Dekonstruer 3...

An OG and a Gentleman

When GTA: San Andreas was first released in 2004, it was an immediate hit. It received more than enough hype prior to launch from the success of Vice City, its predecessor in the GTA series. San Andreas brought players to a new city based on a combination of California and Nevada. The game world in its entirety is larger than anything seen in the series before and proved to be an adequate playground for the mature demographic the game was aimed at. The main story follows Carl "CJ" Johnson who returns home after learning of his mother's murder to find his friends and family in disarray leaving him to pick up the pieces and put his life in Grove Street back together. From corrupt cops, street gangs, hippies, aliens, mob bosses and drag racers to drive-bys, girlfriends, lowriders and flying lessons; GTA: San Andreas received wide acclaim for its never-ending list of gameplay elements, quirky characters and hilarious radio stations that keep the player entertained and wanting more.

One of the most fascinating aspects of gameplay that GTA introduces is the wide acceptance of cheats used in-game to enhance the gameplay experience and make things a little more fun, to say the least. This blog is going to discuss the game atoms present in GTA: San Andreas and portray the manner in which they come together to create a wonderful and unique AAA title that is still considered a gem in the gaming industry. If you've haven't had the good fortune of joining the Grove Street gang and learning about the ins and outs of "thug life", then maybe this short video will be helpful in getting you acquainted with the street lights of San Andreas. 

Now strap on that Jetpack and let's get going!



Players

GTA: San Andreas was built for the single player experience. It's main story line and almost all missions are solely meant to be played by one player in control of CJ, the protagonist of the game. In fact, all GTA games up until San Andreas have been strictly single-player. In San Andreas, however, rampage missions were modified to allow for two players to complete them. Both players would be displayed on screen at the same time and no split-screen meant they had to remain in relative proximity of each other at all times. This definitely didn't work too well and was absent from the PC version of the game as it required to players to be on the same console at one time. But with a game so versatile, modders were sure to step in, refusing to take no for an answer. Soon "Multi Theft Auto" and other modifications allowed players to share in each others experience. With a game so robust, players felt compelled to get their friends in on the action. The interaction modes present in San Andreas are limited to Single Player vs. Game. I chose not to include Player vs. Player, Multilateral Competition or Multiple Individual Player vs. Game, because I have never really experiments with any of these modes and don't know how well they work or if there are mods out there for their specific mode of interaction.

The single player is put in charge of CJ, a retired street thug who is put through his paces on his triumphant return to Grove Street, his area of origin. CJ can be customized from the clothes he wears to his hairstyle and tattoos. There is a weight system in the game as well which performs brilliantly as feedback loop where eating more fast food causes CJ to gain weight and slows him down while not eating causes him to slim down fast and run around with greater speed. The player is additionally responsible for feeding CJ and making sure he eats enough or he will grow hungry. A lack of food reduces his body mass and causes him to die if starved for long enough. Going to the gym allows the player to beef up their character and enough time spent working out will lead to CJ bulking up significantly. The changes in CJ's body structure aren't just statistics, they are represented aesthetically in what CJ looks like. Other attributes like agility, lung capacity, etc. allow CJ to perform certain activities for longer periods of time (swimming under water, running without stopping, etc.). If he is taught to fight in a certain style, he will pick it up and melee his enemies with Karate, Muay Thai, boxing or Kung Fu. CJ may also purchase jewelry, hairstyles, clothes and tattoos by walking into the respective parlors, stores or barber shops. 

The player may enter or exit gameplay via saving and loading at any point when not on a mission at CJs house on Grove Street or any other safehouse the player buys or owns.

Objectives

The player's primary objective in San Andreas is completely story driven and is loosely based around Carl trying to find out who murdered his mom while getting his life and family back to a stable state. Along the way he meets several individuals who grow quite fond or completely resent him. These individuals are the source of plenty more secondary missions and create unique objectives and varying gameplay for the player. What I really admire about San Andreas is that they manage to cover every single kind of objective that the game could have. Territorial control is of major importance for as a gang member, it is your responsibility to look out for your own and to make sure that the Grove Street Gang is on top at all times. How would you do that if not to encroach on other gang territories and waste their members wave by wave until you claim their specific area of the neighborhood? Capturing is important as a few important storyline missions involve you having to go out and kidnap someone or chase them down and kill them or even to capture a certain amount of an item (like money) to complete the mission. Races are plentiful and are required for the completion of many storyline missions. These races are usually meant for you to prove your worth to someone or the other. 

