Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
example: From
StarCraft
to
StarCraft 2
The original version of
StarCraft
is an excellent example of a game of emergence.
StarCraft
helped define the real-time strategy genre. Like
Civilization,
the individual
game elements are fairly simple, but there are many interrelationships among them,
setting up a system of game mechanics that has many interesting emergent prop-
erties. During the single-player campaign, you play through 30 missions, which
nearly all have you build a base, manage your resources, and construct and upgrade
an attack force before obliterating your opponents. The progression within a single
StarCraft
level is almost always the same, and because it is predictable, a given level
does not feel very storylike.
StarCraft
also tells a story
around
the levels. In many ways, it is a good example of
storytelling in games, with a narrative that is more dramatic than most games of its
time. In fact, its storyline follows a structure similar to a classical tragedy, which is
definitely rare in games. However, the story is only a framing device around the
core gameplay. The player's performance and choices have no impact on the plot,
apart from the fact that the player must complete missions to advance the story.
The story provides context and motivation for the game but is not an integrated
part of the gameplay.
When
StarCraft 2
came out, more than a decade later, the story and its integration
into the game was probably the biggest change.
StarCraft 2
changed little about the
core mechanics of the original game. You can still build a base, manage resources,
and construct and upgrade your force. However, the missions of the single-player
campaign are much more varied than they were in the original game. For example,
in the level “The Devil's Playground,” the lower areas of the play field are periodi-
cally submerged in lava, destroying everything that is caught there (see
Figure 2.6
).
The mission's objective is not to defeat an enemy base but to survive under these
harsh conditions and harvest a number of resources in the meantime. This creates
a different rhythm and progression from those of the typical missions in the original
version of
StarCraft
. Another good example is the earlier mission called “The
Evacuation.” In this mission, it is your objective to protect a number of civilian
colonists as they try to escape a planet overrun by aliens. To this end, you need to
escort four caravans of civilians trying to break through to the safety of a nearby
spaceport. You will build a base and an attack force but in this case, to protect the
route and civilians. Again, this creates a different play experience from the typical
StarCraft
mission. In the single-player campaign of
StarCraft 2,
it is rare to find a
mission that progresses through the typical stages of the missions of the original
game. No longer can you simply build your base, carefully explore the map, and
attack enemy bases one by one. In
StarCraft 2
, you find yourself pressed by events
and scenarios that were predesigned—a classic progression mechanic. As a result,
the missions are much more varied and engaging, forcing players to adapt their
strategies and common patterns of play to new circumstances all the time. Because
they are not repetitive, they feel more storylike.