Gamasutra - Fewer Mechanics, Better Game

Dhruin

Dhruin

SasqWatch
Joined
August 30, 2006
Messages
11,842
Location
Sydney, Australia
Fewer Mechanics, Better Game is a piece at Gamasutra written by programmer John Rose (Nihilistic Software) that asserts focus on a small number of in-game features will result in a better game. Some of the examples make immediate sense (games with tacked-on multiplayer modes) and others much less (Bioshock being too complex). Here's the start:
I've heard from many people that the ideal game is the one that has everything. It's a game where players are constrained by nothing. These people believe in a sandbox where their very imagination is the only boundary. They believe in game with no limits.

On the surface, this game sounds great. Who wouldn't want an infinite number of play mechanics? Who wouldn't enjoy the complete freedom of the ultimate kitchen sink game? But ironically, a title with too many avenues of influence becomes less of a game and more like life. This game would be horrible.

Of course, this game isn't feasible. The scope of its game world reaches well beyond what technology can accomplish. But what if we collapsed this game world into one small room, keeping the infinite game mechanics? What if we could do anything we want in this tiny space? Would it be fun? No. Because it's not this theoretical game world's sheer size that dulls it. The huge set of game mechanics is the villain, and its downfall is that there's just too much to do.
Click to expand...
More information.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
11,842
Location
Sydney, Australia
1 button for everybody, yeaaaa!!! I know let's get rid of even 1 button and just use a joystick again like in Pac-Man. Hooray for mediocrity and complete idiots who hate to think.

"In many a difficult situation players are left to decide between their guns, plasmid powers, hacking, stealth, and the use of one-shot items. The massive palette of game actions only serves to confuse and frustrate the player when challenged." Seriously though, Bioshock had too many choices? I want some of whatever he was smoking when he wrote that.

Do people really think this now? I don't think that people are so lazy or stupid that a few choices frustrates them.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Feb 3, 2007
Messages
5,347
Location
Taiwan
Haha. But how about this: less choices that confuse, more choices that matter and make a difference.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
3,486
Arhu said:
Haha. But how about this: less choices that confuse, more choices that matter and make a difference.
Click to expand...

THIS sounds much better, imho !
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,946
Location
Old Europe
Well they could simplify the interface and actions alot, maybe just a button to move through the stroy, lets call it 'play' and one to stop the story when they need to take a break.. and maybe a pause control - not sure about that one it might get confusing. No button mashing and the designers can tell the story they want certain there won't be any wasted content that players don't see.
 
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
668
The trend to simplify everything is in my eyes just a bow towards the masses of gamers - especially casual gamers - who just don't want to fiddle around.

And this bow is necessary, because games swallow so much money during development that they MUST appeal to the broadest possible number of players to actually receive profits.

The more difficult, the smaller the group of buyers, the thought seems to be.

Which might not necessarily be the case in the UI of Assassin's Creed ... ;)
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,946
Location
Old Europe
Alrik Fassbauer said:
The more difficult, the smaller the group of buyers, the thought seems to be.
Click to expand...
I think that's right. I guess that the "Better Game" in the title of that article really means "Better Selling Game". All those discussions about Oblivion led me to this conclusion. Why should Bethesda listen to me? Their success shows them that, from their perspective, they were right with simplifying the game. That doesn't make me happy, but I cannot call bullshit on them, because the numbers are on their side.
 
Joined
Mar 28, 2008
Messages
804
Location
Austria
"They believe in game with no limits."
"Of course, this game isn't feasible. "

... and it won't be a game either.

yes, he's a jerk.
 
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Messages
74
Location
France
Assassins Creed is selling really well and it has one of the most complicated control systems I have ever used. That means that this article is BS and is totally wrong.

All of the best selling games ever have been atleast semi-complicated and so disproves this entire article. (including Bioshock)
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
1,596
I think, in general, people like variety, or rather, there is a vast variety of people. So over generalising in this way is really about sales in my opinion. I though Bioshock was simple - especially from a gameplay perspective.
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
2,080
Location
UK
guenthar said:
Assassins Creed is selling really well and it has one of the most complicated control systems I have ever used. That means that this article is BS and is totally wrong.
Click to expand...

Maybe it is selling so well despite its control system ?

Just out of the "OMG, how cool is that ???" hype ?

I don't know, I just think.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,946
Location
Old Europe
guenthar said:
Assassins Creed is selling really well and it has one of the most complicated control systems I have ever used.
Click to expand...

Um, maybe it's because I haven't come far, but the system is hardly complicated. You can do all those neat freeclimbing tricks by just holding RMB and space and picking a direction with WASD. Other stuff usually amounts to pressing F and waiting/moving a bit/punching someone's face - again, hardly complicated. You've basicaly got 6 commands, which are all fairly accessible (LMB/Shift/Space and RMB+LMB/Shift/Space = 6 commands).
 
Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
585
Location
Serbia
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom