David Perry on Game Design: A Brainstorming ToolBox

Contents
Preface
Introduction
Part I: How to Use This Book
1 Using This Book as a Reference
Delving Deeper
2 Brainstorming and Research
Using Brainstorming in Groups
Kaleidoscope Brainstorming Process
Brainstorming Solo
Brainstorming Exercise
Brainstorming Examples
Games and Research
What to Look For
Research Sources
Part II: Which Game Will You Make?
3 Hooks
Benefits of a Hook
Hook Evaluator v3: DP’s Forty Questions
4 What Publishers Want
Why Do We Need Publishers?
Getting Your Game Published
Preparation for the Pitch
Artistic License
Pitching Games to Publishers
The 45-Second Elevator Pitch
A Good Pitch
Good Pitches versus Bad Pitches
Elements of a Game Design Submission
Getting Work in the Game Industry
5 Game POV and Game Genres
POV: How to View the Game
Basic View Options
Types of Graphical Views
Making 2D Games
Future Game Views
Visual Styles
Game Genres
6 Business Models
In-Game Advertising
Around-Game Advertising
Finder’s Fee from First Dollar
Advert-Games/Advergaming/Re-Dressed Games
Try before You Buy
Episodic Entertainment/Expansion Packs
Buy the Win
Insurance
Financing
Velvet Rope or Member’s Club
Subscription
Support Tiers
Become a “Brand Member”
In-Game Stores and Microtransactions
Selling Consumables
Skill-Based Progressive Jackpots
Player-to-Player Wagering and Item Sales/Trades
Pay Players to Meet a Challenge
Charityware
Sponsored Games/Donationware
Pay per Play/Pay as You Go/Pay for Time
Player-to-Player Trading/Auctions
Foreign Distribution Deals
Sell Player Access/Co-Registration Offers
Freeware
Loss Leaders
Peripheral Enticement
User-Generated Content
Pay for Storage Space
Host a Private Game Server
Rentals
Licensing
Sell Branded Physical Items
Pre-Sell a Game to Its Players
Before-Game Advertising
Virtual Item Sponsorship
Add Download Insurance
Feed Me or I Die!
Methods of Avoiding Buyer’s Regret
7 Branding
Working with Someone Else’s Brand
Picking a Brand
Creating a Brand
Qualities of Successfully Branded Properties
Building Value on a Character Licensed Property
8 Protecting Your Intellectual Property
Trade Secrets
Copyrights
Trademarks
Part III: Storytelling
9 Storytelling Techniques
Elements of a Good Story
The Basic Story Arc: Games and the Three-Act Structure
Joseph Campbell Meets Star Wars and The Matrix
Story and the Player’s Character
Ways to Start a Story
Ways to End a Story
Story Techniques
Plot Twists
Dilemmas
Timelines
Relevance Today (Endless New Ideas!)
Social Pressures (Grow Every Year)
Sources of Current Information
Multi-Session Storytelling
Keeping Secrets
Wrong-Headedness
Creating Comedy
Making Things Scary
Enhancing the Player’s Emotional Response
Creating Emotional Responses toward Characters
Story-Builder Activity
10 Movie Genres
Main Genres
Sub-Genres
Types of Comedies
Movie Genres Used in Games
11 Scenarios
Fleeing Something
Unexpected Danger
Hot Pursuit/The Chase
Tit for Tat
Preemptive Strikes
Struggle for Resources
Political Motivations
Environmental Goals
Cultural Differentiation
Cultural Manipulation
Mortal Threats
Family and Personal Issues
The Plot Thickens
Collaborating with the Enemy
Infiltration
Neutralize the Base
Making an Area Safe
Timed and/or Cyclic Events
Ways to Trigger Events and Flags
Delayed Gratification
Qualification Tests (Tests of Worthiness)
Criminal Investigation
Reversals of Fortune
Party Members
Unwanted Sidekicks
Is It Safe?
