Gameplay and psychological foundations of discomfort - part 2
Continuation of the article.
Let's go back to the games. In the framework of one game, for example, real-time strategy, the load on the player at different moments is different. In the beginning, he builds and develops a base, and for some time does not expect active actions by the enemy. In the future, the voltage gradually increases, and in difficult moments and rolls over. In a difficult psychological situation, the player uses only the mouse and a few hot keys. He will not be able to master more (of course, this is about the average player). The task of the developer is to give the player the control that in an extreme situation will allow him to win the fight, which means the game. By the way, no one noticed how in a difficult moment for some reason they press on the buttons more than they need?
Depending on the expected voltage at different moments of the game, the developer must take care that a person in a difficult situation can use the necessary and sufficient minimum of buttons to resolve the situation.
Of course, it would be very curious to repeat the experiments described, weighing the beta tester with sensors. For some reason, it seems that the results will be similar ...
')
Brief conclusions:
1. Management in games should not be overloaded.
2. The game affects the human psyche and includes the mechanism of "stress of survival."
3. The main incentive of the player is to win, which means that you need to measure the degree of stress.
The above quotations from Darren Laura’s “Anatomy of Fear” article were necessary to understand the concept; however, it also contains a review of some of the studies in neurophysiology that are directly related to the subject. We quote further for especially inquisitive:
More complete results were obtained after the emergence of new technologies that are applicable, including in the field of neurophysiology, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR tomograph). Dr. Joseph Le Doo, a specialist from New York University, was the first to explore neural connections in the mammalian brain, realizing the emotion of fear and the reaction to it. It was thanks to Dr. Le Du that an understanding of the work of the mechanisms that cause the effects of the Stress of Survival St.
Dr. Le Du claims that "fear is realized by neural circuits designed to effectively save the life of an organism in a threatening situation." Dr. Le Du's research shows that in the process of the evolution of vertebrates, the neurophysiological mechanisms of fear have changed little. The center of fear in the human brain is located in the limbic system, a phylogenetically ancient section located under the cerebral cortex.
Note: the antiquity of the limbic system derives from its morphological features: if the cortex is removed from the human brain, then what remains will very much resemble the brain of a crocodile.
These studies also indicate that “neural pathways are involved in the development of hazard warning reactions, which transmit signals from the external world of the amygdala, which, in turn, assesses the importance of the stimulus and triggers an emotional response — flight, aggression or fading to place, as well as a physiological response, such as increased heart rate. " This statement explains the relationship between the SV and the heart rate described by Siddle.
Siddle's works unequivocally indicate a direct relationship between the depth of the SV and the heart rate. There is, however, one subtlety: with heavy physical exertion, the heart rate can be very high, and the CB is not observed at all. This explains the error of some researchers, who, using Siddle data, tried to estimate the degree of fine motor degradation depending on the heart rate. These researchers sought to increase the pulse, dispensing exercise. Contrary to expectations, fine motor skills did not degrade. It follows that the root cause of the deterioration of fine motor skills is stress. The pulse rate should be considered only an indicator.
Dr. Le Doo also found that “there is an important difference between emotions and feelings. Feelings are products of human consciousness, „labels“, which the mind places on emotions that are actually born in certain neural structures, in addition to consciousness. Emotions, however, can be generated as a product of consciousness, and at the same time can be the result of physiological and neurological reactions. ” Here it is important for us that the emotion of fear is an unconscious process that exists in specialized neural structures. Being neglected, it generates physiological reactions that are not amenable to conscious control. It is, however, possible to correct these reactions in the desired direction.
It was also discovered that feelings and emotions are not the only components of fear; there is also an emotional memory. Experiencing terrible memories, a person not only recalls the logical outline of events, but also emotions associated with memory, along with characteristic physiological reactions, such as perspiration, rapid breathing and heartbeat, return.
