Comments on: You don’t need a clock to tell the time http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2 Designing games everyone can enjoy Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:09:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.2 Comment on You don’t need a clock to tell the time by: Capt_Poco http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-2477 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:31:38 +0000 http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-2477 Some light gun shooters have an interesting way of displaying health: The more hurt you are, the more blood splotches or bullet holes obscure your monitor. Some games (Bioshock and Battlefield 1942 in particular) create effects on the monitor that show the player's state. For example, a tank shell exploding nearby causes the monitor to become blurry and shaky for a few seconds, simulating shell shock. For games that require manipulating numbers and to-hit ratios (many RPGs and most MMORPGs) obviously such solutions will not work. However, I'm guessing that most people don't play RPGs for the math. Some light gun shooters have an interesting way of displaying health: The more hurt you are, the more blood splotches or bullet holes obscure your monitor. Some games (Bioshock and Battlefield 1942 in particular) create effects on the monitor that show the player’s state. For example, a tank shell exploding nearby causes the monitor to become blurry and shaky for a few seconds, simulating shell shock.

For games that require manipulating numbers and to-hit ratios (many RPGs and most MMORPGs) obviously such solutions will not work. However, I’m guessing that most people don’t play RPGs for the math.

]]> Comment on You don’t need a clock to tell the time by: William Willing http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-2267 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 19:43:39 +0000 http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-2267 Wik really is amazing. Unfortunately, it hasn't done too well. You can read <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20050214/hallam_01.shtml" rel="nofollow">a post mortem of Wik &#38;The Fable Of Souls over at a Gamasutra</a>. Wik really is amazing. Unfortunately, it hasn’t done too well. You can read a post mortem of Wik &The Fable Of Souls over at a Gamasutra.

]]> Comment on You don’t need a clock to tell the time by: Angie Clever http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-2241 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:52:03 +0000 http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-2241 Wow, the Wik Game is amazing in more than one way. I like the incorporation of fine art principles into the game design. I'm sure it was an expensive production! I love that the company would take that kind of risk. Thanks for writing! Keep it up! http://www.gamedesigncenter.com Angie Clever Wow, the Wik Game is amazing in more than one way. I like the incorporation of fine art principles into the game design. I’m sure it was an expensive production! I love that the company would take that kind of risk.

Thanks for writing! Keep it up!
http://www.gamedesigncenter.com

Angie Clever

]]> Comment on You don’t need a clock to tell the time by: Darius Young http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-1724 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 06:16:06 +0000 http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-1724 "Progress bars" in certain <a href="http://www.naturalgames.com" rel="nofollow">game downloads</a> make the game a little more interesting to look at as oppose to seeing a lame timer somewhere on the screen. “Progress bars” in certain game downloads make the game a little more interesting to look at as oppose to seeing a lame timer somewhere on the screen.

]]> Comment on You don’t need a clock to tell the time by: fsbo-sd http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-100 Fri, 31 Mar 2006 13:39:23 +0000 http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-100 Good site... Nice design Good site… Nice design

]]> Comment on You don’t need a clock to tell the time by: William Willing http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-99 Wed, 08 Mar 2006 17:05:24 +0000 http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-99 That's true, and that could be a problem if you, for example, only show a health bar and not the percentage of health left. However, my original point is not about health bars or smart interface widgets: it's about getting rid of a part of the interface by making it part of the game. The creature in Wik isn't just a funnily drawn clock, nor would anyone want to mouse-over it to see how much time he has left. It's an integral part of the game. I recently ran across another example of this principle. In <a href="http://www.en.zylom.com/game/158/text-express.html" rel="nofollow">Text Express</a> you have to type words to get your train to move forward. There's another (computer-controlled) train also moving forward and your goal is to reach the finish line before the other train does. Essentially, the computer-controlled train is a clock, but no-one will ever ask: how much time do I have left? Like Wik's creature, it's integrated into the game. That’s true, and that could be a problem if you, for example, only show a health bar and not the percentage of health left.

