Games MDA

Games Mechanics Dynamics and Aesthetics

Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics are what makes up the entirety of a game.

Mechanics serves are the gears and bolts of the game. They have a defined role in setting up the premise of the game, giving players the idea of how the game works and how their actions work and affect the game.

Dynamics comes from the things that happen during gameplay when the mechanics are set in motion. The strategies players use, what actions they choose to take in certain scenarios, etc. How players interact with one another under certain events and circumstances.

Aesthetics is what makes the game stand out among its own genres with similar or identical designs. Visual elements, responsiveness, narrative, etc. This affects the player experience of the game, whether if the play is fun, difficult, boring or interesting.


I had very little idea of how to actually define fun in games. I had the idea that the game create different stimulus for different people depending on what they love. Eg. If you are stimulated by Role-Paying Games but aren't stimulated by First-Person Shooters, You won't find FPS games fun as much as you do with RPG. It's a simple way of understanding.
From the readings, it's nice that the " Eight Kinds of 'Fun' " points out in a simple manner what people look for in a game and what people find fun.

Do you recall the game 'Dark Souls' and its famously known difficulty? Surely a game that's difficult is not fun right? It's like saying you have a hard job but doesn't earn any income with it. This is simply not the case. The MDA of 'Dark Souls' is reinforced in its difficulty. The game's MDA all compliment its bleak, distraught, fantasy world and people really enjoyed it.
Here's a video by Extra Credits talking about difficult games and how they can be fun:
Link.

I have a personal ideal that I stand by. Unlike most product models, where people ask for something, the designer researches a product  and delivers them accordingly. 
Games are different. The designers have to come up with an idea for a game, design it well in their vision, and deliver it to the public while people play it. They will either universally agree that it's good or bad, some split between the two opinions. 

This is how when game companies make sequels they either make a masterpieces or flunks completely. Their quality in design either just replicates what they did before with little to no originality of any scale. The Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics of these games either never changed or changed in the wrong direction to the point where the game fails to deliver the feeling that they once had delivered. These game are then no longer "fun".
One of the worst examples of games which went down this path is Fallout 76 and it's various shenanigans: Here's a video by the Internet Historian on the subject.


A game with a solid Mechanic will function like a knife through butter: It's satisfying to play because it works and it works well.
A game with interesting Dynamics will make player feel like they're figuring things out and using that knowledge to play better or differently.
A game with wonderful Aesthetics will be stuck in your head long after play by striking an incredible impression on you.

Despite Blizzard's controversies over the few days, I can not deny the fact that some of their games are just very good and worth talking about. One awesome example is Starcraft 2, a great sequel to the previous one. This game has a solid Real-Time Strategy mechanic that has improved on the past. The dynamics will show itself as you become more an more familiar and proficient withe game. The sci-fi aesthetic of the game is almost grandeur because of the detail they put into the games's design, artwork, lore and backgrounds. 

The Starcraft 2 Field Manual showing you some detailed and informative images along with interesting background info. It's a really fun and amusing read because you can see the details and thought that was put into the game. Check it out here: Link.

Page 11 of the Starcraft 2 Field Manual.
There so many pages with this level attention and care.
What's not to love about this?

I hope you enjoyed my nonsensical rambling at 1:46 AM in the morning.
Hope you liked my blog.
Have a nice day.