For Dummies iPhone and iPad Game Development 978-0-470-59910-5 User Manual
Product codes
978-0-470-59910-5
22
Part I: Getting Started
Encouraging patterns of play
Play your game (and have others play it) enough that you can pick out pat-
terns of play. Then build responses to these patterns by adding a slight tilt to
the screen, highlighting screen areas, adding subtle animations, and so on to
make the player feel like his character is more involved in the game action.
The effect is subtle but noticeable, and the game plays better for it.
terns of play. Then build responses to these patterns by adding a slight tilt to
the screen, highlighting screen areas, adding subtle animations, and so on to
make the player feel like his character is more involved in the game action.
The effect is subtle but noticeable, and the game plays better for it.
A great example of one of these patterns is a side-scrolling game based on
jump mechanics (think Super Mario Brothers, by Nintendo). After a certain
amount of time playing, people become used to timing jumps as well as
combining running and jumping. Observe this when you test your game with
others; you can reward skilled jumping and running combinations, and work
out new ways to test these skills.
jump mechanics (think Super Mario Brothers, by Nintendo). After a certain
amount of time playing, people become used to timing jumps as well as
combining running and jumping. Observe this when you test your game with
others; you can reward skilled jumping and running combinations, and work
out new ways to test these skills.
If your game is so eclectic that your players can’t find any patterns to improve
their game with, take that as a signal that you need to add a little more struc-
ture to the game.
their game with, take that as a signal that you need to add a little more struc-
ture to the game.
Applying Sid Meier’s Rule of Halves
A lot of games rely on the finely tuned parameters, such as the speed of cars,
the strengths of enemies, and the amount of ammo in your gun. These param-
eters often need to be just right — if they’re not, the game feels wrong in
difficult-to-define ways.
the strengths of enemies, and the amount of ammo in your gun. These param-
eters often need to be just right — if they’re not, the game feels wrong in
difficult-to-define ways.
When trying to tune a game, the logical choice is to make small changes until
it’s right. Unfortunately, that’s not possible when hundreds of factors are
involved in a game — it’d simply take too much time. Thankfully, there’s a
solution.
it’s right. Unfortunately, that’s not possible when hundreds of factors are
involved in a game — it’d simply take too much time. Thankfully, there’s a
solution.
Sid Meier, the legendary developer of such classics as Civilization, has a
simple rule for tuning a game’s parameters. If a parameter doesn’t feel just
right, either double it or cut it in half. If a car moves too fast, reduce its speed
by half. If the gun feels too weak, double the amount of damage it does.
simple rule for tuning a game’s parameters. If a parameter doesn’t feel just
right, either double it or cut it in half. If a car moves too fast, reduce its speed
by half. If the gun feels too weak, double the amount of damage it does.
The point isn’t that these new values are magically correct; in fact, you’re
likely to overshoot by a wide margin. The point is to narrow down the range
of things to check. If your car is now too slow, change its speed to some-
where between its old speed and the speed it is now. Repeat this process
until your parameters feel right.
likely to overshoot by a wide margin. The point is to narrow down the range
of things to check. If your car is now too slow, change its speed to some-
where between its old speed and the speed it is now. Repeat this process
until your parameters feel right.
Sid’s rule of halves is quite a bit faster than the alternative, which can often
involve plugging random numbers into your game code and seeing what
works best; in fact, the math nerds among us will notice that it turns the time
needed to figure out the best value from a linear equation to a logarithmic
one. There’s no arguing with science, kids.
involve plugging random numbers into your game code and seeing what
works best; in fact, the math nerds among us will notice that it turns the time
needed to figure out the best value from a linear equation to a logarithmic
one. There’s no arguing with science, kids.
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