How game design encourages order and chaos in equal measure
A while ago I've had a discussion with a certain Spelunky-loving editor of this website in which I argued that most roguelikes, Spelunky in particular, were too chaotic for me to handle. I like the orderliness of a JRPG or a round-based strategy game, games where after a while things follow a reliable pattern.
However, there's a flaw in my argument, which is that game design, no matter what type of game you prefer, is all about learning patterns. It's only through learning these patterns that emergent play, the chaotic and unexpected stuff, can actually happen. On the box, The Banner Saga, Spelunky and Spider-Man have nothing in common, but they all introduce you to their own set of rules before letting you explore what to do with them.
This is most obvious in the beginning of every game you play. JRPGs are notorious for having text-heavy tutorial sequences at the start of the game, which can be overwhelming even when you get to try the moves you've just read about. Resonance of Fate for example has a tutorial you can spend over half an hour on, since everything is cramped into one single arena. It's not only confusing due to large walls of text, but also because you're introduced to many different skills at once and are expected to use all of them immediately to be successful in battle.
from Eurogamer.net https://ift.tt/2yyIEmb
Post a Comment