Action and Adventure Games

DDM4323 - Game Design

Chapter 7:

Action and Adventure Games

Outline

Action and Adventure Game Genres
• Shooters
• Non-Shooters
Design Elements
• Rules
• Setting
• Victory Conditions
• Interaction Model
• Perspective
• Structure
• Storytelling
• Challenges
• User Interface Design
Special Design Consideration for Action & Adventure Games

Introduction

Introduction

The designation “action game” covers a wide
range of game styles, both 3D and 2D.
But all games categorized under this label invariably
have one aspect in common (they are all twitch
games)

The key skills tested by the gameplay are reaction
time and hand-eye coordination under pressure
Action games tend to be simpler than most other
types because there is only so much information
and complexity that the average brain can
interpret in unit time.

Introduction

Action games are the oldest genre - (the very first arcade
games were mainly action games).
The game mechanics and gameplay are very simple and
provided the presentation layer is correspondingly simple,
they are ideally suited to the lower spec (and older)
machines.
An adventure game isn‟t a competition or a simulation. An
adventure game doesn‟t offer a process to be managed or
an opponent to be defeated through strategy and tactics.

All adventure games are conceptual descendents of
the original Adventure - exploration, collection or
manipulation of objects, puzzle solving and a reduced
emphasis on combat and action elements.


Action Game Genres
The action game genre can be divided into 2 sub-genres :
• Shooting games
• Non-shooting games
There is an issue where some people consider the First-Person
Shooting (FPS) is a genre in its own.

Almost all action games use a
number of common elements
such as lives, reaction tests and
hand-eye coordination test.
Many of them also use the levels,
waves and power-up design
elements.

First-Person Shooting (FPS)


Shooters

Shooters make up the majority of action games.
Shooter games don‟t always involve explicit shooting, but they
do focus on violence as a major game mechanic.
Shooters generally focus on the actions of the avatar using
some sort of weapon. Usually, this weapon is a gun/ long
range weapon.
3D isn‟t the main area of innovation in fighting games although
for the realism purpose of the surroundings or environment.

For the most part, the area of innovation in fighting games
is in the realism of the characters, (including their
interactions with each other and their reactions to injury)
and the methods used to control the fighters.


The main elements found within fighting games are variants of
rock-paper-scissors + the combo moves.

There are 2 broad classes in shooters :

• First-Person Shooters (FPS) – Quake III, Half-Life
• 2D shooters – R-Type, Robotron

The original versions of the games were all completely 2D. With
no hardware capabilities, the focus is all on the gameplay.

Fortunately, the developers of the updated versions realized
the need to upgrade the graphics in their games.

So far these developers succeeded in difficult task of
preserving the gameplay while updating the appearance
to keep up with modern standard.


Eg: First-Person Shooters (FPS) - Quake III

Eg: 2D shooters - R-Type


Examples
The original Gauntlet was one of the first games that provided
the option for cooperative multi-play (player able to choose
either Warrior, Wizard, Valkyrie & Elf for their avatar).
While the updates Gauntlet Legends brings the graphics and
environment up-to-date, adding a backstory and some extra
features, but still manages to maintain the core of the old game
mechanic

Gauntlet and Gauntlet Legends


Examples
Similarly, the original Robotron 2084 was a classic game when it
was released into arcades back in 1982. The sole object of this
game was to defend the last human family against waves of
killing machines.
The updates of this game, Robotron X , which updates the
graphics to 3D. The gameplay is almost the same as the original
Robotron, but the shift to 3D environment negatively impacted
the playability.
The advantage of the original Robotron all the action could be
viewed on screen at one time (single-screen design). The 3D
update, with its swooping camera, often obscured parts of the
playing area.

This meant that occasionally you would be killed by an
enemy that suddenly appeared from the off-camera
region – an impossibility in the original game.


This detracts from the playability because it is not the player‟s
fault that he/she cannot see the off screen.
In the original Robotron, if a player died, it was his fault – all the
information was there to be interpreted so he/she has no
excuses if failed to react.

