Game Narrative
What is 'Story'?
Defined as "Rules and systems that define how a player interacts with a game world"
What are Game Mechanics?
Defined as "most effective tactic available" and is most commonly discussed in online multiplayer games
What is 'META'?
Health bars are an example of this
What is User Interface?
The Brain of the Computer
What is the Central Processing Unit? (CPU)
This term refers to how the player perceives the main character in the game as they play it.
What is Perspective?
Defined as "a repeated set of actions taken by the player for most of the game"
What is Core Gameplay Loop?
A common language term for making a certain item or tactic less effective
What is 'Nerf'? or Nerfing
Tutorials in games and notification pop-ups about your status are examples of this
What is 'User Experience'?
The Skeleton of the Computer
What is the Motherboard?
A game's narrative is typically made of the same parts as a written story. This central part of every story is what drives the action in most stories and motivates the hero into starting their journey.
What is the Conflict?
Defined as "Player responses to game actions"
What is 'Feedback'?
A measure of how long it takes for one player to eliminate another as soon as they lock on and begin to attack
What is 'Time to Kill (TTK)'?
One possible example of this UI element allows you to see where you are in the game world at any point
What is the Map?
The primary purpose of this component is to process and generate images that you see in the games you play
What is the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)?
(Alternately: What is Graphics Card?)
Defined as the Where and When a story or event in the game happens
What is Setting?
Defined as "How players advance through game challenges"
What is 'Progression'?
A form of metric or measurement that developers may use to determine how well a system or game is working with the players.
What is a Key Performance Indicator (KPI)?
A designer who is focused on making the game easier to understand is working within this part of UI/UX
What is User Experience?
Less necessary unless you're a streamer, this part is used to create separate channels in higher quality to allow for clearer signal in streamed video and audio.
What is the Sound Card?
Things that are in the way of the player achieving their goal
What are obstacles?
If you're making progress in the game, you're typically earning this common measurement that shows what Level you are
What are Experience Points? (XP)
An example of this kind of mechanic is checking the amount of materials you may need to build or rebuild a structure in a game.
What is 'resource management'?
If you've taken Mr. Behrens' other classes, someone may use Photoshop or other art assets to work in this part of UI/UX
What is Art Design?
Also accepted: Character Design, Level Design, etc.
Heck, I'd even take 'What is UI'?
What is an Input Device?