作者：Simon Carless

此刻人人都在总结“20个重复使用的游戏设计方法”，我总结了以下20个未被充分利用的游戏机制，希望能够给你的游戏设计带来帮助。

1、非对称协作：游戏中存在协作模式，但是第二名玩家的能力与第一名玩家并不相同。无论是收集星星还是射击掉落的颜色，将第二名玩家的技能设置成与主要玩家不同确实能够提升游戏质量。

想法来源：《超级马里奥：星系》

2、残酷的BOSS战斗：如果你想要知道BOSS的战斗究竟有多难，那么就体验下与它的战斗。

想法来源：《复仇女神：未完成体》

3、自行设计：设计地下城并体验。如果架构出现问题的话，那么问题就出在你自己身上。

想法来源：《Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground》

极力推崇者：《Wired Magazine》的Clive Thompson

4、未被再次使用的小BOSS：我们经常碰到设置有小BOSS的游戏，需要花点时间来击败它们。随后，同样的小BOSS在下个关卡再次出现。而且多次重复出现。

想法来源：《Darwinia》

极力推崇者：《Eurogamer》的Kieren Gillon

5、让你参加会输掉的战斗：雅典娜背叛了你，将你从神一般的体型转变成普通人。随后，宙斯欺骗你将剩余的力量封印在宝剑中。现在你很虚弱而且血流如注，移动甚至还不如残疾人快。但是，你仍然需要去战斗。

想法来源：《战神II》

极力推宠者：就职演讲中的N’Gai Croal

6、互动过场动画（游戏邦注：不要使用紧急反应按键）：如果你想要通过过场动画来讲述部分故事，那么你就要让它们拥有互动性。我说的不是将未执行的游戏可玩性藏于紧急反应按键中，我指的是《合金装备3》中Eva的举动，或者完全改变《剑魂》中最终过场动画的结局。

想法来源：《剑魂》

7、打破第四面墙：无论是过早地向你展示游戏结束的画面，或者告诉你玩的时间已经足够长，没有多少游戏会打破第四面墙直接同玩家交流，而不是同玩家在扮演的角色交流。

想法来源：《合金装备2》

极力推崇者：“在空房间中做梦”中的Tim Rogers

8、移动控制器：如果存在打破第四面墙的办法的话，那就是让电脑游戏使你的控制器在没有人为接触的情况下产生移动。对于游戏玩家来说，这种时刻会显得很紧张。并没有许多游戏采用这种做法。

想法来源：《合金装备》

极力推崇者：所有玩过这款游戏的人

9、偏好：让玩家在游戏早期时进行探索。使用这种方法在得知玩家偏好常规还是反转的鼠标样式。这种做法并不难。那么，为何使用的游戏如此之少呢？（游戏邦注：Xbox主机有这方面的设置，但是将选项隐藏在用户界面的其他地方依然不能解决问题。）

想法来源：《金刚》

10、复仇：首先你从他们身边偷偷溜走，随后你杀死他们。这种情况在《金刚》和《Call of Juarez》中都可以见到。这种在游戏中含有可以翻盘的机会不可错失。

想法来源：《Call of Juarez》

极力推崇者：《Eurogamer》的Kieron Gillen

11、查看结果：从不同的角度重新审视相同的画面让你对事件有新的看法。《半条命》、《Fahrenheit》和《Call of Juarez》都做到了这点。

想法来源：《Fahrenheit》

极力推崇者：Jolt.co.uk的Michael Filby

12、让游戏环境着火：物理引擎确实很棒。可摧毁的环境将会成为下一代的技术。你可以在大量游戏中让敌人身上着火。但是在战斗中看到小山丘上面冒烟的效果更好。游戏应当能够让纵火狂有发泄指出。当时，游戏也应当有更多第一人称射击的成分。

想法来源：《金刚》

极力推崇者：《Eurogamer》的Kristan Reed

13、摧毁：摧毁高达的建筑物，注视着在你脚下尖叫逃散的人群。《金刚》和《战神》之类的游戏都在这方面做得很好。《战神》中对剑关卡的再次使用尤为出众，可以算得上是最棒的关卡设计。

想法来源：《Katamari Damacy》

极力推崇者：《Eurogamer》的Tom Bramwell

14、更好的关卡主题：我们曾经在游戏中见过熔岩关卡、冰关卡和下水道关卡。但是，如果游戏中出现送牛奶人关卡又会如何呢？抑或是迪斯科关卡等等呢？在《Psychonauts》中你就可以看到这一切。

想法来源：《Psychonauts》

极力推崇者：Yahtzee

15、设计可以让你使用玩具的关卡：桥梁上满是撞上临时路障的车辆的碎片。当心。混凝土障碍后藏有哆嗦的恐怖分子。当心。附近有M203手榴弹发射器和足够的弹药。当心。还有幸存的恐怖力量。为那些给你狙击步枪确没有合适的狙击点或者在狭窄的隧道中让你使用火箭筒的游戏感到羞耻。

