We, as human beings, are an impatient race. The average time it takes for a viewer to click out of a youtube video is three seconds. If I don’t say something to hook you in really quick like HOT SEX in bold lettering, I might lose you already.
The fact that people just do not have fun waiting around is something that every game developer must understand. This is a gamer’s perspective on how game mechanics can be streamlined and shoved aside so that we can get back to the fighting and killing.
My recently most played games are Modern Warfare 3, Dungeon Defenders, Shank, Champions Online, CrimeCraft, and Team Fortress 2. Sure, CrimeCraft is mediocre, but aside from other things, it and the other games in that list have something in common:
They get you into the action fast.
Any game can easily be made more engaging if it’s designed to get the player into the fray more quickly. Take Dungeon Defenders, for example. It’s a persistent RPG tower defense game with lots of loot. After each wave in the later levels, dozens of items are just laying around waiting to be picked up. There’s an indicator on items that are an upgrade for you, so you know the rest of the gear on the ground is worse than what you’re carrying. No one wants to sort through all that, so when the next wave begins, all of the gear that wasn’t picked up is automatically sold for resources that are split amongst the players. Think of all the time that saves in the long run!
Now for an example of something that -doesn’t- work, turn your eyes to Dungeons: The Dark Lord. Friggin’ tutorial had me yawning. You want to learn how to play the game? You have to listen to a schizo demoness explain – in awful monologue – how to play the game. You can’t do anything while she’s prattling on. Do not do this to us, developers. This is BAD.
In MMOs, there should be an easily accessible way to get around quickly. In FPS games, story should be developed concisely and through actual gameplay. In Real-Time Strategy games, Cinematics and uncontrollable cameras should be kept to an absolute minimum.
We as players are far more likely to enjoy a game if we can get things overwith, heavily story-based games (you’re off the hook, Bioware) being the exception. Developers that keep this point in mind are guaranteed to be more successful than those who do not take heed. That’s enough of me speaking for you, though… what do you think?
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