Paper presented at the Form, Culture, and Video Game Criticism Conference, Princeton; March 6, 2004
Abstract
Video games clearly predicate on space and spatiality, but the use and purpose of space in video games differs based on the game type and game concept. While action and adventure games use space as a phenomenological setting, simulation civilization games like Civilization, Warcraft, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the like use space as a territorial presence. A ludic model for video games must incorporate both of these uses of space and spatiality. For this, Gilles Deleuze and Fèlix Guattari's notions of smooth and striated space and maps and tracings provide an entry point into a ludic model that accepts both of these uses of space while still allowing for growth and accommodation of other video game types. In this paper, I argue that Deleuze and Guattari's notions of smooth and striated space can serve to create a ludic model that incorporates the major methods by which video games use and represent space. Within this argument, I explore video game representations of space, territory, and the elements of the game models for these representations.
In order to define video game space and spatiality, the spatial type, usage, and limitations must first be defined. Video games space--like the smooth space of Go and the striated space of Chess that Deleuze and Guattari explore--derives from the game pieces, game board, and game rules operating as a unit. The game space is thus the composite of the game pieces, the rules connecting the pieces, and the game board as space. A basic model defined by the game pieces, rules, and game space proves useful for video game studies of spatialization and territory because these fundamental elements are present in all spatial games, which includes board games and the majority of video games. The game rules code and limit the space for both video games and board games and these enforced limitations set the rules for how the game may be played and for how the in-game space may be manipulated in terms of territory acquisition and territorial growth.
Creating a useful ludic model begins with smooth and striated space. The ludic model cannot begin simply with the model for Go and Chess because video games include movement through and within the ludic space. Because video game space is occupied game space, in that the player has some degree of interaction within the game space in a way that is not possible with either Go or chess, the represented 'physical' game space exists as one level of space within the overall ludic space. While video games predicate on spatiality, many video games also predicate on the movement through that represented space. These multiple levels of spatiality require a ludic model that addresses the creation and use of the game space in addition to the game spatial model, that of exploratory space or territory. A valid ludic model must also address Deleuze and Guattari cautions against oversimplifying smooth and striated space for a ludic model because of the complexities of smooth and striated space and because of the other dimensions of ludic space.
My full paper explores smooth and striated space in Go and Chess and in Sid Meier's Civilization games, using other exploratory and non-territorial games to create a ludic model that operates for the multiple spatial levels present in video games. Within the creation of this ludic model, my paper also uses maps and tracings to explain the uses of video game space and the game elements that serve to support this ludic model.