Game design to life. An example of the analysis of the mechanics of the game
Good day!
A little about the author: my name is Maria, a game-novice designer. With this article we begin a series of articles on the application of game design theory in life. In this article we will try to disassemble the mechanics of the game using the example of Northgard from the Shiro Games studio (which is at the early access stage at the time of writing the article - author's note ). The game was announced in Steam on February 22, 2017 and is a strategy, with step-by-step conquest of lands.
The game was chosen for parsing, because It has not very complicated mechanics and economics.
')
The USP project is its unique features that distinguish it from other games. When there were 5 games, it was not a problem to highlight the unique features. Now hundreds of games in the same setting, genres. Therefore, projects take some already known usp and transform it for themselves.
Let's see what Northgard did with its USP and how it beat them:
The items listed by themselves are not something innovative, but, combined together, they created an interesting and exciting product.
In gaming practice, there are several types of complexity curve, but the most attractive is considered to be the “pendulum”. The bottom line is that the player can be happy and suffer. You can read more here and in the book “The art of Game Design. A Book of Lenses »Jesse Shell.
In Northgard, the complexity curve doesn’t have such sharp drops and is unlikely to lure hardcore strategies. Consider a closer action curve.
It all starts with the launch of the game. The first pain is the absence of a splint, just a couple of clues. Pain 1 - 0 Player.
Draw these steps on the graph of complexity. They will look like a rising line with scraps. The starting point is the first point. The player has the original resources, he develops without experiencing strong tension. Colonizes free areas (the second point is the peak of the first “mound”). After this, it is worthwhile to suffer for the fullness of sensations - winter comes (the third point is a point under the trend line).
The curve on the graph is marked by the complexity curve, with a dashed line - the trend (linear development).
The graph is approximate, for clarity. The first "hill" - the development of the player, the accumulation of stocks, population growth. Reduced schedule - the onset of winter, the full use of the land, the depletion of resources (stone for improvement).
After the first minus, the player begins to play more aggressively - to seize territories, explore new ones, improve buildings to increase resource extraction, hire new troops, increase happiness. Then he is again thrown down - the AI ​​overtakes one of the victory criteria, found neutral clans with whom to trade, defend the territory, etc.
During the game, these transitions are perceived smoothly, i.e. the chart has no “sharp corners”, rather like small waves. But such ups and downs force the player to think and rationalize everything that has been created, pulling him into a state of “flow” - a tireless game.
Now you should pay attention to the core of the game - without which there is no game (core gameplay) and what complements it (basic features). How to find the core in someone else's game? Try to mentally remove the feature from the game and estimate - will the game remain the same? For example, what happens if you remove the craft of clan armor from The Witcher? Can we play without them? Will the game remain the same? Yes, absolutely.
The core of the game in Northgard will be called the site builder mechanic.
Basic features - territory exploration, unit and building upgrades, confrontation with AI, quests.
Additional features can be considered: the establishment of economic relations with neutral races (Jotun and Kobold), the seizure of territories with bonuses.
Everything in the above figure is based on the principle of “carrot and stick”. Do not have time to stock up on food / wood - you get hunger and outflow of settlers, who with minus happiness are not filled. He conquered the territory of “Les” - received + 10% to the extraction of wood, and was able to improve the buildings. Etc. The player not only gets fun (fun - comment author ), but also gains skills in economics and optimization. In the game, especially in the first couple, there is often an edge question - to improve the building or to seize a new territory with a resource.
Based on our analysis, the Northgard mechanic can conclude that this is a game for midcore players or for relaxing hardcore players. The game has no sharpness or passions, everything flows smoothly and cyclically. Let's separate the “+” and “-” games separately.
The result - the game balance of the game is aimed at midkornaya Central Asia, the balance of the game is sustained in the right proportions.
Thanks for reading. Have a nice day, everyone!
A little about the author: my name is Maria, a game-novice designer. With this article we begin a series of articles on the application of game design theory in life. In this article we will try to disassemble the mechanics of the game using the example of Northgard from the Shiro Games studio (which is at the early access stage at the time of writing the article - author's note ). The game was announced in Steam on February 22, 2017 and is a strategy, with step-by-step conquest of lands.