The Call for Help
Unexpected Location Changes
The Obscure Object of Desire
Innocent Bystanders
Missing Persons
Ways to Gain Allies
Memory Games
Something’s Screwy
Time Travel
The Observer
The Gauntlet
Imprisonment Scenarios
Godlike Roles
Misdirection
Part IV: Characters
12 Character Design
Dave Perry’s Build-a-Character System
Some Characters Are Roles
Build a Character
Step-by-Step Examples
Character Descriptions and Gameplay
Gender/Type of Character
Character Racial/Species Options
Strong Character Names
Relationships of Characters
Jobs
Character Goals
How a Character Grows…Character Arcs
Character Flaws and Strengths
Real People’s Attributes
Contrasting Traits
Identities
Character Traits
Quirks
Moods
Hobbies
Religious and Spiritual Practices
Phun with Phobias
Catchphrases
Attributes of Funny Characters
Kinds of Heroes, Villains, and Minions
Functional Character Roles
Personality Types
Mental/Emotional Signals: The Other 93%
Other Ways to Show Character Emotions/States
Physical Changes
Facial Expressions
Ways to Customize Avatars
Human Universals
13 Character Roles and Jobs
NPC Roles
NPC Jobs
Evil Jobs
Participatory Player Jobs
Character Species/Type
Character Race/Ethnicity
Player Roles in Multiplayer Games
Military Ranks and Divisions
14 Enemies
Types of Enemies
More on Bosses
Enemy Fighting Styles
Boss Battles
Ways to Make More Interesting Enemies
Ways to Encounter Enemies
Ways to Avoid Enemies
How to Make You Hate Them
15 Character Abilities
Introduction
Range of Human Abilities
Superhero Abilities List
Useful Superhero Jobs/Knowledge
Statistical Abilities
Fighting Abilities
Magic Abilities
Known Superhero List
16 Speech
Dialog Input
Phonetic Alphabets
Military Time
Nicknames
Slang
Buzzwords
Speech Patterns
Interactive Conversation
Common Hand and Body Expressions
SWAT Communications
Police and Military Codes
Foreign Languages and Foreign Dialogue
Colorful Language: Scatological Terminology and Other Dirty Words
Part V: Worlds
17 Game Worlds
What Is a World?
Types of Worlds
Perception of Freedom
Ways to Make a World Feel Alive and Real
Randomness
Cause and Effect
Continuity
NPCs
Animation and Effects
Lighting
What Is Reality? (Common Reality Distortions)
Dangerous Places
Places to Get Lost In
Environmental Effects on Locations
Good Places to Attack or Defend
Moving or Transient Locations
Weather Types and Phenomena
Location Surfaces
Location Sizes
Money and Commerce
Politics
Creating Your World
18 Travel
The Functions of Travel in Games
Methods of Travel
Travel Dos and Don’ts
Types of Vehicles
Driving and NPCs
Rules/Methods of Police Pursuit
Secret Routes
Ways to Display Maps
What to Display on a Map
19 Objects and Locations
Some Qualities an Object Can Have
Other Qualities of Objects in Games
Relevance to the Game
Objects by Locations
Tools of Magic
Good Places to Hide Objects
Objects with Cultural Meaning
List of Machines
The Many Uses of Ordinary Items
Individual Objects Carried by Specific NPCs
Things You Can Also Love
20 Music and Sound
Music
Sounds
Part VI: Experience Design
Section A: The Elements of Experience
21 Experiential Design
22 Game Conventions and Clichés
Section B: Goals and Rewards
23 Goals
24 Rewards, Bonuses, and Penalties
Section C: Obstacles
25 Barriers, Obstacles, and Detectors
26 Traps and Counter Traps
27 Puzzles
Section D: Time
28 Controlling Pacing
29 Time Limits and Time Manipulation
Section E: Communication
30 Ways to Communicate with the Player
Section F: Common Problems
31 Common Game Design Problems
32 Ways to Die
Part VII: Weapons and Armor
33 Historical and Cultural Weapons
Weapons
Armor
Medieval Castles
Siege Equipment
34 Standard Modern Weaponry and Armor
Guns
Modern Explosives
Modern Artillery
Automatic Artillery and Machine Guns
Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV)—a.k.a. Tanks
Mines
Aircraft
Bombs
Ships
Depth Charges
Torpedoes
Biological and Chemical Weapons
Nuclear Weapons
Modern Armor
Nonlethal Weapons
Information Warfare
Brainstorming Weapons and Armor
35 Epilogue
Index
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z