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Game Developers' Tricks Unveiled at GameSpot

Discussion in 'Game/SP News & Comments' started by chevalier, Jul 3, 2005.

  1. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    GameSpot has put up an article joined with an interviewed with Kevin Martens, BioWare's Lead Designer for Jade Empire. They talk about "shepherding players in the right direction". Here's a clip:

    It may sound a little harsh, but good game designers know how to con the player. They have a bag of tricks they use to push and pull the player in particular directions. And, if they're good at it, you won't even know you've been had.

    Game designers, it seems, have to have a bit of psychologist in them, guessing how players will react and pushing and pulling them in the right direction. "All great designers should have a clear idea of what players are like and what they might be thinking," said Gordon Walton, former Sony Online and Maxis producer (he executive-produced The Sims Online). Walton, now a consultant, said it's really all about making the player feel smart.

    More:

    GS: What sort of tricks do you use to shepherd players in the right direction? Which are you proudest of and which are most effective?

    KM: Keeping people going in the right direction is always something that we try to do better. We're never totally happy with our system, and this is a subject that gets a lot of attention whether we're working on a sequel or a brand-new game. The balance that we're looking for is clarity in the player's goals versus a sense of exploration and discovering things on one's own.

    In Jade Empire, for example, we had a new minimap system that showed you where the exits to an area were, where the plot givers were, where stores, were, etc. We consciously chose to sacrifice some exploration in order to cut down on the player's irritation at not being able to find these things quickly when he needed to. Naturally, we have had mixed feedback depending on which side of the fence a player falls on, but the majority considers the change positive. They tell us that what they liked about exploration is finding areas and exploring the nooks and crannies as opposed to going door-to-door trying to find out which house Foozle the Plot Guy is in. So we consider this innovation to be a success.

    So, do you play games or do games play you? Face the truth at GameSpot.
     
    chevalier, Jul 3, 2005
    #1
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