After the success of the dentist -free Demon Souls and Dark Souls from the Japanese studio from From Software, the world started talking about complex games again. It turned out that in the age of restoring health and a single -button composi, the audience has not yet forgotten how to go through the same level ten times, die from a well -aimed boss strike and patiently study all the techniques of the main character. That this is a new form of masochism or a fresh look at combat mechanics? Gaming theoretician Josh Baiser wrote an article for the Gamasutra website, where he figured out the emerging direction in the game design. Translation of his research, we bring to your attention.
How does this work?
Today, when designers are trying to attract more users available games, in the best of them difficult situations simply disappear. Some games offer achievements and trophies for those who challenge great difficulties, while others give the opportunity to find problems themselves on their heads (for example, in Kirby’s Epic Yarn tricky tests are hidden in optional hard -to -reach zones).
But there are projects that immediately throw the player to eat sharks – Ninja Gaiden Black And Demon’s Souls. Both are recognized as one of the best and marked by numerous awards. These projects are complex from the first to the last minute.
In Ninja Gaiden Black, the first group battal can easily break a beginner, and many will not be able to go further than the first level. Demon’s Souls kindly provides a ten -minute training mode … Before pushing the player with the enemy who kills him from one blow.
From the outside it may seem dishonest, even cruel. But behind the apparent madness lies the method of "punishment for good".
Both Ninja Gaiden Black and Demon’s Souls are based on several key mechanics. In Ninja Gaiden, you need to constantly move, predict the actions of enemies, know when to beat, and when – retreat. In addition to this, Demon’s Souls needs to track the endurance of the character, which allows you to reflect blows and evade them.
If the player does not master such mechanics at the beginning, he will never pass these games, because both combat systems are based on it.
Starting the game on a higher complexity than the average, you get acquainted with the concept of “Darwinian complexity”, which is well suited for the motto “Adapt or die!". In none of these games, you can’t randomly knock on the buttons, exactly how to stand still all day, holding the block. And there and there you need to recognize the enemy attacks in time, because every blow can be fatal.
Testing “Fire” leads to the fact that the complexity curve of such games differs from the level of complexity of other interactive entertainment.
Usually the games stand on the principle from simple to complex. Occasionally there are concessions, but most often the tests in the game are becoming more and more difficult. The difference is that in projects like Ninja Gaiden Black and Demon’s Souls, where the difficulty is initially high, it always remains on the same level.
Darwinian complexity starts harder and does not give any concessions. However, it does not change, as in other games. Gradually, the user studies, the game becomes easier for him, reducing the level of complexity on the graph. This approach is called "subjective complexity". Let's talk about him below.
Darwinian complexity makes the player study the entire arsenal of his capabilities. Many militants offer a detailed combat system, but players often do not use it. Instead, they resort to the simplest actions (press on all the buttons at once). As a result, the game either quickly bothers, because it is boring, or the player simply will not know what to do when he encounters a situation where you need to use unusual mechanics.
Games like Ninja Gaiden Black first open the whole range of capabilities, which is why a beginner can be confused. Already at the first level you will have to use all available techniques. The gameplay does not change significantly, because, unlike other games, you will never come across an object that radically changes the whole style of passage.
How is Darwinian complexity created?
To develop a game of Darwinist complexity, the designer must keep in mind the following.
Firstly, it all depends on the skills. The player must learn that the main reason for his failures and successes is himself. This will be an incentive to self -improvement.
In terms of design, you need to limit the number of abstractions. In ordinary role -playing games, the level and characteristics of the character determine who will win and who will lose. Darwinian complexity gives the player a call at a different level. Even Roguelike-games, known for a higher complexity, do not meet the principles of Darwinian complexity. In them, complexity is created due to the element of the accident and characteristics of the character, and not due to the skills of the player.
The second – the gameplay should develop. If the player does the same thing all the time, the project will bother him. You can avoid this, improving the character's ability. For example, in Ninja Gaiden Black, you can increase the maximum health, damage caused by weapons, and the duration of the combo.
