulser for role playing in 'Deus Ex'?
-The first rule is to always show the goal, so players know what they are supposed to do.
How does Dr. Lou Pulser feel about the modern trend of handholding in video games?
-Dr. Lou Pulser acknowledges that it is very common nowadays, though it might not have been seen 15 or 20 years ago. He suggests that it makes it easier for players, especially in role-playing game adventures.
What is the difference between 'problems' and 'puzzles' according to the script?
-Problems are obstacles that can be solved in multiple ways, while puzzles have a single solution. 'Deus Ex' favors problems to encourage inventive solutions from players.
Why is 'no forced failure' an important rule in 'Deus Ex'?
-No forced failure is important because players should not suddenly die in unforeseeable situations, which would be unfair and frustrating for them.
What does the rule 'it's the character, stupid' imply?
-This rule implies that the game should focus on the characters, allowing players to choose their style of interaction and make meaningful decisions.
What example does Dr. Lou Pulser give to illustrate the rule 'players do, NPCs watch'?
-He gives an example from a 1976 Dungeons and Dragons adventure where the referee's overpowered character did all the work, which was not fun for the players.
How should games balance increasing difficulty and player skill according to the script?
-Games should increase in challenge as players get smarter, rewarding them regularly and frequently but unpredictably.
What does 'think 3D' mean in the context of level design?
-'Think 3D' means considering all dimensions (up, down, left, right, center) in level design to create more complex and engaging environments.
What is the significance of the rule 'think interconnected, avoid linearity'?
-This rule suggests allowing multiple paths and solutions within the game, rather than forcing players along a single path.
What additions did Harvey make to Warren Spector's rules?
-Harvey added that all missions, locations, and problems should be keyed to skills and augmentations, gameplay should rely on a variety of tools, combat should require thought, geometry should contribute to gameplay, and the overall mood and tone should be clear and consistent.
How does Warren Spector's preference for single-player games influence his design rules?
-His preference for single-player games against the computer means his rules are tailored for those scenarios, and they may not be as applicable for multiplayer games where players are on the same side against a referee-controlled enemy.
Outlines
đź Introduction to Deus Ex Rules of Role Playing
Dr. Lou Pulser introduces the topic of Deus Ex's rules of role-playing, created by Warren Spector for the famous video game. He discusses the importance of showing goals clearly to players, highlighting the trend of handholding in modern games. Pulser reflects on how this clarity can impact player creativity and enjoyment, especially in single-player versus role-playing games.
𧩠Problems Not Puzzles and Multiple Solutions
Pulser emphasizes designing problems instead of puzzles in games, advocating for multiple solutions to enhance player creativity and enjoyment. He explains that situations with only one solution limit player ingenuity, while problems with various solutions offer a more engaging experience for both players and designers.
đĄ Avoiding Forced Failure and Emphasizing Characters
The discussion moves to the importance of avoiding forced failures in games, such as undetectable traps that kill players unfairly. Pulser also stresses focusing on characters, allowing players the freedom to interact and make choices, even if those choices lead to mistakes. He criticizes rigid designs that prevent players from exploring different interaction styles.
đ€ No NPC Overpowering and Gradual Challenge Increase
Pulser recounts a personal experience where an overpowered NPC overshadowed the player characters, highlighting the importance of not letting NPCs dominate the gameplay. He also discusses the principle of gradually increasing the game's difficulty as players become more skilled, rewarding them unpredictably to maintain engagement.
đ Thinking in 3D and Interconnected Level Design
Pulser advises designers to think in three dimensions, ensuring vertical as well as horizontal gameplay elements. He encourages avoiding linear paths in level design, allowing multiple ways for players to reach their goals, thus enhancing the exploration and decision-making aspects of the game.
đ§ Customizing Challenges to Player Skills
Pulser introduces Harvey Smith's addition to the rules, suggesting that missions and challenges should be tailored to the player's skills and augmentations. He acknowledges this modern approach but contrasts it with the traditional method of letting players use their available resources creatively.
đ ïž Encouraging Variety and Thought in Combat
Pulser highlights the importance of variety in gameplay tools and thoughtful combat strategies. He criticizes monotonous gameplay where players rely solely on one powerful weapon, advocating for diverse challenges that require different approaches and tools.