What happens in the human brain when the fear emotion is born? According to Dr. Le Du, when specialized brain structures detect danger and begin to respond to it (primarily the amygdala; it receives information directly from all the senses, so that it can react immediately), other parts of the brain are involved in the process as follows:
* Information about the threat is collected by the senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste
* Information from the sensory organs is redirected to the thalamus (a section of the brain not far from the amygdala, which acts as a controller for signals from the senses)
* If the threat is not sudden, the thalamus will redirect information to the appropriate parts of the cerebral cortex, such as the visual cortex, which will be involved in a conscious hazard assessment process. It is at this moment that the classical decision chain begins to operate (observe, organize, decide, act, NORD)
* Once a decision is made, the information is redirected back to the amygdala, which forms an emotional and physiological response that ensures physical actions (or lack thereof)
We repeat that this process of responding to a known (not sudden) threat. This process is commonly referred to as the “main road”. When teaching self-defense techniques, this process is usually used. Something like this happens:
* The enemy is going to hold a hook to the right, which is fixed by sight
* The visual signal enters the thalamus, and from there to the visual cortex
* The visual cortex triggers the decision-making chain (NORD): it recognizes the visual signal, classifies it (right hook), makes a decision about the response action and transmits it to the amygdala
* The amygdala triggers an emotional and physical response; as a result, the hook is blocked
Such an approach to the training process Siddle and other researchers called the principle irritant - reaction. The threat should trigger a reaction in advance. The reaction should be based on a coarse motor skill (CB), and, if possible, be deterministic, unique (Hicks law). Siddle argues that “an automatic response to a certain threat will come only if the resistance skill has been worked out in the presence of a certain level of this threat. You can achieve automatic reaction only if it is a reaction to a certain stimulus. Thus, if a defensive response being worked out must be a response to a threat in combat conditions, this threat must be introduced into the training process at a sufficiently early stage. ”
All this sounds convincing, and most instructors organize the training process in this spirit, but what happens if the skill being developed conflicts with the instinctive reaction, which is rigidly determined by the brain structures formed during the evolution many millions of years ago? Should we, as instructors, make sure that the skills we teach do not conflict with the instinctive program?
It is obvious that in the game process we almost always deal with the “main road” (there is no threat to life). However, the "stress of survival" is included in this case. And then the usual and simple management contributes to the rapid decision-making in a difficult game situation. Thus, the developer can protect the player from receiving stresses of undesirable intensity, which can hardly change the opinion about the game for the better.
An affirmative answer to the last question is justified by Dr. Le Du. He found that the neural structures of the brain respond to fear in a dual way. The first variant of this reaction is the “main road” described earlier. The second option is called the "short detour." This is the response of the brain to an unknown or sudden threat.
* In case of a sudden attack, information obtained by the thalamus is sent directly to the amygdala, bypassing the cerebral cortex, through which, as we have seen, the decision loop NORD closes
* The amygdala immediately triggers the SV mechanism, along with a group of so-called "protective reflexes." Protective reflexes include such reactions as startle, removal from the source of pain, sneezing, blinking, gagging, laryngospasm (closing of the larynx, preventing water from entering the respiratory tract)
* After processing in the amygdala and the launch of the SV and protective reflexes, information enters the cerebral cortex
* The cerebral cortex decides whether the threat is real. Depending on the decision, the cerebellar amygdala will either "confirm" the program already in place (CB and protective reflexes) or suspend it. For the case of a “short detour,” it is characteristic that the physical effects of fear are also present during a “false alarm”, since the cerebral cortex is included in the work last.
Concerning the dual nature of the brain’s response to a threat, Dr. Le Du says: “Two variants of neural connections between the cerebral cortex and the amygdala create certain problems. Unfortunately, the connection from the cerebral cortex to the amygdala is weaker than the connection from the amygdala to the cerebral cortex. Thus, the amygdala affects the cerebral cortex more than the cerebral cortex to the amygdala. As a result, the conscious control of an emotion that is once “turned on” is very difficult.
