作者：Juuso

为何有的游戏很有趣而有的却很枯燥？这是游戏开发者在进行游戏设计时必须引以重视的一大问题。影响游戏乐趣的因素方方面面，而以下我将列出7大游戏设计技巧帮你制造出一款有趣的游戏。

技巧1-收集

很多人都有收集的兴趣。有些人喜欢收集邮票，有些人喜欢收集乐队的唱片，有些人喜欢收集电影，还有些人喜欢收集游戏。因为人类喜欢收集东西，所以设有收集机制的游戏能够博得人们的喜欢。《暗黑破坏神》和《魔兽世界》等游戏如此有趣，正是因为玩家可以在游戏中收集东西，游戏中遍布各种各样的收集品。

技巧2-个性化

The Sims2(from businesssimulationgames.org)

想想《模拟人生》这类游戏。游戏中并没有一个明确的目标，玩家可以随意地装扮自己的房子（游戏邦注：但游戏并没有规定他们做这些事需要耗费多少时间），并做其他一些个性化的行为。再看看《魔兽世界》（或者《暗黑破坏神》），这些游戏也因为角色的个性化效果而显得更加有趣不是吗？

技巧3-完善

不论是完善游戏角色，武器还是城市，人们都喜欢在游戏中不断完善一些东西。就像是比起“Sparkling Orc Hammer”（对于“green enemies”的攻击力只有“+1”），玩家更想要争取“Sword of Flames”，因为它能够带给他们“+3”的攻击力。不论是获得更多的钱，更多的体验还是更高的分数，玩家总是在游戏中追求着更多的完善。

技巧4-挑战

游戏中的挑战是一个很棘手的问题。做得好的话能够完善玩家的游戏体验，但是做得不好也同时会毁掉所有的游戏体验。人们总喜欢去征服挑战（没有挑战的游戏将会变得很无趣），但是对设计者来说在游戏中安插适当的挑战关卡却是个很困难的任务。也许你会在游戏中添加不同难度的关卡，但是做得不好将会让游戏系统变得更加迟钝，并难以与整体游戏相适应。一个选择是，如果你要在游戏中设置不同难度的关卡，你就先要在游戏中设定一个特定的目标（游戏邦注：例如在赛车游戏中，玩家的目标便是到达终点），并为那些喜欢真正挑战的玩家设定一些可选择的目标（如让汽车毫发无损地穿过一些特定的路线）。这真的是一个很棘手的游戏设计元素：因为玩家虽然喜欢挑战，但是同时也不喜欢太困难的游戏。

技巧5-控制

我们不得不承认，人类总是想要控制自己的生活。我们想要控制自己的所作所为，想要控制生活中的方方面面。也许你也想要控制自己的闲暇时间，或者工作中的各种项目。不管目标是什么，反正你内心的控制欲望总是难以抹灭。所以玩家也不免带有控制欲望（要不他们就不会选择玩游戏了）。例如玩家希望能够知道车子什么时候会向左转。他们希望能够命令游戏中的单位，并让它们按照自己的想法行动。他们希望在游戏中能够通过自己的不同决定而控制游戏故事的发展。玩家喜欢控制权，所以如果游戏能够给予他们更多的控制权（或者感受），也就等同于游戏带给他们更多的乐趣。

技巧6-创造

有些人是天生的创造者：他们喜欢建造或创造东西。他们喜欢在大城市中创造一些东西以消除那些管道系统障碍。他们喜欢建造最高的塔以及最棒的城市。他们想要创造最出色的餐馆或者最佳等级。人们喜欢创造，而如果你的游戏能够满足他们的这种想法，定能够给他们带来无穷的乐趣。

技巧7-神秘感

人们喜欢神秘的事物和秘密。为何《半条命》的游戏故事会备受赞誉？其中一点原因便是故事中那些身着黑衣的神秘男子，他们是什么人？为何玩家会喜欢《Hitman》？不仅因为这款游戏很有趣，而且玩家能在游戏过程中慢慢揭开游戏主角的身世之谜。如果你的游戏故事能够笼罩一层神秘感，并随着故事情节的发展而发展，那么玩家一定会乐意尝试你的游戏。他们渴望能够从中找到答案。

游戏邦注：原文发表于2007年10月6日，所涉事件及数据以当时为准。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

7 Game Design Elements That Can Make Game Fun

By Juuso

Why some games are fun, and why others are boring? These are questions that game developers must take into account in their game design. There are many elements that impact the fun factor – and here’s 7 game design elements that can help making a fun game.

#1 – Collecting stuff

Some (perhaps most) people are collecting something. Somebody likes collecting stamps, somebody music DVDs of certain bands, somebody movies, somebody games. We people like collecting stuff – and that’s one factor that makes many games fun. One reason why Diablo or World of Warcraft games are fun because you can collect stuff. Lots of stuff.

#2 – Personalizing stuff

Think Sims. There’s no aim in that game, yet one can spend ages just to decorate his house (not to mention how many hours those sequels and expansion packs can take) and make things look personal. Think World of Warcraft (or even Diablo) again – wasn’t it fun to make the character look personal?

#3 – Improving stuff

Whether it’s improving your character, weapons, city or anything – people like if they can improve stuff in game. If they can get Sword of Flames that gives them +3 damage instead of Sparkling Orc Hammer (+1 damage against green enemies) they will love it. Getting more money, getting more experience, getting more points – getting more improved stuff is what players are after.

#4 – Challenging stuff

Challenge in games is tricky issue. Sometimes it can make the gaming experience, and sometimes it might even kill the gaming experience. We people want to overcome challenges (otherwise game gets pretty boring), but finding the right challenge levels is sometimes pretty darn hard to do. One could think about having different difficulty levels… but that might be pretty dull system and might make it hard to find the right factors to adjust. One option – if you need to have different difficulties – is to have certain objectives that must be done (a car game example: getting to finish line) and then having optional goals for those who want a real challenge (for example: not crashing your car and driving through special routes). This is a tricky game design element: players want challenging, but not too difficult game.

#5 – Controlling stuff

Admit it: you want control in your life. You want to be in charge of what you do with your life, and you want to have control over certain things. Perhaps you want to control where you spend your spare time, or perhaps you want to control projects at work. Whatever it is – you want to have control over something. Similarly players want control (otherwise they’d be watching movies instead). They want to make sure the car goes left when they tell so. They want to command their units so that they actually follow player’s orders. They want to feel that they can control how the story goes by making different decisions. They want control. The more you give it (or a feeling of it) – the more fun game might be to some players.

#6 – Creating stuff

Some people are creators: they want to build and create stuff. They want to create anything from huge cities to smooth plumbing systems. They want to build the highest towers and finest cities. They want to create greatest restaurant or finest levels. People like to create – and if you give them tools for creating stuff they will like it.

#7 – Mysterious stuff

People love mysteries and secrets. Why Half-life game was praised for its story? One reason is that the story has mysterious men in black suits – who are these guys? What keeps players completing levels in Hitman? The game was fun, but in addition it the mystery behind the main character just had to be revealed. If you can bring some kind of secret or wrap a mystery around your story, some players will like it. They will crave for the answers.（source:gameproducer）