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Game Design
Fusion Cuisine
Dwindling on the subject of Player-VS.-Player forms for MMO’s with a colleague last week, we took a look at some of the currently available forms.
One of the forms that stuck into my mind, was that of Chrome Hounds, a mecha game by From Software, that let players gain control of certain areas by scoring points during missions situated there as a freelancer. Being able to gain resources and shift alignment across a persistent three-way conflict proved very good, though the main game mechanics could not entice the common public.
Yet, the idea fitted perfectly for the PvP purpose in my opinion. But as my colleague pointed out, that’s because it somewhat resembled the German-style board game (I always sneeringly called them ‘board games 2.0’). It got me thinking about if it is possible to incorporate such simplified designs to perform complex situations. Like, using the basic rules behind Set to quietly put in a deeper mechanic to a combat system for instance.
Imagine my surprise then, when Two Tribes and The Games Factory announced at almost the same time to be doing the same thing, yet the other way around. Rubik’s Cube World seems to be using the complexities of a video game to liven up that of an analogue one. Though, that’s partially because translating analogue games into a digital environment can be as problematic as trying to create a good game based on a film-license.
Do both forms work sufficiently, though? Can you inject simple analogue games as a deeper mechanic, to such an extent that it will feel natural? And can you use a complex concept to liven up a rather simplistic model? The Rubik’s Cube World example leaves little in terms of ‘hiding’ one element within the other. Yet, I wonder if you could mix those two elements together to create something which does not feel… forced (by lack of a better world).
The same applies to Chrome Hounds; as it uses those board game elements, they do feel out of sync with the rest of the game. It is rather clearly a vehicle instead of a body part, despite being a rather good and fun vehicle. But can it be used in-game? Not only as a part of the game, but also a part of the world? Can it add to the density of the IP instead of being there to facilitate?
The concept I am getting at sounds and feels a bit like fusion cuisine; blending tastes to create a new one, instead of having two separate tastes consumed at once. And in that light, I’m quite looking forward to Rubik’s Cube World.
Grand Theft Reality
One of the things that could always be used in defence of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series, was it was not taking anyone or anything seriously. The almost-cartoon world, the sneering at the American establishment, the downright frivolous attitude of it all. It started to change a bit as the III-branch got older, and though San Andreas was still very much tongue-in-cheek it was already ‘growing up’.
With Grand Theft Auto IV that is no longer the case. It has grown up. While the parody and humour is still there, it is more separated from the in-game world.
Taken at face value that sounds like a bad thing. But it is not. It only emphasizes the gap between fantasy and reality in a self-referential way. For instance, GTA has always hammered upon the fake society created by commercialism. In the previous ones that fake attitude also build the world you played in. The fake-comparison you had to draw was with your own life.
Fast forward to GTA IV and Rockstar is far less subtle. Now the in-game world is gritty, full of its own problems. Sure there are still bits to laugh about, but the gravity of the situation has set in and it is noticeable. And yet, the in-game media are still as cheery as they have ever been. Instead of making the player realise on their own strength how fake and hollow the world is, it is now pushing it on its own terms and leaving no mistake about it.
It is emphasized by Niko’s stance. During the first ten hours Niko usually refrains from indulging in any of the offered wares like alcohol and drugs. The only thing Niko actually does accept is a cup of tea.
Combined with the real-fake split of the world and the character’s overall hesitation to creep closer to crime unless forced, it seems the seriousness makes everything more sane. Less rampaging, more thought.
The first kill I made in GTA IV shocked me. It a far more brutal act than I expected. To me it said that if we want games to be taken serious by all parties, we might need to start being serious about the content as well. We do not need to cover up what’s happening, but we should not glorify it as well. We should treat it like it is in reality.
With that in mind, the defence of a ‘parody on real life’ has actually been GTA‘s weak spot all along.
Tidbit - Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
The Tidbit
Main character Nathan Drake has a set of animations in place allowing him to walk and skip over surfaces with utmost realism and visual feedback.
The Good
The animations allow for an incredibly natural feel in controlling Nathan, to such an extent that it seems to be eerily similar to real life. ‘Lazy stairs and steps’ which would feel very laboured to traverse in real life, come across just as laboured in the game and the small skips are the same as any normal person would perform them.
The Bad
Though these animations are wonderful, they do tend to make Nathan seem a bit slow.
This is countered by slowing down Nathan’s speed overall. While such a change would cripple any other game, in Uncharted the movements are again kept realistic by never making Nathan run. Instead he never goes faster than a simple jog to, again, acquire a more laboured feel. The result is that though Nathan moves slow, he never actually feels slow.
The Ugly
As natural as Nathan’s movements are, his super-human climbing powers are just completely over-the-top in comparison and diminish the built up realism.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007)
- Naughty Dog (PlayStation 3)
- Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
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