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Infinite Mario With Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment

Posted by Soulskill on from the there's-always-another-castle dept.

bgweber writes "There's been a lot of discussion about whether games should adapt to the skills of players. However, most current techniques limit adaptation to parameter adjustment. But if the parameter adaptation is applied to procedural content generation, then new levels can be generated on-line in response to a player's skill. In this adaptation of Infinite Mario (with source [.JAR]), new levels are generated based on the performance of the player. What other gameplay mechanics are open for adaptation when games adapt to the skills of specific players?"

5 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. Only if it's an option by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    One of the fun part of video games is playing the same level as someone else then talking about it, sharing frustrations and strategies. Once every level is different, this becomes much less easily done.

    Thus, if infinitely adaptable levels *do* exist, they should exist as an extended option or potentially an expansion pack to existing games rather than having an entire game based on that.

    Whether the level itself needs to change, or if just spawn points, etc, should cause different things/amount of enemies to spawn is another option. I'm reminded of Left 4 Dead and its sequel with the Director system that alters the spawning of zombies and types of zombies based on difficulty and the apparent skill of the players.

    1. Re:Only if it's an option by zwei2stein · · Score: 5, Insightful

      On contrary, your experience is still easily shared, frustrations voiced and strategies discused.

      Few examples:

        * Ever talked to someone about your Diablo session? How you like to use skill X against oponent Y, how that Z item dropped?

        * YASD - Yet Another Stupied Death (in ADOM or your roguelike of choice) stories. Thats about as much frustration sharing as it can get.

        * Dwarf Fortress - no two "levels" are alike, hell, everyone gets their personalised game world so one can easily play on dead planet where only few titan colosi and demons roam looking for sentiend beign to kill while someone else might be playing in populated and developed world. Yet people talk about their strategies, share tip and tricks.

      Given that there is actually more to talk about (two people talking experienced game differently) and it is more personal (when someone tells you about their experience, you will hear his unique story), i'd welcome that.

      --
      -- Technology for the sake of technology is as pathetic as eschewing technology because it's technology.
  2. Re:But that's not all gold by c0lo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you adapt too much, then the player won't feel challenges anymore. And in games challenges are the things that will demand players to push forward the efforts.

    Adapting for the level of the player or adapting against it: can work both ways. A careful approach can actually maintain the level of interest (frustrate the player, but not too much... rather tease) as well as driving up the level of skills

    --
    Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
  3. Feed to to Mario AI... by Yvanhoe · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...and watch the difficulty exponentially rise to reach singularity :-)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlkMs4ZHHr8

    --
    The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
  4. What about learning? by Max+Romantschuk · · Score: 4, Interesting

    One of the joys (for me) of playing 2D Mario games is learning how a level progresses and eventually being able to beat it though enough practice. If the level keeps changing this is taken away. I think it would be frustrating...

    Then again, I did enjoy Diablo II.

    --
    .: Max Romantschuk :: http://max.romantschuk.fi/