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分析格斗游戏中的三种玩家类型

发布时间:2012-10-25 15:21:09 Tags:,,,

作者:Ben Ruiz

本文的“格斗游戏”是指以格斗机制作为核心体验的游戏:比如《街头霸王》或《拳王》这类格斗游戏,《鬼泣》或《猎天使魔女》这类动作游戏,以及《暗黑血统》或《战神》这类动作冒险游戏等等。

类型1:“好战者”

好战者属于玩家技能水平中的最低等级,但这种说法不带有任何讽刺意味!好战者通常只是纯粹地体验格斗游戏;然后从暴力行为中获得乐趣。他们享受着按下按钮,而后在游戏中经历能量的爆发与冲击之感。他们所处的游戏地带具有快速的循环反馈:即激进的爆发>防御>行动>激进的爆发>防御>行动……其实,他们属于喜欢不停按键的玩家。

SkillDivision_Scrappers(from gamasutra)

SkillDivision_Scrappers(from gamasutra)

为何我们要取悦这类用户?为此我们该采取哪些行动?

取悦好战者十分重要,因为事实上大部分体验格斗游戏的玩家均属于这类人群。虽然他们并未认真地对待这类游戏,但他们仍乐享其中,而且极有可能向其他玩家进行推荐。为了取悦好战者,游戏机制应在视觉与感觉上给予他们出色的感受,这样他们才会不断地投入其中。虽然这是所有动作类游戏中显而易见的普遍规则,然而这对较复杂的格斗游戏而言尤为重要。最棒的一点是,好战者并不在乎游戏的复杂性,但最糟糕的是,复杂性可能会吓退这类玩家。因此,采用这种方式可吸引他们在复杂系统中继续体验游戏。然而,简单强大的二级机制(游戏邦注:这是指比单纯摁下某个按键更高级的技能)同样很重要性。理想状况是,好战者无需达到高级技能水平就能获得良好游戏体验。

类型2:“战士”

战士属于中级玩家水平。通常,这类人群能够充分理解格斗机制,并以有趣的方式展现出自己的技能。他们能够抵抗一系列重大攻击,因为他们善于发现战斗中的关键节奏,并做出相应的反击。他们体验格斗游戏是出于自己喜爱格斗系统的细微差别及表现方式,因此他们渴望该系统具有一定程度的复杂性。而衡量格斗游戏深度的最可靠标准就是,它是否能够保持战士的兴趣。

SkillDivision_Warriors(from gamasutra)

SkillDivision_Warriors(from gamasutra)

为何我们要取悦这类用户?为此我们该采取哪些行动?

你之所以希望战士喜爱这类游戏,是因为他们的评价会影响到这三类玩家。为了取悦他们,我们需要满足战士提出的要求。除此之外,游戏系统需具有充分的复杂性与细微差别,保证他们不会感到厌倦。由于战士体验了大量格斗游戏,所以他们尤为适应街头格斗,他们无需使用高级的工具,便能快速制定出一系列策略,进入战斗状态。战士尤其偏爱拥有众多武器类型的游戏,但他们也满足于拥有少数强大武器的游戏。在此你需谨记,虽然战士要求游戏机制具有一定的广度与深度,但大部分这类玩家希望自己能够有条不紊地进入游戏。

类型3:“大师”

大师属于最高级别的玩家。他们数量稀少,但却具备不可思议的技能。虽然大师同样有着好战者的需求,但他们也有与战士相同的需求,但属于更高水平的需求。他们的快感源于深入利用格斗系统,以此达到一种超然脱俗的成功与表现。

SkillDivision_Masters(from gamasutra)

SkillDivision_Masters(from gamasutra)

为何我们要取悦这类用户?为此我们该采取哪些行动?

实际上,大师并不满足于短期成功。但这些大师极为罕见,即使好战者与战士十分在意大师的言论,这也不会对游戏中的“移动单位”产生多大影响。不过,大师对某款格斗游戏的认可却足以表明该游戏具有广阔深度与意义。大师甚至不会体验大量的动作游戏,因为这些游戏并不足以吸引他们。肤浅的游戏系统会降低他们的技能价值,因此,为了满足这类玩家,格斗游戏应当具有丰富的系统。此外,格斗系统应与大师的技能水平相平衡,游戏中不可出现一到两个过强机制的格斗系统,否则便会抵消他们参与其中的欲望。要保证游戏能够迎合这类玩家的喜爱显然难度极大,但如果某款格斗游戏取悦了大师,那意味该游戏具有永久的体验价值,不过甚少游戏可以达到这种品质。

原则上说,我们这些格斗游戏的设计师应该朝这一方向努力。(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

The Skill Divisions Of Combat-Heavy Game Players

by Ben Ruiz

(When I refer to “combat-heavy games” in this article, I am referring to any game in which its melee combat mechanics are core to the experience: fighting games like Street Fighter or King Of Fighters, beat ‘em ups like Devil Mary Cry or Bayonetta, action-adventures like Darksiders or God Of War, and etc.)

