| I can't tell you how many PVP games I've tried | | | | lesson? Good. |
| that I quit within the first few days. The games | | | | French scenes are an artistic device that every |
| may have beautiful graphics, solid mechanics and | | | | designer should have up his sleeve. Created during |
| even a decent story behind them... But in the end | | | | a time when the accepted French play format |
| it makes no difference. They quickly devolve into | | | | involved only a single time and place, not allowing |
| repetitive little shoot-outs, with a blaze of success | | | | for the traditional ways a scene shifts (by either |
| one minute and then a string of failures the next. | | | | changing places or times) - playwrights worked on |
| Things manage to become both chaotic (in terms | | | | a brilliant solution. They decided that if they |
| of running around, looking for enemies) and | | | | couldn't move the time or place around the |
| repetitive (as you either win too easily or die over | | | | characters... They'd just move the characters |
| and over again). | | | | around the time or place. After all, a scene's |
| After a parade of dissatisfying games I just kept | | | | characters determine the nature of that scene - |
| returning to the classics (dear god, I love you Halo | | | | so by having a new character enter the entire |
| and Brawl), giving up much hope of finding any | | | | scene can change. |
| game that could do PVP in a consistently | | | | For example, take a situation that we've all been |
| satisfying way. | | | | in at some point or other - two young |
| And then, a little less than a week ago, I struck | | | | sweethearts alone together. Perhaps they are |
| gold. | | | | alone in a garden or perhaps in a darkened living |
| It was late evening, around 11pm Eastern, when I | | | | room, nestled together on a couch. This scene is |
| was browsing through a selection of free demos | | | | a lovely, heartfelt, intimate moment... Which |
| off Steam and decided to try one I'd never heard | | | | changes completely once the girl's mother walks |
| of before, a game called Metal Drift. | | | | into the room. |
| Wow... | | | | End of scene. |
| Not only were the graphics beautiful, the | | | | Let's apply this to Metal Drift. It's a big difference |
| mechanics a delight and the concept immersive - | | | | when you're running the ball without an enemy in |
| but they had done something that I'd long given | | | | sight, versus having one right behind you - firing |
| up as impossible. They'd brought a consistent, | | | | ion bursts into your screaming engine. The |
| orderly and yet achingly exciting progression to | | | | moment an enemy tank appears the entire |
| PVP combat. | | | | dynamic of the run changes. The flickering |
| This article is about how they did it... And how you | | | | apprehension has turned into sharp teeth-gritting |
| can too. | | | | tensio, one question burning in your mind: Can you |
| But before we can get to that, we'll have to | | | | make it in time? |
| backtrack a little... Back to the world of theater | | | | The constant destruction (exits) and subsequent |
| and film as we explore the elements that form | | | | appearances (entrances) of enemies and allies |
| the backbone of Metal Drift's incredible gameplay. | | | | changes the dynamics of the scenes in strong, |
| The Power of Scenes | | | | consistent ways. And this is where the real |
| While "scenes" are usually associated with movies | | | | excellence of Metal Drift's design comes in. |
| and plays - the concept's principles can be applied | | | | Balancing Positives and Negatives |
| to any time-based medium... And is possibly even | | | | Metal Drift clearly does a solid job of creating an |
| more appropriate to games than it is to the | | | | ordered, exciting structure in what can often be |
| theater from which it originated. After all, when | | | | the chaotic and unbalanced mire of PVP combat. |
| you get down to it, what is a scene anyway? | | | | However, even the most consistent PVP games |
| Simple. | | | | still run into the problem of balancing positives and |
| A scene is one of building blocks of a larger work, | | | | negatives. What can you do to make sure that |
| one with a clear beginning and end. | | | | the teams that pull ahead don't get too far |
| Alright, so we have a definition - but now we're in | | | | ahead? How do you make sure that a completely |
| for a much more important role. It's time to delve | | | | player-fought game has a well-balanced mix of |