Alignment objectives are few and far between with a couple of areas where you need to be very precise with parking a fragile vehicle or lifting a package and placing it in the right area or flying through floating red rings and landing a plane perfectly on an abandoned air strip. Rescue missions are really the meat of San Andreas are really well executed though can be long and drawn out if not done right. There are plenty of people you're going to have to rescue as Carl Johnson because naturally, the world depends on you. From damsels in distress to your brother and sister, there is always someone in a heap of trouble waiting for you to save the day. Even more bizarre is Carl's amazing ability to get his hand stuck in the pickle jar again and again forcing him to plan an elaborate escape after tripping the alarm or rescuing someone from a burning building. Construction is present in not only customizing Carl himself but in building an empire, collecting property and territory to be the wealthiest, leanest, meanest gangster in all of Los Santos. Exploration is one of the most attractive features in San Andreas as the game is a virtual playground and is made for the explorer at heart. There is so much to see and even more to do, with main story missions allowing players to move on to new areas of the map that are later unlocked as the game progresses. Often the player must even explore an area in search of a specific item or a number of them. Finding a solution is a common theme of the rescue or escape missions as there are literally hundreds of ways for some missions to be completed and in San Andreas the player is given absolute creative freedom to find a solution to the problem the mission presents them. 

Rules

With such an open game, it becomes interesting to define rules of gameplay and restrict players from certain actions. San Andreas, however, manages to pull this off gracefully although many players will find ways of overcoming these rules with the help of a couple of mods or cheats. For the purpose of this blog, I am going to refrain from mentioning cheats as virtually all rules can be negated through their use. I will speak about the game as the developers and designers meant it to be played, or at least how I would've understood the game atoms had I not used a ton of cheats...which I didn't of course. 

When the game begins, the player has no armor or weapons, as they progress through the story they pick up various items and are usually given weapons from characters on missions. Areas with armor are unlocked later in the game. Missions offer the player specific guidelines to follow along with several alternatives and a lot of freedom in getting from point A to point B. At the same time, should a player stray off the path, the mission is structured so that an event meant to be prevented will be completed before the player gets there, causing them to fail the mission instantly. Other rules that restrict player actions include road blocks at bridges that restrict access to other parts of the game world that haven't been unlocked yet and of course the faithful 5-0 that prevent the player from going too crazy with their weapons or vehicles. This rule works on the basis of 5 stars and is probably the most popular game mechanic in the GTA series. One star causes a police officer to show up and attempt to chase you down but eluding him will be enough to lose your rep. Two stars have cops shooting at you while three or more bring out additional reinforcement from helicopters to tanks and a S.W.A.T. team. 

If an attempt is made to go beyond the boundaries of the current playing field, the player is automatically given 5 stars and powerful reinforcement (including fighter jets) are sent to shoot you down and prevent you from encroaching into a "restricted area". Certain missions make it difficult to complete objectives unless done in a certain way. This includes being silent when robbing a house (forcing the player to control their character slowly and carefully), using a specific vehicle that matches the speed of a train, or having to wear a specific outfit or drive a specific car in order to start the mission. Other missions still are only unlocked when the player buys certain properties. Rules causing effects include dying if the player neglects to protect or feed themselves. If a player doesn't complete enough of the story missions they will not be able to open up new areas and new game states. A lot of the time a mission can't be complete with a particular weapon or vehicle based on boundary and enemy type restrictions. This could be anything from narrow passages or ramps (requiring a bike to traverse) to enemies with thick armor and strong weapons (requiring a more tactical approach such as a sniper). Other rules include needing to visit your girlfriends often for them to remain in a relationship with you or beating all of your opponents in anything from a race to a dance battle in order to gain respect and resources.

Resources

The resources in GTA: San Andreas are plentiful and are received from all kinds of sources. Money can be gained from completing a mission or simply running over a pedestrian. The harder the mission (or the longer it takes to complete) the greater the cash reward. Some missions provide additional benefits such as territory control which is a bonus since territory is a significant resource and determined gameplay in a huge way. Health and armor are equally as important and are what I would consider more scarce because the player has to go around looking for vending machines and health drops or vests just to protect himself. This forces the player to often play more strategically than most would. Vehicles are also a resource but are more of a luxury and are treated by most players as prizes. However, having the right vehicle is crucial to the completion of several missions that require various cars, planes, trains and automobiles. Weapons are an invaluable resource as they influence how the player plays the game as well as how easy or difficult certain missions can be. Weapons may be received from certain characters in the game or bought at "ammu-nation" stores scattered throughout San Andreas. Special weapons may be found at random spots in the game world. Once the player dies, however, resources are reset - armor and weapons are taken away in addition to a small amount of money that pays for your medical bills. 

Some missions make time an extremely valuable resource forcing gameplay to become more tight and specific in order to get somewhere on time or to stop an event from occurring. Properties and safehouses are also resources and are only available for purchase after the player has progressed to a certain stage in the game. This information is not known until the player reaches the stage where he must buy a property in order to complete a mission. Secret packages spread throughout the game map are scarce but valuable resources, allowing certain weapons to spawn at the player's safehouses or introducing an attribute to assist the player in some shape or form. These packages are hidden well and will take a good amount of the player's time to find. Food may also be considered a resource as it is needed to keep the player alive and determine his skills and abilities. Weapons may be collected and placed in the player's inventory although collecting weapons of the same type replaces the current weapon with the new one. 

