If, by some cosmic shift in reality, I were in charge of making laws for a nation, the first thing I would do is assemble a crack team of game designers. My coalition of game designers would come from a variety of backgrounds, be a mix of genders, and include all races. Why? Because I want laws (rules) that are fair and free of loopholes.
Colin and I have been working hard to create Uncantations in such a way that it’s fair, fun to play, and has no loopholes that can be exploited. Each new rule we conjure must be vetted to determine if it passes those three criteria. We don’t always succeed, which is why we follow the advice of game design gurus who emphasize play testing over and over and over again. Play testing exposes loopholes and poorly designed rules.
One rule change we made blew up in our faces. We had just added side spells to the game but had not play tested them yet. Most of the side spells we created and introduced had equal power. It quickly became apparent, however, that one side spell was more powerful than the others. We had pre-scheduled a play test with four people who had played Uncantations many times. Those players quickly figured out that, of our new side spells, one gained them a distinct advantage. Why? Because it was too powerful. They immediately saw how this new side spell could be exploited to gain an advantage and they went straight for it.
We learned quickly that our new rule favored a particular kind of play which would not guarantee victory, but certainly skewed the game in favor of the person exploiting the loophole. It made the game longer, less enjoyable, and far less interesting to play because it made one mechanic the obvious way to win the game. Players began focusing on that one mechanic because it was the clear meta for winning. The new rule was so powerful it shifted the aim of the game even though it had little to do with what we wanted the game to be. It was a bust, so we immediately adjusted it.
A game that favors one player over another is a poorly designed game. We all know that. If the rules can be exploited by one player to gain an advantage over others, the rules are lazy and unfair. Such a game is not much fun to play.
It occurs to me, having worked hard to create fair rules for Uncantations and avoid loopholes that can be exploited, how laws in our nation sometimes unfairly favor one group of people at the expense of others. I’ve noticed how easy it is for certain people to exploit loopholes in laws that other people cannot. That exploitation of legal loopholes makes the “game” skewed in favor of some at the expense of others. Those holding power keep the power because they know how to take advantage of the loopholes in our laws. In short, the game is skewed in favor of certain people. That makes the “game” less enjoyable to play for most everyone else.
That’s why, if by some cosmic shift in reality, I were in charge of making laws for a nation, the first action I would take is to assemble a crack team of game designers from all walks of life. A coalition of such game designers would, it seems to me, work hard to do two things. One: they would make sure the “game” is fair for everyone. Two: they would remove any mechanics with loopholes that can be exploited by one group at the expense of another. Laws should be fair, and that’s what my crack team of game designers would work hard to create.
Just some thoughts I had. What do you think? Feel free to comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Next month I want to share what I have observed from two different approaches to game design. What two? You’ll have to read it to find out. Until then, keep playing games.
Tom