| into the inherent power of scenes and how to | | | | positive and negative scenes to make the game |
| use them to make your work so much deeper. | | | | more engaging for everyone? |
| Every single scene turns on at least one specific | | | | It's in answering this challenge that Metal Drift |
| value - a positive or negative shift. In novels, | | | | rises above many other games that I've played... |
| theater and film characters struggle for what | | | | And it does it in three simple ways. |
| they want before finally either achieving a short | | | | First of all, Metal Drift managed to resist the |
| term goal, or else being set back. Powerful artists | | | | temptation to include very long-range weapons |
| tend to balance positives and negatives, following | | | | (such as sniper rifles and their kin). Thus shooting |
| one with the other, just as a roller-coaster | | | | down a ball-carrier usually means being very close |
| balances its ups and downs for maximum | | | | to that carrier. This means that once a ball-carrier |
| excitement. If the audience is subjected to an | | | | is destroyed, the loose ball is often closest to a |
| endless march of tragedies we quickly wear out | | | | member of the other team (the one that shot |
| our capacity to care. In the words of Robert | | | | them down). The ball is likely to change |
| Mckee; at the first tragedy we cry, after the | | | | possession and begin its race to the other side of |
| second we sniffle and at the third we laugh. In | | | | the court - instead of continuing on towards the |
| fact, the repeated use of tragedy is a | | | | same goal. In this way, a change in direction is a |
| well-respected comedic device. | | | | lot more likely than continued triumphs of the |
| So... See the connection to video games yet? If | | | | same team. |
| you do, pat yourself on the back. I'll wait. For the | | | | Second, the game features colored energy fields |
| rest of us, let's apply all of this to the art and | | | | that only one team can pass through. Blue tanks |
| design that we love so much. | | | | can freely move through blue energy fields while |
| Video games are constantly marked by scenes. | | | | red tanks can freely move through... Well, I'm sure |
| In Super Smash Brothers each flurry of blows | | | | you get the idea. |
| before the characters finally take a breather | | | | There are often many blue energy fields near the |
| (whether because they've both stopped their | | | | blue goal which makes defending your goal a lot |
| attacks for a moment or because one is flying | | | | easier than assaulting the opponent's (again |
| off the screen) is a self-contained building block of | | | | increasing the likelihood of a turnover in ball |
| the larger battle - and it's easy to see who came | | | | possession). However, even if the blue team fails |
| off better in that round of fighting. | | | | to stop the reds from scoring, it's a lot easier for |
| For one player, it was a positive scene. For the | | | | them to get back to the center (where the ball |
| other it was negative. And just as losing | | | | respawns), while the reds must take a slower, |
| consistently gets far too frustrating (repeated | | | | more roundabout route. This makes it significantly |
| negatives) and always winning gets boring after a | | | | harder for a team that just scored a goal to get |
| while (repeated positives) excellent game | | | | back to the ball before their opponent's do. All |
| designers should do their best to make sure that | | | | that, from just a few clever walls. |
| their games are designed with a natural, balanced, | | | | Finally, Metal Drift's creators used a classic principle |
| scene progression in mind. | | | | of setting respawn points for destroyed players |
| If you want an example of this, look no further | | | | closer to their base than their opponent's. This |
| than the most brilliant execution of this principle | | | | means that any tank that is destroyed |
| I've ever come across. That's right, it's time to | | | | materializes in a much more defensible position, |
| get into Metal Drift. | | | | meaning that it's easier to defend your own goal |
| Metal Drift | | | | but harder to get to the other side of the field in |
| Metal Drift is one of the most exciting and | | | | time to help a scoring attempt. This again favors |
| dynamic games I've come across in months. Its | | | | the defenders and makes a string of one-sided |
| creators take the excellent concept of standard | | | | goals even more unlikely. |
