Chapter 90 Saturated Design and Dynamic Difficulty
Chapter 90 Saturated Design and Dynamic Difficulty (Second Update)
Author: Qingshan Chuzui
Chapter 90 Saturated Design and Dynamic Difficulty (Second Update)
Lu Zhixing couldn't help but chuckle to himself, this little fat guy really did anything to lose money.
Delaying the game is a good way to lose money. If the game is delayed for half a month, the R&D expenses, venue rent, and personnel wages will have to double.
Unfortunately, such a good thing cannot happen.
Lu Zhixing was full of confidence: "Don't worry, Mr. Li, the time is right. After all, we have adopted some new development methods, which can greatly shorten the production time."
Li Rushan nodded: "Well, I've known about the new technology for a long time."
Lu Zhixing smiled and shook his head: "No, Mr. Li, I am not talking about new technologies. It is about designing games and we have also adopted new development methods.
"I don't know what the situation is with other companies, but this development method is probably the first of our company's and the only one!"
Li Rushan suddenly became energetic: "Oh? Really? Mr. Lu, please tell me, what new development method is it?"
The word "only one" sounds very unreliable, I like it!
Lu Zhixing pointed to several design drafts on the computer screen: "This is my original development method: saturated design!"
Li Rushan was shocked. He heard another new term: "saturated... design? What does this mean?"
Lu Zhixing explained patiently: "Mr. Li, you know there is a saying called 'saturation rescue', right?
"To put it simply, for an accident, we dispatch three or four rescue teams. Even if one of the rescue teams encounters a problem midway, other rescue teams can immediately step in to ensure that the rescue operation is 100% successful."
Li Rushan nodded: "I've heard of this, but what does this have to do with designing games?"
Lu Zhixing smiled slightly: "The level design of our game is the same!
"Other game companies basically have one level manager leading several level designers.
“First of all, the level manager spends a lot of time to define a big framework. After determining the general situation of each part, it is handed over to different level designers for refinement and production.
“After these level designers are finished, the person in charge will make unified adjustments and modifications so that the level design of the entire game can have a unified style and gradual difficulty.
“The advantage of this is that the level design level is guaranteed, but the disadvantage is that it is too slow!
"Mr. Li, if you think about it, many of these steps are completely unnecessary. So our company has created a unique development method: saturated development!
"The specific method is that I directly assign the task of designing the level to each level designer and let them come up with the design directly. Then, I directly draw materials from their designs, modify them, and form the final level design plan."
Li Rushan's eyes revealed a strong feeling of confusion.
This... doesn't seem to have any essential difference? And after removing those key steps, the quality of this level design cannot be guaranteed...
After all, the traditional model is considered slow work and careful work. The level manager instructs the level designers to be responsible for different parts, slowly produces them, and then checks and accepts them uniformly. Only in this way can the high quality of the front and rear level designs be ensured.
As a result, Mr. Lu just let everyone design whatever they wanted, and then compiled it himself, directly drawing materials from them to generate all the levels in one step...
No matter how you look at it, you don’t think it’s very reliable?
But he quickly realized, no, isn't this a good thing?
When I first looked at Zhong Lu, didn't I just take a fancy to his Wolong trait? Now that I have witnessed this trait being activated, I should celebrate happily!
Thinking of this, Li Rushan immediately smiled and gave a thumbs up: "Yes, Mr. Lu is brilliant! This method can indeed greatly improve development efficiency. It is simply an amazing innovation! Is there anything else? Are there any other innovations?"
Lu Zhixing nodded: "Of course, in terms of game difficulty design, I have just designed a dynamic difficulty infinite adjustment system."
The smile on Li Rushan's face became even brighter. Is it really true? I'm just asking!
Although I don’t understand what it means at all, as the saying goes, the weirder the name, the faster you will die. Aren’t those who like to brag about names blindly on PPT all dead in the end?
This new system is probably the same.
Moreover, the difficulty in the game is directly related to the player experience. If this system fails, that will be great news!
"However, this dynamic difficulty... infinite adjustment system... what exactly is it? I can barely understand the first four words."
After having fun, Li Rushan felt that to be on the safe side, he still had to understand a little more about the specific contents of the system.
Lu Zhixing explained: "Simply speaking, this is a dynamic difficulty adjustment system. However, it will use the 'stepless adjustment' method.
"Doesn't the vehicle have a 'continuously variable transmission' system? This is the same. To put it simply, the player cannot feel the difficulty of different gears. This system will automatically adjust the game difficulty to the right state in real time.
“So our game will only be divided into two difficulties: the first time you enter the game, there is no difficulty selection by default, and you just start running.
"After completing one game, the game will turn on the 'expert mode'. In expert mode, the game will lock the highest difficulty level and will no longer automatically adjust."
Li Rushan was a little confused: "Then this infinite difficulty adjustment system... what are the disadvantages, oh no, what are the advantages?"
Lu Zhixing said solemnly: "The biggest benefit is, of course, to ensure that players have as much horror experience as possible!
"If we use the traditional difficulty classification method, such as the four difficulty levels of 'easy', 'normal', 'difficult' and 'expert', then there must be many players who have the courage to challenge the normal difficulty level out of fear, but do not
If you choose easy difficulty, then you won’t be able to scare them."
Li Rushan thought for a while: "Then, wouldn't it be enough if there is no difficulty option and all players play on the same difficulty level without discrimination? This is how some action games do it. It can also dissuade many people!"
Lu Zhixing shook his head: "No, there are disadvantages to this.
"This kind of difficulty is at most set at a level slightly higher than that of ordinary people. It is indeed enough to persuade players with handicaps to quit, but what about some more talented players? It loses the challenge.
"I think it's not perfect either.
"It is best to have a strong challenge for all players equally. That is the best choice. In this case, dynamic difficulty is necessary."
Li Rushan became excited: "What you said makes sense! In this way, everyone can be persuaded to quit without distinction... Ahem, I mean, in this way, all players can be challenged without distinction.
Well!
"Then...will someone intentionally die to lower the difficulty of the game?"
Lu Zhixing said: "This is not a big problem. As long as we set the dynamic difficulty to increase more and decrease it less, it will be fine.
"A player has been running very well before, but suddenly it seems like his leg is lame, he can't run well, and he is always caught by zombies. This is obviously a problem. Our system provides real-time feedback and blocks
That’s the possibility.”
Li Rushan thought for a while: "Then there is another question. Do you think this will happen:
"For example, there was a person who was very good. He struggled to pass the level on dynamic difficulty, but he didn't know that he was very good. He felt good about himself, and then he challenged the expert mode and was tortured until he became unconscious...
"Will this happen?"
Lu Zhixing nodded: "Of course, but so what?"
Li Rushan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, yes, so what?
Wouldn't it be better if this kind of person broke the defense and gave the game bad reviews?
Thinking of this, Li Rushan excitedly high-fived Lu Zhixing: "Okay, Mr. Lu! You did a great job! It's a genius design, very good, let's do it like this!"
"Create difficulties for all players indiscriminately, so that the experts cannot lower the difficulty to get a smooth experience, and let the novices build false confidence and go to expert mode to be instantly awakened!
"In this way, we can persuade them to quit...ahem, and let all players experience what a real horror game is! It's great!"
Lu Zhixing smiled slightly: "Then are Mr. Li ready to experience this system in a while?"
Li Rushan was stunned for a moment: "Ah? Can you already experience it? Didn't you just collect your level design draft..."
Lu Zhixing smiled slightly: "That's right, so please go and play other games to pass the time. I'll start making them now."