Creating a balanced map
A paper I read recently talked about how you could plan out player options in RTS games to work out the likely outcomes of a game. This method, with some fine tuning seems to work well for maps as well. Looking at players tech trees, unit production and the associated cost is the first factor. The spacing of recource and the associated risk is another. It is not enough to claim, "This side of the map has the same side of resources as the other, so its balanced". To develop the idea of balance in my map I've planned the features out as so:
Resources
How far do they need to travel to gather them? Is the area at risk of attack? If so is the area defendable? How far from my starting point are the resources, how far from my opponents?
Defense
How safe is my starting point? How easy is it for an opponent to move towards my base? Are there any bottlenecks between me and him that could act as a defense point? Can I produce units effectivly from this point, or should I move to start with?
Offense
Can I approach my opponent base? Do I need to move units slowly to negotiate the terrain? Can I find a staging point?
The map must be balanced, but provide opertunities for players to break the balance by forcing them in to making descisions about strategy. This will be evidenced in my final map, and explained in the video.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Level design in real-time strategy games
Games Portfolio
Level design in real-time strategy games
Real-time strategy games (or RTS games as they are often referred to) have a specific set of requirements from level design. These can shift depending on the player types, whether the game is player versus engine or player versus player, but a number of basic factors remain constant. In a paper on economic game theory Jonas Heide Smith uses Microsoft’s Age of Kings as an example of the basic set up of a real-time strategy game.
AOK is a real-time-strategy game following most of the genre standards put in place by Virgin Entertainment's Dune II in 1993. The players struggle for domination of an area with natural features serving as obstacles or resources to be gathered. Typically the game map starts off unexplored and a "fog of war" hides changes in areas not in the line of sight of the player's units. Individual players must balance the variables of the game in the attempt to eliminate the opposition (or fulfil other optional criteria of success such as building a wonder).
This definition contains three of the key features that a level designer will need to utilise and balance. The area or map, the placement of resources and the restriction of vision. Utilising these ingredients a level designer will attempt to create a map which will challenge the player, or players, and push them into a series of strategic decisions.
The production of a level must also take into account the tools which will be available to the player, namely the units, building and sometimes special abilities which they can spend their resources on. An example would be a map consisting of a series of unlinked islands. The players must be able to move to the other islands in order to interact and complete objectives, therefore a level designer would need to know that they had access to island hopping units, what the resource cost of these units was, and at what point in the technology tree they would be available.
One of the most basic tools a designer has to create interesting RTS levels is resource placement. Often players will be spawned at locations which have a finite supply of starting resources. Once these have been utilized the player is forced to expand their territory in order to maintain a stream of reinforcements. However, increasing their territory will increase the chance of encountering hostile forces. Forcing players to compete against each other, or a computer controlled enemy, for resources is a simple way to provoke conflict.
Landscape is another system that can be used to push gameplay. By creating various barriers, bottlenecks and pathways in a map the designer controls the player’s choices. Another option for the designer is to create destructible areas which players can force their way through. Phil Co describes this method in Level design for games; creating compelling game experiences.
In strategy games, such as the Warcraft series, the player’s army can clear areas that were once impassable. In Warcraft 3, forests and sections of trees that block characters can be cut down for wood materials, and characters can then move through to a new area. The level becomes more open as paths and clearings grow.
It is also possible to use this method to force players to limit their resource acquiring. If the resources form a barrier which you can hide behind, will you use the resources and open yourself to attack, or look elsewhere for your materials.
I believe that because of the nature of RTS games a good level designer will take into consideration these systems and then create an experience which will force the players into a process of strategic decisions. Working with the options and limitations that are offered to them, players will then form their own play style. Real-time strategy level designers should understand this and plan their work accordingly.
References
Heide Smith J. 2006, The Games Economists Play - Implications of Economic Game Theory for the Study of Computer Games, volume 6 issue 1 December 2006
Co P.2006, Level Design for Games: Creating Compelling Game Experiences, page 51-52
Level design in real-time strategy games
Real-time strategy games (or RTS games as they are often referred to) have a specific set of requirements from level design. These can shift depending on the player types, whether the game is player versus engine or player versus player, but a number of basic factors remain constant. In a paper on economic game theory Jonas Heide Smith uses Microsoft’s Age of Kings as an example of the basic set up of a real-time strategy game.
AOK is a real-time-strategy game following most of the genre standards put in place by Virgin Entertainment's Dune II in 1993. The players struggle for domination of an area with natural features serving as obstacles or resources to be gathered. Typically the game map starts off unexplored and a "fog of war" hides changes in areas not in the line of sight of the player's units. Individual players must balance the variables of the game in the attempt to eliminate the opposition (or fulfil other optional criteria of success such as building a wonder).
This definition contains three of the key features that a level designer will need to utilise and balance. The area or map, the placement of resources and the restriction of vision. Utilising these ingredients a level designer will attempt to create a map which will challenge the player, or players, and push them into a series of strategic decisions.
The production of a level must also take into account the tools which will be available to the player, namely the units, building and sometimes special abilities which they can spend their resources on. An example would be a map consisting of a series of unlinked islands. The players must be able to move to the other islands in order to interact and complete objectives, therefore a level designer would need to know that they had access to island hopping units, what the resource cost of these units was, and at what point in the technology tree they would be available.
One of the most basic tools a designer has to create interesting RTS levels is resource placement. Often players will be spawned at locations which have a finite supply of starting resources. Once these have been utilized the player is forced to expand their territory in order to maintain a stream of reinforcements. However, increasing their territory will increase the chance of encountering hostile forces. Forcing players to compete against each other, or a computer controlled enemy, for resources is a simple way to provoke conflict.
Landscape is another system that can be used to push gameplay. By creating various barriers, bottlenecks and pathways in a map the designer controls the player’s choices. Another option for the designer is to create destructible areas which players can force their way through. Phil Co describes this method in Level design for games; creating compelling game experiences.
In strategy games, such as the Warcraft series, the player’s army can clear areas that were once impassable. In Warcraft 3, forests and sections of trees that block characters can be cut down for wood materials, and characters can then move through to a new area. The level becomes more open as paths and clearings grow.
It is also possible to use this method to force players to limit their resource acquiring. If the resources form a barrier which you can hide behind, will you use the resources and open yourself to attack, or look elsewhere for your materials.
I believe that because of the nature of RTS games a good level designer will take into consideration these systems and then create an experience which will force the players into a process of strategic decisions. Working with the options and limitations that are offered to them, players will then form their own play style. Real-time strategy level designers should understand this and plan their work accordingly.
References
Heide Smith J. 2006, The Games Economists Play - Implications of Economic Game Theory for the Study of Computer Games, volume 6 issue 1 December 2006
Co P.2006, Level Design for Games: Creating Compelling Game Experiences, page 51-52
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