đ° Geometry and Consistent Mood in Game Design
Discussing the role of geometry in gameplay, Pulser explains how the physical layout of a game environment can impact the player's experience. He also emphasizes maintaining a clear and consistent mood and tone throughout the game, noting that Warren Spector's rules are geared towards single-player experiences against the computer.
𧩠Adapting Rules for Multiplayer Games
Pulser concludes by mentioning that Spector's rules are primarily designed for single-player games and may need adjustments for multiplayer games like tabletop RPGs. He underscores the differences in design philosophy when multiple players are involved, each with their unique interactions and objectives.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄDeus Ex
đĄShow the Goal
đĄProblems, Not Puzzles
đĄMultiple Solutions
đĄNo Forced Failure
đĄPlayer Choice
đĄNPC Participation
đĄProgressive Difficulty
đĄThink in 3D
đĄAvoid Linearity
Highlights
Introduction to Deus Ex rules by Dr. Lou Pulser, referencing Warren Spector's guidelines.
Rule 1: Always show the goal - players need to know what they're supposed to do.
Modern gaming often involves handholding to guide players on what to do next.
Inventiveness can arise from unclear objectives, but clarity helps in multi-player scenarios.
Rule 2: Problems, not puzzles - set up situations with multiple solutions rather than single-solution puzzles.
Players enjoy finding inventive ways to succeed in problem-based scenarios.
Rule 3: No forced failure - avoid situations where players die unexpectedly without warning.
Forced failures are frustrating and can seem sadistic, detracting from player enjoyment.
Rule 4: It's the character, stupid - games should focus on character interaction and player choice.
Designers should allow players to use their preferred styles, such as stealth or combat.
Avoid invincible characters that disrupt the game's realism and player agency.
Rule 5: Players do, NPCs watch - avoid having NPCs overshadow player actions.
Players should be the primary agents of action and decision-making in the game.
Rule 6: Games get harder, players get smarter - increase challenge as players progress.
Reward players regularly but unpredictably to maintain engagement.
Rule 7: Think 3D - incorporate verticality and spatial awareness in level design.
Avoid linearity - allow multiple paths and solutions to enhance player exploration.
Add-on: Key missions and challenges to player skills and augmentations for a tailored experience.
Gameplay should require a variety of tools and strategies, not just one dominant method.
Combat should involve thoughtful decisions rather than relying on the biggest weapon.
Geometry and level design should impact gameplay, adding strategic depth.
Overall mood and tone should be clear and consistent throughout the game.
Warren Spector prefers single-player games, and these rules are designed with that preference in mind.
The rules may not be as applicable to multiplayer or tabletop RPGs.
Reference to the original article for further details on Warren Spector's rules.
Transcripts
hi this is Dr Lou pulser and I'm going
to talk this time about the deis X rules
of role playing now you may be familiar
with deox it's one of the most famous
video games created quite a few years
ago under War inspector's lead and he
wrote a set of rules for his people to
follow while they were making the
game he recently talked about this in a
article on the web so here his rules and
some additions made by other
people the first rule always show the
goal in other words players need to know
what it is they're supposed to do now
this is the modern way uh to play it's a
bit of handholding that you might not
have seen 15 or 20 years
ago but nowadays in video games it's
very common to hold the hands of the
players and essentially tell them what
they need to do next
I think that a lot of times when it's
not clear what to do next is when
players can be inventive but perhaps
that's easier on the players when there
are several players as in a role playing
game Adventure rather than a single
player as in your
typical video game
level so you'll have to decide how to
treat this particular guideline or rule
the next one is problems not not puzzles
it's an obstacle course not a jigsaw
puzzle and that ties in with the next
one which is multiple
Solutions in other
words don't set up situations where
there's only one way to succeed that's a
puzzle it has a
solution set up situations that are
problems and then the players can find
inventive ways to succeed they'll enjoy
it more uh you'll enjoy it more if you
watch people play test the game
it's a win-win
situation uh there are people who like
Puzzles but perhaps not in levels or
Adventures the next rule is no forced
failure for
example don't have a player suddenly die
in a situation where he couldn't
possibly have foreseen that he might die
he couldn't possibly know about it like
the undetectable trap that he steps on
and L ERS slice through him and kill him
nobody likes
that the only person who could possibly
like that is a person who devised the
situation and is being sadistic and
that's not what we want from level and
Adventure designers we want player
Centric level and Adventure designers
who do things so the players can enjoy
themselves his next rule is it's the
character stupid
the game is about the characters if
there are in fact characters in the
level or Adventure which often there are
uh the choice of interaction style
