لطفا منتظر باشید ...
Rules and Not Rules
Most or all of the program code that makes up a digital game directly or indirectly affects the experience of the game. But as we have mentioned, that doesn't mean that the code is self-identical to the rules. As with non-digital games, aspects of the program that are not involved in the formal dynamic structure of the game, such as visual and audio aesthetics, are not part of the game rules. In the rules of Tetris listed above, there is no mention of the patterns on the bricks or the sounds that accompany game events. This is one reason why digital games are often prototyped with "placeholder" graphics and audio- elements that do not communicate the intended look and feel of the final game, but instead serve only to visualize the system as is necessary to test its base interactive functioning.This is the same kind of process as prototyping new card games on hastily scrawled index cards. It is sometimes difficult to determine whether we should consider certain elements of the code to belong to the rules. For example, the code that makes the surface of a pool reflective in a 3D game is not part of the game rules: it is merely part of the code that handles the visual representation of aspects of the experience. This doesn't mean that the reflective water doesn't affect the game experience, just that it is not part of the game rules. On the other hand, if the water's reflectivity is a vital clue that lets players know that the pool is a magical pool with special game properties, then the code that determines the presence or absence of reflectivity would in fact be part of the rules of the game.
Game and Watch Gallery Donkey Kong, Classic mode
The Game Boy Game and Watch Gallery game series provides a useful example. These games are based on the Nintendo Game and Watch LCD games from the early 1980s. In the Game Boy versions of these games, players choose from two different play modes:"Classic" and "Modern."The Classic version of each game is a reproduction of the original LCD graphics and sound. The Modern version of each game makes use of more contemporary sprite-based graphics and Game Boy sounds, adding richer background elements, character animations, music, and sound effects. Although the versions look and sound very different, the player controls and game structure of the two versions are identical. The two versions share the same game rules, which regulate the game logic, player action and outcome, scoring system, structural arrangement of the game space, and so on. The graphics and audio are not intrinsic to these formal qualities of the games and therefore can be changed while keeping the formal structure the same. On the other hand, if visual representation has an impact on the formal structure of the game, it is part of the rules. In a 2D arcade game where you are trying to avoid touching enemies and obstacles, such as Berzerk, the size of your character's sprite is definitely a part of the game rules: the larger you are, the more difficult it is to avoid hazards. However, the visual identity of your sprite, such as its color, is not part of the rules (unless it becomes invisible or difficult to see). Similarly, the particular visual design of a Chess piece is not part of the formal system of a game, except for the fact that each piece has to be able to unambiguously occupy a single grid square, be able to be moved by players, and each type of piece needs to be easily distinguished from the others.
Game and Watch Gallery Donkey Kong, Modern mode
A subtler example regarding visual code and rules appears in the digital game Thief. In this game, the aspects of the game code that allow computer opponents to creep about in shadows and be hidden from a player at a distance are part of the game rules. The game play of Thief involves stealthy movement and a good deal of hiding so that you don't alert the computer-con-trolled agents to your presence. For this reason, the rules that determine how much information you see and the way that characters can be concealed in shadow are part of the game rules. The rules regarding visual representation help distinguish between private information (information hidden from the player) and public information (information known to the player). This information has a direct impact on a player's strategic choice-making and is therefore part of the formal structure of the game. Sometimes, aspects of a game that are normally not considered part of the rules (such as the visual component) can in fact be key parts of the formal structure.
