作者：Shawn Olson

我趁休息的时候测试了自己所致力的一个关卡，以确保它能够围绕着被添加到《反恐精英：全球攻势》的Operation Breakout更新中的关卡而运行。这些关卡看起来都很棒，但这之所以能够激起我的兴趣并不是因为其它地图较小，而是因为它引出了我的怀旧感。我非常肯定它们中的某些元素是直接根植于《CS 1.6》的as_oilrig中。

Counter-Strike Global Offensive(from verycd)

之后我阅读了Rock Paper Shotgun上一篇关于这一关卡的文章，在那里Graham Smith分享了同样的评估和感觉。

Smith所说的一点让我想起了之前与其他游戏玩家和设计师经常进行的讨论。Smith强调as_oilrig是《CS 1.6》中暗杀模式的一部分—-即在《CSS》和《CSGO》中被删除掉的模式，因为该模式很难做到平衡。为什么游戏和关卡必须做到平衡？

在我的文章中，大多数玩家似乎因为感知到失衡而恼火不已。我非常同意这种情况存在某种程度的优点。但同时，我并未真正同意对于这一游戏元素的强调。我能理解这对于大多数玩家的常识和看法的挑战。但要知道世界是一个巨大的领域，还存在许多变量的空间。

是的，平衡中有些内容是不可被忽视的。在现实世界中，让美国梦之队迎战具有6年经验的篮球队真的是无意义且不平衡的。这样的极端并不是我所谈论的内容。

在我看来，存在趋于失衡的非常有价值的元素；此外，平衡也不像你想的那样可以轻易计量—-总是存在多元的层面将对平衡做出贡献。关卡设计，玩家技能，网速，计算机规格和游戏目标等都需要被整合到任何在线比赛的平衡中。这些是导致平衡不精确的所有内在变量。

包含挑战

挑战本身是最受贬值的游戏元素。学习如何包含挑战是我们现代游戏文化中一个被遗漏的环节。在我看来，讨厌挑战不只是一个游戏问题，这甚至是一个文化问题，需要我们投入比游戏本身更多的注意力。面对挑战能够提供给我们更多的学习和适应的机会，而不管是成功还是失败都是具有价值的教训。

失衡能够提供游戏环境中各种层面的挑战。每当我面对一个玩家开始谈论他们因为团队A或团队B拥有一种固有的优势而讨厌该关卡时，我便会感到畏缩。对于我来说，这样的抱怨其实非常幼稚。

让我们以《胜利之日：起源》中的dod_strand为例。这一关卡突出了盟军进攻一片被防卫的海滩。最初，许多挑战是是指向盟军，因为他们必须通过拥有守卫的海滩。当服务器切换到这一关切时，人群经常会突然消失。

我喜欢这样的地图。真的，盟军从来不能打破防线。但通常情况下，盟军最终都会穿越防守。现在的挑战便落到了Axis团队上。

在这种情况下虽然存在平衡，但它却是随着时间的发展而出现，且不受空间的影响。优势将会随着情景的改变而改变。多么动态化！

让我们以另一款我喜欢的游戏《Hidden: Source》为例。这款游戏是由失衡勾勒出独特体验的一个主要例子。在《Hidden》中，一个特殊的玩家团队与其他拥有特殊能力的玩家会展开竞争。在一对一的游戏中，胜算是倾向于Hidden，而在10对1的比赛中，胜算则是倾向于IRIS团队。当胜算倒向你时，玩IRIS团队的有趣体验便是你有可能感到紧张，不安和神经质。当胜算倒向你而感受到获胜的乐趣时，这种时刻的价值将被进一步提升。在玩《Hidden》时，IRIS团队被填满总比空缺更加让人满足—-因为完成一个挑战目标的成就感会更加深刻。

如果你并不是那种喜欢挑战的人，你便只需要记住每个回合的结果便好。在大多数服务器中，当双方调换位置时，桌子也会自动进行调整。

AWP困境和团队协作

我认为在在线游戏中能够增强失衡的一大元素便是团队工作。在FPS中，你可以通过使用大脑和团队去克服挑战而最终克服失衡。

让我们以《反恐精英》中的AWP（游戏邦注：以及所有FPS游戏中的狙击手步枪）为例。人们将会不断抱怨扎营的狙击手，就好似这些玩家都是没有人性的Morlocs。在许多情境中，团队A去克服团队B的狙击手的失败都是因为缺少团队协作—-这是我们文化中另外一个需要被注意到的元素，并且不只是在在线游戏中。

让我们以篮球为例，阻挡三分球射手的方法便是改变你的战术，通过让某个人紧盯着他而组织其射篮。在FPS游戏中，这意味着在转移注意力，遮掩以及镇压方面进行合作。如果狙击手瞄准的是一条长走廊，那就使用一些烟雾弹。如果他瞄准的是目标上方的路径，那就在另一条路径上使用诱饵或烟雾。分散狙击手的注意力从而让你自己的狙击手能够将其击倒。你应该适应当前的情景—-当前的挑战。

玩家总是喜欢抱怨应该将AWP移除游戏。我并不擅长AWP，我也讨厌被它所消灭、但这并不是将其从游戏中移除的一个有效理由。

结论

我希望更多人能够接受失衡所提供的变量。在我看来，只是因为目标具有挑战性并不能代表它不值得进行尝试。实际上，当某个领域更具有挑战性，对手更加优秀，你便能够在该情境中获得更多乐趣。当你待在一个具有劣势的团队中并获取胜利时，你将感受到更多奖励。

挑战将推动着你去探索新的解决方法。实际上，使用开放性思维去面对挑战将帮助你发现一种新方法去扭转局势（朝着自己这一方）—-这能够帮助你提升整体的体验。我并不是说游戏应该重新创造Kobayashi Maru（即没有获胜的场景），我是说应该存在变量，并且玩家应该能够张开双臂去拥抱这些变量。

（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）

Game Play and the Balance Cult

by Shawn Olson

Yes, this is a minority report. But bear with me.

