Response to Reading 05

After reading Digital Storytelling: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment by Carolyn Handler Miller there were a couple of sections that caught my eye

ADVENTURE GAMES: More than any other type of game, adventure
games feature the strongest use of story. Typically, the player is sent on
a quest or has a clear-cut mission and must solve a number of riddles
or puzzles in order to succeed. Players also explore rich environments
and collect items for their inventories as they move about. These games
have a very old history, dating back to text-based games such as the
Colossal Cave Adventure. More recent adventure games include Beyond
Good and Evil and The Grim Fandango. A subgenre of the adventure
game is the mystery-adventure game, which includes the Nancy Drew
series. At the 2003 E3 show, the adventure game was the fifth most
popular genre.

In this section sounds more like what I want to do with my level to be like. So

when developing my game I must  have

• rich environments.
• clear-cut mission.
• the ability to collect items.

In this next section reads more like a check list.

• People regard games as play, and expect the experience to be pleasurable.
• Story and game need to be in balance with each other. Although games are
  becoming more cinematic, with better-developed plots, characters, dialogue,
  and sound tracks, they falter if they focus on the cinematic elements
  at the expense of the gaming elements. Short-changing the games’ interactivity
  may well lead to frustrated players.
• Games are most effective when they give participants an opportunity to do
  things—to actively engage in an experience.
• To keep players involved, games use devices like ticking clocks, a rewards
  system, an ever-escalating series of challenges, and a build-up of suspense
  and tension.
• A well-designed interface serves an important role in making for a
  pleasurable experience. Players do not wish to struggle with an ungainly
  control system or be baffled by how to navigate through the game. Players
  appreciate a logical, convenient, well-organized interface.
• Games should be challenging enough to be interesting, but not so difficult
  that they become frustrating.
• Many players are drawn to games for a variety of reasons, and they cannot
  all be lumped together. By understanding what attracts your particular
  audience, you will be better able to design a game that will please them.

In this section I learnt that when designing a  game the designer should the game

• Pleasurable.
• Balanced
• Well-designed interface
• Challenging not frustrating.

I will keep these thing in mind when I make my level.