Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Compare the mix of strategy and skill in
Angry Birds
with a similar mix in
World of
Goo
(
Figure 1.3
). In
World of Goo,
players build constructions from a limited supply
of goo balls. The game includes a detailed physical simulation that controls the
player-built constructions. Physical phenomena such as gravity, momentum, and
center of mass play an important role in the mechanics of the game. Indeed, players
can form an intuitive understanding of these notions from playing
World of Goo
. But
more importantly, players learn how to manage their most important (and discrete)
resource, goo balls, and use them to build successful constructions. The difference
between
Angry Birds
and
World of Goo
becomes very clear when you consider the
respective effects of both games' continuous, pixel-precise physics. In
Angry Birds,
the difference of a single pixel can translate into a critical hit or complete miss.
World of Goo
is more forgiving. In that game, releasing a goo ball a little more to the
left or right usually does not matter, because the resulting construction is the same,
and spring forces push the ball into the same place. The game even shows what
connections will be made before the player releases a ball (as shown in Figure 1.3).
You can see that the gameplay is more strategic in
World of Goo
than it is in
Angry
Birds
.
World of Goo
depends more on its discrete mechanics than on its continuous
mechanics to create the player's experience.
FIGURe 1.3
World of Goo
