作者：Ghast Hunter

看了一些游戏建议的帖子后，我的感觉是很多人并不知道如何评估一个想法的可行性。以下原则基本上对我本人很管用。记住它们可以节省不少时间，避免失望。Mojang等游戏公司和其他设计工作室也采用相同的或者至少类似的原则，我对此一点也不感到惊讶。所以，下次你想提建议时，希望你参考以下原则。

minecraft(from gorsel.kindir.net)

原则1：PHISH。这是什么？PHISH是一个缩略词。当考虑在游戏中添加任何想法时，可以把它的含义作为一条基本方针。具体地说，它的含义就是“性能、点击量、影响、成本、习惯（游戏邦注：Performance、Hits、Impact、Spending、Habits）”。然后呢？《我的世界》是一款商业上非常成功的游戏，许多人都愿意购买。没有人想买运行很差或评价不好的游戏，这是必然的。所以当有一个想法时，你要先自问“电脑运行它需要占多少内存？”会不会导致延迟？会不会导致游戏只能在高端PC上运行？文件大小增加以致于延长载入时间？如果是这样，那么这个想法就应该重新考虑或讨论。例子：你可能认为游戏的怪物数量越大越好。或者你可能认为怪物应该彼此攻击，就像对付玩家一样。这两个想法都需要很高的处理性能。至少你必须思考一下如何限制它。可能不是直接增加怪群数量，而是用“怪群限额”取代死掉的怪群。至于敌意，应该制定一套规则，以避免电脑频繁地计算各个怪的目标。

太长不想看？真丢人！你应该好好解读上文的意思。这不是一个硬性规定，而是你应该想办法让你的设计运行得尽可能顺畅……如果它要求玩家有一台“性能足够好”的电脑，那么你就应该修改它。

原则2：版权斗争很糟糕。如果一个想法似乎与其他游戏/电影等太相似，那么可能它就是出自那些游戏/电影。游戏和免费软件开发者在这方面的有更多的回旋余地，而对于商业游戏，如果有人指出他们的知识产权被侵犯，商业游戏可能会大受打击。如果有人指出“嘿，那不正是谁谁在某某游戏/电影中做的吗？”那么不要反驳“我从来没有玩过/看过那个游戏/电影！”你应该更进一步询问，然后找出确切的信息。不要害怕修改你的概念，甚至是彻底改变，直到它与以前的作品不再雷同。相信我，不要找借口，改变总比付律师费划算。那些负责诉讼的人会欣赏你的慎重。

例子：添加一个穿白色长袍、拿“隐形剑”的刺客真是一个很酷的想法……如果你不希望这个想法被Mojang否决，那么你是不是应该让他不那么像《刺客信条》呢？尝试一些更普通的配方吧，如穿“彩色羊毛斗篷”，和使用普遍的“求生小刀”。

太长不想看？如果有人告你侵权，无论你的理由是什么，你的想法都用不了了。

原则3：善变主义。太酷的想法可能会让你的设计跑题。值得执行的想法必须完美地与游戏世界相融合。应该让玩家在游戏中看到它，考虑它是否从来没有出现过。想一想《我的世界》，你的想法适合它的概念吗？或你的想法会把游戏方向完全改变吗？这里有一些灵活性，但从宝剑到TNT炸药，从激光枪到原子弹，确实跳跃得太大了。如果你觉得“这些东西本来就在这里”那么你的想法就对了；如果你觉得“太怪异了，从来没见过……”或“如果人们看到……他们不会想看第二眼”那么我建议你放弃你的想法。然而，如果别人觉得你的想法太古怪，甚至你自己也觉得，那么你还是打住吧。

例子：事实上，这一点很难下定论。你用一把弓和无限的箭射怪物群，这种游戏模式可能很普遍；你和AI或另一名玩家比赛收集材料、建造太空飞船并向月球发射的游戏呢？可能并不多。

