|
Copyright © 2003 Andy Krouwel, All rights reserved
Article originally appeared as 'Player Power' in Issue 27 of Develop magazine, in April 2003
andy@sockmonsters.com
Do
you read the last page of a novel first?
Ever skipped a track on a CD?
Ever played the last level of a game first?
As
game designers we know all about players. They get our title
and play it from beginning to end, unlocking levels and features
as they go. On completion they play through again with some
bonus items or variations. What could be simpler?
Unfortunately,
this isn’t the whole picture.
What
about the player that wants to show off the cool set piece?
Or who feels like shooting rather than driving today? What if
they are reloading a familiar favourite for a quick blast? Or
want to admire the scenery? Or continue from where their hard
drive crashed? Doing any of these things is not easy. We try
so hard to design an ideal experience for an ideal player, but
often prevent the game working any other way.
Computers
have this power to force the designer’s view onto the player.
Want a go on level 12? Not until you’ve cleared your plate
of level 11. We talk about non-linearity in levels, but
viewed as a whole experience our games are held in a linear
straightjacket. The player WILL start at the defined points,
overcome the obstacles in set order and finish with the end
sequence. There might be different events or paths for each
play, but there’s still that linear sequence. A brand new
game isn’t a wonderful playground full of discovery and
possibility, it’s a tutorial, or in Half Life’s case
a commute.
Compare
this with the flexibility of other media. You wouldn’t
put up with a DVD without fast-forward or rewind, or a book
where you only got the next page by handing back the previous
one, yet this is exactly what we do with games. Traditional
media rely far more on linearity to make narrative sense than
games, and yet the ‘player’ has the freedom to ignore
the designer’s planned path if they wish. You can just
watch the action scene, or look at the pictures.
Doesn’t
the strength of computer games lie in making progress, in the
urge to see around the next corner or defeat the next boss?
Yes, reward comes from overcoming challenges, but we
often make the mistake of seeing it as overcoming obstacles.
A challenge is something only the player can really know, based
on their skills, experience and mood. Challenges are neither
boringly trivial nor frustratingly impossible, and might be
as simple as figuring out how to successfully use the controls.
The designer can try and make challenges, but will only ever
be pitching for the 'ideal' player. All too often we’re
wrong and a game is either too hard or too easy.
We
should be able to let the player have more control over their
experience, and let them find challenges. Sometimes you just
want to blow the crap out of the aliens without them fighting
back, and sometimes you want to push your skills. Accommodate
both.
Most
games have a skill level you can choose at the start, but this
doesn’t go nearly far enough, Rez for example has extensive
customisation. Choose your weapon, your starting form or even
play without being shot at. FPSes have many player-empowering
features, including full level and equipment selection, removal
of time limits and invulnerability, but they’re hidden.
Most players may never find the console command, or the cheat
code that will let them modify the game to their taste. Options
like this should be there on the front menu.
The
point is, it’s the player’s game. They’ve paid
for it and should be able to experience it in any way they want.
Why not let them skip parts they don’t like, or want to
come back to? How many give up when they get stuck and
never see the levels beyond? Let them see all the hard work
and effort you’ve put in. Its not surprising people complain
about prices if they only see a fraction of a game before getting
stuck.
Unlock
your games, let them be free!
Make
every area available from the start. Don’t encrypt player
save files, supply an editor. Let them be invincible if they
want. Make your intended path obvious, but don’t block
the others. Trust your players. The more choices available in
your title, the less likely the player is going to select ‘coaster’.
The
designer does not outrank the player.
Mini Bio
Andy Krouwel's
diverse career includes spacecraft AI, ragdoll physics at MathEngine
and lead programming for Kar2ouche at Immersive Education. He
is currently a designer at Sockmonsters. Andy founded a computer
magazine at primary school largely in order to bad-mouth the
Spectrum. He now admits it wasn't all bad.
|