想法来源：《Black》

极力推崇者：《Eurogamer》的Kristan Reed

16、给照片添加更多内容：照片收集机制被广泛使用，有些游戏的使用还有些过度。玩家真正想要的是搜寻到的结果照片中含有多种元素，比如背景中的鬼影、失去的物品和古怪的外星人等。这本身可以算是一整项机制，但是很可惜，只有一款游戏这么做。

想法来源：《合金装备2》

17、节约设计：如果游戏机制不再有趣，那么就不要再使用了。《传送门》便是节约设计的最好表现，一旦你发现如何完成某件事情，你就想要让他得到扩展。《半条命2》中的某些机制也是如此。

想法来源：《传送门》

极力推崇者：2007年的所有游戏记者

18、注释地图：如果游戏有内置地图的话，那么就有可能成为被滥用或者为玩家所攻击的对象。使用这项机制的唯一正确方法是像孩童时那样接受这项机制。

想法来源：《塞尔达传说：幻影沙漏》

极力推崇者：《Eurogamer》的Tom Bramwell

19、首先讲述故事结局：Kratos站在悬崖边上。他充满了绝望。他纵身跃下，坠向那布满岩石的深渊。当然，最终开发者用特别的力量挽救了角色的生命。但是你会看到如此劣质的角色居然想要自我标榜成最好的。构建玩家被迫接受某种结局的游戏，然后将故事重返到3年前重新经历整个过程的事件，然后提供额外的信息帮助你第二次经历这些问题。

想法来源：《战神》

极力推崇者：《Eurogamer》的Kristan Reed

20、动作/可玩的结局：你挽救了世界，见到了从未有过的大爆炸。那么，我们可以让玩家好好体验这个过程。Kratos跑向奥林匹克山。《使命召唤4》放慢游戏结局的节奏。

想法来源：《侠盗猎车手》

极力推崇者：MTV Multiplayer的Stephen Totilo

游戏邦注：本文发稿于2007年11月30日，所涉时间、事件和数据均以此为准。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Opinion: ’20 Underused Game Mechanics’

Simon Carless

In the spirit of everyone else doing ’20 game clichés we thought we’d repeat for you’ lists at the moment, I’ve written a 20 under-used game mechanics list that’ll hopefully at least give you some game design suggestions. No pictures – I don’t want to pad out the reading time unnecessarily.

1. Asymmetric Co-op: The game has a playable co-op mode, but the second player has different abilities from the first. Whether it’s collecting star fragments, shooting colour drops or rising out of the ground to bust heads, allowing a second player to drop in for some lighter entertainment without needing the l33t skillz of the main gamer in the room is a sure-fire winner.

Idea from: Wizball. Druid. Super Mario Galaxy.

2. Bad-Ass Boss Fight: You want to know how tough the bad guy is? Play as him, before you fight him. Then you can really justify your inability to beat him.

Idea from: Marvel Nemesis: The Rise of the Imperfects.

3. Design Your Own: Design the dungeon, then play through it. You can’t blame anyone else for the problems with the architecture.

Idea from: Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground.

Who raved about it: Clive Thompson in Wired Magazine.

4. Not Re-Using Mini-bosses: You’ve all had those games when you get to the mini-boss, and have to pull out the stops to beat them. Then, on the next level, the same mini-boss is back. Multiple times. The idea is as old as Ghosts’n'Goblins. Well here’s another idea. Don’t.

Idea from: Darwinia.

Who raved about it: Kieren Gillon in Eurogamer.

5. Letting You Fight Fights You’re Intended to Lose: You’ve been betrayed by Athena and shrunk back from god-like dimensions to normal size. Then Zeus sucks the rest of your power out of you by tricking you into channelling it into a sword. You’re left weak and bleeding, unable to even move faster than a stagger. And still you have to fight.

Idea from: God of War II.

Who raved about it: N’Gai Croal in the inaugural Vs mode discussion.

6. Interactive Cut-Scenes (But not Quick Time Events): If you’re going to be stuck in cut-scenes telling part of the story, you may as well make them interactive. And I’m not talking about hiding unimplemented game-play behind a Quick Time Event – I’m talking about looking down Eva’s top in Metal Gear Solid 3, or completely changing the outcome of the final cut scene in Soul Calibur.

Idea from: Soul Calibur.

7. Breaking the Fourth Wall: Whether it was showing you the Game Over screen prematurely, or telling you that you’ve been playing long enough, there’s not enough games that break the fourth wall and talk to you the player, as opposed to the character you’re playing. Or for that matter, deceive gamers about which character they’ll end up playing.

Idea from: Metal Gear Solid 2.

Who raved about it: Tim Rogers in “dreaming in an empty room”

8. Moving the Controller: And if there was one way to really break the fourth wall, it was for a computer game to reach out and cause your controller to move without you touching it. A heart-stopping moment for many a game-player. Not enough games make you look on the jewel case for clues these days either.

Idea from: Metal Gear Solid.
Who raved about it: Practically everyone who played the game.

