Learning curve balance

Dauntless · 2001-10-21T20:06:36

How many people get frustrated by a high learning curve, even if that learning curve allows for greater game play? I ask because I think a huge part of the fun factor of a game is how quickly it takes the player to reach a level of competence that makes the game satisfying to play. Take chess versus checkers. Checkers might be fun initially for a child, but it quickly runs out of steam. Chess on the other hand, while more diffucult to learn has an almost infinite level of complexity to make people come back for more. I don''t mean to confuse this with challenge. You can make games with a low learning/complexity level into an extremely diffucult game. On the other hand, a game that takes a long time to learn could be relatively easy once you have gained a good level of skill (flight2000 for example). I think lots of people shy away from games with high learning curves, simply because the learning process isn''t fun. Part of this can be solved by making the training sessions fun. Strategy games for example often have simple basis, but require a lot of memorization of what key does what command, and what unit build has what requisites. I know it isn''t a direct analogy, but usually games with high complexity levels tend to have more depth to them. They usually have more ways to "win", and require more forethought and planning than easy to learn games. So while the more complex a game becomes, the more rich the gameplay can be....at the same time it scares away lots of players. Related to learning curve is skill curve, where new players are afraid of jumping in because they don''t want to get pounced on by the advanced players.

Game Design and Theory Game Design

Started by Dauntless October 20, 2001 08:56 PM

9 comments, last by Dauntless 23 years, 3 months ago

Oluseyi

2,123

October 21, 2001 08:06 PM

quote: Original post by Dactylos
Therefore, for me in-game tutorials are great, as long as you can skip any parts that you''ve already figured out on your own.

Just wondering, but do you like any of the Gran Turismo games? You had to pass an elementary set of tests to get your license (only then could you race in the B cup, which had about 5 tracks). If you had passed your B license test, you could go ahead and try for the A license (which would make you eligible to race in the A cup campaign). Those tests were tutorials, and locked you out to make sure you didn''t get frustrated coming last in every single race. They were structured like mini-games (achieve such-and-such an objective in such-and-such an amount of time or under such-and-such conditions) and gave incentives for completing them with top grades (higher salary, more spending cash).

I think the tutorials must be tailored to the nature of the game. I admit that I know you''re probably talking about RPGs (and I, at any given time, am probably not), but as a generic design question I think most questions are answered "it depends..."

Learning curve balance

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Learning curve balance

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