太长不想看？如果你的想法看起来完全是另一款游戏，或者让玩家觉得“这是什么？”那么，你最好重新考虑一下你的想法。

原则4：平衡！（物品）这一点在其他地方也提过了。首先，从技术上说，这一条既适用于新障碍，又适用于新道具。基本上可以归结为三个问题：新加入的东西会不会导致游戏中的其他东西变得毫无价值？游戏中已经存在的某些东西会不会使新加入的东西变得毫无意义？会不会破坏其他玩家的乐趣？如果你对以上三个问题中的任何一个回答“是”，那么你就要再次考虑要不要加入这个新东西。如果你仍然认为值得添加，那么你就要想出弥补的办法。如果它太实用了，那就给它增加负作用。不够实用？那就给它额外的好处。对于合成物品，弥补办法就是调整配方。至于新的障碍类型，抵消的办法就是使它罕见。然而在某些情况下，比如当一种道具很容易导致悲剧时，那么就应该改写它的基本属性。

例子：对此，我要举两个例子。一个是新道具，一个是旧道具。比如你想添加新武器如一把小刀和一把长戟。小刀的功能与剑类似，但杀伤力更小、耐用性更差。那还会有人愿意使用小刀吗？好吧，如果它需要的制作材料更少，不需要相应的技能就能制作出来，并且抛射距离加倍，那么应该有人会选择小刀了。至于长戟，它的进攻范围应该比剑大，伤害也更高。那么为什么还有人使用剑？当长戟需要更多制作材料，又因为长度而使稳固性变差时，就会有人选择剑了。如果你必须放弃一两种更实用的工具来制作它，你可能也会犹豫。至于游戏内的资源，以钻石和木材为例。钻石可以制作强大的武器和耐久度高的装备。钻石工具可以收集任何当前阶段可以收集的东西。而木材却不能。为什么有人选择使用木材而不是钻石？因为钻石稀少，而木材不仅普遍而且是可再生资源。另外，需要用到钻石的配方很少，而木材的非常多。更重要的是，如果你不先获得木材，你也无法获得钻石。

长太不想看？没有借口。看上面这一段。不仅要看，看完了要记在心里。

原则5：平衡！（怪物）怪物的平衡与物品的平衡有所区别。首先是因为敌对和非敌对实体的区别。对于非敌对的怪物，可能通常把它们当作物品。那么它有什么用？它算是一种资源提供者或另有目的如运输或吓走/打击其他怪物？或者这种怪物发挥的纯粹就是美学作用？如果是第一种情况，那就看它给什么资源。它提供的那种资源已经够多了吗？是否有其他怪物掉落它，使它更容易获得？如果它是一种怪物掉落的新物品，那么是不是太容易得到了（如果是，那么你需要的应该是敌对的怪物）。对于“服务”怪物，想想你应该如何发挥它的服务功能。代价应该与好处成正比，但也不能太低，以至于任何时候都值得一试。对于观赏性的怪物，记住三点：一是它们仍然必须掉落什么东西；二是一旦它出现，它就应该提供一种其他时候不具有的机遇；三是没人喜欢烦人的怪物（游戏邦注：这一点适用于所有类型的怪物）。玩家讨厌频繁出现的怪声音和导致延迟的行为，除非是大怪出现了。

资源型怪物的原则仍然适于敌对的怪物。此外，你必须思考这种怪物的战斗能力。首先，这种怪物的挑战性体现在哪里，也就是它充当的角色。例如，蜘蛛考验玩家的反应力；玩家在晚上遇到骷髅怪时最好寻找避难所；玩家要特别注意周围是否有爬行类怪物出没。另外要记住，挑战性和“完美”不是同一个概念。好怪物不是全能的，也有自身的弱点。以恶灵为例，虽然它会飞，但它的攻击速度慢，并且命中不高，它很大（更容易被打中），无法跨越防御工事。甚至是爬行怪，虽然它神出鬼没，且攻击范围大，但它的攻击会被反射，并且移动的声响大，行动时不能进攻，发动进攻前有假动作。从以上例子可以看出，对付敌对怪物应该总是有一些“获胜策略”，或者至少应该让玩家可以发现怎么做才能更容易生存下来。

