ch3.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

=20
  width=3D434></P>
  <P><IMG height=3D415=20
  =
src=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/misslescreen.gi=
f"=20
  width=3D434></P>
  <P>SPACE INVADERS (trademark of Taito America Corp.) is one of the =
most=20
  successful combat games of all time. It was one of the first smash hit =
games=20
  and contributed to the upsurge of popularity of computer games that =
began in=20
  1979. While STAR RAIDERS and ASTEROIDS give the player great mobility =
and=20
  MISSILE COMMAND gives him none, SPACE INVADERS gives the player =
limited=20
  mobility in one dimension only. As in ASTEROIDS, the player must face =
a=20
  multitude of rather stupid opponents who can win by touching the =
player=20
  (landing); in addition, as in STAR RAIDERS, the monsters also shoot =
back. The=20
  monsters march back and forth across the screen, slowly descending =
onto the=20
  player. As the player kills more and more monsters, they march faster =
and=20
  faster. This gives the game a hypnotic accelerating tempo. SPACE =
INVADERS is=20
  definitely a classic.=20
  <P>The success of SPACE INVADERS has spawned a whole series of copies =
and=20
  derivatives. There are a large number of copies whose only goal was to =
cash in=20
  on the success of the original game. There are also several genuine =
derivative=20
  games. For example, GALAXIAN (trademark of Midway) is a simple =
variation on=20
  SPACE INVADERS. Individual invaders peel off and attack the player =
with more=20
  ferocity than the docile monsters of the original game. CENTIPEDE; is =
also a=20
  derivative of SPACE INVADERS; it is different enough to be a new =
design, but=20
  the internal game structure is very similar to the original. The =
invaders have=20
  been grouped into a segmented centipede; their side-to-side motion is =
bounded=20
  not by the edges of the screen but by mushrooms randomly scattered =
across the=20
  screen. Numerous embellishments (spiders, fleas, and scorpions) extend =
the=20
  game considerably. TEMPEST is a three-dimensional first-person =
derivative of=20
  SPACE INVADERS using vector graphics. The amount of design attention =
that=20
  SPACE INVADERS has attracted is a tribute to the game=92s originality, =
appeal,=20
  and durability.</P>
  <P><IMG height=3D109=20
  =
src=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/centipedelogo.g=
if"=20
  width=3D434></P>
  <P><IMG height=3D431=20
  =
src=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/centipedescreen=
.gif"=20
  width=3D434></P>
  <P><IMG height=3D217=20
  =
src=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/tempestlogo.gif=
"=20
  width=3D434></P>
  <P><IMG height=3D393=20
  =
src=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/tempestscreen.g=
if"=20
  width=3D434></P>
  <P>There are many, many other combat games. BATTLEZONE and RED BARON =
are two=20
  first-person combat games utilizing vector displays. Other combat =
games=20
  include CAVERNS OF MARS, YAR=92S REVENGE, CROSSFIRE (trademark of =
On-Line=20
  Systems) and DEFENDER (trademark of Williams).</P>
  <P>You may wonder why so many combat games are set in outer space. =
There are=20
  three reasons. First, space is easy to depict and animate with a=20
  computer---all the designer need do is draw a blank screen with a few =
white=20
  dots for stars. Second, space is not encumbered by the expectations of =
the=20
  players. A designer encountering problems can always concoct some =
super-duper=20
  zapper to solve any design problems with the game and nobody can =
object that=20
  it is unrealistic. Earthbound games constrain the designer to look =
reality=20
  squarely in the eye---such a tiresome burden for a "creative" mind. =
Third,=20
  space is an intrinsically fantasy-laden environment that encourages =
suspension=20
  of disbelief because it is unfamiliar to its audience.</P>
  <P>Combat games have always been at the heart of computer gaming. =
Players=20
  never seem to tire of them; it appears that they will be around for a =
long=20
  time to come. <FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter3.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3DMaze></A><B>Maze Games</B></P>
  <P>The second subgrouping of S&amp;A games is the set of maze games. =
PAC-MAN=20
  (trademark of Namco) is the most successful of these, although maze =
games=20
  predate PAC-MAN. The defining characteristic of the maze games is the =
maze of=20
  paths through which the player must move. Sometimes one or more bad =
guys=20
  pursue the player through the maze. Some maze games (MAZE CRAZE for =
the ATARI=20
  2600 is a good example) specifically require that the player make his =
way to=20
  an exit. Other maze games require that the player move through each =
part of=20
  the maze. DODGE 'EM is an early example of such a game. In either =
case, the=20
  number, speed, and intelligence of the pursuers then determines the =
pace and=20
  difficulty of the game. PAC-MAN has a very carefully balanced =
combination of=20
  these factors. The pursuers are just slightly slower than the human =
player;=20
  their intelligence and number make up for this. The overall pace of =
the game=20
  makes it difficult for the player to fully analyze the positions of =
the five=20
  pieces in real time.</P>
  <P><IMG height=3D44=20
  =
src=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/mspaclogolg.gif=
"=20
  width=3D360></P>
  <P>Any successful game is certain to attract copies, variations, and=20
