Petri Lankoski

Publications

• Character-Driven Game Design: A Design Approach and Its Foundations in Character Engagement

  Petri Lankoski

  01/2010

  Degree: D.Arts

  Supervisor: Staffan Björk, Aki Järvinen

• Hair-Raising Entertainment: Emotions, Sound, and Structure in Silent Hill 2 and Fatal Frame

  Inger Ekman, Petri Lankoski

  01/2009: pages 181-199;

  ISBN: 978-0-7864-4197-6

• Play in Hybrid Reality: Alternative Approaches to Game Design

  Frans Mäyrä, Petri Lankoski

  01/2009: pages 129-147;

  ISBN: 978-1-4331-0532-6

• Character-Driven Game Design: Characters, Conflict, and Gameplay

  P Lankoski, S Björk

  GDTW2008, Liverpool; 11/2008

  Contemporary computer and video games utilize characters in large extent. However, game research literature says only little about how to design gameplay so that it reflects characters’ personality; mainly focusing on the narration and graphical presentation of the characters. This paper presents a ... [more] Contemporary computer and video games utilize characters in large extent. However, game research literature says only little about how to design gameplay so that it reflects characters’ personality; mainly focusing on the narration and graphical presentation of the characters. This paper presents a character-driven game design method, which uses ideas from dramatic character design to include gameplay into the design process. Based upon previous work on NPC design and a new analysis, several design choices regarding gameplay are identified. These choices are described as gameplay design patterns and related to how specific features in a character design can support gameplay. In conjunction with the patterns, the concepts of recognition, alliance, and alignment are used to introduce the method and provide examples. The paper concludes with a discussion on how the method can affect the overall gameplay in games.

• Gameplay Design Patterns for Social Networks and Conflicts

  Lankoski P., Björk S.

  GDTW2007, Liverpool; 11/2007

  This paper explores how games can be designed to make the social networks of characters as part of the gameplay. We start with a premise that game characters and social relations between them are import in games. We examine several games and derive gameplay design patterns from those games. Models f... [more] This paper explores how games can be designed to make the social networks of characters as part of the gameplay. We start with a premise that game characters and social relations between them are import in games. We examine several games and derive gameplay design patterns from those games. Models from social network analysis, actor-network theory and Egri’s model for dramatic conflict is used to focus the analysis. In addition to isolating design patterns from existing features of the games, we look situations where game structures do not support social networks or conflicts as proposed in above-mentioned theories. Patterns identified include Competing for Attention, Gain Allies, Social Dilemma, Internal Conflict, and Social Maintenance.

• Gameplay Design Patterns for Believable NPCs

  Lankoski P., Björk S.

  Situated Play, Tokyo; 09/2007

  Descriptions of humans require several qualities for people to experience them as believable: human body; self-awareness, intentional states, and self impelled actions; expression of emotions; ability to use natural language; and persistent traits. Based on these we analyze non-player character Clau... [more] Descriptions of humans require several qualities for people to experience them as believable: human body; self-awareness, intentional states, and self impelled actions; expression of emotions; ability to use natural language; and persistent traits. Based on these we analyze non-player character Claudette Perrick in The Elders Scroll IV: Oblivion to detect how these qualities can be created in the interactive environment of a game. We derive the gameplay design patterns Awareness of Surrounding, Visual Body Damage, Dissectible Bodies, Initiative, Own Agenda, Sense of Self, Emotional Attachment, Contextual Conversational Responses, and Goal-Driven Personal Development, which point to design choices that can be made when designing believable non-player characters in games.

• Goals, Affects, and Empathy in Computer Games

  P. Lankoski

  Philosophy of Computer Games, Reggio Emilia, Italy; 01/2007

• Designing sound for a pervasive mobile game.

  Inger Ekman, Laura Ermi, Jussi Lahti, Jani Nummela, Petri Lankoski, Frans Mäyrä

  Proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology, ACE 2005, Valencia, Spain, June 15-15, 2005; 01/2005

• Designing Immersive Sound for a Pervasive Mobile Game.

  Inger Ekman, Jussi Lahti, Jani Nummela, Petri Lankoski, Frans Mäyrä

  Digital Games Research Conference 2005, Changing Views: Worlds in Play, June 16-20, 2005, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 01/2005

• Integrating a game with a story—lessons from interactive television concept design

  Inger Ekman, Petri Lankoski

  Computers & Graphics. 01/2004; 28:167-177.

• Characters in Computer Games: Toward Understanding Interpretation and Design.

  Petri Lankoski, Satu Heliö, Inger Ekman

  Digital Games Research Conference 2003, 4-6 November 2003, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands; 01/2003

• What should it do?: key isssues in navigation interface design for small screen devices.

  Inger Ekman, Petri Lankoski

  Extended abstracts of the 2002 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2002, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, April 20-25, 2002; 01/2002

• Character Design Fundamentals for Role-Playing Games

  P. Lankoski

  01/2002: pages 139-148;

  ISBN: 952-91-6842-X

• Approaches to Game Design: Characters and Conflict

  Lankoski, S. P. Heliö

  pages 311-321;

  ISBN: 951-44-5371-9