What is important for me here is that defensive skills, which are in conflict with the controlled cerebellar tonsil instinctive reaction, will not work in the event of a sudden danger, regardless of the degree of training. Many instructors, however, believe that the acquired skill can be made completely automatic, using frequent repetition and the principle of stimulus-reaction. If the “main road” scenario is implemented, then with the amendment to the CB and Hicks law, it will be so. In the case of a “short detour,” a positive result can be expected only when the acquired skills do not contradict the protective reflexes imposed on the body of the cerebellar amygdala fighter.
Recall that, according to Dr. Le Dou, the signal system of the “short detour”, without transmitting detailed information about the threat, is distinguished by high speed, while in combat the speed of reaction is of paramount importance. Dr. Le Doo points out that the quick, though not very accurate, method of hazard detection provided by the “short detour” cannot be overestimated: “it is more beneficial for health to take a stick for a snake than a snake for a stick”.
Let's return, however, to game problems
Let us briefly formulate proposals for the experimental determination of the optimal complexity of control.
You can create three groups of testers, ten people or more, and distribute three options between them:
* Minimum management complexity.
* Average complexity of management.
* Maximum management complexity.
During testing, it will be possible to accurately determine the number of hot keys with which most players can freely operate. Also in the course of testing, it is possible to identify the optimal location of the keys. At the same time, you can find out the total amount of information flows, the perception of which the player associates with pleasure (and not with work). It is also possible to determine the optimal balance between using the keys and the graphical interface.
For a more complete picture, you can explore different genres.
Breakthrough Search
Eric Betke, "Structuring the Basic Design Elements".
A fan of first-person shooter is always looking for technically impressive and challenging games like Quake or Unreal. However, after the release of the plot-rich shooter Half-Life, the industry realized that the fan audience would like to know the reasons for which it should show its combat skills. The strange and frightening world of Half-Life is a good excuse for using force, the combat situation of the Second World War on Day of Defeat is an excellent excuse, and hunting for terrorists with a machine gun is also fun.
Well-marked trend, the gameplay is similar in terms of gameplay, but the plot component in Half-Life was at that time utterly superior to Quake and Unreal. You can continue this trend and add Max Payne, a game implemented at a completely new level of script development. The graphics of the game did not demonstrate revelations, but the elaboration of the plot brought the game to the level of a super hit. The trend is obvious, the consumer liked the games, in which the level of complexity of the gameplay remained the same, and the quality development of the game world turned out to be much deeper than usual.
The trend is very similar to the preferences that hover in the film industry: more dynamics, more special effects - this is the credo of the busy consumer.
Then, apparently, it is necessary to understand the facets of these criteria. It is quite clear that the higher the technical level, the better, the desire of the consumer to play with meaning is also understandable.
Breakthrough niche
The technical level or technical breakthrough is certainly associated with id Software and Quake, but is it worth to butt with a bull in which there are thousands of pounds of low-fat meat? The purpose of id Software is to make breakthroughs every time. A race in which money and time are a secondary aspect is the company's position, especially if there is such a rival as Unreal.
And the second direction is the need to play with meaning. Half-Life and Max Payne. Sophisticated scenario, played in the linear corridors, where all the actions are built on the stage settings.
It is logical that the AI ​​of the characters is not able to give an action that corresponds to the level of reality, still very long. But even in the movie (smart) actor imitates the character of the hero, imitating the type.
Lev Kuleshov. Lectures "Fundamentals of cinema" in VGIK. The stage scene is the layout of the frame, the paths of movement and movements of the character in the space in which the action develops. The stage set is the result of the content of this piece of script and arises as a consequence of the expression of the action of tasks and subtasks of the piece. The stage scene is the first stage in the realization of the creative idea of ​​the director.
Summarize. Reducing the number of keys used at first glance limits the developer. Game concepts are constantly becoming more complex, technical progress allows to implement more technically more advanced games. Often, developers unnecessarily overload the gameplay, which in turn reduces sales of the game product. In my opinion, the future of games lies in the elaboration (but without fanaticism) of the game world. Each character must respond to events more diversely, imitating the scenario described by the script.
The player only affects the events, which, in turn, as the waves spread through the game world and come back, ready to reflect the player's efforts with a variety of their forms.