| tank-on-tank combat and then added one tiny | | | | But balancing positives and negatives can only |
| element that made all the difference... | | | | take you so far. Scenes don't do anything on their |
| A ball. | | | | own - it's important that the scenes lead |
| In Metal Drift you take on the role of a drift-tank | | | | somewhere, build somewhere... Each gaining in |
| pilot, driving a cross between a NASCAR race car | | | | intensity until a climax is reached. Without that, a |
| and a hover-tank in a sport known only as... you | | | | story or game runs the risk of feeling repetitive. |
| guessed it... Metal Drift. Players race for the ball | | | | In the spirit of consistency - let us venture once |
| and try to dodge through the opposing team's | | | | more into the lightning-fast gameplay of Metal |
| tanks to make it into their goal. And yes, the | | | | Drift and explore the subtle mechanics that |
| standard method of stopping an enemy drift-tank | | | | steadily build to an exciting climax. |
| is to use that handy dandy cannon on the top of | | | | The Peak of Climax |
| your own craft. Blowing things up is still satisfying | | | | Anyone who's ever taken a writing class has |
| as ever, but the innovation of the ball as a focus | | | | heard tell of a story's climax. It is a mystical, |
| for action lends a much stronger overall flow to | | | | mythical point in a tale - the summit of the |
| the game. But even more than that - it adds a | | | | story's power where the action explodes into the |
| constant feeling of progression. It isn't every man | | | | grandest, crowning achievement of the |
| for himself in tank-on-tank combat... Every second | | | | character's journey. The entire story spends all its |
| the ball is getting closer to somebody's goal. Each | | | | time building up to it - to that point where Luke |
| shot, turn and rush of movement contributes to a | | | | Skywalker makes his desperate run down the |
| steady progression one way or the other... Adding | | | | Death Star's trench and destroys the space |
| to the excitement. | | | | station once and for all (or, until the third movie |
| Stunningly, this hectic and fast-paced game - put | | | | when they do it again). |
| completely in the player's hands to the tune of | | | | In games, it's called the "final boss". |
| allowing up to twelve-person games manages to | | | | As my partner in crime, Alex Kerezman, has |
| produce a clear and consistent structure made | | | | written an absolutely excellent article about climax |
| from extremely ordered scenes. | | | | in games for Gamasutra.com, detailing how every |
| Think about that for a moment. | | | | moment of the gameplay must be about how it |
| PVP games are notoriously hard to map out. | | | | explodes into a brilliant ending - the peak of the |
| After all, we designers don't control anything once | | | | game - I won't explore the subject in depth here. |
| the game begins. In single player campaigns, we | | | | But climaxes are not limited to the story-driven |
| can place enemies at certain areas - allow for | | | | campaigns of most games we're familiar with. |
| healing stations and save points and clear, linear | | | | They are just as appropriate, and a great deal |
| progress... But when players make up both sides | | | | more subtle, within the realms of PVP combat. It |
| of the conflict, all bets are off. The only thing we | | | | is this use of progressively building micro-scenes |
| get to do is design the environment of the level | | | | until the game explodes into a climax (sometimes |
| itself. | | | | literally) that ties all the elements of Metal Drift |
| However, as Metal Drift demonstrates, that is | | | | together. |
| more than enough. | | | | As you race toward your opponent's goal every |
| Step 1 - Get to the Action | | | | single breath hinges on whether you will be able to |
| The moment the game begins every player is | | | | make it in time. The closer you get to your |
| rushing toward the same focus point - the ball | | | | opponents' goal, the more time they have had to |
| lying in the center of the arena (shown on both | | | | shoot at you. You watch your shields and health |
| your screen and radar in an elegant reference to | | | | bars tick down even as the goal pulls closer... Can |
| keep track of the action). At this point you either | | | | you make it in time?!? |
| begin a race for the ball itself or else run to your | | | | If you do, it is often just barely - and exciting |
| chosen position to support your own ball-runner or | | | | beyond belief. |