Game State

GTA: San Andreas explores various game states and manages to switch it up between them frequently enough to keep players interested and wanting more. The main game state is being idle. Here the player is running, jumping, navigating the world. Another game state is shootouts where the player engages in conflict with random civilians or legitimate opponents the range from drug lords and police to prostitutes and gang members. There is, of course, the driving game state where the player is placed behind the wheel of a car , the handlebars of a motorbike or the controls of a helicopter and is restricted by the physical limitations placed on the vehicle. This isn't saying much since a lot of vehicles can do a lot more than you can imagine and where the player goes is only restricted by gravity and the game world's boundaries. Cutscenes are another game state where the player has no control over their action and are guided through scripted parts that progress the game or indicate important information in missions. Cutscenes are denoted by the game going into widescreen mode with the introduction of the two thick black lines on the top and bottom that are commonly seen in cinemas. Other game states include walking into a store or the player's wardrobe and getting dressed, getting a haircut, getting tattoos or getting jewelry. Skydiving and swimming may also be considered game states and often move the player to new parts of the map. The shooting range, golfing, going out on a date, working out, learning a new fighting style and controlling miniature toys are all additional game states that offer tremendous variety in gameplay and help round the game out as a whole. 

While the switching on of radio stations or the change of focus on the camera are used to portray the change in game state from idle to vehicle or conflict, most game state transitions take place in the form of loading screens or special animations.

Information

For the most part, the player is taken through various game states slowly and very deliberately in a manner meant to induce learning and have the player gradually get comfortable with the game world. A lot of game states are initially hidden from the player and are unlocked through progression. The designers did a great job of introducing the player to basic mechanics of game state, before putting them into the thick of the action. For example, missions require the player to learn how to drive or fly a plane in order to do these tasks efficiently in later missions which introduce the same mechanics with added difficulty. As far as the story goes, more and more information is revealed at every main story mission and many questions are answered solely through game progression. Some information like the statistics of various cars in the game remain hidden to the player who is made to learn these things through experience. A lot of areas are hidden to the player and remain that way until the player reaches a certain checkpoint or is meant to complete a certain mission within the area. However, once most areas are unlocked, the player is free to return whenever they please. 

Privileged information comes in the form of property purchases and missions associated with these purchases as the player is not allowed to participate without sufficient funds. Private information includes characters' motives and plot reveals which are all unraveled as CJ sees fit. Other hidden information includes the life of characters outside of missions they go on with the player. In such an open world, the player is meant to presume that various characters' lives continue as intended although this information is completely hidden as the player cannot simply walk into an NPC's house and see what they are upto. 

Sequencing

Sequencing in San Andreas is simple but very effective as far as gameplay goes. When the player walks into a red marker signifying a mission what immediately proceeds is a cutscene that sets up the mission and provides a premise for the player's motivation. Most of the time Carl is either doing something for someone or trying to get revenge or helping a mutual friend out for some kind of monetary reward. The player will then travel to where the action is taking place or navigate themselves to a specific area where another player is picked up or an item crucial to the mission is acquired (this is usually a weapon). The player will then proceed to the center of the action where they commit the deed, complete their objective or sneak into where they need to be. On completion of the first objective, there is usually another cutscene and another objective with either gets CJ out of the area or forces him to move elsewhere in order to complete a supplementary objective. When the mission is finally completed, the characters that were joining CJ on the mission will have a quick dialogue with the player and then go their separate ways disappearing as soon as the player is given control once more. 

Since the game is a tremendous sandbox, the potential for sequencing is limitless and when in freeplay, the player is quite literally free to do anything they want as long as they stay alive and don't get busted by the police.

Player Interaction

Since San Andreas is a primarily single player game, there is close to no player interaction. In the multiplayer component of the game, players are allowed to exchange information freely and have the same objective which usually ends up being killing as many people as creatively as possible (rampage missions). Information is shared through the player's interaction with NPCs and missions are triggered through dialogue with these characters.

Theme & Setting

San Andreas follows the trials and tribulations of Carl Johnson and his struggle to stay true to his family while learning to stand on his own two feet and make a name for himself in Los Santos. It is easy to understand Carl's struggle but not-so-easy to relate to it on every level. Carl is living the real-life and has several obstacles in his way to finding a stable career and settling down. What plagues him most is, of course, finding out who murdered his mother and dealing with those responsible. He is also driven by the need to make sure his family and friends are taken care of and that the neighboring factions don't take over Grove Street, his hometown. With a game that simulates life in a very realistic manner, it is difficult to see how this type of setting couldn't be based off true events. The player is attracted to the idea of mimicry in living someone else's life and making them out to be everything they want from life. Personally, I found myself making my character workout, eat right and look suave because these were traits I wanted to see in myself without any of the work. It is so much easier to press buttons and have a better body than to painstakingly work at crafting the body you want. This is the reason why players are able to immerse themselves into San Andreas - it allows them to have all of the fun without any of the consequences. They are able to step into the shoes of Carl Johnson and escape their own lives in living his. 

