Introduction to game design and development - layered quaternion - dynamic layer

Once the player starts the game , Then the embedded layer enters the dynamic layer , How to play 、 Strategies and player choices emerge at this level .

Player character

Movies can be shown in empty cinemas , But the game must require players , Only through the action of the player can the game be transformed from a series of embedded elements into a game . As a designer , We rely on players to help us achieve our goals in the game , But there are several aspects that are completely out of control , Such as whether players follow the rules , Whether you care about winning or losing , And the mood of the players and the environment in which the game is played . So we as game developers , You must respect the player , The rules must be clear and understandable , Other extensions are made on this basis , So as to smoothly convey our intention .

Emergence

The most important thing about the dynamic layer is Emergence , At its core Even simple rules can produce complex dynamic behavior . Here we can recall the card game I published in the first article , When you start to modify the rules, even fine-tuning the rules can greatly change the game experience

Introduction to the basic rules of the game （ If you have playing cards on hand, it is recommended to use things to operate , This will bring us a clearer understanding of the senses ）：

1. Take a deck of playing cards , Remove the big and small king , leave 52 card
2. After shuffling, each player will be dealt 7 card
3. Put it and the playing card face down as a draw pile
4. Use the cards played as a discard pile on the table
5. Play from the dealer's left to the discard pile , The rest play clockwise ,a. If the suit of the card you play is the same as the suit of the card at the top of the discard pile, you can play the card at the same time b. If the number of cards played is consistent with the number of cards at the top of the discard pile, you can also play cards . If the above two conditions are not satisfied, draw a card from the stack and lose the chance to play , Continue to play or draw by another player in a clockwise direction
6. The winner is the first person to play all the cards

Let's first think about the randomness and technicality of this game by playing this game, and whether the greater randomness accounts for too much , And whether it's fun 、 What is the most important step in the design of this game 、 Whether the game is appropriate for the audience , Is too simple , Too hard or always ？

Take a moment to think about your answer , Then write it down first , If you like the design and creation of the game as much as you do, then write it together and discuss their answers to propose some improvements to the game ！

The next issue will be launched tonight , It mainly improves the rules of this game case and introduces the goal of game design

Yes, of course , It is almost impossible to predict emergence , So demo It is especially important , We have to avoid almost all of them during the trial BUG, In this way, the number of players can be guaranteed

Dynamic mechanism

The dynamic mechanism includes steps （ Actions taken by players ）、 Meaningful play （ Make players' decisions meaningful ）、 Strategy （ The plan is customized by the player ）、 The rules （ Players can simply modify the rules of the game ）、 Player intent 、 result .

1. Meaningful play methods mainly include two parts , Namely Recognizable and Coordinate with each other , Recognizability refers to the visible consequences of a player's actions , Coordination means letting players know that what they do will affect the outcome of the game .

For example, in 《 Super Mario Brothers 》 In the game , It's not a very meaningful choice whether to trample on the enemy or to cross the enemy , Because a single action will not affect the result of the game , The number of enemies killed is never recorded in the game , Just make the character reach the bottom alive , This is the coordination and selectivity that the game gives players , stay 《 Kabi of the stars 》 in , Players who devour enemies gain special abilities , So this is a meaningful choice

2. Strategy is a series of carefully calculated behaviors , Help players achieve a certain goal . Of course , The choice of strategy needs to be distinguished by the different groups of the game , Children mainly want to experience the fun of games , So the strategy can be relatively reduced , The puzzle game is excluded , In the face of teenagers, we can strengthen some strategies . As a designer , There are many ways to make sure that the game is more strategic , The first thing to remember is to provide players with a variety of options to achieve their goals , Each choice requires the player to make some difficult choices , For example, entangle the targets , But can only lead to one goal , At this time, players need to combine strategies and personal preferences to make choices .

3. In terms of rules, the previous articles have done a lot of introductions , You can refer to it directly

4. The player's intention is very important , Players' intentions are beyond our control , So here we need to classify players , Let's define the player's personality

1. Achievement type （ square ）： Pursue the highest score in the game , Want to dominate the game
2. Exploratory （ Spade ）： Dedicated to exploring every corner of the game , Want to know about games
3. Social （ Red hearts ）： Want to play games with friends , Want to know about players
4. Killer （ The plum blossom ）： Like to challenge other players , Want to dominate other players

The figure below can reveal the relationship

There are also other player types and motivations , as follows ：

1. Cheaters ： Care about winning or losing, not the rules . Cheaters will twist the rules in order to win .
2. A wet blanket ： Don't care about winning or losing, don't care about the game . Spoilers tend to spoil the experience of other players

You don't want the above two people to play your game , But we must also understand their motives , Cheaters can be on the spur of the moment , In order to improve their own fun , Those who are disappointed are more troublesome , Of course, if you design a game with a poor experience , Then every player may be forced to be a wet blanket by the game mechanism you designed .

5. result , The results can be divided into the following ：

1. The immediate result ： Every independent action produces results , For example, if you attack an enemy , Then whether it hits or not, it will produce a result .
2. The result of the mission ： Many games have quests , Players get rewards by completing tasks . For example, in 《 spider-man 2》 The little girl lost her balloon , Spiderman is going to get her back , So the result of the task often marks the end of a short story
3. Accumulate results ： Players spend time working towards a goal and finally achieve it , It is the result of accumulation , For example, get... In the game XP upgrade
4. final result ： The end result often refers to the end of the game , The death of some game characters will invalidate the whole progress , But this kind of game process is often shorter , It won't have much impact , It may also stimulate players to take on more challenges , In some games, the death of a character does not mean the end result , Because most of today's games will return to the checkpoint closest to the death for resurrection when the character dies

The dynamic layer is not over yet , Tomorrow, I will continue to analyze the movement for you