Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
more players form an emotional attachment to their characters and feel like they're
moving through a real world, regardless of how stylized it may be.
designers create
immersive games by
providing overlap-
ping stimuli, such as
realistic movement
from characters or
animals coupled with
weather and sounds.
psychologists call
this immersive feel-
ing
presence
.
simulations
As previously noted in this topic, simulations were developed primarily to help
train people for difficult jobs. The military regularly uses them to prepare people
for battle combat or operating large vehicles like tanks or jets and also to simu-
late using complex weapons systems without having to fire a single live round.
Simulators and simulation games are somewhat different. A simulator is a
machine or device that mimics as closely as possible the real thing, like the cock-
pit of a plane. Figure 2.6 shows the game
Navy Field: Resurrection of the Steel
Fleet.
This game has the player commanding a World War II ship to experience
battle at sea. Although this game has RPG elements (the sailors you can interact
with), the experience is essentially meant to replicate what a naval skirmish is
like, right down to the historically accurately designed ships and weaponry, so
this game would be considered a “simulation” as opposed to a “simulator.”
FiGuRe 2.6
I n
Navy Field,
all the ships and weapons are as accurate as possible to enhance
the experience of entering into a conflict.