How it comes together

With a game so big and so much to do, there is little room for error in trying to snap a piece that doesn't fit into a perfect puzzle. San Andreas does not run into that problem at all. Ever since the game first came out, the reviews have been magnificent and the game has managed to be everything it wanted to be and more. The single player mode works perfectly with the mission structure and objectives that remain dynamic throughout gameplay. The rules set in place would not work with any other interaction mode than single player vs. game which is the reason why multiplayer was never successful and remained restricted to a very specific mission-type. The game states are so varied and interesting that the player truly feels like it is real life and that they can walk into a clothing store, spend their money on clothes and walk out feeling fresh and clean. The information available from start to end creates a reasonable learning curve and the designers ensure that the player understands the rules of certain mechanics before they are introduced with significant challenge in a new game state. Resources are plentiful where they need to be and are scarce enough to work with in single player mode. They are also spread out far enough not to get in the way of objectives and goals but to keep things interesting and give the player sufficient aid if the mission is played right. 

The lack of player interaction works well for this kind of game where the single player is free to explore to their heart's content and complete objectives in any order they wish as they aren't restricted by the abilities or wished of another player. It is the theme that truly drives the game and being in someone else's shoes introduces unique motives and goals for every individual. Some players enjoy collecting scarce resources while other attempt to push the boundaries of the rules and gameplay mechanics. At the end of the day, each player is allowed to play the game the way that suits them best without being limited by another player. The sequencing of missions and the variety present in the game states does a great job of pacing the game out without making things boring. There was never a point when I felt that CJ wasn't being true to his character and as the player's objectives change, the theme does a solid job of tying in the need to veer off the main plot path in order to allow the protagonist to experience life on his own. And as the player's goals change, so do the rules of the game and the information available to the player. San Andreas is the kind of game that rewards players for exploring and progressing through the game in the most unique manner possible. Often the player is able to complete missions in a manner completely averse to the designer's intentions, but in an open world like San Andreas, how can we really know what those intentions were to begin with? 

The Sparring Continues...

Cruising Through

This week I reviewed another Portal level, one designed by James Simpson, a man with an unhealthy fascination for Cruise Missiles. When playing through the level, I noted James' design considerations, constantly questioning his reasons behind his choices in certain areas and why he thought it would be better to use one mechanic over another. On my first playthrough, I asked James about several elements that I didn't make use of at all, and some that I quite frankly forgot about by the time I solved the puzzle. He gave me a short and simple answer, "There are many different ways of solving the puzzle, what did you do?" This fascinated me and got me started on all the various paths that were potentially possible in his level design. I found one, there are maybe 3 or 4 more ways to figure it out.

This blog is going to breakdown James' level and might even help you solve it, but was primarily intended to give you an understanding of the design elements in play here and the potential for greatness to be harnessed. To understand what I'm talking about here, it's probably best to check out the level itself, play "Cruising Through" here. 

All systems engaged

Walking into the level, your attention is immediately drawn towards the lazer beaming from the wall and the pedestal button standing right beside it. I didn't find myself wondering "What does this button do?" so I assumed that wasn't what I was supposed to be asking. No, the real question was how to portal the beam over to the flipped panel in order to guide it to its receptor? As many people do, I looked to the sky for the answers and was pleasantly surprised when I saw an angled portable panel guiding my line of sight to exactly where the beam was hitting a blank wall. There were no signs or antlines surrounding the wall (which was not portalable) so I assumed that I had to portal something from another area in the level over to the current room through the panel on the ceiling. My first thought was a reflector-cube. 

The other side was clearly blocked off by two light bridges which I assumed were needed to solve the puzzle, but they weren't ending in portalable surfaces so I wasn't sure what the plan was for them. Turns out their just gates and are used for exactly what it looks like, to restrict access to the next part of the level. The player isn't naturally inclined to think of light bridges in this manner so maybe James was planning to confuse the player. Still, I think he could've done without these and placed a lazer wall there instead. This is more in tune with what the player knows to be restrictive as attempting to get through a lazer wall will kill you. Turning to the left I noticed the only place I wasn't restricted from entering so I moved forth figuring that I would find an answer to my ceiling panel conundrum. In a room connecting two, I looked up to find a gel dropper of some sort that seemed to be dried up. Activating it was probably the objective here.

Houston, we have a problem

As I walked through the winding tunnel, I noticed a drop to a level below. I jumped down but realized that it didn't lead anywhere it was a simple passage used to get back up to the main floor should the player fall down there at some point. I immediately knew that this could have been avoided altogether if this was its only purpose. 

My first reaction when stepping into the room was relief in knowing that whatever this puzzle was, it was contained and didn't carry on into another room. My immediate feeling right after this was one of overwhelming uncertainty on how to figure out this puzzle. James did a great job of focusing the player's attention on what needs to be done here - the button in the middle must be depressed. Unfortunately, the sheer number of elements in the surrounding environment intimidated me and made me feel unsure about how to work this out. There was a sphere dropper, an excursion funnel, blue and clear gel on either sides and pedestal buttons - one reversed the polarity of the funnel while the other dropped a new sphere.

My immediate reaction was to find a way inside the box because the button had to be pressed. I used a momentum jump to get in but then realized that I was stuck and couldn't get out without restarting the level. What made it worse was that there was no way of knowing what the button did due to the lack of indication. I feel like the box should have been designed to allow people to get out when testing showed that individuals were inclined to get stuck inside on their first attempt at the puzzle. The emptiness below certainly helped accentuate the button in the overall design of the room but made it an annoyance to drop down and traverse the small passageway every time I fell down there (which was quite often) when trying to figure out how to solve the puzzle.