Robotron 2084 and Robotron X


More Examples:

Centipede and Centipede 3D

Uridium and Space Tripper


Non-Shooters

The non-violent games seem to appeal more to the
female demographic.
The non-shooter games are include Marble Madness,
Lode Runner, Pac-Man, Chuckie Egg, the Mario Games,
Q*Bert, Super Monkey Ball Frogger etc.
All these games have the same non-violence motif
running through them.
The primary reason for this is because the game were
designed to be appealing to children, particularly in the
case of the Mario series of games


Examples
Frogger was orriginally a highly successful arcade game
released in 1981. The aim of the game was to get the world‟s
only none-swimming frog family across a busy road, logging river
with crocodiles etc.
Frogger sold millions of copies and mainstay of the software
charts for many months after release.
The developers decided to focuses on keeping the gameplay
unchanged, and just updated the presentation, increasing the
variety of the levels available to the player.

Frogger and Frogger 3D


Another successful game was Q*Bert (1982). This game placed
a strange orange character on the pyramid of cubes, who was
chased by enemies including by an evil snake named Coily.
The Q*Bert 3D translate well to the update, and the story
doesn‟t affect the gameplay negatively except playing area
cannot be visible on the screen at one time.

Q*Bert and Q*Bert 3D


Action-Adventure
The arrival of 3D hardware enables combination an action-
adventure games.
Action-Adventure games, is faster paced than a pure adventure
game + it includes physical as well as conceptual challenges.
Note:
Some people think tomb rider are Action-Adventure because
include puzzle. But puzzle not that clever and the action is so
continuous. That‟s why other people consider as action game.

If you plan to make an action-
adventure, you should aware
that although your design
might appeal to some action
gamers, you might also
discourage some adventure
gamers who would.

Design Elements - Rules

Design Elements
Action games are a good source of distinct design
elements, because their relative simplicity makes analysis
of their mechanics fairly easy.

Rules

The RULES of an action game describe the basic game
mechanics. Action games required skill as the primary
factor to play (not memorization etc)

They are usually very simple because of the frenetic
nature of the gameplay.


• Levels
Action games are often split into series of levels.
A level is a specifically defined area in the game arena –
objective of the player is to complete specific task.

When task finished, the level is complete and then moved
to the next level. The difficulty will increase with each
subsequent level.

Often , levels are grouped by theme. A set of theme levels
usually ends with an encounter with a big boss.

In some cases, the boss has to be defeated with the use of
power-ups and/or skills that the player gained during the
preceding level set.


• Checkpoints
Checkpoints basically used (when a life of the avatar is lost)
as a starting point.
The most straightforward form of checkpoint is that the avatar
appears in the same location where it died.
Other (more difficult) games, required to start the level from the
beginning. This will increase the game challenge and causes
frustration.
The last form is an amalgam
between the first two – as
player progresses through
levels (he passes a predefine
checkpoints), when the
avatar dies, the starting point
is at the last checkpoint.
Eg : Moon Patrol


• Lives
Initially, the number of lives provided usually ranges from
between 3 and 5.
A life is lost by collision with an enemy or some other dangerous
structure. Extra lives can be earned either by picking up a
power-up or reaching a certain score.
The player‟s avatar is usually invulnerable for a few seconds
when reappearing after losing a life. When all lives are lost, the
game is over.

• Energy
The player‟s avatar is given a limited amount of energy, some
of which depleted when the avatar is injured.
It can be replenished by the use of collectible/power up.
When all the energy is drained / depleted, the game is over.


• The Limit
The Time Limit design element is indicated by the use of a
timer that counts down from some initial value to zero.
When the timer reaches zero, an action occurs that causes
a major event in the game.
The time limit is normally used in one of three ways :
• The Level timer
The player has limited time to complete the levels. I fails to
do so, the level will reset/restart.
• Countdown to Catastrophe
The player has to achieve some task before timer runs out
or the task will become much more difficult to achieve.
• Limit the Effectiveness of Power-ups.
When timer runs out, the temporary power-up is removed,
and the player‟s avatar reverts to the normal state.


• Score
Score indicators in action games is probably the most active
indicators. It is how the player is intended to measure her
success against others.
Scores are recorded in high-score tables to display the very
best players. Many games also reward skillful play with bonus
scores and multipliers.

• Power-Ups
One of the staple design elements of action games is the
power-up. As a reward for progress, the player is given the
opportunity to increase the strength of his/her avatar. (in case
of a shooter, this can be in form of stronger weapons/shields.
The general rule is that the more powerful advantage, the
shorter the time is available for.


