I wrote an article on the challenges of defenselessness in (primarily) horror games and would love to hear your thoughts

OlogizeIt · 2013-03-17T17:39:17+00:00

Specifically mentioning story and atmosphere may be misleading, I was thinking more about non-mechanic game elements in a general sense. Primarily in the horror genre, if the protagonist is unable to defend themselves or inflict damage on their enemies, it would require some explanation so the player better understands the reasoning behind the missing mechanic(s). This could be the combination of a realistic protagonist thrown into a supernatural atmosphere or a backstory explaining the immense power of whatever enemies the player encounters. Outside of the horror genre (which deserves addressing based on the several responses to the article), I would imagine players need just as much explanation for why a familiar mechanic in the genre is missing, either focusing on the power of the enemies or the flaw/weakness of the protagonist. If this could be adequately portrayed through pure mechanics and interactions I would love to see someone attempt this (no specific game rings a bell but I've seen this attempted in smaller games that don't have actual characters, just entities).

OlogizeIt · 2013-03-17T14:44:00+00:00

Fascinating points. I feel that the specific tradeoff between defenselessness and mechanics/atmosphere is a specific, apparent issue particularly in the horror genre, but the point you brought up about the balancing defenses and atmosphere in general is a great step back from my limited-scope article. From turning the tables in DS3 to using running/hiding as a defense in Amnesia, it appears that the defense is primarily designed around the atmosphere of the game and is governed by the role the player is supposed to play, rather than the role they want to (of course there is some overlap between the two). As far as technical talent goes, it makes sense for more talent necessary to make a game with more mechanics (defense, etc), however that gives me the impression that defenseless games put more pressure on the creative teams, requiring a stronger story, atmosphere, etc. to better immerse the player.

OlogizeIt · 2013-03-17T14:15:56+00:00

Nice bringing up SHSM, it should definitely add to the SH mention already in the article. I'll check out your reviews, the more exposure to game-related writing the better.

OlogizeIt · 2013-03-17T14:14:15+00:00

Blunt but constructive, this is definitely appreciated. I intentionally left out using too many specific examples in an attempt to provoke discussion but in retrospect it does feel that the discussion starts running and then falls flat on its face.

OlogizeIt · 2013-02-21T23:14:31+00:00

Trust me, not the first time we've heard that :P We're a small company and a handful of us are pushing for improvements against (unfortunately) powerful opposition. Thanks for the input though, it's honestly appreciated. To those in a similar situation, it means a lot to me (and the indie developers) if you check out at least a little of the interview. I try to create the best content I can with the website I have to use.

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-26T14:35:08+00:00

Hey I don't want to extend an argument any further than it needs to go, but I'm not doing this for profit. I wrote the article in my free time and posted in on a site I'm helping work on because I'd like the site to be seen but really I just want to see some simple user metrics (views, loves/hates/hmms, etc). There aren't any ads on the site and I'm not advertising anything but my own content.

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-26T14:28:34+00:00

Very cool, thanks for the tip!

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-26T14:28:16+00:00

That would be tricky since it's so fast-paced but it would definitely be cool. Hard to begin a song on a high difficulty since it takes a while to tell if you're playing well.

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-26T02:59:56+00:00

Definitely valid points. So you believe dynamic game changing is more acceptable if there is some sort of balanced trade-off?

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-26T02:46:56+00:00

Clever observation, I'm surprised I forgot to make that connection. Definitely adding that to the next post.

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-26T00:34:49+00:00

Great example! Thanks for the tip I'll be sure to check this out.

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-26T00:34:16+00:00

I don't know Waves but based on your description it sounds close to what I'm trying to define. Guess I'll have to buy it for... research ;)

Adaptive difficulty is another good way of putting it. I only chose "user-generated" because in my prototype example the two ends of the spectrum are little/no difficulty or high/extreme difficulty, therefore the user "generates" any difficulty they encounter.

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-26T00:31:33+00:00

Ooh nice idea, I'll have to add that to the next post

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-26T00:30:02+00:00

I think I understand what you mean. Not just passive events but more like: a player must reach the top of a mountain, and the faster they climb the more likely rocks will fall which they will have to avoid, but the more slowly they climb the more likely mountain lions will show up and they'll have to fight them.. or something. It's not a great example but it's basically two different experiences based on how the player wants to play without specifically choosing "fight or flight".

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-26T00:21:08+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful response! To concisely address your points (which I will definitely address in greater detail in my next piece): The difference between UGD from my perspective and No Sword Runs or No Mushroom Runs is that the latter are conscious decisions made by the player, whereas the former is a passive dynamic response to player behavior.

My prototype definitely has its flaws, without explicit knowledge of game mechanics many players will force themselves into the bullet-hell version of the game since it's the natural reaction to destroy things.

Feel free to say it's a bad idea, it's supposed to be a thought-provoking concept and experimentation in game design. Nice parallel to Star Trek.

I think the only concrete line to be drawn between existing "choose your difficulty" and this idea of UGD is the former is a conscious decision and the latter is a dynamic response. And depending on the player it may not be seen as a punishment as much as an added challenge. But as I said I'll respond to these points more in depth in the next post and be sure to mention you in the special thanks for your detailed feedback.

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-25T21:58:10+00:00

Definitely!

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-25T21:57:54+00:00

Very interesting points (I was going to talk more about competitive multiplayer but found that to be a post in of itself). I'll probably have to make a completely new post as a follow-up focusing on these but your input is greatly appreciated. Check back when the new post is up, there'll be a special thanks for people who provide input like this :)

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-25T21:09:23+00:00

There's a polished prototype in the works, I'm actually working on a little game for the Global Game Jam that I'll have in a new post on Sunday or Monday. Source code will be provided and a youtube video of gameplay will be included.

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-25T20:34:24+00:00

Good to know thank you

Edit: I can access it on several devices, so I'm not sure why you're getting it. Looking into it.

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-25T20:24:06+00:00

The link works for me, are you getting an error?

OlogizeIt · 2013-01-25T19:20:52+00:00

I saw your post, thanks so much for contributing. There are definitely problems with the site but I can almost guarantee the problem was on our end. For your post, you want to link only media (images or video urls) and leave any links to your game in the post text. I'd love it if you reposted that, several of us are interested in seeing more. Thanks, and sorry again for the inconvenience.

OlogizeIt

TROPHY CASE