Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
simulation of the sport as it is played by professionals. Even in a highly realistic
game, your objective is to provide an enjoyable experience, not a mathematical
simulation of nature.
Rating the Athletes
One of the biggest tasks you take on in designing a sports game is developing a rat-
ing system for the skills and athletic abilities of all the athletes in the game. The
rating system provides the raw data that the physics engine needs to accurately
simulate the behavior of the athletes. As your programming team develops the
physics engine and game AI, you should work with them to determine what ratings
are needed. Researching the athletes' performances and setting the ratings for them
can take many months, and the lead designer will probably want to delegate it to
junior designers or assistant producers.
In most team games, all athletes share one set of ratings, plus specialized ratings
that apply only to athletes playing a particular position.
COMMON RATINGS
The kinds of ratings that might be common to all the athletes in a game include:
■
Speed.
The athlete's maximum moving (running or skating or swimming) speed
under ideal conditions.
■
Agility.
A measure of the athlete's ability to change directions while moving.
■
Weight.
The athlete's weight, which affects the force he transmits in a collision
and the inertia he has when struck by someone else.
■
Acceleration.
The rate at which the athlete can reach top speed.
■
Jumping.
The height to which the athlete can jump.
■
Endurance.
The rate at which the athlete gets tired during the course of
the game.
■
Injury resistance.
The probability that an athlete will, or will not, be injured
during play.
SPECIALIZED RATINGS
Some ratings apply to a specific position—this example uses the quarterback in
American football:
Passing strength.
The distance that the quarterback can throw the ball.
■
Passing accuracy.
The precision with which the quarterback can throw the ball.
■
