Games, Design and Play: Elements_Shirley

Game: APEX (FPS)

1. Identify the basic elements in a game of your choice (actions, goals, rules, objects, playspace, players).

Actions: What Players Do

APEX players engage in a range of actions, each critical to achieving their goals. These include:

• Collecting Equipment: Scouring the map for weapons, accessories, ammo, medical supplies, shield batteries, grenades, backpacks, and evolution shields/helmets.
• Manoeuvring: Strategically moving to stay within the shrinking safe zones while avoiding the harmful “heat zone.”
• Battling: Engaging in intense fights with opposing teams to secure an advantage or eliminate threats.
• Retreating: Skillfully retreating from unfavorable encounters or ambushes to preserve the team’s survival chances.

Goals: What Players Strive For

The objectives in APEX provide both short-term and long-term rewards:

• Ultimate Goal: Be the last team standing and claim the prestigious champion title.
• Secondary Goals: Survive as long as possible to achieve a higher ranking within a match. Players earn points based on their performance, which accumulate to determine their overall rank in tiers such as Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Master.

Rules: How the Game Works

APEX is governed by a set of structured rules that define its gameplay:

• Each game starts with 20 teams of 3 players, totaling 60 players.
• Teams choose their starting location by parachuting onto the map. Equipment is randomly scattered, with certain zones containing rare gear.
• After an initial preparation phase, the heat zone starts shrinking, forcing players to move into a randomly generated safe zone to avoid damage.
• As the playable area shrinks, teams are driven closer together, leading to frequent encounters. Players can choose to engage in battles or retreat strategically.
• Fallen teammates can be revived by collecting their banners and taking them to designated revival points. However, reviving a teammate emits a visible signal, making the team vulnerable to ambushes.
• Care packages with rare weapons and supplies are periodically dropped, providing opportunities for high-risk, high-reward gameplay.
• The game culminates in a final shrinking zone, where surviving teams battle until only one remains. The last team standing is crowned the champion.

Objects: The Tools for Success

APEX equips players with a variety of items to aid their survival and victory:

• Weapons, accessories, ammo
• Medical supplies (e.g., med kits, shield batteries)
• Defensive items (e.g., evolution shields, helmets)
• Utility items like grenades and backpacks
• Special care packages containing rare, high-value equipment

Playspace: The Battlefield

The action unfolds on a 3D map, randomly selected from a gallery before each game. Players have the freedom to explore and move throughout the map, taking advantage of its diverse terrain and structures.

Players: The Core of the Experience

Each match features 20 teams of 3 players, competing against one another to outlast and outplay. Teamwork and coordination are essential for navigating challenges and achieving victory.

 

2. As a thought experiment, swap one element between two games: a single rule, one action, the goal, or the playspace. For example, what if you applied the playspace of chess to basketball? Imagine how the play experience would change based on this swap.

What if APEX adopted Overwatch’s fixed weapons and skills system? Instead of scavenging for loot, every legend would spawn with a predefined loadout tailored to their abilities. On the surface, this sounds like it could make the game more balanced and accessible, removing the randomness of loot and letting players focus solely on combat and positioning. But imagining it in practice reveals some significant changes to the core APEX experience.

First, the thrill of looting would disappear. APEX’s tension often comes from scrambling to find the right gear while under pressure, or the joy of discovering rare equipment to turn the tide of a match. With fixed loadouts, every match would feel more predictable, losing the dynamic and chaotic nature that sets APEX apart.

Legends would also feel more restricted. Part of the fun of APEX is how abilities complement your chosen loadout, allowing flexibility in playstyles. Locking each legend into specific weapons risks making some characters, like Gibraltar or Rampart, overly dominant while sidelining more utility-based legends like Crypto or Loba.

While this system might work for competitive or objective-focused gameplay, it strips away the unpredictability and adaptability central to APEX’s identity. Fixed loadouts would make the game more streamlined, but it wouldn’t feel like APEX anymore.

 

3. Pick a simple game you played as a child. Try to map out its space of possibility, taking into account the goals, actions, objects, rules, and playspace as the parameters inside of which you played the game. The map might be a visual flowchart or a drawing trying to show the space of possibility on a single screen or a moment in the game.
4. Pick a real-time game and a turn-based game. Observe people playing each. Make a log of all the game states for each game. After you have created the game state logs, review them to see how they show the game’s space of possibility and how the basic elements interact.

Real-Time Game: Apex Legends

Game Overview:
Apex Legends is a real-time battle royale game where squads of three players compete to be the last team standing. Players engage in combat, collect resources, and navigate a shrinking safe zone.

Game State Log:

Time	Game State	Key Actions	Observations
00:00	All squads drop from the ship.	Squad drops to Fragment East.	Initial positioning dictates resource access and combat.
00:02	Players loot buildings.	Player 1 picks up R-301; Player 2 acquires a shield.	Early game focuses on equipping and resource gathering.
00:05	First engagement.	Squad engages enemy team. Player 3 downs an enemy but loses shield.	Decisions are rapid, emphasizing positioning and aim.
00:10	Safe zone announced.	Squad begins rotating towards zone.	Movement strategy considers enemy locations and the shrinking play area.
00:15	Final circle.	Last three squads fight for dominance. Player 1 uses ultimate ability.	High-pressure decisions; ultimate coordination is key.
00:17	Match ends.	Squad eliminated in third place.	Outcomes hinge on execution under time constraints.

Analysis:

• Space of Possibility: The game’s space of possibility evolves dynamically as players interact with the environment, loot, and other squads. Decisions are highly reactive due to time pressure and the need for rapid coordination.
• Interaction of Elements: Core elements include weapon selection, movement, and abilities. These interact continuously with the shrinking safe zone and enemy actions.

 

Turn-Based Game: Civilization VI

Game Overview:
Civilization VI is a turn-based strategy game where players build and manage a civilization, aiming for victory through cultural, scientific, or military dominance.

Game State Log:

Turn	Game State	Key Actions	Observations
Turn 1	Settler and Warrior units placed.	Player settles a city near a river.	Initial decisions set the foundation for future resource acquisition.
Turn 10	Player discovers Writing.	Builds Campus district.	Technology development enables strategic advantages.
Turn 20	Opponent declares war.	Builds walls in the capital and trains Archers.	Defensive actions adapt to military threats.
Turn 40	Player discovers Industrialization.	Constructs Factories in cities.	Mid-game focuses on production and economic scaling.
Turn 60	Cultural victory achieved.	Generates high tourism; wins through influence.	Endgame reflects cumulative strategic choices.

Analysis:

• Space of Possibility: The turn-based structure allows players to consider numerous possibilities before making decisions. The game state changes predictably based on player actions.
• Interaction of Elements: Core elements include resource management, unit deployment, and technology. These interact over time, creating a layered strategy where early-game decisions have long-term consequences.

 

Comparative Analysis

Aspect	Apex Legends	Civilization VI
Game Space	Dynamic and rapidly evolving.	Structured and predictable.
Decision Making	Reactive and time-sensitive.	Deliberate and strategic.
Player Interaction	Simultaneous actions; high-pressure scenarios.	Sequential turns; calculated engagements.
Core Focus	Survival, combat skills, and team coordination.	Long-term planning, resource management, and strategy.

Reflection on Game Elements and Interaction

• Real-Time: Apex Legends showcases a volatile space of possibility where rapid decision-making and adaptability dominate. Player skill and environmental awareness determine success.
• Turn-Based: Civilization VI emphasizes calculated decision-making within a structured framework. The ability to predict and influence future states is crucial.