Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Why do we shop?
People have been asking this question since caveman times probably (although granted
that Walmart wasn't yet open). What things do you need to help you become contented in
the world; let me pose that eternal question as an example, "Do these shoes make me look
fat?". Such questions have no real answer other than our appetite as humans to collect
things, and if they help us feel good about our lives, all the better.
The same is true in the gaming world. Adventures need things to help the budding adven-
turer along, to make them better, and look better in a lot of modern games.
The motivation to buy things is strong, and we have come to expect this in almost any
game. From a simple adventure game where we just pick things up off the street that may
come in useful later, fashion games where you have to be as pretty as possible, to full-
fledged RPG games where inventory is everything, this motivation is indispensable. If
you haven't got that level 20 sword of ultimate banishing, you just aren't going to make it
in the world. Even FPS games aren't immune to this phenomenon. If you can't upgrade
and tweak your weapons, you are seen as old and out of touch.
One of the biggest rises in consumerization these days has happened in the casual market;
just about every casual game has coins that you can collect to unlock power-ups, extra
levels, or even skins for your character to change their appearance (they serve no actual
value but just add further depth to the game). It is astounding how simple tap-and-flick
games have become some of the biggest marketing machines.
It is important to keep all of this in mind and look at the real world when designing any
shopping/inventory system for your RPG game. The more it feels like something that
someone would do in real life, the more at home they will feel with it, and the easier they
will find using it.
You should always be asking the following questions to yourself while designing such a
system:
• How does an item add value?
• Does it seem affordable?
• Is it going to improve the play? (Doesn't actually have to?)
• Is it desirable?
• Is it better to know what the player will already have and why?
• Is it for single use (consumable) or fixed (durable/nonconsumable)?