因为最后一部分的复杂和重要，我实在不能提供案例或压缩版的解释。可以说，如果怪物看起就像“玛丽苏”或“会行走的宝箱”，那么你就失策了。以上原则也许并非百试百灵，但确实是不错的指导方针，至少我个人是很支持的。我希望它们能启发其他人提出更好的建议，从而提高游戏的品质。（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）

Anon’s 5 Rules of Game Design

by AnonTheMouse

After going through a few of the suggestion topics, I got the feeling that a lot of people don’t know how to gauge the feasibility of an idea. Now what follows is, for the most part, simply what works for me. However, keeping these rules in mind can save a lot of time and disappointment. It would not surprise me very much to find that Mojang and other design studios use the same rules…or at least very similar. So, the next time you get ready to make a suggestion, keep in mind this checklist.

Rule One: PHISH What is PHISH? PHISH is an acronym. Like the famous Keep It Simple Stupid, it has a meaning that acts as a basic guideline for any idea to be added to a game. Specifically, it means “Performance Hits Impact Spending Habits”. Meaning what? Well, Minecraft is a commercial game. People have to want to pay for it. Naturally, no one wants to buy a game that runs poorly or people complain about. So when thinking up an idea, ask yourself “What would it take for a computer to run this?” first. Could it cause lag spikes? Limit the game to only running on high-end PCs? Increase the file size so that it has much longer load times? If so, this idea may need to be rethought or discarded entirely.

Example: You might think the game would be better with more mobs. Or maybe you think mobs should be hostile to one another as well as the player. Both of these ideas would require greater processing power. At the least you would need to put thought into how to limit the hit. Maybe rather than more mobs directly, a “Mob Quota” that replaces mobs as they die. For hostility, a set of rules that keeps the computer from having to calculate each mob’s target as frequently.

TL;DR? Well, shame on you! You should be reading this! While not a hard rule, this boils down to try to find the way to make your idea run smoothly as possible…and toss it if it depends on the player having a “good enough” computer.

Rule Two: Legal Battles Suck If an idea seems too much like some other game/movie/etc…then it probably is. Modders and freeware developers get a lot more leeway in this, but commercial games can get hit pretty hard if somebody decides that their intellectual property has been infringed upon. Ignorance is no excuse either. If someone points out “Hey, isn’t that exactly what they did in Blah the Blahdy Blah?” then don’t just say “Well, I’ve never played/seen/whatevered that!”. Ask for more information or go find out. Don’t be afraid to change your concept, sometimes drastically, until it no longer resembles the earlier work. Trust me, all excuses aside, it’s better to be safe than pay lawyers. The people responsible for making sure   doesn’t get sued will appreciate your prudence.

Example: Adding a white assassin robe you can craft from wool and a “Hidden Blade” weapon is a cool idea…for a mod. If you don’t want the idea tossed out by Mojang, though, it’s going to have to be a little less like Assassin’s Creed. Try something more generic, like, “Colored cloaks made from wool” and maybe using the popular “2×2 grid Survival Knife” recipe.
TL;DR? No matter what your excuse is, your idea won’t get used if it could get someone sued.

Rule Three: Chameleon-ism The “Rule of Cool” can get you only so far. For your idea to be worth implementing, it must be something that will fit into the game world as seamlessly as possible. People should look at it in game, and wonder that it was never there before. This means keeping with the concept. Look at what Minecraft is now. Does your idea fit with that concept, or would it require taking the game in a radically new direction? There is some flexibility here, but it’s a big leap from swords and TNT to laser rifles and atom bombs. If you can say, “All the pieces are here already” then you might be on to something. If you can say, “it’s weird I’ve never seen…” or “people wouldn’t blink twice if they saw…” then suggest away. If, however, your idea is coming from way out of left field and even you know it, apply the brakes.

Example: In truth, this one is harder to pin down. A game mode where you get a bow and infinite arrows to survive waves of Creepers probably wouldn’t be much of a stretch. A game mode where you race  an AI or other player to collect materials, build a spaceship, and launch for the moon? Probably not so much.
TL;DR? If your idea seems like a totally different game, or makes people go “Wut?” then it’s best to reconsider.

