Engaging the Player
locallyunscene
Feeder of Trolls Join Date: 2002-12-25 Member: 11528Members, Constellation
Feeder of Trolls Join Date: 2002-12-25 Member: 11528Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">from that article in the twitter</div><a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3868/shoot_to_thrill_biosensory_.php?print=1" target="_blank">Here's a direct link</a> to the Gamasutra article that was referenced in the twitter feed. Here are a few interesting excerpts from it that I think apply to NS2.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>2. Tutorials integrated into combat.</b>
... We've seen two side effects that reinforce the importance of having engaging tutorials. First, and most obviously, players who don't know how to play the game consistently have lower recorded engagement levels throughout their play session, as they continue to struggle to immerse themselves in gameplay, even after the introductory tutorials and levels have finished.
Second, long and boring tutorials delay the first moment of engagement, that critical moment when players realize they can indeed be immersed in this game. In some games we've tested, the first strongly engaging event does not occur until 20 minutes into the experience, a lifetime for a gamer who just wants to have fun.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: Straight up tutorials are boring, but the player needs some idea of how to play to enjoy the game.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>3. Bring players down to bring them back up.</b>
The roller coaster analogy is an apt one to describe players' engagement and physiological responses. The fun lies in going up and down on the ride. Staying at the same elevation is about as much fun as riding a [<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=101871&view=findpost&p=1640557" target="_blank">monorail</a>]. Creating emotional drama, of course, is easier said than done in video games.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: Minigames are a good idea.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>4. Close combat, close combat, close combat.</b><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: NS FTW
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>What Went Wrong
2. Boot camps and training areas.
3. Broken roller coasters.</b>
There's only so much intensity players can handle. Games that try to keep intensity continuously high created (counter-intuitively) an experience that was actually less intense, less cinematic, and less "epic."<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: See above.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>4. Repetition and assured outcomes.</b>
We also discovered how important novelty and its close cousin, the unknown, are to engaging players.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: less important for a multiplayer only game like NS2 because players should provide the unknown.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>5. Gameplay innovation through novel weapons.</b>
Results demonstrate that novel weapons can have a huge payout, but also a big downside if not executed well.
...
The failure lies in how protected the players are. In Resistance, one of the players' experiences with turrets in the first 90 minutes is from within a huge tank. In Halo 2, players utilize small, unprotected turrets that nearly ensure that they will be harmed, if not killed, if they remain on the turret for long.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: Unique weapons are good, OP weapons are bad, Weapons with no tradeoffs are boring.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>2. Tutorials integrated into combat.</b>
... We've seen two side effects that reinforce the importance of having engaging tutorials. First, and most obviously, players who don't know how to play the game consistently have lower recorded engagement levels throughout their play session, as they continue to struggle to immerse themselves in gameplay, even after the introductory tutorials and levels have finished.
Second, long and boring tutorials delay the first moment of engagement, that critical moment when players realize they can indeed be immersed in this game. In some games we've tested, the first strongly engaging event does not occur until 20 minutes into the experience, a lifetime for a gamer who just wants to have fun.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: Straight up tutorials are boring, but the player needs some idea of how to play to enjoy the game.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>3. Bring players down to bring them back up.</b>
The roller coaster analogy is an apt one to describe players' engagement and physiological responses. The fun lies in going up and down on the ride. Staying at the same elevation is about as much fun as riding a [<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=101871&view=findpost&p=1640557" target="_blank">monorail</a>]. Creating emotional drama, of course, is easier said than done in video games.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: Minigames are a good idea.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>4. Close combat, close combat, close combat.</b><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: NS FTW
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>What Went Wrong
2. Boot camps and training areas.
3. Broken roller coasters.</b>
There's only so much intensity players can handle. Games that try to keep intensity continuously high created (counter-intuitively) an experience that was actually less intense, less cinematic, and less "epic."<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: See above.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>4. Repetition and assured outcomes.</b>
We also discovered how important novelty and its close cousin, the unknown, are to engaging players.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: less important for a multiplayer only game like NS2 because players should provide the unknown.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>5. Gameplay innovation through novel weapons.</b>
Results demonstrate that novel weapons can have a huge payout, but also a big downside if not executed well.
...
The failure lies in how protected the players are. In Resistance, one of the players' experiences with turrets in the first 90 minutes is from within a huge tank. In Halo 2, players utilize small, unprotected turrets that nearly ensure that they will be harmed, if not killed, if they remain on the turret for long.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
tldr: Unique weapons are good, OP weapons are bad, Weapons with no tradeoffs are boring.
Comments
How did you come to this conclusion? I personally think that minigames insult my intelligence and distract from the actual game/are a cheap way of covering up lack of inspiration.
I actually kind of agree with you for the first time in a while. I don't think mini-games are a poor tool, but they often stick out horribly because they are usually quick time events. There are good examples of good minigames, most recent being the Gears of War 2 chainsaw duels but they are rare.
How did you get the idea of mini-games anyway? I think that snippet was talking about creating lows and highs in the gameplay. Come back victories and all that.
How did you get the idea of mini-games anyway? I think that snippet was talking about creating lows and highs in the gameplay. Come back victories and all that.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If you read the entire section(more than I quoted because it's rather long) it talks about how puzzles break up the gameplay and offer a higher level of engagement than cut scenes or pure downtime.
So, holding E to build the building? Or are we talking about the welder mini-game?
Cyberspace in Dystopia has a very effective minigame while hacking to speed up the process when you're not being engaged. If there is an enemy, the enemy might be able to run up the console and even cancel your hacking. Makes for really awesome fights.
Only if you implement them poorly. I had always assumed they'd be procedurally generated anyway.
Here's an idea:
Allow the opposing commander to interact with the welding/building/infesting minigame when it is on their "territory". It could be a new form of micro.
For Welding or a similar equivalent for aliens:
Once you initiate the weld, a screen pops up and you gain a cursor. Best way to describe it would be with a example of the flash game equivalent.
<a href="http://theflashgames.blogspot.com/2008/03/cursor-maze-3.html" target="_blank">http://theflashgames.blogspot.com/2008/03/cursor-maze-3.html</a> (Best I could find in short notice)
You have this stylized and have it be a small game that needs to be done once per weld that cuts off seconds off the total time if done successfully. Its simple but rewarding, and I think its what locallyunscene is trying to describe.
I would think just follow the line would be better, or fill the area. and if they draw off the line or out of the area there is no penalty.
Also another simpler idea would be similar to the reload system of gears of war where if you hit a spot timed correctly then it goes faster. Or have a balance game similar to that of grinding in tony hawk skating.
When we are talking simple interactive mini games they mean REAL simple. nano-games (lol nanites nano-games)
anyway yea so if you can think of a good nano-game that would be awesome.
Like faster reloads if you hit the button on time (but not bonus damage)
Or longer faster leaps if you hit the button on time.
As for mini games I can actually see bunny hopping being a good mini game! but have some kind of visual aid to show if you are doing it correctly.
Like the reload system of Gears of War you have a bar with a dot going across. when you hit the dot on a certain space using the spacebar you get a speed improvement! this way there is tactile feedback towards bunny hopping! though this is kinda pointless considering the way it is used in current games but it would be an interesting implementation.
Another way to make it more interesting is as you bunny hop for longer and longer the period between jumps gets shorter and shorter.
Building nano-games for both gorges and marines would be good.