Getting out of the passage way below.

I know what I'll do, I'll jump in!

Well, I had a good run.

It soon became monotonous trying to figure out how to solve the puzzle, especially when simply getting a portal onto the surface where the gel was falling or the funnel was ending became a test in how fast I could aim and shoot. Eventually I got a portal where I needed it (under the blue gel) and then began spraying the stuff everywhere because I had no idea where it was supposed to go. This is where the mechanics of using gel in you level becomes very tricky. In the the Portal 2 campaign, gel is meant to be an "experimental" element and is used in very controlled environments. Personally, I don't like using gel unless it's very clear as to where it's supposed to go. This is the caveat of using gel in your portal level - don't give your player the freedom to do what he wants with it (especially if it's portal gel). As players, we need to be told that there's a definite solution here and that there's one way to solve the puzzle. Of course, not all of us are like this and often people enjoy the challenge of figuring a way out on their own that breaks the game and gets them where they need to be faster than expected. But in a level where so much freedom is given to the player, any kind of gel means absolute chaos, usually when the player has no idea where it's supposed to go. 

After traversing countless Portal levels where sphere cubes were being used for the specific purpose of being fit into sphere-buttons, I was at once looking for a button to place the sphere and had no idea why there was an emancipation grid placed under the dropper when I could very easily catch the sphere with my Portal Gun before it hit the grid. It took me a bit to realize that the sphere was the only cube present for the button in the middle of the room. So, clearly, that's how it needed to be used. At this point, there were several different methods of getting the cube in there. I was NOT going to risk another momentum jump to get it inside the glass prison. Since I took the liberty of spilling blue gel all over the place, I figured I'd use it to my advantage. I jumped up, dropped the cube in and bailed before I got stuck in the glass prison as well. Still no idea what the button did. Returning to the main room in search of what changed in the level, I came back across the dried up gel dropper, only this time it was spewing portal gel...oh no.

Portal gel quite literally means that your possibilities are limitless and that there is now a makeshift way to solve the level. But I chose to go with my better judgement in attempting to understand how the gel was meant to be used. It didn't take long to figure out that the gel would be reflected off the ceiling panel, allowing me to portal the beam in the original room to its receptor. So I got the gel to where it needed to be, reflected the beam and got through the light bridges ready for where the level would take me next. 

 Reflecting the beam and solving the first part of the puzzle.

Nothing's getting through THAT grid!

I love jump pads - no control, just airtime. 

Up, up and away!

Getting into the next room all I could see was swamp water and a huge ditch with a portalable tile on the bottom. Clearly momentum was required. Looking to the skies once more revealed rising platforms held up by...well, they really didn't seem to be held up by anything. 

I knew I had to launch myself up and in doing so the way out was revealed. The basic premise of this puzzle was for me to maintain my momentum while ascending the platforms, a really great mechanic that I haven't seen done before. Shooting out portals from the height of every jump and bouncing from one platform to the next eventually got me to the top where the exit was waiting. Short and sweet.

Mission accomplished!

Review, remarks and suggestions

Overall, "Cruising Through" was a fascinating level which had it's "ups and downs". I thought that most of the mechanics were used well and that there was solid contrast between the light and dark areas of the level (portalable and non-portalable surfaces) with an even balance struck between both. James did a great job of highlighting certain parts of the level like the light bridges that blocked your progression forward which were outlined by the light of the observation room turning on as soon as you enter. The entire level is placed in controlled areas which limit the player's movement in a good way. The change of pace from one area to another was refreshing, avoiding boring and repetitive design. The button in the middle of the puzzle room was portrayed well as a strong center, immediately directing the player's attention to what needed to be done in order to solve the puzzle. 

Now let's move on to some remarks and suggestions. 

One of the most important design considerations that wasn't very welcoming was the amount of freedom given to the player as soon as they come across the first puzzle. There should have been a limit to the number of ways in which a player was allowed to solve the puzzle because with all the possibilities available the objective was fogged and the sphere dropper might as well have been another possible alternative and not the primary means to the goal. Since all the elements were spaced out in each corner, the natural line-of-thought for the player is that all elements are equally important and that there has to be some connection among them. Instead, two elements could be used for the purpose of solving the puzzle (blue gel and excursion funnel), one is key to figuring it out (sphere) and one is just there in case you make a mistake (clear gel). The button that reverses the polarity of the funnel could have been discarded just as the emancipation grid below the sphere dropper and the clear gel used to clean the sphere. If the player were to use funnel, the placement of the white tiles make it possible to only need a single polarity, the placement of the dropper makes it possible to grab the sphere before it dissipates and a sphere covered in blue gel may simply be re-spawned, thereby eliminating the need for the clear gel. I think it would've been best to solely focus on a single mechanic being used to solve the puzzle or making use of multiple mechanics in succession to get the sphere to the button. 

