I learned some MMORPG in which numercial design plays a big role. I made a small prototype. I build several very simple spreadsheets, and fill in the parameters. Then the hero loads data from XML file (auto generated by spreadsheet), and the weapons and monsters load data from XML files too.
Now I can design the game in spreadsheet. Changes numbers and get different gameplay feelings.
Yes, I’ve done that too. It is indeed a good setup.
What’s great about Excel is that you can write macros too, so it’s almost like development environment in and of itself. If (for example) you have a lot of random factors, you can write a test script to run multiple simulations and tally the results.
What is with the enemies spawning in right besides you?, also, what does gaining a rank mean? do you get more health? access to better weapons?
Enemies are fine for a basic shoot’em up prototype but you’re gonna wanna give them some more characters, right now they act more like sentry guns/turrets. (and that’s fine too, but I feel like you should make it more “alive”)
Why are you so obsessed with data?, is this just a culture thing that I don’t get?(mediterranean here, I assume you’re asian) BTW, if you are a troll, you’re doing a mighty fine job.
Rank is a signal for level up. When levelling up, the player’s maxHP, maxMP, attack value, defence value, …character’s attributes will be changed. In this prototype, only level 1 and white color weapones, and I will design different color weapons (like diablo), and they have requirement of player level. Better weapons have better parameters, more ammor or more damage etc.
The enemies spawning rules can also be written in spreadsheet. Now I didn’t do it this time. So the enemies are spawned when the player shoots turret.
There are only two models for enemies. I will add more characters.
I am not obsessed with data. In my previous prototypes, I deal with few data. Then I found out missing data weakens the gameplay.
The moment to moment game play is weak though, it seems you have a better understanding of progression since last time, but you are still operating in the abstract and far from the player’s experience.
In China’s MMORPG development team, they have one job only for filling in spreadsheets. They analyze formulars and balance them continuously.
Correct.
Thanks. What does it mean “still operating in the abstract”? I think filling the spreadsheet is working on details.
I’m sorry, I meant give the existing enemies more character (singular), as in personalty, not have more graphics for different enemies (that too when you finish with the MVP/prototype, but that’s not what I meant), look at the original doom, each enemy have unique behaviors making the game having a much greater range of tactical play.
I don’t know how you’re data model thingy works, but the spawning thing seems like it should be build in to the game itself, not the level design.
I appreciate the need for spreadsheets and all that jazz and I use them too, but there’s a lot more to game design then data, it doesn’t matter how many enemies are spawned in by pure value, it depends on what those enemies are, where and when they come at you, at what combination, and most importantly - how does this actually feel? (am I getting across here?)
The footage you posted seems very monotone and I forced myself to watch 1 minute before skipwatching it, I don’t mean it in a disrepectful way.
In a second viewing of the video I do see the health bar increasing in value when you level up, but you should add more to it, make the bar itself do some animation, do something with color to make it pop, have something on the side that says for example “Health +10%” and etc.
Thanks. I will look at some UI effects, and choose one.
From the model’s view, they are same. You can put them into spreadsheet or just put them into the game. In spreadsheet, you can fill the postion of spawner and enemies’ IDs. You also can put the spawner frefab in level.
what those enemies are or where and when and combination? They are data. They can be fillied in spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet is not the goal, it’s the tools in which you achieve a gameplay aesthetics.
The question is what is the gameplay aesthetics, what is rewarding to play (as not in extrinsic but intrinsec)?
THat is, how does the player relate to the actions, how the player is engaged mentally and emotionally?
Agree. It helps to organize design ideas.
Numercial design can give huge extrinsic rewarding obviously, but very little intrinsic rewarding. And I know few about aesthetics.
Aethetics don’t mean, the visual here, it mean the value of the game (to make a shortcut, gameplay isn’t the same when it’s an action game or a reflexion game, or if it is casual or hardcore, that represent different aesthetics).
It’s simply the feel of the game, why play this instead of another one? You only know what feel you want (that mean beyond “i made a random game” aesthetics, in which the value if not for the player but the designer).
BTW, is gameplay is just a placeholder? Because it looks terrible for a shooter. Enemies have hitscan attacks and shoot almost instantly, and there is no cover. Therefore almost all damage is unavoidable. I think if you want a game to be totally driven by stat numbers, not player skills, shooter is a wrong choice of genre.
You’re right about this.
Gameplay can be greatly affeced by different numbers (infinite ammo or limited ammo, recover health automatically or look for rare medical kits.
I will add skills such as shileds or magic spells. The gameplay will be different.
In fact, the enemies drop medical kit when they are destroyed. If I change the rate to half, and the gamer will feel some pressure. I tried different drop rates, and I can feel the difference of gameplay.
He mean also the level design.
Thanks. I think level design is another thing. It’s a challenging too.