【2016-11-18*】Games as Simulation

Games as Simulation

What are the basic assumptions behind your indi dev video game? What world view does it suggest?

 

In the sketch of my indi dev video game, I want to describe an unreal world for player experiencing my game. There are two kinds of background design in normal games. A kind is based on real world, like Commander and Conquer, Age of Empire etc.. Another kind is unreal fantasy background design, like StarCraft, Heroes of Might and Magic etc.

Players can easily accept the game world design and quickly experience the game core of tactics. But in the other hand, the similar background of them and too much ruled by real world will make the game’s setting same as others, like Deja-vu. Although there is a great world design, it is hard for impressing players. And after playing this game, they can only remember some simple things just like “Mario slave the Princess.” Because the reasons of their fighting are only terrorist organization (Ace Combat), war between countries (Total war) and crime (Delta Force), and all happened in earth.

The unreal background design will cost many time of players into the game world. But the good side is players will like game stories and willing to talk about them. For example, Warcraft, at first the battle story between human and orc is from Warhammer, but they developed their own game world from it. It even made a good base for the famous MMORPG World of Warcraft.

                                                                     

How would you subvert or pastiche a famous strategy/sim game?

 

In 2008, EA's MAXIS Studio published a highly focused sim game named Spore. The game allows players to control a spore, so that it evolved from a single cell to the wisdom of life, and then space exploration. It attracted a lot of attention with its unusual theme. But the simple gameplay also made players feel bored after playing a moment. The sell point is creation and open, but it will not be so especially in game market now.

I will try to change it in some places, include:

1, Add more scientific evolution system, so the natural environment will give players more feedback for evolution limit.

2, Focus on the survival and creation elements, so that players will pay more time in game and more interesting. (Minecraft)

3, more evolutionary and technological choices, we can give up the microorganism period, and start game with choose a base type of animals to evolve. So that players will not waste too much time in the boring of big fish eat small fish.

4, more technology and diplomacy options (Civilization Series)

5, social interactions (The Sims)