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开发者总结拓展游戏内容的7种有效方法

发布时间:2013-11-12 09:51:57 Tags:,,,,

作者:Xavier Sythe

1、利用自定义系统

cube world(from gamasutra)

cube world(from gamasutra)

上图是《方块世界》的玩家角色/NPC角色;NPC角色是生成的(独一无二的)。

许多游戏都在初始角色生成页面中提供详尽的玩家自定义选项,虽然只能使用一次。这既限制又浪费。这个允许玩家创造独特的、可辨识的角色的系统可以用来生成独特的、多样化的NPC和敌人。除了极偶尔的时候会遇到相似的角色,这个系统可以生成数十种不同的NPC/敌人(选项越多,越好)。

这还使玩家得以为敌人/NPC创造背景故事,使游戏的传说更加丰富多彩。比如,“那个巨魔小时候因一头天生的粉色头发而被嘲笑,他发誓通过杀死比部落中的同伴还多两倍的冒险者,来证明自己的价值。”

2、环境的故事叙述

NPC应该有目的。不只是“一个目的”。

在《方块世界》中,一组NPC由2-4个不同种族组成,有友好的也有敌对的,有的四处漫步,有的与其他NPC/玩家战斗。这显然使游戏世界更加生机勃勃。

但环境叙述不是RPG的专利,许多不同开放世界的游戏也可以使用,比如《黑道圣途II》。这款游戏把环境叙述使用得相当好,体现在两个方面:一是允许玩家窃听NPC的谈话,二是卖热狗的小贩会对不满意的顾客恶语相向。

3、增强世界边界

prifddinas(from gamasutra)

prifddinas(from gamasutra)

上图是《Runescape》中被禁锢的精灵城—-Prifddinas

通过暗示内容,玩家看到的游戏世界更加丰富多彩。

让玩家看到通向禁区、隔离区、古城废墟、遇难船等的入口,可以让玩家觉得神秘,同时鼓励玩家猜想不可进入的区域(游戏邦注:但不要做过头,没人喜欢经常遇到死胡同)。

spiral knights(from gamasutra)

spiral knights(from gamasutra)

《The Core》中的神秘地下城—-Spiral Knights

4、添加迷你游戏和挑战/成就

club penguin(from gamasutra)

club penguin(from gamasutra)

上图是《Club Penguin》中的第一个迷你游戏

迷你游戏,特别是多人迷你游戏,可以使原本似乎内容匮乏的游戏更加丰富多样。迷你游戏必须有极高的重玩价值,因为添加高质量的一次性内容(任务)必然要求添加更多一次性内容。

战斗情节可以做成很好的迷你游戏,例如,《激战》中不言自明的PVP概念和经典的PVE怪物竞技场。

剧情(基于上下文)迷你游戏最好,但必要时,甚至只能松散联系到主游戏的迷你游戏也是可以的。

成就系统可以确保玩家完整地体验到所有已有的内容。为了鼓励玩家达成成就,游戏应该加入小小的刺激因素如让其他玩家可以看到的徽章。

与成就不同,挑战是经常更新的目标,挑战系统旨在考验玩家,奖励他们完成上述挑战。

5、装饰性/促销性道具和宠物

最肤浅的一类内容,装饰性/促销性的道具和宠物都是用来刺激玩家继续玩下去的东西,让玩家通过挣得虚拟货币去购买它们(或者,用真钱购买)。不用说,这种肤浅的内容也可以帮助开发者,为他们争取时间开发更丰富的内容(游戏不可能只有纯肤浅的内容)。

6、程序生成法

minecraft(from gamasutra)

minecraft(from gamasutra)

《我的世界》难道不是一款华丽的游戏吗?

无限的游戏意味着无穷的可能性。

程序生成法可以大大增加游戏深度,这已经被《方块》和《我的世界》证明了。即使世界生成器只由少量的生物群落、怪物和地形组成,仍然可以产生千变万化、独一无二的区域。在世界生成器中添加内容可以使它的丰富性呈指数增长,因为不只是添加了一种城堡到静态的世界,而是添加了许多不同城堡在整个游戏世界存在的可能性。程序生成法也不限于世界生成,任务是程序生成法的圣杯。程序生成的任务具有丰富的物种、剧情和区域。确实是无限的内容。

7、制作平台    

内容还是不够?让玩家自己创作!

