Comments on: Multiplying Your Game Length by Four Hundred http://thegameprodigy.com/multiplying-your-game-length-by-four-hundred/ The Source for Game Design Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:49:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: Game Artwork: Choosing the Perfect Style for You | The Game Prodigy http://thegameprodigy.com/multiplying-your-game-length-by-four-hundred/comment-page-1/#comment-633 Game Artwork: Choosing the Perfect Style for You | The Game Prodigy Tue, 26 Oct 2010 06:24:04 +0000 http://thegameprodigy.com/?p=419#comment-633 [...] flash game where the player runs around through a single level.  For a game with only one level, it does a great job extending gameplay a good deal by adding many different, you guessed it, achievements for the player to find.  The focus of the [...] [...] flash game where the player runs around through a single level.  For a game with only one level, it does a great job extending gameplay a good deal by adding many different, you guessed it, achievements for the player to find.  The focus of the [...]

]]> By: Brice http://thegameprodigy.com/multiplying-your-game-length-by-four-hundred/comment-page-1/#comment-470 Brice Sat, 22 May 2010 19:08:24 +0000 http://thegameprodigy.com/?p=419#comment-470 Mike, great points, Banjo Kazooie and SM64 both do a good job of reusing the same content. Giving players different goals for the same task can often make the same activity feel very different. Mike, great points, Banjo Kazooie and SM64 both do a good job of reusing the same content. Giving players different goals for the same task can often make the same activity feel very different.

]]> By: MikeAKA http://thegameprodigy.com/multiplying-your-game-length-by-four-hundred/comment-page-1/#comment-469 MikeAKA Sat, 22 May 2010 11:48:58 +0000 http://thegameprodigy.com/?p=419#comment-469 While I do believe adding characters with different movement/animations to play as is one way to increase game length I believe more so in games with levels that can be played more than once but have a different goal. For example Super Mario 64 and how it uses stars placed throughout the level that you need to get and each time you play a new "act" the stars are in a different location and have a new way of getting to them. And usually this doesn't require new level art/enemies/design. Though sometimes new sections are added to the level in order to increase its versatility. But I believe a greater example is from a game not many people gave a chance. Banjo and Kazooie Nuts and Bolts reuses levels very well in order to increase play time. The most amazing thing is how well each world is thought out ahead of time in order to encompass over 20 acts, each with mostly unique level designs or rather ways of playing through the level in order to achieve the goal. They can even fill entire levels with water in order to keep things fresh. There are 7 worlds in the game each with 4-6 zones and 2-6 acts per zone. Lots of reuses but still keeping it fun without stretching it too thin. Although it can't be understated that the amount of fun you have in the game is mostly based on whether or not you like to create vehicles in order to solve the games many challenges. Truly emergent gameplay I think. That's all I have to say on that matter and that's mostly because I don't wanna write a book here. Great site by the way keep up the great work! While I do believe adding characters with different movement/animations to play as is one way to increase game length I believe more so in games with levels that can be played more than once but have a different goal. For example Super Mario 64 and how it uses stars placed throughout the level that you need to get and each time you play a new “act” the stars are in a different location and have a new way of getting to them. And usually this doesn’t require new level art/enemies/design. Though sometimes new sections are added to the level in order to increase its versatility.

But I believe a greater example is from a game not many people gave a chance. Banjo and Kazooie Nuts and Bolts reuses levels very well in order to increase play time. The most amazing thing is how well each world is thought out ahead of time in order to encompass over 20 acts, each with mostly unique level designs or rather ways of playing through the level in order to achieve the goal. They can even fill entire levels with water in order to keep things fresh.

There are 7 worlds in the game each with 4-6 zones and 2-6 acts per zone. Lots of reuses but still keeping it fun without stretching it too thin. Although it can’t be understated that the amount of fun you have in the game is mostly based on whether or not you like to create vehicles in order to solve the games many challenges. Truly emergent gameplay I think.

That’s all I have to say on that matter and that’s mostly because I don’t wanna write a book here.

Great site by the way keep up the great work!

]]> By: Brice http://thegameprodigy.com/multiplying-your-game-length-by-four-hundred/comment-page-1/#comment-466 Brice Sat, 22 May 2010 01:58:50 +0000 http://thegameprodigy.com/?p=419#comment-466 Hi Dave, while the level design could have been improved, it's objectively true that the game is longer because of the character collection. If there was only two or three characters, then you would only play through it once and be done, and not only that, you would get bored with the tileset levels. The character collection does a great deal to make each level still entertaining because of the prospect that you'll find a new character (which are randomly generated). And even after you finish all the levels, there is still more to do. So perhaps it isn't your cup of tea, but there is certainly a lesson in development to be learned here. Thanks for the post! Hi Dave, while the level design could have been improved, it’s objectively true that the game is longer because of the character collection. If there was only two or three characters, then you would only play through it once and be done, and not only that, you would get bored with the tileset levels. The character collection does a great deal to make each level still entertaining because of the prospect that you’ll find a new character (which are randomly generated). And even after you finish all the levels, there is still more to do.

So perhaps it isn’t your cup of tea, but there is certainly a lesson in development to be learned here.

Thanks for the post!

]]> By: Dave http://thegameprodigy.com/multiplying-your-game-length-by-four-hundred/comment-page-1/#comment-465 Dave Fri, 21 May 2010 14:21:30 +0000 http://thegameprodigy.com/?p=419#comment-465 Hardly 20% work. The level design is uninspired and most likely designed using a tileset. The entire game is based around the characters so he hardly did it to squeeze out more gameplay. Hardly 20% work. The level design is uninspired and most likely designed using a tileset. The entire game is based around the characters so he hardly did it to squeeze out more gameplay.

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