ch2.mht

游戏设计大师Chris Crawford的大作《The Art of Game Design》唯一不足的是英文版的

Yet,=20
  even as we pander to these distasteful emotions, we delicately mask =
them in=20
  less offensive garb. We never, never obliterate human beings; instead, =
we=20
  vaporize ugly space monsters. The monsters have perpetrated some =
odious=20
  interstellar crime, so the player is cast as the defender, the =
protector, or=20
  the avenger. The case is often presented that the game represents a =
time of=20
  extreme crisis ("THE FATE OF HUMANITY IS AT STAKE!!!"). This heightens =
the=20
  player=92s sense of urgency; it also conveniently justifies the use of =
extreme=20
  violence, thereby allowing the player to have violence without guilt. =
The=20
  player can thumb his nose at social strictures and engage in violence =
and mass=20
  murder without risking censure. The game provides a safe way to thumb =
one=92s=20
  nose. <FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter2.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3DProving></A><B>Proving Oneself</B></P>
  <P>Another function of games is as a means of demonstrating prowess. =
All games=20
  support this motivation to a greater or lesser degree. Many =
game-playing=20
  communities sponsor tournaments or player ratings. Arcade games =
support this=20
  function by recording and displaying the initials of the top-scoring =
players.=20
  There are also players who carry this to extremes. Their prime goal is =
not=20
  merely to win, but to beat somebody, preferably somebody worth =
beating. Chess=20
  has an unusually high concentration of such sharks; so do wargames. A =
common=20
  question asked during a wargame is "Are you playing for blood or for =
fun?"=20
  Such players normally prefer games that allow their skill to be =
properly=20
  brought to bear, so they tend towards games in which chance plays a =
minimal=20
  role.</P>
  <P>Despite this concentration of such players in deductive logic =
games, almost=20
  all games have sharks preying on the playful players. When a shark =
plays for=20
  serious rewards (e.g., social dominance) and -takes serious risks of =
failure,=20
  the crucial element of safety is eliminated from the game, and the =
game ceases=20
  to be a game; it becomes a conflict.</P>
  <P>Inasmuch as all games have the potential for being played in an =
overly=20
  competitive way, some people who are especially sensitive to the =
social risks=20
  of game-as-conflict refuse to play games, for they do not perceive the =
games=20
  to be safe. If they do play, they prefer to play games of pure chance, =
not so=20
  much to disable or discourage the shark as to create a situation in =
which=20
  winning is patently unrelated to prowess. If winning is arbitrary, =
social risk=20
  is eliminated and safety is restored.</P>
  <P>It is impossible to design a game that is unalterably safe (i.e.,=20
  invulnerable to sharks) without resorting to pure chance as the sole=20
  determinant of victory. If the game in any way allows individual =
prowess to=20
  affect the outcome, then the outcome is perceivable as a reflection of =

  individual prowess. In most games, safety from social risk is =
conferred onto=20
  the game by the attitudes of the players, the willingness to say, =
<I>"It=92s only=20
  a game." </I><FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter2.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3DSocial></A><B>Social Lubrication</B></P>
  <P>Games are frequently used (especially by adults) as social =
lubricants. The=20
  game itself is of minor importance to the players; its real =
significance is=20
  its function as a focus around which an evening of socializing will be =
built.=20
  Card games and some light board games serve this function. An =
excellent=20
  example of such a social lubricant game is a game utilizing a large =
plastic=20
  gameboard about four feet square that is marked with colored spots. On =
each=20
  player=92s turn, a random process is used to determine which of four =
appendages=20
  (arms or legs) is to be placed on which spot on the board. As the =
players=20
  contort to fulfill the game requirements, they inevitably make =
physical=20
  contact with each other in innocent and foolishly humorous ways. =
Social=20
  interaction is thereby fostered. <FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter2.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3DExercise></A><B>Exercise</B></P>
  <P>Exercise is another common motivation to play games. The exercise =
can be=20
  mental or physical or some combination of both; in either event, the =
game is=20
  an entertaining way to stay in shape. Some players like to exercise =
their=20
  cognitive skills, while others prefer the use of intuition. Some =
players=20
  prefer to exercise their athletic skills. Furthermore, players need to =

  exercise their skills at an appropriate level. A chess player will get =
very=20
  little exercise out of a game of tic-tac-toe. Similarly, a person who =
finds=20
  tic-tac-toe challenging will get little useful exercise out of chess. =
These=20
  preferences sort players out and route them to the different games =
available.=20
  <FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter2.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3D"Need for"></A><B>Need for Acknowledgment</B></P>
  <P>We all need to be acknowledged, to be recognized by other people. =
The=20
  acknowledgment we crave is not merely an acknowledgment of our =
existence, but=20
  of our personalities. For example, when we meet a casual acquaintance, =
we=20
  usually get a perfunctory acknowledgment ("Hello there, Jones.") We =
are more=20
  gratified when the greeting in some way acknowledges us as individuals =
with=20
  special personalities and problems ("Hello there, Jones; is that knee =
still=20
  bothering you?")</P>
  <P>The popularity of pets provide another example of the need for=20
  acknowledgment. Why on earth do we keep in our homes animals that =
require=20
  food, veterinary attention, and sanitary maintenance? Because they =
acknowledge=20
  us. We can interact with pets; we talk to them, play with them, and =
emote with=20
  them. A dog is an especially responsive creature; it can read our =
facial=20
  expressions and interpret our tone of voice. A smile will trigger=20
  tall-wagging; a kind word will precipitate jumping, licking, barking, =
or some=20
  other expression of affection. Goldfish, by contrast, neither =
appreciate nor=20
  express emotion. Thus, even though goldfish are much easier to care =
for, most=20
  people prefer dogs as pets. People value acknowledgment enough to =
expend the=20
  effort to obtain it.</P>
  <P>This is one reason why interaction is so important to a game; it =
allows the=20
  two players to acknowledge each other. A truly excellent game allows =
us to=20
  imprint a greater portion of our personalities into our game-playing. =
Such a=20
  game allows me to play in a way that only I could have played it. My =
opponent=20
  must look beyond the playing pieces and acknowledge my cleverness, my=20
  rashness, my deviousness, my entire personality. When such a game =
ends, my=20
  opponent and I know each other better than we did before we sat down =
to=20
  play.</P>
  <P><A name=3DSummary></A><B>Summary</B></P>
  <P>Many factors play a role in motivating a person to play a game. The =

