to value structures which can be encoded in a machine-friendly way

and *therefore,* the most important value structure possessed by such a game is limited

therefore, a machine’s judgement becomes prized

the most coercive

therefore denying access is one of the most violent acts

i suppose that i believe such access is extremely valuable

it is freedom

design which trusts a machine to grant access

machines do not pass interesting judgement on my actions

i am not interested in what a machine has to say to me

furthermore,

analysis focusing on “what is it doing” / “what’s going on”

A nonlinear essay on a problem I’ve been having with games for years. There is this mind map tangle on the left; you can navigate to the right for a more linear essay-like structure.

Thanks for reading.

to get “better” at a game -- even a mediocre one -- means to submit more fully to its value structures

okay, as a designer and a programmer i would like to say that i understand it is not “effortless,” in fact it’s quite hard, but it is the bare minimum requirement for constructing a videogame: without a coherent value structure, you do not have a functioning game.

but only so much.

can i appreciate this? is there beauty in this? there is some, and i can in some cases.

the answer in a videogame is so often “because it had to be coherent.”

ask why, why, why, all you like

it would be more correct to say it’s very hard to make a game without coherent value structures, so even the “worst” complete games will still have coherent value structures

it is effortless for a game to possess coherent value structures

seeking to understand “bad” games uncovers deeper structural depths in almost every case and therefore this form of judgement is no longer functionally useful

existing media literacy and judgement struggles and fails here because “bad” works in other mediums are so often also “incoherent” works and so seeking to understand them more deeply sees them unravel completely

the relationship with the game is inherently non-reciprocal

as an art form, videogames get in their own way. art thrives on a plurality of experiences (and interpretations, but not necessarily in the formally capitalized Art Interpretation way).

it’s too narrow for an art form

i’m all for recreational submission

coercive submission to a value structure

the majority of videogames enforce a canonical judgement of what’s right, and what’s wrong.

they enforce this through specific coercive language:

if you do it right, you are rewarded materially, with the ability to engage with more of the work

you are tested, and if you fail, you are held back and must repeat the class.

this is deeply part of the language of videogames and i find it to be unacceptable

analyzing is itself feeling

“right/wrong” judgement faculty

genuine surmounter of obstacles - i would prefer to strategize real problems

am i allowed to be tired of a specific feeling?

analyzing and strategizing -> contribute

(Feynman’s flower)

gaining knowlege specifically to better pass human judgement

gaining knowledge

inner perspectives

interpretive or creative mindset

i can ignore these things when they block other lenses

things don’t have to make sense in novels/films (shrug)

things don’t have to be done right in paintings (shrug)

analytical results -> felt

reflective mindset

to accept as much as possible, openness

an accumulation of lenses, right/wrong voices

a plurality of judgements, even right/wrong ones

“this is always right” is very rare

open observation -> not right/wrong

stylistic constraints -> right/wrong

preconceived notions -> right/wrong

arbitrary -> right/wrong

i like to strategize with other real people

i like to strategize in my mind; tools are 🎵 very 🎵 unnecessary 🎶🎶 they can only do harm

less computer judgement

games with fewer computer tools

videogames are computer tools

fewer computer tools

games non-overridable value structures

choosing games?

games reward for doing right things

games punish for doing wrong things

games score you on right/wrong

games with overridable value structures?

strategizing -> feeling

but only the games with strategizing

right/wrong mindset