Game Design 101: A survey

[M. J. Young]

If anybody ends up teaching one of these courses, let me know. Especially if it's online!

I can't help you, exactly; but a couple years back I was informed that Multiverser: Referee's Rules had been added to the inventory at Classbook.com because someone had included it in course material at some college. I wasn't at all certain how to pursue the matter, and half hoped someone from the class would drop me an e-mail at some point (I did receive e-mail from a member of a philosophy class for which my http://www.mjyoung.net/time/">time travel theories originally in that book were part of the curriculum, but it was clear they were using the web site for their resource). I never heard more.

I have been toying with the idea of approaching the local community college about teaching some courses, but I don't know to what they would be open at this point.

--M. J. Young

[ross_winn]

1) Summarize the nature of your class and its ultimate goal.

To explore the nature of roleplaying games through the history of their development and use that knowldge to design new and interesting games.

2) What would you choose to be the first assigned reading? Why?

Dungeons & Dragons (1977), because this shows the wellspring from which all modern RPGs have emerged.

3) What would be the subject of the first research paper? Why?

What four components or ideas made D&D the most successful RPG ever? The answer would force the student to think about what would make their designs successful.

4) How would you test students?

Research Paper 50%, Game Project 50%

5) By what criteria would you grade each student at the end of the course?

Analytical Reasoning for the paper.
Playability and clarity for the game.

6) If choosing to study already-established systems before moving on with the course, what systems would you assign each student to study? Why?

Along with D&D(1977) I would assign:
The Arduin Grimoire (David Hargrave)
Champions/Hero (Version 4)
Cyberpunk 2020
Vampire: The Masquerade
D&D Third Edition

7) What would you have students learn about the periphery of RPG design (i.e. business, publication, web design, PDFs, book design)? Why?

Word Processing (The Mac Is Not A Typrewriter/The PC Is Not A Typewriter)

8) How can students earn extra credit?

Why would anyone want more work? Do the work assigned and you will not need extra credit.

9) If taught in a university environment, with what "school" would your class be affiliated and/or what credit requirements would your class fulfill?

Social Sciences

10) Finally, if you were to write and/or assemble a textbook for your class, what would each chapter be titled and from what other publications would you pull excerpts?[/quote]

No textbook would be neccesary, only a syllabus and bibliography.

[eyebeams]

1) Summarize the nature of your class and its ultimate goal.

It would be a general introduction 300 level course. Since it's new media, it would be in the Cultural Studies/Medothologies dept. Game design would be less important than learning about games and connecting them to a broader, established critical methodologies. Game design should really be independent work.

2) What would you choose to be the first assigned reading? Why?

A reprotext of white booklet and red booklet DnD, hand in hand with excerpts from Barthes and Baudrillard (Death of the Author and Simulation and Simulacra).

3) What would be the subject of the first research paper? Why?

Is there a hermeneutics of game play? Using theorists from the syllabus, explain how you would analyze a game session, then present problems with the anaylsis. Conclude with at least two contrasting methodologies.

4) How would you test students?

One term paper and one presentation per semester, plus play attendance.

5) By what criteria would you grade each student at the end of the course?

See above.

6) If choosing to study already-established systems before moving on with the course, what systems would you assign each student to study? Why?

(Note: The terms below are not GNS terms.)

I would use a historical approach:
1) RPGs, from metatext to text: The two DnD editions and Keep on the Borderlands
2) Narrative dissemination and dissent: GURPS and Champions (2nd Ed), reprotext material from Twilight: 2000.
3) Dialogue with the player: Ars Magica and Over the Edge
4) Power relations: Vampire and MET
6) The end of RPGs?: Nobilis, DnD3e. Reprotext with European LARP articles, excepts from Unknown Arrmies and Delta Green.

7) What would you have students learn about the periphery of RPG design (i.e. business, publication, web design, PDFs, book design)? Why?

Almost nothing. I'm using this course to educate people about how to apply real critical discourse to RPGs.

8) How can students earn extra credit?

By being interesting.

9) If taught in a university environment, with what "school" would your class be affiliated and/or what credit requirements would your class fulfill?

Answered above.

10) Finally, if you were to write and/or assemble a textbook for your class, what would each chapter be titled and from what other publications would you pull excerpts?

Answered most above. I'd also add Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault, Brecht on Theatre and a couple of other things.
Dissemination

[damion]

Good info from people, who unlike are actually qualified to teach such a thing. ;)
I like Mike's degree Course (Although I'd make CRPG's and RPG's seperate).

I would add some sort of technical writing prerequisite/section, i.e. taking complex ideas and presenting them in an interesting way, clarity of organization/presentation that sort of thing.