I took a break testing a level I’m working on to run around some of the levels added to Operation Breakout for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. They look great, but it was Blackgold that piqued my interest the most–not because the other maps were lesser, but because it spurred nostalgia for me. I’m pretty sure some of it was directly rooted in as_oilrig for CS 1.6.

Then I read a post on Rock Paper Shotgun about this level where Graham Smith shares the same essential estimation and feeling.

One of the things Smith said reminds me of a constant discussion that I have with my fellow gamers and designers. Smith noted that as_oilrig was part of the Assassination mode in CS 1.6 that was dropped from CSS and CSGO because “that mode was difficult to balance.” Is that why the mode was dropped? Why do games and levels always have to be balanced?

In my circle, almost all players seem to get aggravated with any perception of imbalance. I’ll agree that there is some level of merit to this. But at the same time, I don’t really agree with much emphasis on this aspect to gaming. I understand that this flies in the face of common wisdom and in the opinion of most gamers. But the world is a big place, and there is plenty of room for variation.

Yes, there is something in balance that cannot be ignored. In the real world, pitting the USA Dream Team against 6 year-olds on the basketball court would be pointless and blatantly unbalanced. That extreme is certainly not what I’m talking about.

There is, in my view, a very valuable aspect to imbalance; furthermore, balance is not as easily quantifiable as you might think–as there are often multivariate levels that contribute to balance. Level design, player skill, network speeds, computer specifications and game goals all factor into the balance of any online match. These are all variables that inherently make balance imprecise.

Embracing Challenge

Challenge itself is one of the most undervalued elements of games. Learning to embrace challenge is a missing aspect of our modern gaming culture. In my opinion, the aversion to challenge is more than a game issue–it is a cultural issue that needs some attention in much wider discussions than games themselves. Facing challenges offers opportunities to learn and adapt, and both success and failure afford valuable lessons.

Imbalance offers varying levels of challenges in gaming environments. I cringe every time I play a level where players start chatting about how much they hate that level because team A or team B has an inherent edge. To me, those complaints are largely juvenile.

Take a level like dod_strand for Day of Defeat: Source. This level features Allied forces storming a fortified beach. Initially, the bulk of challenge falls on the shoulders of the Allied forces because they must make it across a mostly open beach that is being defended by Allied forces along a bunkered ridge. When servers switch to this level, the crowd often disappears. Those that stay complain and RTV.

I love this kind of map. Really, the Allied forces should never be able to break the line. But very often, the Allied forces eventually break through the defences. Now the challenge falls onto the Axis team.

In this scenario, there is balance, but it happens over time rather than space. The upper hand changes as the circumstances change. It’s dynamic!

Take another game that I love–Hidden: Source. This game is a prime example where imbalance paints the tapestry of unique experiences. In Hidden, a team of special-ops players is pitted against another player who has special abilities (among them, being nearly invisible). In a one-on-one game, the odds favor the Hidden. In a ten-on-one game, the odds favor the IRIS team. The fun experience in playing the IRIS team when the odds are against you is the opportunity to feel nervous, apprehensive and jumpy–things many people pay for at the Box Office. And the enjoyment of winning a round when the odds are against you enhance the value of those moments. When playing the Hidden when the IRIS team is full is far more satisfying than when the IRIS team is nearly empty–because the sense of accomplishing a challenging goal is more poignant.

If you aren’t the kind of person who likes challenges… just remember that each round ends. On most servers, the sides get swapped and the tables will turn.

The AWP Dilemma and Team Work

I think that one of the aspects of online gaming that imbalance can enhance is team work. In the FPS, you can overcome imbalances by using your brain and team to overcome a challenge.

Take the example of the AWP in Counter Strike (and sniper rifles in all FPS games). People will complain endlessly about camping snipers as if such players are sub-human, cheating Morlocs. But in many scenarios, the failure of team A to overcome the sniper(s) on team B are lack of team work–another element of our culture that seams to need attention even beyond online games.

Using the analogy of basketball, the solution to a sharp-shooting three-point shooter is to change your tactics if he keeps making threes–and quit giving him open shots by sticking someone on him. In the FPS, this means coordinating efforts at diversion, cover and suppression. If the sniper is covering the long hallway, use some smoke grenades. If he is covering the path up to your target, send out a decoy another way or use smoke in another path as a diversion. Distract the sniper so your own sniper can take him down. Adapt to the current situation–the current challenge.

Instead, players love to complain about how the AWP should be removed from the game. I’m no good with the AWP and I hate getting killed by it. But that’s not a good reason to remove it from the game.

Conclusion

I wish that more people would embrace the variations that imbalance offers. In my view, just because a goal is challenging doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth attempting. In fact, the more challenging the terrain, the better the opponents, the more fun the scenario. And more rewarding when you win as the team with the gimped stats!

Challenges force you to explore new solutions to solving problems. In fact, facing a challenge with an open mind may help you discover a new way to completely tip the balance in your favor–which helps evolve the whole experience. I’m not saying that games should recreate the Kobayashi Maru (the No-Win Scenario). I’m saying that there should be variation–and that gamers should embrace these variations with open arms.(source:gamasutra)