The game was chosen for parsing, because It has not very complicated mechanics and economics.
')
About the game
Name: Northgard
Genre: Strategy with a step by step conquest of territory
Setting: Vikings, Norse Mythology
Platform: Steam
Model monetization - btp (buy to play)
Gameplay: Managing units to conquer new lands, extract resources
Control: Mixed (keyboard + mouse)
Usp games
The USP project is its unique features that distinguish it from other games. When there were 5 games, it was not a problem to highlight the unique features. Now hundreds of games in the same setting, genres. Therefore, projects take some already known usp and transform it for themselves.
Let's see what Northgard did with its USP and how it beat them:
- Happiness villagers
“People love you, my lord,” “The treasury is empty, my lord,” “People leave us, my lord.” If you are familiar with these phrases, you have already understood what the “Happiness” mechanic in Northgard is about.
True, unlike Stronghold, with negative happiness, the villagers do not leave, but do not come. Those who are dissatisfied with your policy of the population have reduced productivity, which affects the extraction of resources, the recovery of health by healers and happiness (avicious circle, as with the search for work). - Cronyism
Now there are 6 clans in the game. Everyone has their own "chips" in the tree of improvements and bonuses at the beginning of the game / achieving a certain glory. The same situation when hiring troops. So the clan Byarka (Bear), armored bear is available for hire. The Heidrun (Goat) clan has two sheep at the very beginning. These wool milas reduce the consumption of firewood in winter and can bring food (stall for sheep is available only from this clan). - Victory criteria
Before the start of the game session, there is an opportunity to choose the criterion / and, according to which victory is credited - Trade, Card features (kill the wyvern, hold the gate, forge the sword of Odin, etc.), Wisdom (legends collected by shamans), Glory (number of conquered land, the construction of the Altar of the King, receiving fame for hiking / raids), domination.
The easiest are the victories in Wisdom and Trade. Everything else needs more time. And here I would like to point out the fattest minus of the game - the enemy does not attack you (out of 15 game sessions I was attacked once when I took the territory from a competitor). - Severe army limitation
At first, the availability of only 2 combat units scares. But the balance of the game is built in such a way that with the help of 2 warriors you can defeat two wolves and one draugra with ease.
Here lies the main “cheat” of the game, how to save your army - the enemies do not pursue you and do not attack outside their territory. Therefore, you take your combat units, attack the enemy, monitor the health of the soldiers, severely injured translate beyond your frontier - voila! He is safe and healed. With such steps you conquer the whole world. - Single Level Upgrade
Single-level improvement of buildings, units, land, i.e. You can increase them only once and get a bonus just once. Regarding the land upgrade, this gives +1 to the number of houses allowed for construction.
Such a small upgrade is related to the balance of the game. There is no excess requirement for upgrades to 100+ levels. Using the skills to optimize their resources and people, players can easily manage the improvements provided. - The limited buildings in one area
Only a limited number of buildings can be placed on the territory, and the improvement is carried out once and gives a performance / expansion bonus once. The reasons for this decision, see above. - Autogeneration of the map during the new game
With each new gaming session, the map is randomly generated. The distribution of "card features", neutral races and the enemy is always new. You can either be in an advantageous position, or walk around the entire map, searching for a stone / deer.
The items listed by themselves are not something innovative, but, combined together, they created an interesting and exciting product.
Complexity curve How to keep a player
In gaming practice, there are several types of complexity curve, but the most attractive is considered to be the “pendulum”. The bottom line is that the player can be happy and suffer. You can read more here and in the book “The art of Game Design. A Book of Lenses »Jesse Shell.
In Northgard, the complexity curve doesn’t have such sharp drops and is unlikely to lure hardcore strategies. Consider a closer action curve.
It all starts with the launch of the game. The first pain is the absence of a splint, just a couple of clues. Pain 1 - 0 Player.