  derivatives, and PAC-MAN is no exception. One of the first such games =
for the=20
  ATARI Home Computer System was the first edition of JAWBREAKERS =
(trademark of=20
  On-Line Systems). This game, now removed from the market, clearly =
demonstrates=20
  the difference between structural changes and cosmetic changes. =
Structurally,=20
  it is indistinguishable from PAC-MAN. The play of the game is almost =
identical=20
  to that of PAC-MAN. Cosmetically, there are a number of differences: =
the=20
  pursuers are faces rather than ghosts; the player is a set of teeth =
rather=20
  than a head with mouth; the maze is laid out differently; the sounds =
are=20
  different. This game provides a good example of the methods that can =
be used=20
  to copy games while attempting to minimize legal problems.</P>
  <P>Another PAC-MAN derivative is MOUSKATTACK (trademark of On-Line =
Systems).=20
  This game shows some structural changes relative to PAC-MAN. The =
player is=20
  again pursued through a maze by four computer-controlled creatures, =
but the=20
  basic scenario contains a number of embellishments. First, merely =
passing=20
  through every point in the maze is not enough; some points, randomly =
chosen by=20
  the computer, must be passed through twice. Second, the player is =
allowed to=20
  fight back against the pursuers in a very different way (setting =
mousetraps).=20
  The strategic and tactical effects of this counterforce capability =
yield a=20
  game that plays rather differently. Finally, there is a very =
interesting=20
  two-player game that allows both cooperative and competitive =
strategies. In=20
  MOUSKATTACK we see the basic structure of PAC-MAN with a number of=20
  embellishments and extensions that produce a distinct game.</P>
  <P>The appeal of maze games can be attributed to the cleanliness with =
which=20
  they encapsulate the branching structure that is a fundamental aspect =
of all=20
  games. The reader will remember from Chapter One that a game has a =
tree=20
  structure with each branch point representing a decision made by the =
player.=20
  In a maze game, each branch point is neatly depicted by an =
intersection in the=20
  maze, and the options available to the player are visually presented =
as the=20
  paths available at the intersection. Thus, a maze game presents a =
clear visual=20
  representation of the branching structure of the game.</P>
  <P>Even more fascinating is the looping structure possible with maze =
games. A=20
  player can return to an intersection in the maze many times. Yet, each =
time he=20
  does so, the options he has take different meanings because the other=20
  maze-inhabitants have moved in the interim to a different pattern of=20
  positions. In this way, a small number of displayed intersections can=20
  represent a huge number of branch-points in the game-tree. The analogy =
with a=20
  computer program, in which a small number of program instructions, =
through=20
  looping and branching, can address a large number of specific cases, =
is=20
  striking. <FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter3.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3DSports></A><B>Sports Games</B></P>
  <P>These games model popular sports games. They are anachronisms =
derived from=20
  the early days of computer game design when computer games had no =
identity of=20
  their own. People without original ideas for games fell back on the =
sports=20
  games as models around which to design. This also served a useful =
marketing=20
  purpose: why would a conservative consumer buy a game with a title and =
subject=20
  completely alien to his experience? Better to offer him a game he is =
already=20
  familiar with. Thus we have games based on basketball, football, =
baseball,=20
  soccer, tennis, boxing, and others. All of these games take liberties =
with=20
  their subject matter to achieve playability. The most enjoyable =
aspects of the=20
  computer game have very little to do with the real game. This is =
fortunate,=20
  for a slavish attempt at replication would have produced a poor =
computer game.=20
  Only by substantially altering the original games were the authors =
able to=20
  produce a decent design. Even so, sports games remain the wallflowers =
of=20
  computer gaming. I suspect that sports games will not attract a great =
deal of=20
  design attention in the future. Now that computer games have an =
accepted=20
  identity of their own, the need for recognizable game titles has =
diminished.=20
  <FONT size=3D-1><A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/peabody/game-book/Chapter3.html#=
top">Top</A>=20
  </FONT></P>
  <P><A name=3DPaddle></A><B>Paddle Games</B></P>
  <P>I use the title "Paddle Games" to cover the PONG-based games. PONG =
is=20
  certainly one of the most successful and fertile of game designs, for =
it has=20
  many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The central element of the =
game,=20
  that of intercepting a projectile with a paddle-controlled piece, has =
been=20
  used in endless variations. The original PONG pitted two players in an =

  electronic version of ping-pong, hence the name. BREAKOUT was a =
solitaire=20
  version that required the player to chip away at a wall with the ball. =
The=20
  player received points for each brick destroyed. SUPERBREAKOUT =
introduced=20
  variations on this theme with moving walls, extra balls, and other =
tricks.=20
  CIRCUS ATARI introduced parabolic trajectories for the projectiles and =
a=20
  complex moving wall of balloons. WARLORDS; took the genre even =
further; up to=20