How Games Speak – Learn the Language of Design – Extra Credits

23 thoughts on “How Games Speak – Learn the Language of Design – Extra Credits”

1. Game design is a language – one we can understand through three simple concepts.

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2. I just realized that the intro music is Mario music. I've been watching this channel for like 3 years

3. Hello Extra Credits! Thank for this good video! I finished making community subtitle of Korean about this video. I hope you check it out. Thanks.

4. Cat collection mechanic?

5. I think you guys cling to the 3-act structure too much. It's not the be-all, end-all of writing. Several games have more or less than three while still having an entertaining story. Stardew Valley arguably only has one or two acts, but it's still a game with a story, and Final Fantasy 6 has something like 5 acts. (A sign that something has more than three acts is that the goal radically changes at some point in it!)
   A strict 3-act structure is mostly something you want to stick with if you want something very comfort-foody and not too strange. In fact, in the wrong applications, it can be VERY BORING. Games can handle experimental storylines with more than 3 acts! Let them.

6. 3:44 And just like that, my thoughts went to Ratatouille. : )

7. How can I describe it? Good games are like…music you can smell. Color you can feel!

   Just kidding, that's good food. X )

8. Granted, while design itself can be a straightforward language, this does make me ponder about the whole art thing. I mean, art is subjective. So there'd be the whole creative intent v. audience interpretation.
   Like, even if certain design choices are allegedly meant to communicate X thing, what then when the audience interprets it as Y thing? I mean, I'm totally in the boat of video game s can be art, and I generally value audience interpretation over creative intent. And yea, I realize you're talking about design and design is it's own thing.. but when you bring in the word "art" to the conversation, it does you know.. make me ponder.

   Like, no matter what the design is trying to say, the audience might still read it in numerous, vastly different ways. And I don't think anyone should fault them for it (nor should they fault the designers.. necessarily). It's not like poets or painters and such bust in through the wall to smack you for misinterpreting their artwork. Granted there might be arguments within the audience itself, but I'd say it's kind of bad form to go "uhm, you're just looking at this artwork the wrong way."

9. I really wish RPG games would change based on how the player decided to customize their party or how much leveling they did because so often it feels like the gameplay and the story of things like Final Fantasy are in completely separate solar systems.

   Just once, I'd like someone to comment on how I'm strong enough to win a punch down with god himself. Or maybe have a party member live or die in a cut scene based on whether or not I bothered to learn any healing spells.

   This is what blew me away about something as simple as changing your clothes having an effect of dialogue in DBX2. I just take for granted these days that games don't bother to add that level of detail — and that's a depressing thought.

   Making something both a core game mechanic and a core narrative element can alleviate this feeling as well.
   Take FF6 and FF13.
   In FF6, you learn magic through 魔石 or magicite; espers that have turned to crystal and can be harnessed in battle which in turn come from the Warring Triad of gods that Kefka absorbs to become the most powerful being in existence. Everything in the story hinges around the abuse of the power that comes from these rocks.
   When you go a facility that researches magicite, low and behold you find tons of magicite to improve your party with there.
   Each magicite has a particular them and grants specific stats and allows their corresponding esper to be summoned, giving a sense of history and flavor to each one in addition to grouping together skills in convenient packages.

   All of these thing reinforce the connection between gameplay and narrative. It's extremely superficial, but that also means there's very little excuse for not doing it.

   FF13? Despite having something very similar to magicite in the form of ceith who are crystalized people formally capable of summoning eidolons, the actual mechanics of the leveling system — called the crystarium — are completely abstract and aren't even mentioned in the game's story.
   About the only thing connecting the two at all is the name and imagery of crystals.

   In FF6, crystals represent mystical forces that aren't to be messed with; power. In FF13, they represent fate, since a crystal are extremely ordered physical systems, which is what makes them hard as materials.
   Crystals can grow, but they always retain their shape and pattern.
   That's actually somewhat clever, but the game never seizes upon it or thinks that subtly is about communicating nothing to the audience at all and providing them with no basis from which to draw connections.

10. This might seem a little pre-101 basic, but… I would love to see an episode on colour palettes.
    I mean, the basic idea is obvious; these are the colours that make up your game. But, I'd be interested in seeing how a designer would actually use the palette in their day-to-day work. And, I'd like to see some example colour palettes, especially for games with more realistic visuals, where it seems like it would be more difficult to stay true to your colour palette.

11. What's that about Reese's and StarTreck and jazz?

12. Thats it! Cat collecting mechanic; Holy Hell, Thanks.

13. b-bang?

14. What do you think of Yandere simulator ?

15. "you see this sweet boy"
    "In the garbage"
    ?? A real experience in all permadeath games

16. Doesn't the ending music sound like something from undertale????

17. 3:38 Well what a nicely placed "Cowboy Bebop" reference that was ;3

18. I think u mean this ?
    Yo bro r u here o nvr mind I ll ply l8r

19. I now want to make a space-cowboy cat-collecting game with a jazz soundtrack.
    Anyone else?

20. 3:42– Reese’s and Cowboy Bebop. There’s no better combos.

21. Jazz + space cowboys = Cowboy Bebop. Or am I reading to much into it?

22. hola hola soy nueva en youtuber

23. You see this sweet lad?….. in the garbage

    Story of my life

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