However, my original point is not about health bars or smart interface widgets: it’s about getting rid of a part of the interface by making it part of the game. The creature in Wik isn’t just a funnily drawn clock, nor would anyone want to mouse-over it to see how much time he has left. It’s an integral part of the game.

I recently ran across another example of this principle. In Text Express you have to type words to get your train to move forward. There’s another (computer-controlled) train also moving forward and your goal is to reach the finish line before the other train does. Essentially, the computer-controlled train is a clock, but no-one will ever ask: how much time do I have left? Like Wik’s creature, it’s integrated into the game.

]]> Comment on You don’t need a clock to tell the time by: Jan http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-98 Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:15:21 +0000 http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-98 When you do something like this, it is important not to get so creative with the interface that you actually get in the way of the game. If a fancy interface adds to the immersion of the game and does not get in the way, it is a fine addition. But if you have to mouse-over to find out the information you need, then it may have gone too far. If vital information is hidden, then you are increasing the learning curve for the game. Casual games should have a very shallow learning curve. When you do something like this, it is important not to get so creative with the interface that you actually get in the way of the game. If a fancy interface adds to the immersion of the game and does not get in the way, it is a fine addition. But if you have to mouse-over to find out the information you need, then it may have gone too far. If vital information is hidden, then you are increasing the learning curve for the game. Casual games should have a very shallow learning curve.

]]> Comment on You don’t need a clock to tell the time by: Game Producer http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-67 Tue, 31 Jan 2006 13:35:39 +0000 http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-67 You could change the "happy running" animation to "crippled walking" in case of "health". What comes to lives - maybe the player model could have some elements hanging at him? Like maybe a necklace with 5 red hearts... 4 hearts... 3hearts... and the necklace would be animating as you move. You could change the “happy running” animation to “crippled walking” in case of “health”. What comes to lives - maybe the player model could have some elements hanging at him? Like maybe a necklace with 5 red hearts… 4 hearts… 3hearts… and the necklace would be animating as you move.

]]> Comment on You don’t need a clock to tell the time by: William Willing http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-61 Mon, 30 Jan 2006 12:21:52 +0000 http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-61 I wonder if that's something we just got used to. RPGs traditionally don't show just a bar, they show the numbers. So, if you've played enough RPGs, that's what you come to expect. I doubt it's really necessary, though. "I'm low on health, but I'm a lot stronger than that creature" is probably enough information and you don't need numbers for that. The mouse-over suggestion might be a nice way to have your cake and eat it, too. Still, that won't work for a truly integrated indicator like Wik's creature. I wonder if that’s something we just got used to. RPGs traditionally don’t show just a bar, they show the numbers. So, if you’ve played enough RPGs, that’s what you come to expect. I doubt it’s really necessary, though. “I’m low on health, but I’m a lot stronger than that creature” is probably enough information and you don’t need numbers for that.

The mouse-over suggestion might be a nice way to have your cake and eat it, too. Still, that won’t work for a truly integrated indicator like Wik’s creature.

]]> Comment on You don’t need a clock to tell the time by: Wesley Burchnall http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-56 Sun, 29 Jan 2006 12:59:22 +0000 http://www.casualgamedesign.com/?p=2#comment-56 I find the best results come from a combination of both. I personally am one of those people who agrees that I find knowing the enemy has say 47 out of 60 hp gives me a better ability to calculate my situations, whereas the graphical intergrated interface can be more fun =) I think my choice would be to use graphical interface and include a mouse-over, if pc, option that shows the full-amount or have the option in your gameplay settings to include a numerical version that would appear overtop. I find the best results come from a combination of both. I personally am one of those people who agrees that I find knowing the enemy has say 47 out of 60 hp gives me a better ability to calculate my situations, whereas the graphical intergrated interface can be more fun =)

I think my choice would be to use graphical interface and include a mouse-over, if pc, option that shows the full-amount or have the option in your gameplay settings to include a numerical version that would appear overtop.

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