I also think that James should have chosen a cube instead of a sphere. A cube not only has "good shape" but is intuitively connected to weighting down a button. Besides this, a way to get out of the glass prison would be a welcome addition, as would the negation of the lower level. The light bridges being used to block off the second part of the level should be replaced with a lazer barrier because the bridges can be misleading and had me thinking that they would be required later in the level at some point. The use of portal gel is very dangerous to me and is something that needs a completely open playground closed off from the rest of the level to truly experience its potential. But James did a good job of controlling its use. He made sure that it was only available towards the end of the first puzzle where it didn't really matter how the player used it as long he got to the other side of the barrier. In fact, it seemed to take longer using the gel to somehow portal over to the other side of the light bridges than to simply use it as was intended. 

Looking at James' level overall, a couple of suggestions would be to use some sort of level of scale just as far as the difficulty and intensity of the level goes  (the second puzzle seemed a lot easier than the first). Strong centers were used well and boundaries were clearly defined though occasionally confusing (light bridges, rising platforms in terms of where to go). The use of AND and OR gates would have also been nice as would simplicity in limiting possibilities and not-separatedness in feeling that the level comes together and not like the player has to progress from the start to the end, one room at a time. I found my goal constantly changing throughout, from pressing the button to re-directing the lazer to ascending the platforms. Keeping the player's objective consistent would have definitely been considered a merit in this situation.

I really enjoyed James' level from a player's point of view but didn't agree with all of his choices from a level designer's perspective. Either ways, there's no denying that he brought something new and unique to the table and managed to accomplish what he had set out to do. 

Cruising Through

Dekonstruer 2...

Pass GO, lose friends

Monopoly was originally created by the Parker Brothers in 1933 but was based off the ideas of many people that came before including the designs of Elizabeth Magie and Charles Darrow. It was fun an entertaining, but also played with the idea of running an economy and what every day people would do with this power in their hands. The result was a game that brings people together and makes them resent individuals for their skills in business management and their ability to trade and barter in their favor. For those mature enough to play Monopoly without feeling the need to flip the entire board at any point in time, the game is a great way to meet people and understand how financially smart your friends are when it comes to budgeting and investment. 

This blog is going to focus on the game atoms present in Monopoly and will cover how the game functions from its rules to its game states and the information it makes available to the player. For those of you who have never played Monopoly, good on you. You've probably managed to maintain healthy relationships with all your friends with minimal resentment. If you'd like an overview of the game, take a look at the video below. 

Choose the little metal hat like I know you're going to, and let's roll to see who goes first.

Players

Monopoly can be played with 2 to 6 or upto 12 player depending on the version. Each player chooses a token that represents them on the board (hat, ship, boot, dog, car, etc.) and moves this piece around as the dice counts down the position they are currently supposed to occupy on any given turn. The number of players varies but usually if the game is going on in the middle of a party, there's a good chance the maximum number of players is reached. Each player is given $1,500 to begin with (U.S. rules) and then gain or loses money as they progress through gameplay. A player will have to forfeit if at any point they are bankrupt, unless they are successfully able to strike a deal with another player or are given a loan or pity cash. If a player wishes to leave at any point during gameplay, they may do so but must surrender their cash and properties to the bank. At this stage, any development on their properties will be eliminated as they go back on the market.

A common way to play Monopoly is in teams where players and their partner(s) represent one person and manage their resources according to a division of labor based on personal preference. There also has to be an assigned banker. This position may be given to a responsible player or a third-party who is not invested in the game. This person will keep track of the money not owned by players and will make exchanges when players need more money. They are also responsible for issuing the money at the very beginning of the game. Various interaction modes exist between players including player vs. player, multiple individual players vs. game, multilateral competition, unilateral competition and team competition. The game might only be played by two players or might be played by several individual players focused on advancing and not necessarily on facing up against other players. Of course many players may be involved in competition amongst each other (this is usually how the game is played) or players can gang up on one person to force out the weak in unilateral competition (trust me, I've been a victim of such fowlplay). Team competition is the most fun interaction mode as better decisions are made when a second-party is present for the simple purpose of consultation and better judgement. 

Objectives

The main objective in Monopoly is to become the wealthiest player through buying, renting and selling property on the game board. Various secondary objectives that lead to the primary one include, purchasing color-coded properties in sequence, buying out all the utilities for bonus profit, raising the rent of your properties, building houses and hotels, landing on free parking, avoiding jail and taxes, and passing GO. While some of these objectives seem quite arbitrary, they are essential to safe or risky gameplay and are simply the way some players choose to play the game. Territorial control is one of the most important objectives and is judged by the number of properties you own as well as the number of monopolies you hold. Capturing all the properties possible or a certain sequence of these is also an objective for many players. When things get heated up and a player ends up in jail, another objective comes into play - 'escaping' with a double-roll. 

Construction is seen as players cautiously and intelligently build up their properties with houses and hotels, strategically planning out which locations hold the most value by judging the probability of players landing in certain spots. Being on the verge of bankruptcy leads players to explore 'solutions' to getting back in the game, whether this means trading their properties in or selling their soul for extra cash. When put in this position, objectives and priorities change depending on how determined the player is to turn their luck around and get back on the horse. A crucial objective in Monopoly is, of course, outwitting the other players and finding a way to exploit their trust or their minimal knowledge of the game or finances. Being the shrewdest person on the game board has its merits and usually leads to clever maneuvers that either get you out of trouble or cause players to go bankrupt early in the game. Some players enjoy this profile and stick to it religiously as soon as the game begins.

