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!

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:
• 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" 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.
• 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)