1 Strategic versus Tactical (1 of 2) Strategic versus Tactical (2 - PDF document

Gameplay Example (1 of 2)  Adventure game: Knight and Priest The Game Development  During combat  Knight in front with sword Process:  Priest in back casts spells (all spells cost the same)  E-bolts (do damage equal to sword) Gameplay  Band-aids (heal equal to sword)  Fight a single opponent with sword  Fight a single opponent with sword  Which spell should Priest cast?  Against 1 big opponent with 6 arms?  e-bolts  Against 30 small opponents with weak attacks?  band-aids  Can always decide which is better (not interesting!)  How can we fix this? 2 Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris Group Exercise Gameplay Example (2 of 2)  Now, suppose…  Break into project groups  Band-aids still affect single target but e-  Adventure game: Knight and Priest bolts have an area affect  E-bolts do less damage, but armor  Add gameplay elements that make doesn’t make a difference combat more interesting than in previous combat more interesting than in previous  Now, which spell should Priest cast? choice  Answer isn’t as easy. Interesting choices. Good gameplay.  Discuss “A game is a series of interesting choices.”  What are the categories? - Sid Meier ( Pirates , Civilization …) 3 4 Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris Avoid Trivial Choices Toolbox of Interesting Choices Cavalry  Cavalry  Archers  Lancers  Strategic versus Tactical  Transitive, not so interesting Lancers Archers  Supporting Investments  Better (see right)  Compensating Factors  Cavalry fast, get to archers quickly with lances  Impermanence  Impermanence  Lancers’ spears hurt cavalry bad  Lancers spears hurt cavalry bad  Lancers slow, so archers wail on them from afar  Shadow Costs  What game does this look like?  Synergies  rock-paper-scissors  Intransitive , more interesting 5 6 Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris 1

Strategic versus Tactical (1 of 2) Strategic versus Tactical (2 of 2)  Ex: StarCraft  Strategic choices affect course of game  Strategic choice: 1) upgrade range of over medium or long term marines, 2) upgrade damage, or 3) research  Tactical choices apply right now faster fire  Ex: build archers or swordsmen (strategic)  Which to choose?  Ex: send archers or swordsmen to defend  If armored foes, Protoss Zealot, more damage against invading force (tactical)  If fast foes, Zerglings, maybe faster fire  Other factors: number of marines, terrain, on  Strategic choices have effect on tactical offense or defense choices later  Ex: if don’t build archers, can’t use tactically later 7 8 Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris Supporting Investments Compensating Factors  Consider strategy game, all units are impeded by terrain  Often game has primary goal (ex: beat enemy) but also  Ships can’t go on land, tanks can’t cross water, camel riders only secondary goals (ex: build farms for resources) in dessert  Some expenditures directly impact primary goal (ex: hire  Flying unit that can go anywhere  How to balance? soldier), while others indirect (ex: build farm) called 1) Make slow 2) Make weak, easily destroyed supporting investments 3) Make low surveillance range (but could be unrealistic)  Supporting primary goals are “one-removed” 4) Make expensive Common but uninteresting since doesn’t change tactical use!  Ex: improve weapons, build extra barracks  Guideline is to ask what is best and worst about choices:  Supporting secondary goals are “two-removed” 1) This move does most damage, but slowest  Ex: build smithy can then improve weapons 2) This move is fastest, but makes defenseless  Ex: research construction lets you build smithy and build 3) This move best defense, but little damage barracks (two and three removed)  Most should be best in some way  Interesting since element of strategy  What if ok in every way?  Versatile (next)  Payoff will depend upon what opponents do 9 10 Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris Versatility Impermanence (1 of 2)  With versatility, a 4 th choice:  Some things are permanent  Ex: you get a potion that raises max HP 4) This is neither best nor worst, but most versatile  Others are not  Ex: beam can mine asteroids and shoot enemies  Ex: I got the “one ring” but you can grab it off me  Versatility makes it good choice  Really, impermanence is another kind of compensating factor p g  Versatility, neither best nor worst  Versatility, neither best nor worst  i.e., impermanence can compensate for something being  Good for beginners really good  Flexible, so often more powerful  a common and valuable technique  (against unpredictable or expert opponent)  Can be used for interesting choices  Speed makes units versatile  Ex: choice of “medium armor for rest of level” or  Common “invulnerable for 30 seconds”?  Don’t make fast units best at something else  Advantage (or disadvantages) can be impermanent in number of ways.  Versatile unit cheapest and most powerful  How?  not an interesting choice 11 12 Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris 2

Impermanence (2 of 2) Shadow Costs (1 of 2)  Examples (mostly from Magic the Gathering – Battlegrounds )  In a game, you are continually presented  Can be destroyed ( enchantments , ex: gratuitous with cost/ benefit trade-offs violence makes units tough, but can be destroyed)  But not always directly  Can be stolen or converted (ex: threaten steals or converts enemy for short time)  Ex: soldiers for gold, but need armory first for g , y  Can be applied to something you don’t always have weapons and barracks for soldiers (ex: goblin king gives bonus to goblins, but must have  Called shadow costs for supporting goblins) investments  Certain number of uses (ex: three grenades , but  And shadow costs can vary, adding subtlety grenade spamming)  Last for some time (wears off, ex: Mario invulnerable star ) 13 14 Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris Shadow Costs (2 of 2) Synergies (1 of 2)  Ex: Age of Mythology has wood and food. Food is Synergies are interaction between different elements inexhaustible, wood is finite of player’s strategies (note, terms may be different than Ch 2.1)  Direct cost for Charioteer: 60 wood, 40 food and 40 seconds  Shadow costs vary over game  Positive Feedback  Negative Feedback  Early on, food and wood expensive, spawn doesn’t matter  Economies of Scale – the  Diseconomies of Scale – (since make few) more of one type, the more of one type, the first is most useful, others first is most useful, others  Mid-game, much food and wood, spawn makes it harder to  Mid game much food and wood spawn makes it harder to better (ex: wizards draw have less benefit (ex: pump out new units strength from each other) diminishing returns from  End-game, no wood, spawn is priceless more peasants entering a  Economies of Scope – the  Vary environment and vary shadow costs mine since get in each more of a set, the better,  Ex: more/ fewer trees to vary cost of wood other’s way) or advantage of combined  Use variability to add subtlety to game arms (ex: trident and  Diseconomies of Scope –  Challenge for level designer net, infantry and tanks) (ex: mixed troops go only  Expert players will appreciate as fast as slowest) 15 16 Based on Chapter 3, Game Architecture and Design , by Rollings and Morris Synergies (2 of 2) Group Exercise  Break into groups  Ideally, all go together at once, but can emphasize  Consider a new game  Ex: Chess is a game of positive feedback  Race across Japan (Soporro to Nagasaki) (not by air)  First team to cross finish line wins!  Small advantage early on, exploited to crushing advantage  Choose 1-2 tools from your toolbox below  Strategic versus Tactical  Strategic versus Tactical  Game of negative feedback needs other ways to  G f ti f db k d th t  Supporting Investments keep interesting  Compensating Factors  Ex: trench combat makes a “catch-up” factor, or as get  Impermanence far from base, supply grows long, game lasts a long  Shadow Costs time  Synergies  Ex: Super NES NBA Jam – catch up setting as an  First choose tool, then consider gameplay to equalizer make interesting  Be aware of both negative and positive feedback  Discuss! 17 18 3