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Severus Smith
Caldari State
520
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Posted - 2014.05.08 17:59:00 -
[1] - Quote
I have seen this many times in software development (where I work). People start designing a new system and forget the core idea that the system is supposed to be. CCP is notorious for this. EVE Online is an amazing game, but it can't even boast higher than 20% new player retention. Why? Because EVE Online is not fun for a new player. It is an amazing game. But it is not fun.
It gets fun, later on down the line. But a new player has to endure hours of grinding, waiting, and other non-fun activities to get to the good stuff. Case in point: me. I have followed EVE for 8 years, and yet I (who has seen the rise and fall of BoB, the formation of Goonswarm, who tracks every alliance in Nullsec daily, and brags about how awesome EVE is to anyone who will listen) cannot keep an account subbed for more than 3 months before getting bored. Because I play video games for fun, not to be a masochist.
Legion NEEDS to be fun. If you build the perfect game but it isn't fun, then it will lose to an imperfect game that is. That's how it works. Valkyrie is generating a lot of hype because everyone who plays it says it is so much fun it's addicting. World of Warcraft (hiss) has a huge following because that game is f***ing virtual crack. I do not want Legion to be WoW, but Legion needs to be fun.
So, to CCP Rouge, your 4 pillars are flawed. Because you are forgetting about the foundation on which they need to stand. Fun.
For every system in the game you should ask "Is this fun?" before you ask "Does this fit within the 4 pillars?"
Legion is a video game. Which is entertainment. Make your game fun AND based in New Eden's rich lore and you'll be showered in money. |
Severus Smith
Caldari State
520
|
Posted - 2014.05.08 18:07:00 -
[2] - Quote
But that is not entirely true. There are actual psychological models you can look at for what is more fun.
- Constantly getting a reward, or progressing, is more fun than getting nothing for a play set.
- Not having to click through 20 f***ing menus to do something (EVE) is more fun.
And yes, "make it fun" is pretty obvious. But so is "make it work" and yet NASA spent a bunch of time and money to build a zero G pen while the Russians spent no time and used a pencil. Sometimes the obvious is hard to make happen.
Just ensure that everything goes through the "is this fun" rigor test. That is all I am talking about. CCP Rouge's 4 Pillars are great, but since he failed to mention fun in there (like the Valkyrie EP did) I wanted to point out that video games should be fun. And that fun should be the foundation upon which his pillars rest. |
Severus Smith
Caldari State
521
|
Posted - 2014.05.08 18:15:00 -
[3] - Quote
Iron Wolf Saber wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgzpgOJ2ubI
I rather have a sense of wonder and agency. Really, where did I say "exclusively" fun? Why can't Legion be fun AND original. To use the "blockbuster" analogy in the video you posted...
"What if all the movies that came out every year were completely 100% original, yet boring and in no way exciting whatsoever"
Movies can be original AND entertaining.
Video games can have "wonder and agency" and still be fun.
All movies should strive to be entertaining, and all games should strive to be fun. That is the foundation on which the medium is built. So when you are developing original content you need to ensure that your content (since it is new and thus untested) still delivers the foundation that your audience will be looking for.
Don't be one of those directors who destroys an amazing original idea because they present it in a completely non-entertaining way. |
Severus Smith
Caldari State
521
|
Posted - 2014.05.08 18:25:00 -
[4] - Quote
DaReaperPW wrote:-- Snip -- I in no way ever want EVE to be like WoW - AT ALL. So when I say fun I don't mean WoW.
As I said, I work in software (Oil and gas). And when we design a new system we often flowchart it out in a brainstorming document (a central circle that connect to other circles moving outwards). A big flaw I have always found is that many of our internal projects put "Improve X" or "Make Y work better" in the middle. And while that is the purpose of the system (the original idea) the core part needs to be "User Experience".
Because I have seen companies spend millions of dollars building the greatest oil well estimating system ever. Only for it never to be used because the engineers hate the UI and would rather keep the excel spreadsheet with it's little macros because it's easier to use.
So now, when I design a system I put "User Experience" in the middle. And we make sure that it is a simple for the user to use as possible. That way, (since humans are lazy) the employees will move over to the 5 million software we built and not stick with the excel spreadsheet.
The same principle applies to gaming. Yes, your original idea is great (the 4 pillars) but the central part of your game needs to be "fun". Because even if you make the perfect original idea, if it isn't fun then it will lose to a worse idea.
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Severus Smith
Caldari State
522
|
Posted - 2014.05.08 18:36:00 -
[5] - Quote
DaReaperPW wrote:Severus Smith wrote:-- Snip -- You do know that using the zero g pen vs the pencil is a completely wrong analogy right? You have the internet, research your meme before you believe it. The us made a pen because when a pencil lead would break and get sucked in the air vents it caused shorts and fires. This is not very good in an oxygen enriched environment. And uncontrolled shavings from said pencil also caused issues. Research, google, use it. Yes, I know that. But it is still a great analogy of KISS. Keep is simple stupid, "do not over think something", or "focus on the core problem" |
Severus Smith
Caldari State
531
|
Posted - 2014.05.08 21:10:00 -
[6] - Quote
Here is an example of what I am talking about. This is a brainstorming chart. And I put the word "Fun" in the middle. Why? Because at the heart every game should strive to be as fun as possible.
How does this work from a design perspective? When you have an idea, you try to match it to a bubble on the chart. You can always add more bubbles, I made the linked chart in roughly 10 minutes. All of the bubbles I put could be horrible, but I think I did a good job for 10 minutes.
Exciting Battlefields
What makes you want to jump back into battle quickly? Or what makes you go "AWESOME" when it happens?
- Orbital Bombardments
- Dynamic Maps
- Well places objectives
- NO RED LINE
- Cool Battlefield insertion (Dropship or Inertial Stabilizer drop)
All of these are fun.
Exciting Weapons
Legion is based in the future so we are pigeon holed into modern weapons. What are some awesome ideas that would make people excited.
- Multiple modes of fire
- Powerful look and sound
- Futuristic
Think of all the fun guns in series like Resistance, Gears, Halo or Killzone. Guns like the Auger or Chainsaw Rifle that are well known staples of each. Those are so much fun to use in the game. Legion needs guns that are incredibly fun to use. Weapons like plasma grenades, micro-rocket launchers, blaster cannons, beam lasers, drones. Things you won't find in CoD, BF, or MW. If a weapon isn't fun then it should be redone.
Meaningful Decisions, Sandbox, Immersion, Progression
These all work towards making a great fun game. Things like Planetary Conquest to New Eden Lore that help bring players in and keep them involved. People like to progress. People like the sandbox. People like to be immersed. And people like the risk / reward consequences of their decisions.
That is what I am talking about. I do not mean dumbing down the game for funs sake. Or only focusing on making it crack level addicting. But when you're looking at what features to include, which one is more fun?
- If it came down to speeders vs MTACs which one? MTACs of course, because they'll be f***ing fun. |
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