Rules

The game is setup by issuing the appropriate amount of money to every player ($1,500 in the US version), having each player pick a token to represent them on the board, laying out the "Chance" and "Community Chest" cards and rolling to see who goes first (or pre-determining the order of play according to age, height, etc.). Players take turns rolling two dice the resulting number of which determine the spaces on the board that the player progresses through. If a player lands on Chance or Community Chest, they draw the top card from the respective pile and follow the instructions outlined. If the player lands on an unowned property (street, railroad or utility), they may buy the property for its listed price. If they refuse to purchase the property, it is auctioned off by the bank to the highest bidder, including the player who initially declined. If the property is already owned the player must pay the owner the given rent which is dependent on the development of the property (whether or not houses and hotels have been built) and, in some cases, on the number of properties owned in the sequence. The current rent price is given on the property card. Whenever a player passes GO on their turn, they have successfully navigated the entire board once and will collect $200 as a reward. If the player rolls doubles, they roll again after completing their turn. Rolling these three times however, land the player in jail.

The other ways a player can end up in jail is by landing on the "Go to Jail" space or picking up a Community Chest or Chance card that sends them there. When the player is sent to jail they will not pass GO and will not collect $200. If the player is not sent to jail but lands on the space, they are considered to be "just visiting" and will not be restricted or have to pay any fines. When a player is in jail, they are not allowed to continue their turn as normal and have to either pay bail (at $50), make use of "Get Out of Jail Free card, or attempt to roll doubles on the dice. If the player isn't able to roll doubles on three rotations of their turn, they must pay the $50 bail to be released. Players are not allowed to buy properties when in jail but may mortgage properties, sell or trade with other players, participate in auctions and collect rent. Many players consider going to jail a 'safe haven' when the board is populated with their opponents' properties or when they are close to bankruptcy. 

Additional rules of Monopoly can very easily be found online and can be examined thoroughly over here. I will no focus on defining the rules in terms of classifications. The basic gameplay progresses as normal and each turn merits the procurement of property, the paying of rent or taxes and the gaining of community chest or chance cards with many variations of gameplay possibilities. The game is resolved when a player manages to bankrupt all other players and is left with the majority of property and money. It may also be resolved when all players simultaneously forfeit which is a common resolution considering the length of playtime. The rules that restrict actions include the player's limited possibilities when in jail and not being able to escape rent when landing on an owned property. Further restrictive rules include not being able to purchase properties with insufficient funds and mortgaging properties when you can't afford to pay rent. The player is also restricted on the number of houses or hotels they are allowed to build on their properties as they may not keep building until there is a uniform number on each owned property of the same color. Rules that determine effects include going to jail when the player land on a specific space or picking up a Community Chest or Chance card. Getting a second roll is the result of rolling doubles and going to jail is the result of rolling doubles three times in a row. Collecting $200 is a result of passing GO.

Resources

Money is the greatest and the most important resource in Monopoly. The amount of money a player has at any given time has a huge effect on their actions - properties they own, what they have to mortgage, buying their way out of jail, etc. Territory in the form of properties is the second most crucial resource and only falls behind for the simple reason that money buys properties. Properties are even more of a valuable resource when purchased in sequence but also vary in value based on their placement on the board (if players land on them often) and their rent. Houses and hotels are considered by some to be resources but since money buys them, it falls into the same category as properties. However, it is important to appreciate the value of houses and hotels are they are quite scarce in the game and boost a properties worth tenfold. They help a player achieve their goal a lot faster and help the player with the procurement of money, the most important resource. This resource also changes the way in which the game is played as owning a monopoly of color-coded properties often means that a player will take their attention off buying new properties and focus on developing the ones they already have. Of course the time it takes to acquire houses and hotels is what make them scarce. 

Game State

At any point during gameplay, Monopoly is divided into several game states: rolling the dice, navigating the board, purchasing property, auctioning off property, being in jail, picking up a card, paying rent and taxes, trading with other players, mortgaging properties, developing properties and going bankrupt. Some of these are mandatory game states, while other can be initiated by the player. Passing play from one player to the next changes the state of the game. Rolling the dice decides where the player lands and determines the next state of the game (purchasing property, paying rent, going to jail, etc.). The player may initiate a trade on their turn and may choose to buy property or auction it off, giving them the freedom to choose the game state. Going to jail, paying taxes and picking up a card from either of the two piles are not choices and are game states that must be engaged. Going bankrupt is also not a choice and initiates game states such as selling or mortgaging properties and trading. Game states in jail are restricted to rolling the dice, paying the bail and using a "Get Out of Jail Free" card. 

