Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Event systems
When you're looking to engage the player roaming around in your game, it is best to
throw them off guard and challenge them when they least expect it; this ensures that the
player is paying attention while playing, and it also serves to keep them on their toes at all
times.
The following methods help to achieve this:
•
Fixed systems
: This is where the places and interactions are actually planned in
advance by forcing the player to be drawn in to an event at prescribed times/
places
•
Random generation
: This involves using random systems to challenge the player
within a given time frame or occurrence, giving the player a chance of an event
but not a certainty of one
There are merits and demerits with either approach for the player as they interact with
your game. Fixed systems are easy to implement but limit replayability (game becomes
dull in the second or subsequent runs), whereas random systems can be trickier to get the
balance right but it also mean the player will likely keep playing longer or get irritated
very quickly.
Finding the balance between implementing events is a tricky process, which you will have
to find the right sweet spot for in your particular game, and inevitably all games imple-
ment this differently.
Also, remember that there is no silver bullet and no reason not to use both systems togeth-
er, using fixed systems to tell a story and random events to keep it interesting.
