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中等硬核游戏的成功要素之核心循环

发布时间:2013-10-26 11:17:11 Tags:,,,,

作者:Michail Katkoff

老实说,我不想写关于“中等硬核”的文章。我不是喜欢学术思考的人,我所定义的“中等硬核”其实就是:针对成年男性设计的个休闲游戏,这类玩家有丰富的游戏经验,只是现在年纪大了没时间玩了;中等硬核游戏的受众是具有稳定收入、有信用卡、有在虚拟世界竞争的渴望的成年男性。(请点击此处阅读本系列之留存率篇

但我能怎么办?你要求我写关于“中等硬核”的文章,我只能写了。我不打算写成一个大长篇,而是把文章分成四篇,分别以核心循环、留存率、社交性和赢利策略为主题。

作为系列的第一篇文章,我要介绍的是核心循环,包括循环结构和循环目标。我还要说说大部分中等硬核游戏的常见误区以及如何用合适的核心循环设计来避免它们。最后,我将谈谈所有中等硬核游戏的不明显但必须的部分——元游戏。

核心循环

当我们观察成功的中等硬核游戏的核心循环时,我们会发现,它们都有三个显著的关键元素。第一个是双重循环,即每个核心循环包含两个分开的回合循环。第二个元素是中间回合的受控长度,所谓的中间回合其实是双重循环的结果。第三个元素是元游戏,它在核心循环中是看不见的,但仍然是所有中等硬核游戏的关键部分。

1、双重循环

核心循环嵌套两个循环使玩家既可以在第一个循环后停止回合或继续玩这两个循环,这就拓展和深化了回合。这种简短的回合鼓励玩家边走边玩,增加整体沉浸感和为元游戏做好准备,这部分后文再谈。

案例1:《Clash of Clans》

Clash of Clans(from gamasutra)

Clash of Clans(from gamasutra)

在看似简单的结构中,《Clash of Clans》的核心循环包含了三种不同的活动:资源收集、建筑和训练、战斗。这个循环的所有部分,除了建造,都鼓励玩家每天多次上线。非常快速的30秒的回合可能只够收集资源,而战斗和培养新军队的完整回合所需的时间也不超过5分钟上。

在《Clash of Clans》中,资源收集是玩家随时可以做的事,因为自动收割机制——资源生产建筑总是处于收集状态。换句话说,任何时候玩家打开游戏,就会开始收集资源(即使玩家已经被抢劫了)。因此,快速访问游戏鼓励玩家积极通过核心循环,而长时间离线则是轻微的惩罚,因为会损失未收集的资源。

farming(from gamasutra)

farming(from gamasutra)

(自动耕作机制鼓励玩家每天多次上线)

资源收集和被打劫的威胁是驱使低级玩家经常短时间上线的主要动力,而高级玩家则因为社交功能而返回游戏——这放在元游戏部分再说。

一开始,建造新建筑是非常快的,但随着游戏进展,速度会大大下降,成为玩家的中长期目标。为了使计时器保持平衡,军队训练更快得多,玩家一次战斗后军队再次补满通常少于1小时。

案例2:《Marvel War of Heroes》

Rage of Bahamut(from gamasutra)

Marvel War of Heroes(from gamasutra)

这是一款卡牌战斗游戏,也是我最喜欢的一款。《Marvel War of Heroes》是成功使用双重循环的又一个经典案例。与《Clash of Clans》将核心循环与PVP紧密结合起来的做法不同,《Marvel War of Heroes》的核心循环被分成单人循环和多人循环。

单人循环主要是刷任务和挣卡牌。玩家可以在一分钟内完成一个关卡,并获得若干卡牌。PVP循环也是一样,但时间更短,因为只有一场战斗。这两个循环受到精力机制的限制,鼓励玩家每天多次上线。

