Game Balancing & Flow Agenda

Game Balancing & Flow Introduction

Optimal game balancing? Placed elements in the flow diagram Adams´ & Rollings´ elements

Low High abilities Anxiety Boredom ChallengesChallenges 4

The dynamic elements 1.Provide a consistent challenge 2.Provide the player with a perceivably fair playing experience 3.Avoid stagnation 4.Avoid trivialities 5.Allow setting of difficulty level (Adams & Rollings 2003, p. 272)

Low High Abilities/skills Anxiety Boredom  Provide a consistent challenge  Provide the player with fair playing experience  Avoid stagnation  Avoid trivialities  Allow setting of difficulty level ChallengesChallenges

Low High Abilities/skills Anxiety Boredom  Provide a consistent challenge  Provide the player with fair playing experience  Avoid stagnation  Avoid trivialities  (Allow setting of difficulty level) ChallengesChallenges

How and why is the placement of the elements changed?

Different player types – different situations Every player contains elements from each player type

The Dream Scene Straight storyline Forced to pick up a gun and kill his colleague

The Fair ground-level Find your associate Ghost town-alike scene Moving objects, strange sounds No enemies!

Low High abilities Anxiety Boredom * Explorer ChallengesChallenges

The Explorer Not disturbed by enemies Many things to explorer Only exploring the surroundings Experiencing the level as fair Not stagnating

Low High abilities Anxiety Boredom * Explorer ChallengesChallenges

The Achiever Chaotic Many things to investigate Feel a consistent challenge New way to solve a level

Low High abilities Anxiety Boredom * Explorer ChallengesChallenges * Achiever

The Killer Fair play experience “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time” (Adams & Rollings p. 276) Provides an atmosphere, that appeals to the killer Shooting as a reflex Challenge will fall during the level Only make this scene once

Low High abilities Anxiety Boredom * Explorer ChallengesChallenges * Achiever * Killer

Low High abilities Anxiety Boredom * Explorer ChallengesChallenges * Achiever * Killer

Summary Why and how are games balanced to match certain player types? –Bring and keep