Reading: M.D.A. Framework.

  What is it?  MDA (Mechanics, Dynamics & Aesthetics) is a formal approach to understanding games and bridges the gap between the design & development and the criticism & technical research.  There are distinct components to the MDA and they are:

- Mechanics (The components of the game, at a level of data representation and algorithms.)
- Dynamics (The run-time behaviour of the mechanics acting on player input and output.)
- Aesthetics (The desirable emotional responses in the player, when interacting with the game system.)

  When creating a game, designers must consider interdependencies carefully before implementing changes to the design, and decisions about the data, it's representation and methodology will all shape the final game play.  Interaction between the coded subsystems can create complex, dynamic and often unpredictable behaviour.

  Games are more like artefacts than media, the content of a game is it's behaviour and as a designer, the mechanics give rise to dynamic system behaviour leading to aesthetic experiences.  However, as a player, aesthetics set the tone, which is born out of the dynamics and mechanics of the game.  When working with games, we must consider the perspectives of the player and the designer, it helps observe how small changes can have a large impact and considering the player encourages experience-driven design as opposed to feature-driven design.

Aesthetics, what makes a game fun?

- Sensation (Game as Sense-pleasure)
- Fantasy (Game as Make-believe)
- Narrative (Game as Drama)
- Challenge (Game as Obstacle-course)
- Fellowship (Game as Social framework)
- Discovery (Game as Uncharted territory)
- Expression (Game as Self-discovery)
- Submission (Game as a past-time)

Games pursue multiple aesthetic goals in varying degrees.  Simple changes in the aesthetic requirements of a game will introduce mechanical changes to it's "AI" on many levels, however there are no "AI" mechanics as such, intelligence comes from the interaction of "AI" logic with game logic.

Dynamics, creating the aesthetic experience

  We design games based on how we want our player to emotionally feel when playing it, so if I wanted the game to be challenging, I would create a mechanic such as a time limit and opposition.  If I wanted to add fellowship to this, now challenging, game I have a mechanic of allowing players to exchange information and use tactics if within a team.

  Expression can come from dynamics allowing players to "leave their mark" with achievements, high scores, monetary gain, etc.

  Dramatic tension can come from dynamics that try to create or encourage a rising tension or escalating an event within the game, and the mechanics which are various actions, behaviours and control mechanisms given to the player within the game context are invoked.

To conclude, when designing a game, it is important to think about how you want your player to feel and react before setting mechanics and dynamics in stone, we must create the mechanics from the emotional responses we want the player to have.