On Auto-Dynamic Difficulty In Videogames

Thanks to Game Matters for its discussion of the problems with difficulty levels in videogames, as the weblog, authored by 3D Realms' Scott Miller, talks about why "games should only rarely allow players to set their own difficulty level." Miller argues: "One of the most common ways games sabotage their potential to appeal to larger numbers of players is by being too difficult... Practically everyone designing games nowadays is a hardcore player with elite skills. It's therefore easy for game designers to misjudge the difficulty of their own games." He describes 'auto-dynamic difficulty', related to Max Payne, as "...a few variables that rate the player's ability, and the player's rating (completely internal to the game) determines the damage that both the player's weapon delivers, and the enemies' weapons deliver against the player." Miller ends by pointing out: "If a player completes your game, they are much more likely to buzz about, spreading the word that it was a great game."

Comments

3DRealms eh?

[Chilles]

This is just preparation for a press release later this week about how Duke Nukem Forever will be delayed a bit more because it has become clear that an auto-dynamic-difficulty systems is essential for a game of that type.

On ADD itself:
I think this stuff might work a bit for some games, but generally it would suck. How much sense of accomplishment would you get from completing a game that you knew just tuned itself down to your level? Of course the general public won't know about this so they'll think they are becoming elite gamers because they finish every game in record time and as such the marketing aspect of ADD might just work.
What might be next? ADD-d muliplayer FPS's where the damage you do per shot is inversely proportional to your frag-count?
I'd love to see an ADD implementation of pac-man though, the challenge would be to play so badly that the ghosts run away from you when you approach :-)

You bet!

[odorf]

Mario 1 was a hard game to beat on the system, but once you did it you felt like the king of the world and had to get all your friends to play it so you could brag that you beat it and they couldent:P

Speaking of completing games...

[bottlerocket]

"If a player completes your game, they are much more likely to buzz about, spreading the word that it was a great game."

Why is he worrying about the players completing his game? He and a team of programmers can't finish it, either!