Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Player Roles
The player's role is most commonly that of an athlete, but in a team sport, that
doesn't mean just one particular athlete. The player's focus of control usually fol-
lows the action rather than being tied to a single individual. Thus, the player's role
shifts rapidly, especially if some athletes play specialized positions such as catcher
or goalie.
The player may sometimes elect to play as the coach, again a role found chiefly in
team sports. The coach selects the starting athletes for the team, sets offensive and
defensive strategies, and makes athlete substitutions during the match. See
Figure
16.1
for an example. The player usually switches to the coach role during timeouts
or other pauses in the action.
FIGURE 16.1
Madden NFL 09's
training camp screen,
a coaching function
Finally, there's the role of general manager of the team. The general manager hires
and fires athletes, trying to recruit the best athletes within the limitations of the
budget. In a game that allows it, the manager also tries to build up the team over a
period of years, improving its standing in the league.