should always be the players not the
designers if players want to try to use
stealth okay if players want to kill
everybody in sight well that's probably
not going to be very smart and that has
to be taken into account by the designer
but the designer shouldn't prevent it uh
my brother told me once about a
character in a well-known own uh Elder
Scrolls game that had to stay alive for
various purposes so it didn't not matter
how many times you killed him he kept
coming back something like that where
the designers had said well we can't
have this happen so we won't let the
players do
that I don't think that's a good idea
maybe sometimes you can't avoid
it but it's not a good idea let the
characters interact in the way they want
but if they do something stupid like
kill somebody they shouldn't kill then
perhaps they should pay for
it the next rule players do NPC's
watch now in 1976 I played a Dungeons
and Dragons
Adventure where the referee included in
our party one of his characters a
darini well durini were characters from
a popular book series at the time and
they were awfully powerful so we were in
a dungeon and we were fighting
demons and we were single level s single
digit level characters we weren't
double- digit level characters so it was
pretty
scary and we found a door where we knew
by detection spells and so on that there
were about eight Demons
Inside well this was very very
formidable and while we were wondering
what to
do the referee's character walked
through the door using his cyanic powers
that there was a big struggle and he
came out having killed all eight of the
Demons do you think that was fun for us
do you think that was interesting for us
no we stood and watched while he did the
work the NPC did the work this is a bad
idea bad
idea the next rule games get harder
players get
smarter the idea of increasing challenge
as you go along because the players have
learned how to cope with things so that
something would that would have
completely thwarted them to start with
they can now take and
stride patch your player on the back
reward players regularly and frequently
but
unpredictably now the more Modern Way is
predictable players have come to expect
that every monster they kill will have a
Loot drop even if there it makes no
sense that that monster had any loot at
all you you have to decide whether you
want to accommodate the modern way or
whether you want to do things a little
bit more the old-fashioned way the the
way that war inspector talked about for
de of
six think
3D if you've played many levels or
Adventures you've probably run into a
situation where you walk into a room and
you forget to look up and there happens
to be some kind of vestibule above the
door with a bunch of monsters and as
your party walks in they all jump down
amongst you and it's pretty bad so
that's thinking 3D making sure there's a
third dimension up and down as well as
Left Right
Center think interconnected avoid
linearity uh I interpret this to mean
don't force people along a particular
path you can have lots of different
connections and this kind of goes back
to letting the players choose their own
solution if they wander around as though
they were in a maze but end up coming to
where they need to go instead of going
straight there that's okay there can be
more than one way to get
there and here are some of the add-ons
from
Harvey all missions locations and
problems will be specifically keyed to
skills and skill levels augmentations
and augmentation levels objects and
weapons now this is a more modern sort
of
idea I like to set up situations and let
people resource y use what they've got
but this rule is suggesting that when
you have a particular situation set up
you should have in mind what skills
augmentations and so on the players are
going to use to overcome that
situation you can do things that way it
may work
better uh but it's definitely not the
old ski school
way another of these add-ons is game
play will rely on a variety of tools
rather than just one and of course
that's a really good idea
if say in a fantasy game a player is
really good with a sword and all he ever
does is Bash people with his sword that
can get kind of tedious give situations
where they have to use something other
than bashing people with a
sword combat will require more thought
than what's the biggest gun in my
inventory and that's an another aspect
of this make getting people to think
getting people
to figure out what is the best thing to
do in a particular
situation geometry should contribute to
gameplay in other words how the dungeon
is built if it's a dungeon or how the
spaceship is arranged if it's in a band
and spaceship something like that that
should make a difference to the game
playay the overall mood will be and tone
will be clear and consistent and that's
generally a good idea and I've talked
about that separately
keep in mind with these rules that
Spectre prefers to play single player
games that is games against the computer
he likes to design the same he doesn't
design for a lot of players he doesn't
design player versus
player he wants single player and
computer and that's the way he likes to
do things so these rules are written
with that in
mind and consequently they may not
necessarily be as appropriate or
applicable for
a multiplayer game such as a tabletop
RBG where everybody is on the same side
against the the bad guys the enemy run
by the
referee and there's a
URL of the article
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