Rule Four: BALANCE! (Part One, Items)  This has been stated elsewhere. Part one, applies both to new blocks and to new items, technically. Basically, it boils down to three questions. Would this make something else in game pointless? Would something already in game make this pointless? Could it ruin anyone’s fun? If you can answer any of these questions “Yes”, think twice. Then think again. If you still think that it would be worth adding, start looking at how to compensate. If it’s too useful, add a drawback. Not useful enough? Give it a bonus. For crafted items, this can be as simple as adjusting the recipe. For a new block type, the equivalent is rarity. In some cases, however, such as when an item would be highly prone to use as a griefing tool, its base properties should be reworked instead.

Example: In this case, I’ll use two examples. One for new items, and one from things already in game. First off, let’s say you wanted to add new weapons, a knife and a halberd. The knife would be functionally similar to a sword, but with less power and durability. Why then would anyone use it? Well, if it used less material, could be crafted without a workbench, and doubled as a projectile, then they might. What about a halberd? It would have more reach than a sword, keeping you safe, and might do more damage. Why would you use a sword then? Well, you would use a sword if the halberd required more material and it’s added length made it less sturdy. You might also hesitate if you had to give up one or more of your more useful tools to craft it. As for in-game, look at Diamond versus Wood. Diamonds make powerful weapons and armor with high durability. Diamond tools can harvest any block currently able to be collected. Wood on the other hand does not. Why would someone ever use Wood and not Diamond? Well, Diamond is rare, while wood is a renewable resource. Also, while Diamond is used in only a few recipes, Wood is used in a large number. In fact, you can’t get Diamonds without first getting Wood.

TL;DR? No excuses. Read this one. Read. It. Read it and take it to heart.

Rule Five: BALANCE! (Part Two, Mobs) Balance gets a little different when it comes to mobs. Firstly because of the big differences between hostile and non-hostile entities. For a non-hostile mob, it may often be easier to treat it like an item. First of all, what will it do? Is it a resource supply or does it serve a purpose, such as transportation or scaring away/fighting other mobs. Or is the mob purely aesthetic? If the first, then look at the resource it’s giving. Is it plentiful enough already? Would having a mob drop it make it too easy to get? If it’s a new item that the mob drops, will it be too easy a way to obtain it (if so, you may need a hostile mob instead). For “service” mobs, consider how you get the mob to perform the service. The cost should be worth the benefit, but not so low that it’s well worth it at any time. As for aesthetic mobs, keep three things in mind. They still have to drop something. Whenever one appears, it is a chance something else won’t. Last, but not least, something that applies to all mobs…nobody likes an annoying mob. Frequent irritating sounds or lag-inducing behavior will not earn you anyone’s praise but the Trolls’.

For hostile mobs, the rule for resource mobs still applies. In addition to this, though, you have to think about how fighting the mob should go. First, consider what kind of challenge you want a mob to represent. Think about the role it should play. For example, Spiders test your reflexes, Skeletons remind you to seek shelter at night, and Creepers make certain you always pay attention to your surroundings. Also bear in mind that being challenging and being “uber” are not the same thing. A good mob has weaknesses. It isn’t good at everything. Take the Ghast, for instance. While it can fly, and shoots explosive fireballs that can break blocks and extinguish portals, it is not without limitations. It announces it’s presence, it’s attacks are not only slow but can be deflected, it is large (making it an easier target), and proper fortifications thwart it. Even the Creeper, with its stealth and deadly explosive attack, has limits. It’s detonation can be countered, it still makes sound when walking, it cannot explode while moving, and there is a delay in which it broadcasts its impending attack. Following these examples, a hostile mob should always have some “winning strategy”. Or rather, there should be behaviors that the player can exploit to make surviving easier, if they only know how.

Due to the complexity and importance of this last section, I can’t really provide an example case or condensed version. Suffice to say that if a mob seems like a “Mary Sue” or walking treasure chest (figuratively speaking; mimics could actually make for a rather interesting mob) then you have gone astray somewhere. In any case, with that I conclude my list. While these rules may not be universal, they are excellent guidelines, and the ones that I personally stand by. I hope that they may help people to make well thought out and constructive suggestions, and thereby perhaps to improve the quality of the game overall.(source:minecraftforum)