The easiest way to provide growth is to add new enemies and new situations. So, Demon’s Souls has an incredible variety of bosses; Each of them is a real test. What is only a duel with two maneater or with a blind Old Hero, which can only find a player by sound.
Development should be present, but it is easy to overdo it with it. Improvements should not replace the player's skills. Since it is the skills that are crucial, everything that undermines their significance can violate the balance and ruin the game. After the first two levels, Ninja Gaiden, after the first two levels. In time exposing the block, players could mirror the entire damage caused by the enemy. The developers rightly reasoned that this made the game too simple, and the counterattack was removed from Ninja Gaiden Black, because it was important for the authors that the player was constantly moving.
That is why an increase in health remains the safest option for improving: the buffer between life and death is growing, but this does not downplay the importance of the skill. In Dark Souls, bosses can kill the player with a couple of shocks. A long strip of health will simply increase the chances of survival, but if the player does not learn to evade attacks, he will still be defeated.
On the other hand, changes cannot be made by rejecting previous mechanics and skills. A player who spent a lot of effort on improving his skills, which became useless due to the rash decision of the gamedeer, will feel that he wasted time in vain.
Look at Bayonetta. At the beginning of the game, the authors represent the Witch Time concept: if you successfully evade the attack, then time will slow down and the player will be easier to attack the enemy. This technique allows you to hit enemies who move faster than byonette.
In the middle of the game, villains appear in gold armor, the evasion of the blows of which does not slow down time. Given that the Witch Time technique was one of the ways to avoid damage, many players felt deceived, losing important and useful mechanics.
Finally, the third important detail. Despite the fact that games with Darwinian complexity are much heavier than the rest, the user can be reassured with the choice of complexity modes. Even at a slight level of “Darwinist” games more complicated, but only inexperienced players can “pump” in front of an even higher level of complexity. Ninja Gaiden Black had several such modes – from the simplest to master.
It's all about defense
Let's analyze Ninja Gaiden and Demon’s Souls and find out what makes them so difficult.
In Ninja Gaiden Black, enemies force the player to constantly move. The designers made it so that almost every enemy (including bosses) can take a capture. You can’t get out of tenacious hugs, and such an attack causes great damage. Some types of such techniques can be anticipated, and some turn on if the player blocks a couple of strokes in a row.
The faster the player will master the somersault to the side (in contrast to ordinary blocks), the better. Over time, enemies become faster. And the player will have to move even more frushed.
The climax of the learned skills provides for several. Firstly, at high levels of complexity, players can encounter doubles-opponents using one of the familiar types of weapons and the same techniques and methods of struggle as the user himself. To win, you need to find a way to deal with an equal opponent.
Secondly, at any level of difficulty, before fighting the last villain, the player must go through a series of battles with previous bosses and battles in the arena. The lower the health will be before the final fight, the worse. This gives rise to a certain perfectionism: the desire to go through the level with the least losses. And at the even higher levels of the complexity of the leaders will become even more. Even the new leader-date will add, which has not met in the game before.
This unique boss is one of the most serious opponents in the game. To cause damage and evade murderous blows, you need to choose the right moment. The main attack of the boss is an energy beam, which can be protected from which you can only confidently confident a moment before it is used. In a fight with this villain, it is necessary to learn every movement of her nazum: to evade the main attack in time, a ray of energy, hitting the same moment, otherwise the attack will not produce any effect. If the player manages to defeat her without receiving a scratch, then he really perfectly mastered combat and defense equipment.
In Demon’s Souls, the player should also master all self -defense means. To protect yourself, you can block blows, evade them or try to counterattack. Blocks and evasions tire the character, so the protection is closely related to how often the hero can attack.
When the player blocks the blow, the force of the shield determines how many damage is reflected. The stronger the attack, the more endurance is lost. Somersaults are usually tired more, but you know exactly how much strength each such technique is selected. In addition, with a successful evasion, the player does not receive damage and can bypass the enemy and strike from the rear.
