Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
by. So, even though he seems to be close to victory, he might be far from reaching
it. Also, the nature (but not the number) of each player's trade goods is hidden, and
the dynamic engine relies on a random mechanism, which further complicates try-
ing to assess who's ahead. By comparison, it's obvious in
Monopoly,
because all the
players' possessions are in plain view.
FIGURe 11.20
The economy of
The
Settlers of Catan
Because
The Settlers of Catan
measures progress indirectly, it is possible to win in
more than one way. Players might go for many villages and cities or, alternatively,
bet on getting the right development cards. The first option is a fairly safe choice
but requires many resources, while the cards become a good option when the player
has fewer resources; it represents something of a high-risk, high-reward strategy.
NOTE
many people
have criticized
The Sims
for its relentlessly mate-
rialistic approach. Your
sims have no spiritual
life and seem not to be
able to derive happi-
ness from anything but
extravagant furnish-
ings. a close reading
of the tongue-in-cheek
descriptions of the
furniture in the game
shows that the devel-
opers were perfectly
well aware of what they
were doing. The game
is a satire.
The Sims
also measures indirect progress over many different resources. The player
takes control of a number of
sims
: simulated people who live in something that is
best described as a virtual dollhouse (
Figure 11.21
). The player's success is measured
in terms of the material goods (furniture and features of the house) that the player
accumulates for his sims but also by the advancement of the sims' professional
careers.
The Sims
is a time-management game in which the player must use the lim-
ited time available to perform all the activities necessary to keep them happy and
healthy. By taking good care of his sims, they will find jobs. If they make it to work
on time and in good health and good spirits, they will advance their careers. Better
jobs means they will bring home more money that the player can spend on items
to entertain the sims and to make their daily routine run more efficiently. Although
the game does not state that the goal is to guide the sims toward material and pro-
fessional success, it is implicit in the mechanics, and many players play it that way.