Division 1: “The Scrappers”

The scrappers are the the lowest level player in terms of skill, but this is not a condemnation! They are playing a combat-heavy game for what is arguably the purest reason; just to have fun being violent. They simply enjoy pushing buttons and experiencing a sense of power and impact when they do. Their zone is the quick feedback loop of aggressive burst > defend > move > aggressive burst > defend > move > etc. Essentially, they are the button mashers.

Why should we please them and how do we do it?

It’s very very important to please the scrappers because truthfully, most gamers playing combat-heavy games are scrappers. And while they are not taking it very seriously, they are still having a very genuinely good time and they are the division most likely to get excited and tell a bunch of people about it. In order to please them, the mechanics need to look and feel really good so that they are instantly hooked aesthetically. While this is an obvious and universal rule of all action games, it’s especially important in more complex combat-heavy games. At best, scrappers don’t care about the complexity but at worst it will intimidate them. Hooking them in this manner will help them continue to play the game in spite of its threatening intricacy. But it’s also very important that the second tier of mechanics (anything that involves more than just mashing on one of the primarily-used buttons) need to be easy to do AND feel powerful. Ideally, the scrappers get to feel awesome without having to move into the higher levels of play.

Division 2: “The Warriors”

The warriors are the mid level players. They are the ones who will develop enough of an understanding of the combat mechanics to express themselves in interesting ways. They can withstand arduous series of fights because they have the ability to find the key rhythm and stay in it. They play combat-heavy games because they enjoy the nuance and expressiveness of combat systems, and require a certain level of complexity because of it. A very reliable metric of a combat-heavy game’s depth is if it holds the warrior’s interest.

Why should we please them and how do we do it?

You want the warrior to be excited about the game because their word is meaningful to members of all three skill divisions. In order to please them, the requirements for the scrappers need to met. Additionally, there needs to be enough complexity and nuance that they don’t get bored. Warriors play a lot of combat-heavy games so they’re very comfortable in the stress of combat, and without a remarkable spectrum of tools to utilize, they will very quickly map out the range of mechanics and become under-stimulated. Warriors are particularly fond of games that have a lot of weapons (mechanic sets) because of the inherent variety, but will be content with games that have a few weapons that are very rich. The caveat here is that while warriors require a certain breadth and depth of mechanics, most of them want to be introduced to them slowly and methodically so they can meticulously construct their vocabulary.

Division 3: “The Masters”

The masters are the highest level player. They’re incredibly rare, but they are unbelievable beasts. While the masters also need the scrapper’s requirements met, they want what the warriors want as well, but at a much higher level. Their pleasure comes from the rigorous exploitation of the combat systems in order to achieve an otherworldly level of success and expression.

Why should we please them and how do we do it?

In all honesty, it is not important to the short-term success of a combat-heavy game that the Masters are happy. They’re so few and far in between that even if the scrappers and warriors cared about their word, it wouldn’t make a huge difference in “moving units”. However, the master’s approval indicates that a combat-heavy game is immensely deep and meaningful. Masters won’t even play most action games because most of them simply don’t have enough to offer them. Shallow systems negate the value of their commitment levels, so in order to please them a combat-heavy game must be very, very rich. Additionally, the combat mechanics needs to be somewhat balanced against themselves. It contradicts their highly expressive nature to participate in a combat system that is imbalanced by an overpowered mechanic or two. Making sure these players are happy is obviously very daunting, but when done it means a beat ‘em up qualifies for timelessness, which very few combat-heavy games have done. But it happens; to this day people are still making combo videos for Devil May Cry 3, and it’s incredible to watch what masters do within the game’s profoundly nuanced and expertly engineered combat system.

On principle, we combat designers should be shooting for this! (source:gamasutra)


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