For a counterattack, you need to very accurately guess the moment of the enemy strike. The counterattack does not consume endurance and, if successful use, will cause the enemy additional harm. But if you conduct a reception at the wrong time, the game will punish the user – the character will receive from the enemy in full.
The player must learn to masterfully get away from the blows and resort to blocks only in extreme cases, and in fights with bosses and large enemies about protection it is better to forget at all, otherwise the character will quickly get tired. When it comes to fire and magic, the shield will simply not be effective, so the somersault remains the only true way of defense.
As in Ninja Gaiden Black, this important lesson is offered to check during a fight with the final boss in Demon’s Souls. The leader by every blow causes incredible damage and burns the endurance of the character in a second if he decides to block the attack. Full Combo Boss is deadly.
He also has two special blows that he rarely uses.
The first is an explosion, being in the zone of which only heroes survive, chained in armor from head to toe. You can be saved only by running away, hiding or hitting the enemy, canceling the attack.
The second is a capture that can easily be predicted. If you are seized, the boss permanently reduces the character level. To defeat this monster, the player must perfectly own slopes and understand very well when the opportunity to attack. Both of these games perfectly illustrate the concept of a Darwinist complexity, showing the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.
Advantages of Darwinist complexity ..
Darwinian complexity has several advantages. Remember the concept of "subjective complexity"? Since most of the game techniques are available from the very beginning, the more the player improves his skills, the easier the passage becomes.
Enemies, bosses, situations – everything is based on basic mechanics. Only combat situations are changing.
Studying the main tricks, the player will learn to adapt to new conditions and tests that designers throw him. Places that previously caused difficulties will not bother the players who have bargained in battle.
The militant with Darwinian complexity gives designers a wider idea of the players and their skills, which, in turn, guarantees greater freedom of creativity. In the usual project, the designer should think how well the player understands the project at this stage.
One can learn all the combo-duds for another halfway, and the other will still reap all the buttons in a row. There is no such problem in the “Darwinist” game: if the player has passed the first level, then he got used to all the possibilities.
Another advantage of this approach is the promotion of the player. Overcoming hardships and trials gives a sense of satisfaction available only to those who have passed the game exclusively thanks to their skills. This satisfaction is the greatest incentive.
Another plus of this approach can be considered the potential for re -passage. Since “Darwinian” games require players of amazing skills, return to adventure after some time may seem a refreshing new. As well as at the athletes leaving the sport, muscles are atrophy, so gaming skills are lost over time. If the player returns to Demon’s Souls in a few months, then he will have to study many things again.
… and disadvantages
Nevertheless, games with a Darwinist have difficulty have problems that designers should remember about.
Firstly, such complex games can push away many potential players. Modern entertainment is trying to attract as many people as possible, which in many cases means a decrease in complexity. And Hand of Luck Casino the project in which you can die at any second cannot like millions. Demon’s Souls and its continuation Dark Souls , Of course, they made a noise, but you can’t count them very popular anyway.
Secondly, pushing players to improve their skills is quite risky. “Subjective complexity” is a very individual concept. Where one will pass without problems, the other can come to a standstill. Easy to take a defeat due to the design of the game. But to admit that you are stuck because of your own inability, it is much more difficult.
In a game based on the skills of a player, getting stuck much easier than in RPG, due to the lack of all sorts of abstract restrictions. In RPG, the player has different ways to get out of a difficult situation: he can go the other way, dial a couple of levels, buy equipment. There are simply no such opportunities in the “Darwinist” game, which makes you try again and again until the level is left behind.
In this case, it is very likely that the player will simply quit the passage. Moreover, because of an impassable place, he is unlikely to want to return to her and, most likely, will not buy new games from the same developers.
To make a project according to the "Darwinist" model is not easy. This requires a long and thorough polishing of the gameplay. This approach to design should not force the player to get out of any situation by hook or by crook, but give him everything necessary to win. Will he be able to use these capabilities – a completely different question. But when the designers manage to create the right balance of complexity, players receive a rare project, the pleasure of which is not comparable to anything.
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