Let's go back to the games. In the framework of one game, for example, real-time strategy, the load on the player at different moments is different. In the beginning, he builds and develops a base, and for some time does not expect active actions by the enemy. In the future, the voltage gradually increases, and in difficult moments and rolls over. In a difficult psychological situation, the player uses only the mouse and a few hot keys. He will not be able to master more (of course, this is about the average player). The task of the developer is to give the player the control that in an extreme situation will allow him to win the fight, which means the game. By the way, no one noticed how in a difficult moment for some reason they press on the buttons more than they need?
Depending on the expected voltage at different moments of the game, the developer must take care that a person in a difficult situation can use the necessary and sufficient minimum of buttons to resolve the situation.
Of course, it would be very curious to repeat the experiments described, weighing the beta tester with sensors. For some reason, it seems that the results will be similar ...
')
Brief conclusions:
1. Management in games should not be overloaded.
2. The game affects the human psyche and includes the mechanism of "stress of survival."
3. The main incentive of the player is to win, which means that you need to measure the degree of stress.
The above quotations from Darren Laura’s “Anatomy of Fear” article were necessary to understand the concept; however, it also contains a review of some of the studies in neurophysiology that are directly related to the subject. We quote further for especially inquisitive:
More complete results were obtained after the emergence of new technologies that are applicable, including in the field of neurophysiology, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR tomograph). Dr. Joseph Le Doo, a specialist from New York University, was the first to explore neural connections in the mammalian brain, realizing the emotion of fear and the reaction to it. It was thanks to Dr. Le Du that an understanding of the work of the mechanisms that cause the effects of the Stress of Survival St.
Dr. Le Du claims that "fear is realized by neural circuits designed to effectively save the life of an organism in a threatening situation." Dr. Le Du's research shows that in the process of the evolution of vertebrates, the neurophysiological mechanisms of fear have changed little. The center of fear in the human brain is located in the limbic system, a phylogenetically ancient section located under the cerebral cortex.
Note: the antiquity of the limbic system derives from its morphological features: if the cortex is removed from the human brain, then what remains will very much resemble the brain of a crocodile.
These studies also indicate that “neural pathways are involved in the development of hazard warning reactions, which transmit signals from the external world of the amygdala, which, in turn, assesses the importance of the stimulus and triggers an emotional response — flight, aggression or fading to place, as well as a physiological response, such as increased heart rate. " This statement explains the relationship between the SV and the heart rate described by Siddle.
Siddle's works unequivocally indicate a direct relationship between the depth of the SV and the heart rate. There is, however, one subtlety: with heavy physical exertion, the heart rate can be very high, and the CB is not observed at all. This explains the error of some researchers, who, using Siddle data, tried to estimate the degree of fine motor degradation depending on the heart rate. These researchers sought to increase the pulse, dispensing exercise. Contrary to expectations, fine motor skills did not degrade. It follows that the root cause of the deterioration of fine motor skills is stress. The pulse rate should be considered only an indicator.
Dr. Le Doo also found that “there is an important difference between emotions and feelings. Feelings are products of human consciousness, „labels“, which the mind places on emotions that are actually born in certain neural structures, in addition to consciousness. Emotions, however, can be generated as a product of consciousness, and at the same time can be the result of physiological and neurological reactions. ” Here it is important for us that the emotion of fear is an unconscious process that exists in specialized neural structures. Being neglected, it generates physiological reactions that are not amenable to conscious control. It is, however, possible to correct these reactions in the desired direction.
It was also discovered that feelings and emotions are not the only components of fear; there is also an emotional memory. Experiencing terrible memories, a person not only recalls the logical outline of events, but also emotions associated with memory, along with characteristic physiological reactions, such as perspiration, rapid breathing and heartbeat, return.
