Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
High
Intensity
Low
Game Progression
Figure 9-8.
Gameplay with varying emotional intensity levels over time
In the obstacle course example, each of the zones within the obstacle course can be a distinct level
of intensity, separated by a checkpoint where you provide just enough room for the player to stand
and assess the next obstacle. This breathing space allows the player to come down emotionally,
resetting the perceived intensity downward before the player dives into the relatively higher intensity
of the next zone.
Balance
Since this sample project is an obstacle course of mechanical hazards, obstacles that are similar
shouldn't be placed one after another. This concept is based on the same reasoning as pacing—the
more the brain has to adjust, the greater the perceived difference.
At one end of the extreme, imagine a cannon zone and blizzard zone that are very similar. The cannons
are spaced approximately equal to the concentration of the blizzard “snowflakes,” the projectiles are
the same speed, and both zones' projectiles travel from right to left horizontally (Figure
9-9
).
Blizzard
zone
Cannon
zone
Top view of elevated track
Figure 9-9.
Cannon zone and blizzard zone look like similar obstacles
