Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
provide any of those physical feelings, so you have to substitute other indicators.
With driving simulators, it isn't as important because automobiles seldom generate
significant G-forces, and the player receives plenty of other visual cues, as the pre-
vious section describes.
Military aircraft can generate powerful G-forces, and the engines of modern fighter
planes are powerful enough to tear the plane apart if it is mishandled. If you're
doing a realistic simulation, you might want to include this deadly little detail. If
so, or if you just want to give the pilot an indication of the G-forces involved, you
should include a G-force meter showing the amount of stress being applied to the
plane (and pilot). In addition, pilots undergoing strong downward G-forces can
black out momentarily as all the blood drains out of their heads. They can also suf-
fer an experience called
redout
if they encounter a strong upward G-force, because
too much blood flows into their heads. Many games simulate these conditions by
fading the screen to black or to red, which, in addition to preventing the player
from seeing anything, gives a clear indication that something is wrong.
Vehicle simulations require a designer to k nowledgeably represent a k nown physi-
cal world in a realistic manner to the player. You should spend time learning about
the characteristics of the vehicles you wish to simulate within the game, work to
adapt the core mechanics to the limitations of the user interface, and devise and
create compelling opponents and courses for the player to use.
You should determine whether the audience of your game will be purists or casual
players and design core game mechanics to satisfy that market. For the purist, the
simulation needs to be the most accurate representation of the vehicle possible,
whereas for the casual player, the simulation can more easily trade play mecha-
nisms for realism.
The most critical things for you to consider after you choose your audience are the
vehicle characteristics, the opponent behaviors, and finally the design of the
courses or tracks within the game.
Vehicle simulations can be highly technical and challenging, and a dedicated
designer must be prepared to undertake a lot of research.
Design Practice
CASE STUDY
Choose a vehicle simulator that you believe, from your own experience of playing
it, is an excellent example of the genre (or use one your instructor assigns). It
should be a serious simulator of a real vehicle rather than an arcadelike game about
a fictional vehicle. Write a report documenting why you believe it is superior to
others of its kind. Be sure to cover at least the following areas:
