如何创造一款带有喜剧元素的游戏

发布时间：2016-01-06 11:12:00 Tags：任务,喜剧,幽默,混乱,系统

作者：Matthias Zarzecki

市场上不乏带有有趣元素的游戏，而一种互动体验在什么时候才会变成一款喜剧游戏呢？

有些游戏从表面看来就是喜剧游戏，如《边境之地》系列。还有些游戏如《求生之路》等便通过角色去传达一些讥讽内容，并且从电影角度看来看，它们也具有喜剧性。

但当着眼于游戏性质时你会发现，它们其实都具有喜剧性。甚至连最严肃的戏剧也可以通过让座位玩家的你做些违背它们风格的事而具有喜剧效果。

找到开发者并不想看到的幽默

玩家在游戏世界中可能创造出的任何效果都有可能推动他们做出一些有趣的事。在《半条命》中，朝一面墙射击将留下一个小洞—-如此便会出现各种恶作剧选择。

在游戏发行前即当这一功能首先出现在测试房时，开发者便对测试者们开始在墙上“写”字感到非常惊讶。

team fortress 2(from tutsplus)

我发现：当你提供一个空房间以及一个能够影响游戏世界的能力给玩家时，他们总是会选择做些能让自己开心的事。

如果背景更严肃时这种情况也就更明显。例如《骇客任务》是以一个遭受瘟疫的黑暗世界为背景。然而当玩家最初花费10分钟去收集一些碎石并将其堆积在boss的桌面上时，任何对话将以另一种角度呈现出来。

还是你们想要看个更现代化的例子？最近刚发行的《合金装备5》是属于较深沉的间谍惊悚游戏，但同时它也让玩家能够朝任何可疑人扔板条箱，将动物抛向空中，以及从粉色直升机上跳下来。

除了这种无意识的内在喜剧元素外，还存在一些在游戏中有意创造喜剧和幽默元素的方法，如故事，混乱和游戏玩法。它们并行不悖，并且总是能够相互补充。

故事中的幽默

整合幽默的一种方法便是通过故事。归结下来也就是“一个角色说某些事很有趣”，但这却比真正做好一件事复杂得多。

对此的一个有效例子便是《传送门》，在整款游戏中你都能听到GLaDOS（游戏AI）的故事。

一开始比较简单，但随着游戏的发展故事将变得更加让人惊讶且有趣。《传送门2》更是使用了多个叙述角色去延续这一方法。

《猴子岛》系列在这方面也做得很好。它们的游戏世界中充满了许多能够提供有趣对话的角色，并且游戏会一直鼓励玩家去寻找各种有趣的回应。

《战地：叛逆连队2》也属于这类型游戏。即它的游戏玩法虽然与其它《战地》游戏相似，但却突出了更多讲着有趣对话的角色。

简单的陈述或嘲弄都是执行这些元素的一种直接方式，并且它们都是基于某种特定条件：“如果出现条件X，角色Y会说Z。”“当你进入一间房时，酒保会以三种幽默的表达中的一种欢迎你。”“当你进入一个全新的实验室时，GLaDOS将通过几行内容向你解释这里的设置。”“有时候Francis会哀叹自己并不是真的喜欢桥梁，特别是充满僵尸的桥。”“当你在《星际争霸2》中点击一个单位15次，它们的固定设置将变成一个有趣的设定。”

但是你也需要避免做得太过火。因为不管一句话或一个玩笑有多妙，人们一旦频繁听到这样的内容便会逐渐厌恶它。

对此还有一个重要元素是不要让所有内容都变成一个玩笑。喜剧是基于一种对比，如果所有一切都变得愚蠢的话，也就不存在什么具有吸引力的内容了。《边境之地2》便是通过突出主要故事的同时保持许多其它元素的严肃性而有效地做到了这点；如此与背景形成反差的有趣元素便能够更好地突显出来。甚至在《传送门2》中，轻松的叙述只会在玩家进入一个全新实验室时才会出现，而剩下的游戏则仍是提供给玩家严肃且并不特别有趣的事物。

对于引用流行文化或其它玩笑也需要非常小心。像“这里有着与Monty Python（游戏邦注：英国6人喜剧团体）同样的笑话”这样的引用只会表现出你的懒惰。如果你想要创造一个基于引用的玩笑的话，你应该只是将其作为跳板去传达你的理念。而它甚至有可能完全赶超你最初的想法。

各种混乱总是很滑稽

混乱中的喜剧是关于一些始料不及的内容。它的出现可能是毫无计划性的，有可能是你在《赛道狂飙》中炫技前偏离了轨道，或者是你在任何行动游戏中使用了错误的策略而导致自己在游戏前几秒中便遭遇失败。

《Magicka》便是一款真正围绕着这一元素进行创造的游戏。在游戏中，玩家能够结合不同元素创造咒语，这里拥有几千种不同的组合。所以这也将导致无数次的出错，从而造就许多不可预见的喜剧效果。

对于你的团队的首次尝试，你可能会在向所有人开火前表示“我不知道这么做会怎样。”

magicka(from tutsplus)

在下一次尝试时所有人都希望表现得更好。再之后你的治愈咒语将瞄准敌人，重新恢复他们的生命，你的伙伴所留下的破冰雷将来到你的团队中，你的一个伙伴所投掷的能量爆破在他们面前炸开了，并将你弹向了熔岩坑。

而之后你还是会选择“再一次！”因为这很有趣。

但是创造这样的时刻是很棘手的，因为它们可能会在受挫与有趣间徘徊着。当着眼于围绕这一内容展开的游戏（游戏邦注：如《Magicka》，《模拟山羊》，《外科医生》，《我是面包》，《QWOP》）时，你会注意到整体的游戏体验通常是以混乱的想象展开。

它们同样也会提供突然失败的可能性。就像当你在《Magicka》中遭遇了失败，那么这一失败很有可能是以一种惊人的方式出现。当你在《赛道狂飙》遭遇了失败，你可能是因为速度太快而飞出了赛道。而当你在《坎巴拉太空计划》遭遇了失败，你可能已经发现自己的三级火箭拥有一些较严重的设计缺陷，但是你却只能看着它在发射台出现倾斜并随之爆炸。

需要注意的一点是失败必须是公平的—-玩家必须了解所有的元素。如果是莫名其妙且毫无预兆的死亡只会让玩家感到受挫，这是一点乐趣都没有的。

贯穿游戏玩法的幽默

确定游戏玩法是较为棘手的。它是依赖于用于传达玩笑的不可预期且独特的互动游戏元素。这里的要点是你需要积极执行某些内容并获得反应。

《边境之地2》在这点便表现得很好。《边境之地》中的经典任务通常是在玩家获得奖励前努力得到某些东西，前往某个地方，射击一群敌人，然后找到一个或多个macguffin（游戏邦注：是一个电影用语，指在电影中可以推展剧情的物件、人物、或目标，例如一个众角色争夺的东西）。

这种游戏玩法“体制”贯穿于第一款《边境之地》以及《边境之地2》的早前部分。那时候这些任务便是玩家所期待看到的内容，所以这也是颠覆玩家期待的绝佳时刻。

如果现在能完全忽视这一既定的公式而创造一个完全不同的任务便会让玩家感到幽默。举个例子来说吧，“朝我的脸开枪”任务便是让玩家朝着一个角色的脸开枪。还有其它目标是不能在他们的其它身体部位上开枪，虽然这已经经过证实，但是射击每个部位却是未经证实的行动。

除此之外还有更多其它任务！例如在某个地方从悬崖上跳下自杀的任务。还有一个是听取Grandma Torgue讲15分钟话的任务。这时候你并不需要与任何人对抗，只需要用耳朵倾听便可。你甚至不能在此时离开（这是游戏并未告诉你的），因为如果你离开了Grandma便会察觉到并因此大哭。然后当她停止讲话时你便需要继续等待，她将会询问一个有关她提到的各种细节的问题。如果这时候你不能答出问题的话，一切都要重新开始。对此我一直大笑着，并对开发者添加这样的任务表示赞赏，我甚至认为这是游戏中最难对抗的boss。

我们可以通过了解游戏所使用的系统以及玩家所期待的系统并颠覆该系统去做到这点。就像聆听任务从性质看来就很有趣的，因为我们知道的其它任务都是关于射击某物。

同时面向其它行动重新决定一般游戏行动的目的。在《传送门2》中，Wheatley让玩家通过按压Space去谈话。这时候你并不能真正进行交谈，而按压按键能让你开始跳跃。在《边境之地》的多个时候玩家可以与角色击掌，即通过对他们进行近战攻击做到这点。同样的系统也适用于拍击其它角色。在

结论

存在许多创造出更具喜剧效果的游戏的方法。使用这些方法能够让玩家沉浸于一些更有趣的元素中，而不是只是等待着有趣内容自己出现。

但开发者们需要注意的是，尽管你们尝试着去避免这种情况，但是玩家还是能够找到某种方式去颠覆一款严肃的游戏，所以你们能做的便是去接受它并更大程度地发挥这种情况的作用。

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转发，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

What Makes Games Funny? A Look at Comedy and Humour in Video Games

by Matthias Zarzecki

Games with funny elements have always existed, but at what point does an interactive experience become a comedy game?

There are games that are obviously flat-out comedies, like the Borderlands series. Other titles, like Left 4 Dead, feature constant quipping by characters, and by movie standards could easily be described as comedic.

But looking at games you’ll notice that, by their very nature, they are comedic. Even ultra-serious dramas can become comedic by virtue of allowing you, the player, to do things that go against their style…

Finding Humor Where the Developers Didn’t Intend It

Any effect the player can have on the world can let them do or create something humorous. In Half-Life, shooting a wall leaves a bullet hole—suddenly, all kinds of options for shenanigans open up.

Long before the release, when this feature was first implemented in empty test rooms, developers were surprised by how testers started “writing” words on the wall. (Half-Life 2: Raising The Bar)

I find this telling: Given an empty room and only a single (inherently violent) ability to affect the world, people chose to do something that made them laugh.

This becomes more pronounced the more serious the setting is. Deus Ex, for example, is set in a dark and serious world ravaged by a plague. Yet any conversation is instantly seen in another light when you’ve first spent ten minutes collecting random detritus and piling it onto your boss’s desk.

Want a more modern example? The recent Metal Gear Solid 5 styles itself as an ultra-serious espionage thriller, yet at the same time allows you to drop crates of equipment on unsuspecting people, hoist animals into the sky, and jump from a pink helicopter as Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell plays over its loudspeakers.

Old Man Murray’s Deus Ex Walkthrough, in which you are advised to carry a flag to every conversation and decorate your office.

Besides this unintentional, inherent comedy, there are a few ways to intentionally create comedy and humour in games, which boil down to story, chaos and gameplay. They are not mutually exclusive, and often actually complement each other well. Let’s take a look at them…

Humor Through Story and Narrative

One way to include humor is via the story. This essentially boils down to “a character says something funny”, but is a bit more complicated than that to get right.

One of the best examples of this can be found in Portal, where throughout the entire game you hear the narration of GLaDOS, the AI.

It starts out simple, but gets progressively more outrageous and ludicrous throughout the game. Portal 2 repeats this with its multiple narrator characters.

The Monkey Island series (and the majority of point-and-click adventure games) also do this nicely. Their worlds are filled with characters that offer funny dialogue, and players are encouraged to look for all funny and interesting responses.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 falls into this camp, too. The gameplay is identical to other Battlefield titles, but it features most characters spouting funny and witty dialogue.

A straightforward way to implement these elements are simple statements or quips, triggered on certain conditions: “If situation X occurs, character Y says Z.” “When you walk into the room, the bartender greets you with one of three humorous statements.” “When you begin the new test chamber, GLaDOS gets a few lines explaining the setup.” “Every once in a while, Francis laments that he doesn’t really like bridges, especially with zombies on them.” “After you have clicked a unit in Starcraft 2 15 times, their regular barks turn into comedic, fourth-wall-breaking-lines.”

But make sure to not overdo it. Because no matter how brilliant a line or gag is, people will grow to hate it if they’re continually bombarded with it.

Another important element of this is to not make everything into a joke. Comedy is based on contrast, and when everything is zany, nothing stands out. Borderlands 2 does this nicely by having its main story and a lot of other elements remain relatively serious; against this backdrop, unique and fun elements tend to stick out better. Even in Portal, the light-hearted narration only occurs when entering a new test chamber, with the rest of the game offering serious and not-particularly-funny surroundings.

Referencing pop-culture or other jokes also needs to be approached carefully. A simple reference á la “here is the same Monty Python gag that has been repeated for decades” will only point out how lazy you are with this. If you need to make a reference-based joke, always use it as a springboard to start your own idea. In the process, it might even surpass your initial idea.

Dying is Funny, Comedy is Easy by Anthony Burch of Borderlands 2

Eric Wolpaw’s 80 minute NYU lecture, in which he discusses Portal 2

Chaos and Mayhem Are Often Hilarious

Comedy from chaos is about the unforeseen. It can appear unplanned, when you careen off the track in Trackmania before doing some amazing stunts (yet still failing), or somehow so gravely miscalcutating a manoeuvre in any action game that you fail abruptly within the first few seconds.

One game actually engineered around this is Magicka. In it, you can combine elements to create spells, of which there are thousands of combinations. These tend to go wrong an alarmingly high proportion of times, which creates a lot of unforeseen comedy.

On your team’s first attempt, you might say “I wonder what this does…” before setting everybody on fire.

The next attempt, everybody vows to do better. And then, oops, your healing spell targets an enemy, restoring them to maximum health, the ice mines laid by your buddy go off on your own team, and the energy blast cast by one of your comrades blows up in their face to catapult you all into a lava pit.

And then you all hit “Again!”, because it was just too much fun.

Engineering these moments can be tricky, as they walk the line between frustration and fun. When looking at games that center around this (Magicka, Goat Simulator, Surgeon Simulator, I am Bread, QWOP) you’ll notice that the entire experience is often centered around the conceit of chaos.

They all also offer the ever-present possibility of abrupt explosive failure. When you fail in Magicka, you mostly fail in a spectacular manner. When you fail in Trackmania, you do so by driving off the road at mach speed before doing something ludicrous. When you fail in Kerbal Space Program, you do it often by realizing that your massive three-stage-rocket might have some rather profound design flaws, as you watch it tip over on the launchpad and explode on the spot.

An important thing to note is that the failure must be fair—all elements must be known to the player. A sudden, un-telegraphed death out of nowhere is just frustrating and no fun.