提供大量创造工具,无论是赛车游戏的跑道编辑器还是开放沙盒游戏的专用MOD API,奖励有效地利用这些工具的玩家。

支持制作MOD的玩家和你的游戏社区!甚至看似非常肤浅的角色自有房子和商店也可能产生巨大影响。

最后,如果你没有足够的内容,必须让玩家知道你将添加更多内容。

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 Ways to Extend Game Content (While Making Your Game Feel More Alive)

by Xavier Sythe

#7. Exploit Customization Systems

Above, Cube World player/NPC races; NPCs are generated (unique)

Many games offer detailed player customization options that are often only used once, during the creation of the initial player character.  This is both limiting and wasteful.  The same system that players use to create unique, identifiable characters can be harnessed to generate unique, diverse NPCs and enemies.  Apart from a slim chance of encountering the occasional doppelganger, this generation allows for dozens, if not hundreds, of different NPCs/enemies (the more options, the better).

It also allows for players to create back-stories for enemies and NPCs in real-time, making your lore appear even richer, e.g., “That troll was mocked for his naturally pink hair as a child, and he swore to prove his worth by slaying twice as many adventurers as the other trolls in his tribe.”

#6. Environmental Narratives

NPCs should have purpose. Not just “a purpose”.  Purpose.

In Cube World, groups of 2-4 NPCs, consisting of every race, both hostile and friendly, can be found roaming the world, doing battle with other NPCs/players.  This obviously makes the game world feel more alive.
But environmental narratives aren’t limited to RPGs.  They’ve been deployed in a vastly different sort of open-world game, Saints Row II.  SR II uses environmental narratives quite well, both when it allows players to eavesdrop on the conversations of NPC couples, and when a hotdog-stand mascot deals roughly with a dissatisfied customer.
(See 10:35-11:58)

Pardon the thumbnail.  It’s YouTube, after all.

#5. Enhance World Borders

Above, the ever-barred Elven city of Prifddinas (Runescape)

By hinting at content in the pipeline, game worlds can seem far richer than they are.
By showing players the entrances to forbidden cities, quarantined settlements, ancient ruins, shipwrecks, and the like, developers can create mystique while fueling speculation about the inaccessible areas (But don’t overdo it. No one likes constant dead ends).

The Core, a mysterious entity that powers the dungeons of Spiral Knights.

#4. Add mini-games and challenges/achievements

Above, the first mini-game to be added to Club Penguin

Mini-games, especially multiplayer ones, can make a game that would otherwise seem lacking in content appear rich with activity.  Mini-games need to have maximum replay value, as adding high-quality disposable content (quests) necessitates the addition of more disposable content.

Combat scenarios can make great mini-games, e.g., Guild Wars, a PvP concept that’s self-explanatory, and of course the classic PvE monster arena.

Diegetic (contextual) mini-games are best, but, in a pinch, even games that are only loosely connected to the main game will suffice.

Above, Achievement Unlocked, a game that satirizes achievements

Achievements ensure that players experience existing content completely.  To encourage players to complete achievements, a small incentive, e.g., a visible indicator of completion to the player and other players (a badge) should be awarded.

Unlike achievements, challenges are frequently refreshed objectives, with the express goal of challenging the player and rewarding them for the completion of said challenges.

#3. Decorative/Promotional Items and Pets

Arguably the most superficial type of content, both decorative/promotional items and pets serve to motivate players to continue playing in order to earn sufficient in-game currency to afford them (or, optionally, purchase them with real-world money).  Needless to say, the addition of this type of superficial content can also assist developers, by allowing them more time to develop richer content (a game can’t be purely superficial content).

#2. Procedural Generation

Isn’t Minecraft a gorgeous game?

An infinite world means infinite possibilities.

Procedural generation allows for an extraordinary amount of depth, as evidenced by both Cube World and Minecraft.  Even if a world generator consists of just a handful of biomes, monsters, and terrain types, it can generate a world where no two areas look the same.  Adding content to a world generator makes said world exponentially richer, as it isn’t merely adding one castle to a static world, it’s adding the potential for many distinct castles throughout the world.  And procedural generation isn’t limited to worlds.  Quests are the holy grail of procedural generation.  Procedural quests are generated tasks with varying creatures, stories and areas.  Truly infinite content.

#1. Make a Platform

Don’t have enough content?  Let players create it for you!
Provide great tools to create, whether it’s a track editor for a racing game, or a dedicated mod API for an open world sandbox game, and reward players who use them effectively.

Support modders and your game’s community!  Even something as seemingly superficial as player-owned housing and shops can make a big difference.

Last but not least, if you don’t have enough content, your players need to know that you will add more.(source:gamasutra)


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