| defend against the opposing team. Additionally, | | | | And if you explode in a shower of flames and |
| you may have begun this scene mid-game, | | | | shrapnel... It is often just on the edge of the goal. |
| respawning after your tank's destruction with the | | | | Either way, it's thrilling. |
| ball already in the possession of one team. In this | | | | If acts are larger units comprised of scenes - |
| case, your strategy might change slightly - but | | | | then each act ends with a goal being scored. And |
| regardless, you will either be trying to get to the | | | | all the while the defenders are chasing after the |
| ball in order to shoot down an enemy carrying it | | | | ball-carrier with one thought in their heads... |
| or else to defend your own team. | | | | Can I STOP them in time?!? |
| Either way - you have to get to your chosen | | | | Whether you can or you can't - a story has been |
| position once the scene begins. Then step two | | | | told, the energy building until it explodes into a |
| takes over. | | | | climax - whether the blaring horn of a goal being |
| Step 2 - Fight for the Ball | | | | scored or the shattering explosion of the |
| Whether you're fighting to keep the ball or else | | | | ball-carrier bursting into shrapnel. |
| desperately trying to shoot down a defender, the | | | | And then the ball drops down again and the next |
| process is the same, while trying out different | | | | act begins. |
| weapons and upgrades keeps each individual clash | | | | Closing the Curtain |
| fresh. Bear in mind that these are fights on the | | | | As Metal Drift so wonderfully proves, the power |
| run. The ball carrier is trying to survive long | | | | of scenes and story structure is not limited to the |
| enough to get to the opposing team's goal - while | | | | theater. Its creators, Black Jacket Studios, have |
| the opponents are trying to shoot them down in | | | | taken elements from the older art-forms to stun |
| time. Thus, these rushes achieve a steady | | | | and delight players with climactic action and |
| structure no matter the players involved. If the | | | | defined scenes... And they did it with only a few |
| opposition is non-existant, the player running the | | | | simple mechanics. You can too. |
| ball can race from one side of the field to the | | | | It's important to bear in mind that simply having |
| other in about fifteen to twenty seconds. Thus, | | | | scenes in a game isn't enough. Every combat |
| no run will ever last longer than that before either | | | | game has French scenes, when characters die |
| a goal is scored or the ball carrier is destroyed. | | | | and leave the picture, but not every game makes |
| And, since the ball's location is always clearly visible | | | | use of the scenes. After all, bad movies have |
| on the screen, the ball carrier can't hope to hide - | | | | scenes as well - lots of them. It isn't enough to |
| neatly eliminating drawn-out search sessions. They | | | | have scenes in your game, or even to be aware |
| have to run for all they've got. | | | | of them. It is the way those scenes are |
| Step 3 - A change in the characters | | | | structured that matters. Positives and negatives |
| Now, any individual scene ends once one of three | | | | should be well balanced (though not of course so |
| things happen. Either a goal is scored, the ball | | | | that it is impossible for a run of victories and |
| changes possession, or else one of the tanks is | | | | defeats to happen) and the tension must build and |
| destroyed. Once a tank is destroyed, it has to | | | | build and build until it explodes into a Climax. Metal |
| wait ten seconds before respawning, which | | | | Drift does that so smoothly and subtly that it has |
| effectively takes it out of the action for the rest | | | | to be seen to be believed. If you haven't already |
| of the goal attempt. A tank's destruction is a | | | | grabbed a copy of the demo, you might want to |
| much subtler change than a goal being scored, but | | | | give it a try. |
| it alters the action in an intensely fundamental | | | | So next time you sit down at your favorite |
| way, and one that every game designer will find | | | | game, take a look at how the designers try to |
| incredibly useful. It's something called the French | | | | bring out order from the chaos of player |
| scene... | | | | decisions. In the words of Stephen Sondheim, |
| French Scenes | | | | "Putting it together. That's what counts." |
| All right, ready for a quick international theater | | | | And... Scene. |