What happens in the human brain when the fear emotion is born? According to Dr. Le Du, when specialized brain structures detect danger and begin to respond to it (primarily the amygdala; it receives information directly from all the senses, so that it can react immediately), other parts of the brain are involved in the process as follows:
* Information about the threat is collected by the senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste
* Information from the sensory organs is redirected to the thalamus (a section of the brain not far from the amygdala, which acts as a controller for signals from the senses)
* If the threat is not sudden, the thalamus will redirect information to the appropriate parts of the cerebral cortex, such as the visual cortex, which will be involved in a conscious hazard assessment process. It is at this moment that the classical decision chain begins to operate (observe, organize, decide, act, NORD)
* Once a decision is made, the information is redirected back to the amygdala, which forms an emotional and physiological response that ensures physical actions (or lack thereof)
We repeat that this process of responding to a known (not sudden) threat. This process is commonly referred to as the “main road”. When teaching self-defense techniques, this process is usually used. Something like this happens:
* The enemy is going to hold a hook to the right, which is fixed by sight
* The visual signal enters the thalamus, and from there to the visual cortex
* The visual cortex triggers the decision-making chain (NORD): it recognizes the visual signal, classifies it (right hook), makes a decision about the response action and transmits it to the amygdala
* The amygdala triggers an emotional and physical response; as a result, the hook is blocked
Such an approach to the training process Siddle and other researchers called the principle irritant - reaction. The threat should trigger a reaction in advance. The reaction should be based on a coarse motor skill (CB), and, if possible, be deterministic, unique (Hicks law). Siddle argues that “an automatic response to a certain threat will come only if the resistance skill has been worked out in the presence of a certain level of this threat. You can achieve automatic reaction only if it is a reaction to a certain stimulus. Thus, if a defensive response being worked out must be a response to a threat in combat conditions, this threat must be introduced into the training process at a sufficiently early stage. ”
All this sounds convincing, and most instructors organize the training process in this spirit, but what happens if the skill being developed conflicts with the instinctive reaction, which is rigidly determined by the brain structures formed during the evolution many millions of years ago? Should we, as instructors, make sure that the skills we teach do not conflict with the instinctive program?
It is obvious that in the game process we almost always deal with the “main road” (there is no threat to life). However, the "stress of survival" is included in this case. And then the usual and simple management contributes to the rapid decision-making in a difficult game situation. Thus, the developer can protect the player from receiving stresses of undesirable intensity, which can hardly change the opinion about the game for the better.
An affirmative answer to the last question is justified by Dr. Le Du. He found that the neural structures of the brain respond to fear in a dual way. The first variant of this reaction is the “main road” described earlier. The second option is called the "short detour." This is the response of the brain to an unknown or sudden threat.
* In case of a sudden attack, information obtained by the thalamus is sent directly to the amygdala, bypassing the cerebral cortex, through which, as we have seen, the decision loop NORD closes
* The amygdala immediately triggers the SV mechanism, along with a group of so-called "protective reflexes." Protective reflexes include such reactions as startle, removal from the source of pain, sneezing, blinking, gagging, laryngospasm (closing of the larynx, preventing water from entering the respiratory tract)
* After processing in the amygdala and the launch of the SV and protective reflexes, information enters the cerebral cortex
* The cerebral cortex decides whether the threat is real. Depending on the decision, the cerebellar amygdala will either "confirm" the program already in place (CB and protective reflexes) or suspend it. For the case of a “short detour,” it is characteristic that the physical effects of fear are also present during a “false alarm”, since the cerebral cortex is included in the work last.
Concerning the dual nature of the brain’s response to a threat, Dr. Le Du says: “Two variants of neural connections between the cerebral cortex and the amygdala create certain problems. Unfortunately, the connection from the cerebral cortex to the amygdala is weaker than the connection from the amygdala to the cerebral cortex. Thus, the amygdala affects the cerebral cortex more than the cerebral cortex to the amygdala. As a result, the conscious control of an emotion that is once “turned on” is very difficult.
