Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Work on one gameplay mode at a time, and every time you move to a new game-
play mode, be sure to note the actions it has in common with other modes and
keep the control mechanisms consistent.
Shell Menus
Shell menus allow the player to start, configure, and otherwise manage the opera-
tion of the game before and after play. The screens and menus of the shell interface
should allow the player to configure the video and audio settings and the game
controls (see “Allowing for Customization” later in the chapter), to join in multi-
player games over a network, to save and load games, and to shut down the game
software.
The player should not have to spend much time in the shell menus. Provide a way
to let players get right into the action with one or two clicks of a button.
A surprising number of games include awkward and ugly shell menus because
designers assumed that creating these screens could wait until the last minute.
Remember, the shell interface is the first thing your player will see when he starts
up the game. You don't want to make a bad impression before the player even gets
into the game world.
Managing Complexity
As game machines become more powerful, games themselves become increasingly
complex with correspondingly complex user interfaces. Without a scheme for man-
aging this complexity, you can end up with a game that players find extremely
difficult to play—either because no one can remember all the options (as with
some flight simulators) or because so many icons and controls crammed onto the
screen (as in some badly designed strategy games) leave little room for the main
view of the game world. Here you learn some options for managing your game's
complexity.
Simplify the Game
This option should be your first resort. If your game is too complex, make it sim-
pler. You may do this in two ways: with abstraction and automation .
ABSTRACTION
When you abstract some aspect of a complicated system, you remove a more accu-
rate and detailed version of that aspect or function and replace it with a less
accurate and detailed version or no version at all. This makes the game less realistic
but easier to play. If the abstracted feature required UI control or feedback mecha-
nisms, you may save yourself the trouble of designing them.
 
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search