Information

Most of the information in Monopoly is visible right away. All the game states are known right from the get-go and as soon as the rules are explained the game is set underway. Information such as the Community Chest and Chance cards are hidden during gameplay introducing a random element to the game. However, playing the game often enough gives players a good idea of what the information behind most of the cards is. Property information such as the price of properties and which ones must be owned for a monopoly are depicted on the game board at the start of play. Information about the rent, mortgage price and cost of development are all on the property cards that are traditionally hidden from view until the property is purchased. At this point, the player that has made the purchase is given access to their property's information and may choose to share it (public information) or keep it to themselves (private information). Again, experience will quickly determine the amount of information available to any player. The amount of money in a player's possession is usually laid out when playing, although some players choose to hide this information from everyone else. 

Sequencing

The order of player actions determined in Monopoly is determined by the turn structure as the game is turn-based and goes as follows:

1. Roll the dice
2. Navigate the board based on the number on your dice roll
3. If you land on a spot with an unowned property, you may
1. Purchase the property
2. Put it up for auction
4. If you land on a spot with an owned property, you may
1. Pay the owner
2. Negotiate a trade
5. If you land on a spot with taxes, you must pay the required amount
6. If you land on a spot with "Chance" or "Community Chest" you must pick up the appropriate card and follow the instructions. You may have to
1. Collect money from the bank
2. Collect money from players
3. Pay the bank
4. Pay players
5. Go to Jail
7. If you land on "Go To Jail" you must proceed to jail
8. If you pass GO, you must collect $200
9. Before your turn is over, you may
1. Trade with another player
2. Collect an entitled sum of money from the bank (based on an obtained card)
3. Mortgage a property
4. Develop a property (must build evenly)
10. If you are in jail, you may
1. Roll for doubles to escape
2. Pay $50 in bail
3. Use a "Get Out of Jail Free" card
11. If you roll doubles, you may roll again
12. If you roll doubles three times in a row, you must go to jail
13. If a player lands on your property, you must collect rent
14. If you run out of money, you will go bankrupt and lose automatically.

Player Interaction

Players in Monopoly are responsible for their owned properties and money. Player interaction takes place through trades, rent collection and money exchange with the banker. Conflict arises when players can't agree on a fair trade or when a player forgets to collect rent (this rule changes depending on who you play with - some people make collection mandatory despite leaving their space while others let it go if they have forgotten to collect). A lot of the time, tensions are raised when players force other players into bankruptcy. Trading needs to be mutually beneficial although this is relative as many a time players will be unaware of the traders strategy or tactics in conducting business with them. Information may be shared if the player chooses to do so, this includes describing tactics that are common with a specific player or revealing personal strategies such as "I plan on obtaining all railroads". Negotiation is very common and sometimes the game will be paused for a prolonged time till an agreement can be reached. Although Monopoly is built to encourage player interaction, it can be played with minimal amounts of it. It is also not uncommon for individual players to form alliances and focus on taking down opponents occupying the majority of a board.

Theme and Setting

The theme surrounding Monopoly is one of finance management and economy control. There isn't much of a setting except for the places on the board which change based on the version being played (UK, US, Spongebob, etc.). Players tend to harbor deep resent towards those that bankrupt them portraying the deep emotional connection the game supports. A lot of people believe that Monopoly has the power to end relationships and that this is the objective of the game. This is not true, although I will admit that the game requires mature individuals and doesn't work as well when played with a younger audience despite the notice on the box that states "For ages 7 and up". The rules are straight forward and closely reflect similarities in theme to situations in real-life. The game's system is well thought out and functions as an economy in any country would. 

How it all comes together

The elements in Monopoly closely reflect a well-oiled functional economy. The objective is clear from the get go and represents motives that many people in life may have, doing a good job of representing the game's theme. Player interaction is well defined by the game's various interaction modes and fits in well with the secondary goals of the game (trading, auctioning, etc.). The value of resources are defined by the rule set and aren't made too powerful or too weak. Chance-based gameplay (rolling the dice) evens out the game states and allows for them to change drastically based on pure luck. No player is absolutely doomed if setup with a disadvantage. However, experience and good money management has its advantages and most definitely assists players in progressing faster through the game. Game states change frequently enough to keep things interesting demonstrating that sequencing was well thought out and isn't meant to be too repetitive. 

The game is given a wacky twist based on the Chance or Community Chest cards which are well installed mechanics that do a good job of avoiding stagnation. The theme of Monopoly remains consistent throughout and the rules set in place make sure that no player is given too much power from the get-go and that everyone has an equal chance to win the game. The most interesting thing about the theme in Monopoly is that it works hand-in-hand with player interaction as good negotiators often benefit more from trades and experienced players usually make smarter decisions. Both of these are true of real life. All in all, Monopoly is a fantastic game that really has its formula perfected. It is a great example of how economies work in the real world and how beneficial money management is for a individual or a business. It also demonstrates how teamwork can assist in stabilizing an economy or taking power away from those with too much. Monopoly epitomizes the human need for resources that control the market and the natural tendency towards obtaining power by working with like-minded individuals to take it away from a tyrant and then making a decision as to whether or not to stab your partner in the back or to forfeit power in an attempt to avoid conflict. 

Let's play Jenga instead!