What is important for me here is that defensive skills, which are in conflict with the controlled cerebellar tonsil instinctive reaction, will not work in the event of a sudden danger, regardless of the degree of training. Many instructors, however, believe that the acquired skill can be made completely automatic, using frequent repetition and the principle of stimulus-reaction. If the “main road” scenario is implemented, then with the amendment to the CB and Hicks law, it will be so. In the case of a “short detour,” a positive result can be expected only when the acquired skills do not contradict the protective reflexes imposed on the body of the cerebellar amygdala fighter.
Recall that, according to Dr. Le Dou, the signal system of the “short detour”, without transmitting detailed information about the threat, is distinguished by high speed, while in combat the speed of reaction is of paramount importance. Dr. Le Doo points out that the quick, though not very accurate, method of hazard detection provided by the “short detour” cannot be overestimated: “it is more beneficial for health to take a stick for a snake than a snake for a stick”.
Let's return, however, to game problems
Let us briefly formulate proposals for the experimental determination of the optimal complexity of control.
You can create three groups of testers, ten people or more, and distribute three options between them:
* Minimum management complexity.
* Average complexity of management.
* Maximum management complexity.
During testing, it will be possible to accurately determine the number of hot keys with which most players can freely operate. Also in the course of testing, it is possible to identify the optimal location of the keys. At the same time, you can find out the total amount of information flows, the perception of which the player associates with pleasure (and not with work). It is also possible to determine the optimal balance between using the keys and the graphical interface.
For a more complete picture, you can explore different genres.
Breakthrough Search
Eric Betke, "Structuring the Basic Design Elements".
A fan of first-person shooter is always looking for technically impressive and challenging games like Quake or Unreal. However, after the release of the plot-rich shooter Half-Life, the industry realized that the fan audience would like to know the reasons for which it should show its combat skills. The strange and frightening world of Half-Life is a good excuse for using force, the combat situation of the Second World War on Day of Defeat is an excellent excuse, and hunting for terrorists with a machine gun is also fun.
Well-marked trend, the gameplay is similar in terms of gameplay, but the plot component in Half-Life was at that time utterly superior to Quake and Unreal. You can continue this trend and add Max Payne, a game implemented at a completely new level of script development. The graphics of the game did not demonstrate revelations, but the elaboration of the plot brought the game to the level of a super hit. The trend is obvious, the consumer liked the games, in which the level of complexity of the gameplay remained the same, and the quality development of the game world turned out to be much deeper than usual.
The trend is very similar to the preferences that hover in the film industry: more dynamics, more special effects - this is the credo of the busy consumer.
Then, apparently, it is necessary to understand the facets of these criteria. It is quite clear that the higher the technical level, the better, the desire of the consumer to play with meaning is also understandable.
Breakthrough niche
The technical level or technical breakthrough is certainly associated with id Software and Quake, but is it worth to butt with a bull in which there are thousands of pounds of low-fat meat? The purpose of id Software is to make breakthroughs every time. A race in which money and time are a secondary aspect is the company's position, especially if there is such a rival as Unreal.
And the second direction is the need to play with meaning. Half-Life and Max Payne. Sophisticated scenario, played in the linear corridors, where all the actions are built on the stage settings.
It is logical that the AI ​​of the characters is not able to give an action that corresponds to the level of reality, still very long. But even in the movie (smart) actor imitates the character of the hero, imitating the type.
Lev Kuleshov. Lectures "Fundamentals of cinema" in VGIK. The stage scene is the layout of the frame, the paths of movement and movements of the character in the space in which the action develops. The stage set is the result of the content of this piece of script and arises as a consequence of the expression of the action of tasks and subtasks of the piece. The stage scene is the first stage in the realization of the creative idea of ​​the director.
Summarize. Reducing the number of keys used at first glance limits the developer. Game concepts are constantly becoming more complex, technical progress allows to implement more technically more advanced games. Often, developers unnecessarily overload the gameplay, which in turn reduces sales of the game product. In my opinion, the future of games lies in the elaboration (but without fanaticism) of the game world. Each character must respond to events more diversely, imitating the scenario described by the script.
The player only affects the events, which, in turn, as the waves spread through the game world and come back, ready to reflect the player's efforts with a variety of their forms.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/77697/
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