Objective
This is a book on game design and has three goals.
- To understand the nature of media consumption.
- To understand the nature of video games and what makes them engaging.
- To understand the nature of the Souls games and improve them.
Definitions
- A Souls game is one of the games created by FromSoftware consisting of Demon Souls, Dark Souls I, Darks Souls II, Dark Souls III, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring.
- A Souls-like is a game that emulates the characteristics of a Souls game.
That which makes us want to consume media is called the pull.
2: There are three forms of pull
They are the Pull to Begin, Pull to Continue, and Pull to Return.
3: Every media has varying degrees of pull
Some forms of media create stronger pulls.
4: Media that introduces goal setting have stronger pulls
The secret behind engaging games.
5: Goal setting amplifies the pulls
Goal setting creates the strongest pulls.
6: There are seven forms of goal setting
To collect, overcome, progress, complete, learn, discover, and experience.
7: We consume media to manage our emotional states
Media is an emotion-altering invention.
8: Altered emotion is the most common goal of media consumption
9: The target emotion is relative to the consumer
10: Sense of achievement is the main result of media consumption
11: Video games are the most comprehensive and interactive media form
12: Video games can contain all the other forms of media
13: Video games are actively consumed
14: Video games are interactive
15: Video game consumption is inherently repeatable
16: Video game consumption is inherently flexible
17: Video games can produce the strongest forms of pull
18: Video games can contain the strongest forms of goal setting
19: Video games can be highly engaging
20: Video games can be addictive
21: Video games can produce the strongest form of altered emotion
22: Video games can produce the strongest form of sense of achievement
23: Video game is the highest form of media
24: There are twelve major genres of video games
25: Souls games are created by FromSoftware
26: Souls-like games emulate the Souls games
27: Souls games have defined properties
28: Souls games have high unity of purpose
29: Souls games have high integrity
The Souls games respect themselves, you, and your time.
30: Souls games have a challenge-driven game flow
31: Souls games provide fairness through familiarity
32: Souls games have reasonable difficulty
33: Souls games have outstanding combat
34: Souls games have high attention to detail
35: Souls games use mythological design
36: Souls games use discovery over instruction
37: Souls games provide a personal adventure
38: Souls games provide an adventure of the unknown
39: Souls games have memorable music
40: FromSoftware improves the Souls games
41: Souls games can be improved further
42: Souls games can have higher unity of purpose
43: Souls games can have healthier engagement loop
44: Souls games can have better challenge-driven game flow
45: Souls games can have equaling principle
46: Souls games can improve enemy designs
47: Souls games can improve mythological design
48: Souls games can implement beautiful by default
