ch6.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

  unsuccessful transitional stage.</P>
  <P>The next level of indirection is shown in a very clever boardgame =
design by=20
  Jim Dunnigan, BATTLE FOR GERMANY. This game concerns the invasion of =
Germany=20
  in 1945. This was obviously an uneven struggle, for the Germans were=20
  simultaneously fighting the Russians in the east and the =
Anglo-Americans in=20
  the west. Uneven struggles make frustrating games. Dunnigan=92s =
solution was to=20
  split both sides. One player controls the Russians and the west-front =
Germans;=20
  the other controls the Anglo-Americans and the east-front Germans. =
Thus, each=20
  player is both invader and defender: Neither player identifies =
directly with=20
  the invaders or the Germans; the two combatants have lost their =
identities and=20
  are now actors.</P>
  <P>The highest expression of indirection I have seen is Dunnigan=92s =
RUSSIAN=20
  CIVIL WAR game. This boardgame covers the civil war between the Reds =
and the=20
  Whites. Dunnigan=92s brilliant approach was to completely dissolve any =

  identification between player and combatant. Each player receives some =
Red=20
  armies and some White armies. During the course of the game, the =
player uses=20
  his Red armies to attack and destroy other players?White armies. He =
uses his=20
  White armies to attack and destroy other players?Red armies. The end =
of the=20
  game comes when one side, Red or White, is annihilated. The winner is =
then the=20
  player most identifiable with the victorious army (i.e., with the =
largest pile=20
  of loser=92s bodies and the smallest pile of winner=92s bodies).</P>
  <P>The indirection of this game is truly impressive. The two =
combatants are in=20
  no way identifiable with any individual until very late in the game. =
They are=20
  actors; Red and White battle without human manifestation even though =
they are=20
  played by human players. There is only one limitation to this design: =
the=20
  system requires more than two players to work effectively. =
Nevertheless, such=20
  highly indirect player-to-player architectures provide many =
fascinating=20
  opportunities for game design. Direct player-to-player relationships =
can only=20
  be applied to direct conflicts such as war. Direct conflicts tend to =
be=20
  violent and destructive; for this reason, society discourages direct=20
  conflicts. Yet conflict remains in our lives, taking more subtle and =
indirect=20
  forms. We fight our real-world battles with smiles, distant allies, =
pressure,=20
  and co-operation. Games with direct player-to-player relationships =
cannot hope=20
  to address real human interaction. Only indirect games offer any =
possibility=20
  of designing games that successfully explore the human condition. =
<FONT=20
  size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter6.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3D"SMOOTH LEARNING"></A><B>SMOOTH LEARNING CURVES</B></P>
  <P>As a player works with a game, s/he should show steady and smooth=20
  improvement. Beginners should be able to make some progress, =
intermediate=20
  people should get intermediate scores, and experienced players should =
got high=20
  scores. If we were to make a graph of a typical player=92s score as a =
function of=20
  time spent with the game, that graph should show a curve sloping =
smoothly and=20
  steadily upward. This is the most desirable case.</P>
  <P>A variety of other learning curves can arise; they reveal a great =
deal=20
  about the game. If a game has a curve that is relatively flat, we say =
that the=20
  game is hard to learn. If the curve is steep, we say the game is easy =
to=20
  learn. If the curve has a sharp jump in it, we say that there is just =
one=20
  trick to the game, mastery of which guarantees complete mastery of the =
game.=20
  If the game has many sharp jumps, we say that there are many tricks. A =

  particularly bad case arises when the player=92s score falls or levels =
off midway=20
  through the learning experience. This indicates that the game contains =

  contradictory elements that confuse or distract the player at a =
certain level=20
  of proficiency. The ideal always slopes upward smoothly and =
steadily.</P>
  <P>Games without smooth learning curves frustrate players by failing =
to=20
  provide them with reasonable opportunities for bettering their scores. =
Players=20
  feel that the game is either too hard, too easy, or simply arbitrary. =
Games=20
  with smooth learning curves challenge their players at all levels and=20
  encourage continued play by offering the prospect of new =
discoveries.</P>
  <P>A smooth learning curve is worked into a game by providing a smooth =

  progression from the beginner=92s level to an expert level. This =
requires that=20
  the game designer create not one game but a series of related games. =
Each game=20
  must be intrinsically interesting and challenging to the level of =
player for=20
  which it is targeted. Ideally, the progression is automatic; the =
player starts=20
  at the beginner=92s level and the advanced features are brought in as =
the=20
  computer recognizes proficient play. More commonly, the player must =
declare=20
  the level at which he desires to play. <FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter6.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3D"THE ILLUSION OF"></A><B>THE ILLUSION OF =
WINNABILITY</B></P>
  <P>Another important trait of any game is the illusion of winnability. =
If a=20
  game is to provide a continuing challenge to the player, it must also =
provide=20
  a continuing motivation to play. It must appear to be winnable to all =
players,=20
  the beginner and the expert. Yet, it must never be truly winnable or =
it will=20
  lose its appeal. This illusion is very difficult to maintain. Some =
games=20
  maintain it for the expert but never achieve it for the beginner; =
these games=20
  intimidate all but the most determined players. TEMPEST, for example,=20
  intimidates many players because it appears to be unwinnable. The most =

  successful game in this respect is PAC-MAN, which appears winnable to =
most=20
  players, yet is never quite winnable.</P>
  <P>The most important factor in the creation of the illusion of =
winnability is=20
  the cleanliness of the game. A dirty game intimidates its beginners =
with an=20
  excess of details. The beginner never overcomes the inhibiting =
suspicion that=20
  somewhere in the game lurks a "gotcha". By contrast, a clean game =
encourages=20
  all players to experiment with the game as it appears.</P>
  <P>Another key factor in maintaining the illusion of winnability =
arises from a=20
  careful analysis of the source of player failure. In every game the =
player is=20
  expected to fail often. What trips up the player? If the player =
believes that=20
  his failure arises from some flaw in the game or its controls, he =
becomes=20
  frustrated and angry with what he rightly judges to be an unfair and=20
  unwinnable situation. If the player believes that his failure arises =
from his=20
  own limitations, but judges that the game expects or requires =
superhuman=20
  performance, the player again rejects the game as unfair and =
unwinnable. But=20
  if the player believes failures to be attributable to correctable =
errors on=20
  his own part, he believes the game to be winnable and plays on in an =
effort to=20
  master the game. When the player falls, he should slap himself gently =
and say,=20
  "That was a silly mistake!" <FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter6.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3DSUMMARY></A><B>SUMMARY</B></P>
  <P>In this chapter I have described a number of design methods and =
ideals that=20
  I have used in developing several games. Methods and ideals should not =
be used=20
  in grab bag fashion, for taken together they constitute the elusive =
element we=20
  call "technique". Technique is part of an artist=92s signature, as =
important as=20
  theme. When we listen to Beethoven=92s majestic Fifth Symphony, or the =
rapturous=20
  Sixth, or the ecstatic Ninth, we recognize in all the identifying =
stamp of=20
  Beethoven=92s masterful technique. If you would be a compute game =
designer, you=20
  must establish and develop your own technique. </P></UL>
<UL>
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  &nbsp;|&nbsp; <A=20
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