更长的回合是由若干更短的回合组成的。当每一个回合奖励玩家若干卡牌时,玩家可能会花大量时间翻看那些获得的卡牌,这就进入升级和进化的元游戏阶段。

2、回合长度

太长的回合对中等硬核游戏来说是大忌。作为开发者,我们往往对这些游戏失去自制力,因为它们正是我们爱玩的类型。不要误解我了,长回合没有什么不好的。事实上,长回合是玩家喜欢这款游戏的明显信号。但如果每一个回合都需要玩家保持注意力几分钟,往往会导致留存率问题。如果玩家在一天的破碎时间里不能玩上几次,玩这款游戏就不会变成他们的习惯。当你的游戏从兴趣变成习惯,你就会看到不可思议的留存率数字。

Heroes of orders & Chaos(from gamasutra)

Heroes of orders & Chaos(from gamasutra)

(Gameloft的《Heroes of Orders & Chaos》是一款很漂亮的游戏,但因为每一个回合都是10分钟的连续玩法,不能被中断,所以它不可能成为玩家打发破碎时间的习惯。)

3、元游戏(游戏中的游戏)

在我看来,所有中等硬核游戏最与众不同的元素就是元游戏。元游戏是你必须通过的核心循环中不明显的部分。在这个部分,玩家其实并不获得或消耗任何资源,而只是带着优化自己的进程这个简单的目标,沉浸于游戏。

VEGA_Conflict_on_Facebook(from gamasutra)

VEGA_Conflict_on_Facebook(from gamasutra)

(Kixeye的游戏具有最优秀的元游戏循环之一。游戏允许和鼓励玩家微管理自己的游戏,且这整个微管理元游戏其实是非常有趣的。它使玩家产生一种掌控感,这对于竞技型游戏是非常重要的。)

短暂的中间回合最能保持玩家的沉浸感。但为了创造深刻的玩法,游戏必须也能够把玩家留在较长的回合中,也就是玩家可以深度挖掘游戏的策略,把大目标分成次要目标和主要目标,与其他玩家互动。

关键还是平衡

毫不意外,在优秀的中等硬核游戏中,其核心循环应该走免费游戏的核心循环的相同路线。短暂、简单和有益的回合应该是主要目标。游戏不应该强迫玩家玩长回合,而是通过元游戏引诱玩家花更多时间在游戏中。隐藏复杂度,激起玩家的好奇心,可以使游戏显得更容易上手,这是成功的元游戏的关键。当然,适当惩罚玩家不上线是可以的。

最后,不要分割你的受众。到底什么人在玩我们喜欢形容之为“中等硬核”的游戏呢?答案会让你大吃一惊的。(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

Mid-Core Success Part 1: Core Loops

by Michail Katkoff

I’m going to be honest with you. I didn’t want to write about “mid-core.” I’m not a fan of portfolio thinking, and that is what mid-core essentially stands for: Casual games designed for adult males with gaming background but who simply don’t have time to play now that they are older. Games designed for adult males who have a steady income, a credit card and the desire to compete in a virtual world.

But what can I do? You demand a post on mid core and I deliver. So here it goes. Instead of one very long post, I’m going to break it down into 4 posts going through core loops, retention, social and finally monetization in separate posts.

This first write-up is about mid-core core loops, concentrating on not only the loop structure but also on what the loops aim to achieve. I’ll also talk about the cardinal sin of most mid-core titles and how to avoid it with proper core loop design. Finally, I’ll go into the invisible yet essential part of any mid-core game, the metagame.

Mid-Core Core Loops

When looking at core loops of successful mid-core titles, they all have three distinctive key elements. First is the dual loop, where each core loop consists of two separate session loops. A second element is the controlled length of a median session, which actually results from the dual loop. The third element is the metagame, which isn’t visible in the core loop, but is still a key part of any mid-core game’s success.

1. Dual Loop

Having a core loop consisting of two loops enables players to either stop their session after the first loop or continue playing through both of the loops and thus extend and deepen their session. Enabling and rewarding short sessions encourages players to play the game on the go, increasing overall engagement and setting players up for the metagame, which I will dive into later in this post.