One interesting aspect of power-ups that is used in quite a few
games is the concept of power points. The player is rewarded a
certain number of “points” to spend on an upgrade, and then
to a certain degree, the player is allowed to decide how he
wants to upgrade his avatar.
A specialized case of the power-ups is the combo move. This is
more often found in fighting games- to execute a sequence of
commands with exact timing.
Power ups come in 2 main strains :

• Permanent - A permanent power-up is one that
remains with the avatar for the remainder of the game
(or at least the current life or levels).
• Temporary - Temporary power-ups are usually short-lived
(anything from a few seconds up to a couple of minutes)
and provide the avatar with a powerful advantage.


• Collectibles
Collectables are bonus objects that allow the player to augment
his score. They are not essential to the game.
In some cases, collectables can unlock secret levels or cause
special bonus event.
For example, in Rainbow Islands, one
means by which the player could kill
enemies was by collapsing rainbows
onto them. Enemies killed in this
fashion deposited crystals that could
be collected for bonus point. If these
crystals collected in the right order
(red, orange, yellow green blue
indigo violet) then a secret doorway
Rainbow Islands to a secret level be opened.


• Smart Bombs
Defender was the first game to introduce the concept of the
smart bomb.
Smart bombs are used to get the player out of a difficult situation
when no other options available.
The function of the smart bomb is to clear the area immediately
surrounding the player of enemies, but the range cleared does
vary dependent on the game.

Defender


• The Big Boss
A traditional staple of action games are the boss characters. In
many games, the end of a group of theme levels is guarded by
a large enemy (the boss character)
Defeating the boss takes the player to a new set of levels, with
a different theme.

Boss character often can‟t be hurt by
normal methods and require a special
attack method to be damaged.

The pattern of a succession of levels
increasing in difficulty and challenge to
a climax with the boss.

The general progression of
an action game

Design Elements - Setting

Setting
The setting in an adventure game contributes more
to its entertainment value than in any other genre.

Grim and depressing, funny and
cheerful, fantastic and outlandish – these setting
creates the world the player is going to explore.

Adventure games move slowly, which gives players the
chance to create a world with a distinct emotion tone.

Design Elements - Victory Condition

Victory Condition
The nature of the victory conditions were for the most
part simple and clear.
The vast majority of games have a clear set of victory
conditions, which are made clear to the player from
the outset.
In some cases particularly in the case of action
games these victory conditions are illusory.

Design Elements - Interaction Model

Interaction Models
The primary model in action games is based purely on
fast interactions - hand-eye coordination and reaction
speed.
The ability to think quickly and analyzed situations almost
instantaneously is favored as well.
In order to efficiently translate the player „s intent into
actions within the game, the control methods for action
games are usually simple – because of the fast nature of
these games

But the FPS games has attempt to implement more
complex control for those players whose willing spend
time to learn the system.


Most adventure games are avatar-based because the player
is being represented by someone who is inside the story.

A number of text adventures asked for the player‟s name and
sex when startup, using that information later in the game.

Myst were careful to avoid ascribing characteristics to the
avatar in the game – sex, age, and so on. They were trying to
create the impression that it really was “you” in the game world.

But eventually game designers began to find this model too
limiting. So they develop games in which the avatar was a
character and hope that the player will imagine being that
avatar.


There was initially some concern that male players would be
unwilling to play female characters

But Lara Croft has demonstrate the avatar‟s sex really isn‟t
important.

Making decision whether to make your game‟s avatar male
or female shouldn‟t be based on marketing considerations,
but upon the needs of the story.

Try to design an avatar who is interesting and likeable + have
qualities such as bravery, intelligence, decency, a sense of
humor and so on. This is the avatar the player will be seeing all
the time.

Design Elements - Perspective

Perspective
The preferred camera perspective of graphic adventure
games is changing. The context-sensitive approach is
traditional, but third and first person games are becoming
increasingly common.

Context-sensitive
•This perspective is where the game depicts the avatar over a
static background.
•When the avatar walks through
a door, the background
changes to depict new
location.
•As display improved the game‟s
art director chose a camera
position designed to show off
each location to best effect.


