Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
When you get to the point that you are creating multiple levels, you will find that a simple spreadsheet
can help you track the various aspects of your game across levels and apply the same concepts of
balance and progression throughout your game. Depending on the type of game, elements to consider
tracking for comparison include level objectives, play time, and player progression and abilities vs.
enemies and hazards.
Punishments and Rewards
Balance is a recurring theme in game design that applies to more than the physical layout of the
game. Another area to consider is reinforcement. The player wants a fun game they can win, and
that they hopefully enjoy enough to play again and tell their friends about it. As you integrate the
varying levels of intensity discussed in Pacing into your game, you want to consider the quality of
the emotional experience you provide to the player. Consider a range of emotions your player might
experience throughout the game (Figure 9-15 ).
Winning!
Happy
Emotional
Intensity
Neutral
Frustrated
Angry
Time
Figure 9-15. The player experiences varying levels of emotional intensity over time
While emotional ups and downs add to the overall game experience, frustration and anger definitely
fall into the category of Not Fun for most players.
Challenging or Discouraging?
The obstacle course clearly provides negative reinforcement—the player dies if she fails to clear an
obstacle, then the game is over. This makes for a fairly difficult game, especially for first-time players:
one mistake and the player loses. Going through the motions of restarting the game emphasizes the
fact that the player lost, which is annoying at best. If frustrated enough, the player may choose to
move on to another game rather than risk more frustration.
What if you provided the player with more lives? Though the player still dies if she fails to clear an
obstacle, with no effort on the player's part the player character respawns, ready for another go.
 
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