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The learning curve.... something many people take for granted. The learning curve is a vital aspect for a game to have and is an essential ingredient in the making of a "must have" game. First of all, what exactly is the learning curve? For the uninformed the learning curve is sort of you learning how to play the game. The game will begin with a level that sort of teaches you the basics and gradually gets harder. A good one should get steadily harder as you progress through the game. Bad ones however can cause many problems.
It goes a little something like this, you buy your game and you arrive home, slap it in the slot/CD drive and get ready to play. The level starts off nicely, a few things too kill only basic weapons and items and it seems pretty good. You finish the level with a big fat smile on your face. Nice warm up, now let me into the action please. Your wish is my command *robotic voice*. You begin level two.....10 seconds in your ambushed by swarms of enemies, before you know it your lying on the ground dead as a doorknob. GAME OVER the screen reads. You begin to realise that this game has a very steep learning curve.
The developers expect you to be a master at the game straight after the training level which to say the least wasn't hard. They throw you into the action unprepared and you suffer because of this..... Its almost like being sent to war without being trained properly. Of course, this is just one end of the scale..... The other end is the opposite.
You begin to play level one, you die constantly. Very frustrated you battle on into the abyss. Try after try after try...you still can't do it. Then you get a glimpse of inspiration, which gives you that little bit extra, you complete the level. Feeling very proud you trudge onto level two. "Come on then, I'm ready for you know" you shout at the screen..... Something isn't right. The game just doesn't seem the same. Enemies are few and far between or easy to kill in a few minutes you've complete the second level with no problems at all, first life. The super had soldiers the baddies first seemed now look like the Duracell bunnies. The game has blown you out.
Now I come onto the perfect learning curve. Before I explain I will give you some games that I feel get the mix just right, not too hard, not too easy, perfect difficulty. The first game that springs too mind has to be Goldeneye. You’re eased into the action nicely having to complete Dam, not very hard, but at the same time, not too easy for first time players. Next level your greeted with a much vaster level under the name of Facility. Now this is a harder nut too crack, but all the way through it is still perfectly judged so, if you’re good enough, you will do it. The game continues like this, progressively getting harder, making you push that little bit further to progress. You feel happy when you complete another level, the way games should be.
But it doesn't stop there; it’s not only the difficulty in games that can be classed as a learning curve. If I use an RPG as an example I will explain.
You begin the game *after watching a lengthy cut scene of course :D*..... You’re treated to a town or something similar full of people ready to teach you in the ways of the games. Hints on item usage, maybe some training for combat. You feel ready for the game when you finally escape the confines of the training and are set free in the realm of the game. At the beginning you are eased into the fighting gently, nothing complicated, no status changes, no items really need to be used. Just basic combat. This is exactly what a gamer needs they don't want to thrown in at the deep end not knowing what to do and just getting annoyed by the game and throwing it away. It teaches you, it punishes you when you make mistakes, but it is always fair.
But games aren't always like this....... Turok 2 for example. Level one is a level of monstrous proportions, very hard to say the least and the game follows in this tradition but gets ever harder, so in a way it still has a learning curve, but a very steep, whist staying fair one. This game went on to be a great success so Acclaim must have known what they were doing, even if they did get complaints about the difficulty.
So, does a game really need a learning curve that is judged well? Is this really necessary to make the game succeed? DO you know any games that have succeeded in the world of being sold, but had a completely misjudged learning curve? Did you even read this far? Am I talking to myself? It doesn't really matter, just share your opinions :D
VKTR
It goes a little something like this, you buy your game and you arrive home, slap it in the slot/CD drive and get ready to play. The level starts off nicely, a few things too kill only basic weapons and items and it seems pretty good. You finish the level with a big fat smile on your face. Nice warm up, now let me into the action please. Your wish is my command *robotic voice*. You begin level two.....10 seconds in your ambushed by swarms of enemies, before you know it your lying on the ground dead as a doorknob. GAME OVER the screen reads. You begin to realise that this game has a very steep learning curve.
The developers expect you to be a master at the game straight after the training level which to say the least wasn't hard. They throw you into the action unprepared and you suffer because of this..... Its almost like being sent to war without being trained properly. Of course, this is just one end of the scale..... The other end is the opposite.
You begin to play level one, you die constantly. Very frustrated you battle on into the abyss. Try after try after try...you still can't do it. Then you get a glimpse of inspiration, which gives you that little bit extra, you complete the level. Feeling very proud you trudge onto level two. "Come on then, I'm ready for you know" you shout at the screen..... Something isn't right. The game just doesn't seem the same. Enemies are few and far between or easy to kill in a few minutes you've complete the second level with no problems at all, first life. The super had soldiers the baddies first seemed now look like the Duracell bunnies. The game has blown you out.
Now I come onto the perfect learning curve. Before I explain I will give you some games that I feel get the mix just right, not too hard, not too easy, perfect difficulty. The first game that springs too mind has to be Goldeneye. You’re eased into the action nicely having to complete Dam, not very hard, but at the same time, not too easy for first time players. Next level your greeted with a much vaster level under the name of Facility. Now this is a harder nut too crack, but all the way through it is still perfectly judged so, if you’re good enough, you will do it. The game continues like this, progressively getting harder, making you push that little bit further to progress. You feel happy when you complete another level, the way games should be.
But it doesn't stop there; it’s not only the difficulty in games that can be classed as a learning curve. If I use an RPG as an example I will explain.
You begin the game *after watching a lengthy cut scene of course :D*..... You’re treated to a town or something similar full of people ready to teach you in the ways of the games. Hints on item usage, maybe some training for combat. You feel ready for the game when you finally escape the confines of the training and are set free in the realm of the game. At the beginning you are eased into the fighting gently, nothing complicated, no status changes, no items really need to be used. Just basic combat. This is exactly what a gamer needs they don't want to thrown in at the deep end not knowing what to do and just getting annoyed by the game and throwing it away. It teaches you, it punishes you when you make mistakes, but it is always fair.
But games aren't always like this....... Turok 2 for example. Level one is a level of monstrous proportions, very hard to say the least and the game follows in this tradition but gets ever harder, so in a way it still has a learning curve, but a very steep, whist staying fair one. This game went on to be a great success so Acclaim must have known what they were doing, even if they did get complaints about the difficulty.
So, does a game really need a learning curve that is judged well? Is this really necessary to make the game succeed? DO you know any games that have succeeded in the world of being sold, but had a completely misjudged learning curve? Did you even read this far? Am I talking to myself? It doesn't really matter, just share your opinions :D
VKTR
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arent the virtual newbies to stay in that one thread?
Oh so your a virtual newbie....in that case, carry on with your buisness however strange it may be.
VKTR
VKTR
Would the real MR Homo please stand up, please stand up. Get out of here if your not going to be serious mate.
VKTR
VKTR
Sorry to do this, but I can't resist it.....
...POP!
VKTR
...POP!
VKTR
Ah I see now. Thanks for explaining mate. Do you have MSN by the way? IF you do whats your ID?
VKTR
VKTR
Yeah, I had my reasons for only focusing on a small aspect of it.
Basically, I didn't want to write a whole topic on the concept of learning cureves, and tell people all about them. The idea instead was to differentiate between difficulty settings as a learning curve, and processes actually requiring learning of new game styles and techniques - which is what I think is really needed for a 'good' learning curve, and addictive gameplay.
Basically, I didn't want to write a whole topic on the concept of learning cureves, and tell people all about them. The idea instead was to differentiate between difficulty settings as a learning curve, and processes actually requiring learning of new game styles and techniques - which is what I think is really needed for a 'good' learning curve, and addictive gameplay.
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