Example 1: Clash of Clans

In all its simplicity, Clash of Clans’ core loop consists of three different actions: resource collection, building & training, and battling. All pieces of the loop, except building, encourage players to do multiple sessions per day. A very quick 30s session might be just about collecting resources, while a full session with attack and setting up new troops to be trained takes less than 5 minutes.

In CoC, resource collection is something players can do any time due to automated farming mechanics, where resource production buildings can always be collected. In other words, anytime the player opens up an app, there are resources to be collected (even if player has been raided). Quick visits to the game are thus encouraged via core loop positively, while long times away from the game are mildly punished with looting of unharvested resources.

Automated farming mechanic enables multiple ultra-short rewarding sessions a day.

Resource collection and threat to be looted are the main drivers for short sessions for low-level users, while high-level users are driven back to the game with social features, which I’ll cover in the metagame portion of this post.

Building new buildings is fast in the beginning but exponentially slows down as the game progresses, creating powerful mid- and long-term goals for players. To keep the timers in balance, the troop training is a lot faster, forcing player to wait often less than an hour till full army is again ready for battle.

Example 2: Marvel War of Heroes

Card battlers, and especially my favorite one, MWoH, are another example of successful mid core games with double loop. Where CoC’s core loop was tied to PvP, MWoH’s core loop is separated into single and multiplayer loops with distinctive energies for each of the loop.

Single-player loop is all about grinding and earning cards. Player can complete a level in well under a minute, earning several cards in the process. Same goes with PvP loop, which is even faster, as it’s only one battle. These two loops, fueled by energy mechanics, encourage players to come back to the game multiple times per day.

Longer sessions are created as a result of several smaller sessions. You see, when every session rewards player with multiple cards, at some point of the day player will end up spending considerable amount of time going through the gained cards entering the metagame of leveling up and evolutions.

2. Session Length

Overlong sessions length is the cardinal sin a mid-core game. As developers ,we just tend to get carried away with these games because they are the type of games we love to play. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad about a long session. In fact, long play sessions are great indicators of players enjoying the game. But if every session demands several minutes of uninterrupted attention it tends to result in retention problems. If players don’t play the game several times during short brakes around a day, the game won’t turn into a habit. And it’s when you go from a fun game to a habit that you start seeing those incredible six-month retention numbers.

Heroes of Orders & Chaos by Gameloft is a beautiful game but when every sessions demands 10minutes of uninterrupted gameplay, it’s just not something you can pick up and play.

3. The Metagame

In my mind, the most distinctive element of any mid-core game is the metagame. Metagame is the invisible part of the core loop that you have to experience. The part where players don’t actually earn or consume any resources but simply stay engaged in the game with a simple goal to optimize their progress.

Kixeye has one of the best metagame loops. Players are allowed and encouraged to micromanage their game in their pursuit for an edge in competition. And this whole micromanagement metagame is actually a lot of fun. It gives sense of control, which is very important in competitive games.

Short median session length is ideal to keep players engaged during the day. But in order to create that deep gameplay, which differentiates mid-core games, a game has to be able to keep players engaged for long sessions as well. Enable sessions where players can go deep into the game strategy, break their goals into sub-goals and most importantly, interact with other players.

It’s All About the Balance

It should be no surprise that successful core loop in a mid-core title should follow pretty much the same lines as any f2p game’s core loop. Short, accessible and rewarding session should be the main goal. Instead of forcing players to do long sessions, players should be lured to spend more time inside the game through the metagame. Hiding the complexity and letting players to get curious themselves makes the game more accessible and is the key for successfully working metagame. Oh, and a gentle slap on player’s wrist for not logging in for a while is just fine.

And finally, don’t try to segment your audience. You’d be surprised who actually plays these games we like to call mid-core.(source:gamasutra)


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