  original (and almost instinctive) motivation is to learn, but other=20
  motivations come to bear as well. <FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter2.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3D"MOTIVATION VERSUS"></A><B>MOTIVATION VERSUS =
SELECTION</B></P>
  <P>We must be careful to distinguish between factors that motivate =
people to=20
  play games in the first place and factors that allow people to choose =
between=20
  games. In other words, the answer to the question, "Why do people play =
games?"=20
  can be quite different from the answer to the question, "What makes =
one game=20
  more fun than another?" Some factors motivate a person to play games; =
other=20
  factors help that person select a particular game. For example, =
sensory=20
  gratification is such a selection factor. A player who has decided to =
play a=20
  particular type of game will prefer a game with excellent graphics =
over games=20
  with poor graphics; yet the graphics alone will not motivate many =
people to=20
  play games. Motivating factors get people to approach games in =
general;=20
  enjoyment factors help them make their choice of particular games.</P>
  <P>Distinguishing motivation from enjoyment is not tantamount to =
denying=20
  correlation=92s between motivating factors and enjoyment factors. =
Clearly, any=20
  game that does not deliver the experiences implied by the motivating =
factor=20
  will not be enjoyed. Thus, some (but not all) motivating factors will =
also be=20
  used as enjoyment factors. If a player is motivated to play a game for =
mental=20
  exercise, that player will probably prefer those games that offer =
better=20
  mental exercise than do other games. A game cannot be fun if its =
factors do=20
  not satisfy the motivations of the player. Two enjoyment factors that =
are not=20
  in themselves motivational are game play and sensory gratification. =
<FONT=20
  size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter2.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3DGame></A><B>Game Play</B></P>
  <P>Game play is a crucial element in any skill-and-action game. This =
term has=20
  been used for some years, but no clear consensus has arisen as to its =
meaning.=20
  Everyone agrees that good game play is essential to the success of a =
game, and=20
  that game play has something to do with the quality of the player=92s =
interaction=20
  with the game. Beyond that, nuances of meaning are as numerous as =
users of the=20
  phrase. The term is losing descriptive value because of its ambiguity. =
I=20
  therefore present here a more precise, more limited, and (I hope) more =
useful=20
  meaning for the term "game play". I suggest that this elusive trait is =
derived=20
  from the combination of pace and cognitive effort required by the =
game. Games=20
  like TEMPEST have a demonic pace, while games like BATTLEZ0NE have a =
far more=20
  deliberate pace. Despite this difference, both games have good game =
play, for=20
  the pace is appropriate to the cognitive demands of the game. TEMPEST =
requires=20
  far less planning and conceptualization than BATTLEZONE; the demands =
on the=20
  player are simple and direct, albeit at a fast pace. BATTLEZONE =
requires=20
  considerably greater cognitive effort from the player, but at a slower =
pace.=20
  Thus, both games have roughly equivalent game play even though they =
have very=20
  different paces. Pace and cognitive effort combine to yield game play. =
<FONT=20
  size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter2.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3DSensory></A><B>Sensory Gratification</B></P>
  <P>Sensory gratification is another important enjoyment factor. Good =
graphics,=20
  color, animation, and sound are all valued by game players. They =
support the=20
  fantasy of the game by providing sensory "proof" of the game=92s =
reality. We see=20
  a related phenomenon in the movies: special effects. Some of the newer =
movies=20
  have excited great interest because of the excellent special effects =
they=20
  utilize. These movies have placed us in the thick of space battles, =
let us=20
  meet strange and wonderful creatures, and taken us to faraway places. =
The=20
  things we see look so real that we believe the fantasy; we know =
(subjectively)=20
  that the fantasy is real. Similar processes can be applied to games. =
Special=20
  effects, graphics, sound, animation-these factors all help distinguish =
a good=20
  game from a bad game. We must not confuse their role, however; sensory =

  gratification is a crucial support function, not a central feature. =
Sensory=20
  texture enhances the impact of the fantasy created by the game or =
movie, but=20
  wonderful graphics or sound do not by themselves make the product. A =
movie=20
  without a believable or enjoyable fantasy is just a collection of =
pretty=20
  pictures; a game without an entertaining fantasy is just a collection =
of=20
  interactive pretty pictures. <FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter2.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3DINDIVIDUAL></A><B>INDIVIDUAL TASTES</B></P>
  <P>So far I have discussed motivational and enjoyment factors as if =
they were=20
  absolute quantities whose significance is independent of the =
individual=20
  player. Such is not the case; the response to a given game depends =
heavily on=20
  the personality of the prospective player. How are we to deal with the =

  personality differences that dominate the individual's response to =
games?</P>
  <P>One academic solution to this problem is to postulate the existence =
of a=20
  very large number of personality traits that determine the individual =
response=20
  to a game. We next postulate a like number of game traits that, taken=20