Prototyping prototypes – Andreas – The Mechanics of Magic

How much time does it take for a player to get comfortable with the rules?
- Rules can be implemented in a prototype without having to design any of the aesthetics or more nuanced parts of the game
- If it’s impossible to figure out how a game works, no one will want to play it (and inversely, if it’s too simple then players might get bored).
- The prototype could look like a no-frills version of the final game
Are the mechanics balanced? (in other words, is the game “fair”?)
- We want to ensure there aren’t massive imbalances between our players based on their position in the game
- Players want to feel like they are winning (or succeeding). They don’t want to feel hopeless.
- We could create a simple version of our game where we keep track of player success and can judge if it seems balanced
Do players act the way we expect them to? (and maybe as a sidenote, is there not enough or too much rigidity?)
- Certain games allow for a lot of freedom as a player, while others are very strict.
- We want to make sure our players act (relatively speaking) in a way that we expect.
- We don’t the design of our game to unintentionally allow players to walk off the map or gain unfair advantages
- A prototype that emphasizes the possible choices you can make in the game could be good for this

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The Mechanics of Magic