Memory for Social Behaviours and Memory
Games as a whole employ the use of memory to help players learn games quicker. By learning quicker, players can get into the mechanics of the game and have fun early in the game. Through utilising short term and long term memory, games can look at players’ individual experiences to help them learn faster. Shared experiences and schemas help to build a bigger picture of what players can expect. All this culminates to integrated mechanics such as expected behaviours. The reboot of the Hitman series exemplifies this.
Encoding Memory
Firstly, we need to understand how we encode information from game stimuli. Memory as a psychological component is a complex topic to understand. So, I’ll streamline it as much as possible. Suggested by psychologists Baddeley & Hitch, our short term memory is very dynamic rather than static. They proposed a Working Memory Model. Essentially, this model refers to a Central Executive that handles the stimuli to one of three components. The Visuospatial sketch pad handles stimuli that refers to visual and spatial reasoning activities. The phonological loop deals with short term rehearsal of auditory information. The episodic buffer deals with information that doesn’t fall into these categories. It helps encode this data into episodic long term memory. With this short term memory understanding, it’s easy to understand how we’re able to multitask with auditory and visual tasks. As designers we can increase learning speed by changing the way we give information. Gamers that may have disabilities with understanding spatial awareness may find it better if the information is presented to them through auditory means. This said, we need to understand long term memory for how we keep this information for later use:
-
Long term memory refers to the process of recalling facts, memories or physical activity from the past. These processes are split into three different categories. These include:
-
Episodic memory: memories that are personal to each individual. These are experiences such as holidays and the stimuli deriving from that. Recalling these memories involves a high level of effort
-
Semantic memory: These refer to facts and knowing information. These facts can range from capital cities to mathematical equations. Recalling these memories involves a low level of effort.
-
Procedural memory. These memories are knowing how to do certain tasks. Driving a car or riding a bike both fall into procedural memory. It requires no conscious effort to recall these memories.
Uses for Encoding Memory
Designers can use this to change the way we represent difficulty in a game. For example: Button presses become muscle memory after encoded within long term memory. This then becomes easy for recall. Semantic is integral for influencing difficulty by using factual information as a goal. These usually correlate with enemy spawn points and their weak areas. Episodic memory is used for what the player does in the game, such as walking over specific tiles and doing other tasks between.
It is possible to improve these models further through implementing schema theory. This allows us to understand how we recall information from long term memory. Yet, we only need to understand the above for us to understand Ludic knowledge.
Ludic Cognition for Memory
As we encode contextual information through experiential information, recalling this information can be done through similar contexts. For example, meaningful contexts whereby a person assigns specific meaning to abstract concepts allows for quick recall. This can also happen through sensory triggers like smells and tastes. Or, through a location trigger referred to as spatiotemporal context. Ludic cognition allows the combination of in game knowledge and outside knowledge to help learning. Recalling Relevant information can help to aid in game progression. This ludic framework can be described through the categorisations of:
-
Transludic knowledge: information that is spread across multiple instances of similar ideas. For example, information across many different games.
-
Interludic knowledge: information that is spread across smaller instances of very similar ideas. For example, information across a game series (e.g. elder scrolls series).
-
Intraludic knowledge: knowledge gained within the game itself.
-
Extraludic knowledge: knowledge obtained from outside of a relevant space. For example experiencing game mechanics in real life (primarily in shooters).
Uses for Ludic Cognition for Memory
Once we combine the ludic framework alongside long term memory encoding, we can create a table for processing gameplay knowledge. This level of detail allows designers to find out what players expect and teaching those players the information required.
Game Example: Hitman
With this information about how external information can influence player decisions. We can look at how Hitman uses these techniques, alongside social behaviours, to guide players through its levels. Whilst the ways in which targets are dispatched are different, the ways in which players can move through levels remain the same.
In the recent additions to the series, Agent 47 is able to take numerous paths to reach the final target. Even then, there’s many ways to dispatch them. The majority of environments work true to those in real life. Such as requiring certain uniforms or levels of clearance to blend in amongst people. For this to work, hitman calls on extraludic knowledge of players to know what disguises work where. Walking in a suit through a kitchen will trigger the alarms. So, players need to find creative ways to either move through or around areas.
Not only is this true for the environments themselves, but also for the mechanics required to dispatch a target. Extraludic knowledge on how targets need to be dealt with are needed for creative solutions. Interludic knowledge between the newest Hitman games can give fans further information on familiar weapons. Also, intraludic knowledge gives new players enough knowledge to complete the level, with further play throughs expanding on this for further creative endeavours.
Through this use of ludic cognition, players can draw on experience to help further develop learning. Even newer players can take this knowledge to expand their own knowledge. Tracking this progress has its own design initiatives, but that’s a topic for another time! Keep updated for my next blog when I revisit social influence on game metas with Season 5 of Call of Duty: Warzone
