even if it has a number of different paths for the player to explore.
DM: Depending on the context, seeDungeon MasterorDeath-Match.
Dungeon Master: The term for the Game Master used in conjunction withDun-
geons & Dragonsgames.SeeGame Master.
Emergence: In terms of a game, emergence is when unanticipated behaviors and
results emerge out of the various game systems interacting with each other and with
the player’s input. In short, emergence is when the game experience takes a direction
the designer never anticipated. Some emergent behaviors may turn into player
exploits, which are generally viewed as a negative form of emergence, while other
emergent behaviors just mean players are able to author their own experience without
ruining it. Some designers view any amount of emergence as a negative, though most
would agree emergence is one of the most exciting parts of game design.
Emoticons: Somewhat odious slang expression referring to the sideways smiley
faces and other characters made out of the ASCII character set, for example, :-P. These
are often used in e-mail, ICQ, or other messaging systems, or when chatting in online
gaming experiences.
Engine: The core code that handles the most basic functionality of the game, but not
including the code that governs specific gameplay functionality. Sometimes the engine
is split up into the rendering engine, the sound engine, the behavior engine, and so
forth. Each of these components can be considered to be part of the game’s engine as a
whole. Engines are typically more general than a particular game, which allows them to
be reused for multiple different projects. However, some developers use the term
engine to refer to the entirety of a game’s source code. For example, id Software has
licensed theirQuakeengine for use in a broad range of games, fromHalf-LifetoSoldier
of FortunetoMedal of Honor: Allied Assault.
Exploit: An exploit is a technique a player may use in a game to become more suc-
cessful more quickly than the designers had intended. Exploits are viewed by
developers as bugs, and are typically fixed by patches when possible.It is important to
differentiate an exploit, which gives a player unfair advancement, from an emergent
behavior, which the designer may not have anticipated but which does not ruin the play-
er’s experience. Exploits should be fixed, while emergent solutions should be
embraced.
Finite State Machine: SeeState-Based AI.
First-Person Shooter: The type of game exemplified byDoom,Half-Life,Unreal,
Marathon,Halo,andMedal of Honor. In first-person shooters, the player’s perspective
of the world is from the first person and his objective is to shoot everything in sight,
though some first-person shooters offer some subtle variations on this goal.
Flight Simulator: Often shortened to flight sim, this is a type of game that attempts
to model the flight of a real-world aircraft. The amount of realism involved varies from
game to game; some games are extremely realistic and difficult, while others prevent
the player from crashing entirely. Examples includeMicrosoft Flight Simulator,F-15
Strike Eagle,Flight Unlimited, andHellcats Over the Pacific.
FMV: SeeFull-Motion Video.
Glossary 659