- Originally given to the Town Hall and 4 villagers. From resources in the territory only a little forest (replenished). The player needs to distribute the available people. At the same time, keep in mind that “winter is coming” and resource extraction will be reduced, or rather will go to minus, because increased consumption of wood, food and gold;
- After the reconnaissance camp has been built, the player discovers new lands that can be colonized for food (from the Clan Crow for food or gold). Most often there are 1-2 areas around the original piece of land that are not occupied by monsters. They have food or forest resources;
- Then the game becomes more complicated. Happiness is there, so the population is growing. Along with him growing consumption of food, firewood and "expected happiness." With two / three territories, it becomes more difficult to satisfy all needs. Here the player is faced with a dilemma - how to correctly distribute people, accumulate gold and survive in the winter.
Draw these steps on the graph of complexity. They will look like a rising line with scraps. The starting point is the first point. The player has the original resources, he develops without experiencing strong tension. Colonizes free areas (the second point is the peak of the first “mound”). After this, it is worthwhile to suffer for the fullness of sensations - winter comes (the third point is a point under the trend line).
The curve on the graph is marked by the complexity curve, with a dashed line - the trend (linear development).
The graph is approximate, for clarity. The first "hill" - the development of the player, the accumulation of stocks, population growth. Reduced schedule - the onset of winter, the full use of the land, the depletion of resources (stone for improvement).
After the first minus, the player begins to play more aggressively - to seize territories, explore new ones, improve buildings to increase resource extraction, hire new troops, increase happiness. Then he is again thrown down - the AI ​​overtakes one of the victory criteria, found neutral clans with whom to trade, defend the territory, etc.
During the game, these transitions are perceived smoothly, i.e. the chart has no “sharp corners”, rather like small waves. But such ups and downs force the player to think and rationalize everything that has been created, pulling him into a state of “flow” - a tireless game.
Core gameplay
Now you should pay attention to the core of the game - without which there is no game (core gameplay) and what complements it (basic features). How to find the core in someone else's game? Try to mentally remove the feature from the game and estimate - will the game remain the same? For example, what happens if you remove the craft of clan armor from The Witcher? Can we play without them? Will the game remain the same? Yes, absolutely.
The core of the game in Northgard will be called the site builder mechanic.
Basic features - territory exploration, unit and building upgrades, confrontation with AI, quests.
Additional features can be considered: the establishment of economic relations with neutral races (Jotun and Kobold), the seizure of territories with bonuses.
Everything in the above figure is based on the principle of “carrot and stick”. Do not have time to stock up on food / wood - you get hunger and outflow of settlers, who with minus happiness are not filled. He conquered the territory of “Les” - received + 10% to the extraction of wood, and was able to improve the buildings. Etc. The player not only gets fun (fun - comment author ), but also gains skills in economics and optimization. In the game, especially in the first couple, there is often an edge question - to improve the building or to seize a new territory with a resource.
Summarize
Based on our analysis, the Northgard mechanic can conclude that this is a game for midcore players or for relaxing hardcore players. The game has no sharpness or passions, everything flows smoothly and cyclically. Let's separate the “+” and “-” games separately.
“+”:
- Graphics
- Background music
- Setting the game. Worked well, because in the game of race and monsters are sustained in a single mythology
- The presence of different clans and study their advantages
- Ease of play
- A wide choice of gameplay settings (victory criteria, clans, color, name, difficulty, number of opponents)
- Autogeneration of maps
- Game balance
“-”:
- Clans do not differ in appearance
- The linearity of the plot, or rather its absence as such. There is only a legend in the game - the Vikings conquer new lands (maybe it will be corrected when Campania leaves)
- Battle - enemies attack only if a player has invaded a protected area. Going beyond the attack area you can not fear persecution
BUT! This minus comes from the very balance of the game - the army is limited, there are many enemies, few people come. It is not possible to collect the "cloud of meat" and let the war. The player has to take care of every warrior. - Only 1 level of upgrade for buildings and units.
This minus also relates to the game balance - there is no need to contain hundreds of warriors and as many peasants in the game.
The result - the game balance of the game is aimed at midkornaya Central Asia, the balance of the game is sustained in the right proportions.
Thanks for reading. Have a nice day, everyone!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/348334/
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