Hello, It's been a while since I've been here. I just have one question: Is there any other type of game besides the (1) Conqueror Type and the (2) Manager Type. I am excluding puzzle games and simulators. Can there be any other game styles besides these two, or will it stay this way forever? (Conqueror is where you defeat others to increase your own skills, and Manager is where you lead others to conquer). Just looking for opinions. Thanks GameDev

What about an economic game where you win by getting the most money, or a goal amount of money within a time limit? Does that count as defeating others or not? Or are all economic games sims?

How about sandbox simulations? I am thinking of more open-ended games like the Sims, where there is no clear goal to win, but rather to just play around. I suppose you would say these fit into the "manager type", but I think there is something more to it than that. (I am also thinking of the game "The Incredible Machine". It was part sandbox, part goal oriented. It made for some interesting gameplay).

Why not something between the two - a two-player co-op game where it takes cooperation of two or more players to accomplish a given task. Neither can take credit for winning by his/herself, yet neither is in charge.

It depends how general of a description you want to impose on games. If defeating others to increase your own skills can also mean to increase your score, then you can include most arcade style games. Reaching even farther you can include money and territory as "skills".

Pac-man can be played without defeating anything. I guess you could call these collection games, but do these also count as puzzle games in your generalization?

How broad is your brush? Why exclude puzzles and simulators as games? If you extend your definition of 'you' in your Conqueror definition, then you could probably do away with the Manager Type by having 'you' to mean anything the player controls.

Some other games to consider for "type", I'd like to know how the OP would classify these games:

Zork
Myst
Sonic the Hedgehog
Lode Runner
Tic-Tac-Toe
Pinball games

Quote:

Original post by Moe Why not something between the two - a two-player co-op game where it takes cooperation of two or more players to accomplish a given task. Neither can take credit for winning by his/herself, yet neither is in charge.

I saw a student game like that at GDC2005. I forget the name at the moment. In any case, I don't really care for generalizations because they are general :). If you broaden the definition of one generalization then you can include other types without adding a new type. As an example, think of extending 'you' to include a team of players and you've fit this game into either one of the types.

An open-ended game is still a game of the same genre I think, and if he's excluding goal oriented simulations, then I think he'd just as easily exclude sandbox style simulations.


EDIT: It was actually GDC 2005, the name of the game was Synergy: http://www.igf.com/php-bin/entries2005_students.php?entry_id=151

I can't find an web site for the game itself though.

Well, a mix of the 2 (conquest, and manager), which i'd actually call Type 3, is perfectly well managed at the Anno <insert witty year name here> series, where you manage your land by diplomacy, creating buildings, and all that, and also conquering other lands while doing so.

The best part about this series, are that they have something i have never seen in any game of this kind: You can actually play endlessly or 100% at peace (like in Anno 1602, i was able to play with a friend and 2 CPU players over at a LAN, with no war at all, and it was just as fun!)

Mmm... Nothing like the smell of paper in the morning.

Quote:

Original post by Humble Hobo Hello, It's been a while since I've been here. I just have one question: Is there any other type of game besides the (1) Conqueror Type and the (2) Manager Type. I am excluding puzzle games and simulators. Can there be any other game styles besides these two, or will it stay this way forever? (Conqueror is where you defeat others to increase your own skills, and Manager is where you lead others to conquer). Just looking for opinions. Thanks GameDev

In the "How broad are your meanings?" vein, your definition of Manager Type games can be considered a Conqueror Type (you even use "conquer" in the description). Or Conqueror Type games can be considered Manager Types games (you manage your character's skills like you manage an army).

Are you asking if there can be a game without conflict between the player and "someone" else, but those would be puzzle games or simulators, which you've excluded.