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@kenzan100(author)

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Post Frequency Update

04 Jul 2014

Post Frequencey to this blog

  • I have to say posting everyday about the game design pattern was a bit harder than I first expected.
  • From now, I will post new ones when I feel it's ready.
  • Especially, I'd like to focus making actual games with iOS platform.
  • Just till then, I'll tweet userful insights about game dev on my Twitter Account.
  • Stay with me, and stay with making great games!

Rock Paper Scissors Tank Game

02 Jul 2014

Game without variables

This is a post presenting new game concept

  • Today, I want to talk about a game with a new concept.
  • As I've posted in Level Game Pattern, games with level ups have certain benefits.
  • Also, talked in Variables Pattern, variable is one of fundamental elements of games.

Downside of variables

  • But there's also a downside of these variables.
  • With variables, players become very aware of their differences each other.
  • Especially when you're a beginner in that game, if first thing you see is a scoreboard with many experienced players, what do you feel?
  • One would feel very discouraged, feeling "No matter how much I've put my time in this game, it's impossible to beat them or compete with them".

What about a game without experience points?

  • To avoid this inevitable isolation of players, here's an idea: a game players compete each other without any increasing variables.
  • To make it a real game, I narrowed game type to "tank game".
  • Tank game is like this: screenshot of a tank game
  • Players control their tanks and shoot each other in 2d maps. When you hit another tank, you beat him. And you earn certain points.
  • A tank game generally have multiple weapons/tanks to select from.
  • And whey they have stronger weapons/tanks, it's easier to beat others. Also, experienced players know how to control their tanks far better than beginners.

Tommorrow's post is a detailed explanation of an actual "Tank Rock-Paper-Scissors game".

  • Stay tuned!

Life Healing Design

01 Jul 2014

"Life Healing" Game Design

Summary

  • For example in "Candy Crush Saga", there's a life that goes down by one when you lost the level.
  • The point is that it recovers with certain time intervals. Time Healing Life
  • Life is also often purchasable: that is to say even if the time doesn't allow recover lives, you can buy a life for certain amount of money.
  • It became widely common since smart-phone application games.
  • Because the in-app purchase transaction is easier than ever, people set up this system to monetize their games.

Why people buy when it recovers naturally?

  • Reason why it works is when you lose many lives, you're in this narror-minded mode.
  • You rush to beat the level so much that you don't really think carefully "is it worth it?".

Advice to game developers

  • Though it's an easy monetize point, don't make it too harsh (e.g. limiting the number of lives one can posses too little, or in what time span life recovers).
  • Also, follow the industry-standard price for one life. (I think for now, it's about a dollar for one life, with discount options on bulk purchase)