9. Upwards Preference: Get the player to look up early in the game. Use it to figure out whether they prefer regular or inverted mouse-look. It’s not a hard thing to do. So why do so few games do it? (I know this is an Xbox console setting now. Hiding the option elsewhere in the user interface still doesn’t solve it though.)

Idea from: King Kong.

10. Vengeance is Mine: First you sneak past them, then you kill them. It could be a Tyrannosaurus Rex in King Kong, or a gang of Outlaws in Call of Juarez. The opportunity to turn the tables and lay the smack down is not one to be missed.

Idea from: Call of Juarez.
Who raved about it: Kieron Gillen in Eurogamer.

11. Seeing the Consequences: Re-encountering the same scene as from a different point of view suddenly gives you a whole new perspective on events. Half-Life gives you the opportunity to go back to the Xen teleport chamber in both expansions, while Fahrenheit and Call of Juarez allow you to see the same scenes as both the pursued and the pursuers.

Idea from: Fahrenheit.

Who raved about it: Michael Filby from Jolt.co.uk.

12. Setting the Environment on Fire: Sure, physics engines are great. And destructible environments will be ‘teh next-gen’ as soon as they catch technology up with the likes of X-Com. And you can set fire to enemies in lots of games. But nothing goes better with marshmallows than watching half a hillside go up in smoke from a single match. Games should bring the pyromaniac out in all of us. There needs to be more first-person shooters in burning buildings as well.

Idea from: King Kong.

Who raved about it: Kristan Reed in Eurogamer.

13. Playing with Scale: There’s nothing quite like scaling tall buildings, crushing people beneath your feet and watching the screaming multitudes fleeing in front of you. Psychonauts? King Kong? Katamari Darmacy? The end of God of War? Pick one – they’re all good at it. The re-use of the sword level in God of War is a particular standout – arguably one of the best level designs ever.

Idea from: Katamari Damacy

Who raved about it: Tom Bramwell in Eurogamer.

14. Better Level Themes: You’ve played games with the lava level. The ice level. The sewer level. Well how about a game with the Milkman level? The disco level. The Escher level. The Meat Circus level. Welcome to Psychonauts.

Idea from: Psychonauts.

Who raved about it: Yahtzee throws down the praise and back-hands you.

15. Designing the Level to Let You Use Your Toys: Bridge littered with the debris of cars moved into make-shift blockades. Check. Concrete barriers behind which terrorists are cowering. Check. An M203 grenade launcher and enough ammunition to take all of them out. Check. Survival horrors and low ammunition be damned. If you give me something shiny, I want to be able to play with it to my hearts content. Shame on those games that give you sniper rifles without suitable draw distances, or rocket launchers in twisty corridors.

Idea from: Black.

Who raved about it: Kristan Reed in Eurogamer.

16. Adding Things to Photographs: The photograph collection mechanic has been used well – arguably over-used in some games. But the photographs tend to turn up – well, just like you took them. What you really want is a game where the photos you take, and the resulting pictures have disparate elements – ghosts in the background, missing objects, weird aliens like in They Live. It could be a whole mechanic in itself, but sadly, just a nice Easter egg in the example below.

Idea from: Metal Gear Solid 2.

17. Economy of Design: Stop using a game-mechanic when it stops being interesting. We’ve played with the toys – it’s time to put them back in the pram and move on. The whole of Portal is an exercise in economy of design – once you’ve learnt how to do something, you’re only ever asked a few times to expand on it. I mean, the weighted companion cube appears on one freakin’ level and already has its own fan clubs. So is some of the mechanics in Half-Life 2 – in particular the pheropod.

Idea from: Portal
Who raved about it: Every game journalist this year.

18. Annotating Maps: The in-game map – an abused and reviled mechanic if there ever was one. The only way to pep it up is to let you draw on it like you used to as a kid. And if you’re really lucky, mum will let you put in the oven afterwards so it can curl up and look, like, really old…

Idea from: Zelda: The Phantom Hour-Glass.
Who raved about it: Tom Bramwell in Eurogamer.

19. Telling the End of the Story First: Kratos stands at the edge of a cliff. He is heavy with despair. He slumps forward, taking a final step and tumbling into the abyss towards the rocks below. Sure, they cheated in the end with a deus ex machina. But you want to find out how such a kick-ass character wanted to top himself. Hell, build a game where you’re forced to fail a scenario, go back three years earlier, and then have to replay the events, with additional information that’ll help you beat it the second time around.

Idea from: God of War.
Who raved about it: Kristan Reed in Eurogamer.

20. Falling Action / Playable Denouement: You’ve saved the world. Just seen the biggest explosion ever. Fled out of the castle as it crumbles around you. And the credits roll. Well, howabout for once, let you actually enjoy the moment. Kratos gets to run up to the steps to Mount Olympus. Call of Duty 4 goes all slow-mo on you. Grand Theft Auto – well, it never gets dull.

Idea from: Grand Theft Auto.

Who raved about it: Stephen Totilo in MTV Multiplayer. (Source: Game Set Watch)