First Person (eg: Myst)
• The player‟s avatar was not seen. Instead, it was the player
himself/herself in the game world.
• Myst did not render a 3-dimensional game world in real time.
• The game world consisted of a large number of prerendered
still frames, which it showed one at a time as the player walked
around.
• 3D hardware still not advance enough to render extremely
detailed scenes in real time ( a room crammed with hundreds
of complex object)


Third Person (eg: Indiana Jones)
• This perspective keeps the player‟s avatar constantly in view.
• This perspective is common for action-adventures in which
the player might need to react quickly

Design Elements - Structure

Structure
The structure of early adventure games. Each circle represents
a room. S is the starting room and E is the end.


With the arrival of 3D graphics and the action-adventure.
The stories began to be even more linear.

The structure of story-driven adventure games


The space in an action-adventure games is structured
more like that of an action game or a first person shooter
The structure of action-adventure games

Design Elements - Storytelling

Storytelling
Here are a few pointers about storytelling as it applies to
adventure games.

• Dramatic Tension - whether it's interactive or a fixed narrative,
is dramatic tension: a situation or problem that is unresolved

• The Heroic Quest - a mission by a single individual to
accomplish some great feat.

• The Problem of Death - Adventure games shouldn't be so
dangerous that the player has to save all the time because it
ruins the storytelling.

Design Elements - Challenges

Challenges
The majority of challenges in an adventure game are
conceptual : puzzles that require lateral thinking to solve.

Finding keys to locked doors – the challenges as a designer is
to give players enough variety that they don‟t all seem the
same.

Figuring out mysterious machine - player has to manipulate a
variety of knobs to make a variety of indicators show the
correct reading.

Obtaining inaccessible objects – the solution is often to find a
clever way of reaching the object. Eg Stack of boxes

Design Elements - Storytelling

Manipulating people - sometimes an obstruction is not a
physical object but a person and the trick is to find out what
will make the person go away

Decoding cryptic messages - many players enjoy decoding
messages as long as there are sufficient clues.

Solving memorization puzzles - these puzzles require the player
to remember where something is. (concentration)

Collecting things - the player‟s job is to find all the item.

Doing the detective work - The player has to figure out a
sequence of events from clues and interviews with witness.
(like detectives)

Design Elements - User Interface Design

User Interface Design
In principle, user interface design for action games is
extremely straightforward. All the information that the
player needs to be able to access in order to be
effective at the game should be immediately present
onscreen. (health, weapon etc).
One way to do this is use colors wherever possible to
indicate changing situations.

Another golden rule for action games is that the player
avatar must be extremely easy to pick out. – as well as
its important to identify the enemies quickly.


Avatar Movement
Point-and-click Interfaces
The player clicks somewhere on the screen. If the
corresponding location in the game is accessible, the avatar
walks to it
Eg : “Walk to this point”

Direct Control Interfaces
The player “steers” the avatar around the screen.
Eg : “Walk in this direction”

Movement Speed
It is suggest that you implement both a “walk” and a “run”
movement mode, so that the player can move slowly
through unfamiliar spaces and quickly through familiar ones.


Manipulating Objects

Identifying Active Objects
Graphic adventures have typically used one of four mechanisms:
• Hunt and click - Active objects don't look any different from
anything else; the player simply has to click everything in the
scene to see if it's active.
• Permanently highlighted objects - The active objects in a scene
are permanently highlighted
• Dynamically highlighted objects - The active objects in a scene
normally look like part of the background, but they are
highlighted when the mouse cursor passes over them.
• Focus-of-attention highlighting - Used with hand held
controllers. Avatar moves around in a scene, his focus of
attention changes depending on the direction he is looking.

Special Design Consideration

Special Design Consideration
If we compare a game such as Defender with a game such
as Super Mario World, when just watching them being played,
one would be appear to be more difficult than the other.
Defender is a very unforgiving game. It tolerates no mistakes
on the part of the player. If a player makes a mistake, then the
player losses a life.

In the matter of marketing, Defender was an arcade
game, designed to generate maximum coin throughput.
Super Mario World was aimed at young players, and as such
was designed to be easily accessible. (“easy to learned but
difficult to master”)

Special Design Considerations

Conversation with NPCs (Non-player Character)
Adventure game are interactive stories – the players expect the
characters in them to be more human and less mechanical.

Special Design Considerations

Mapping
It would be wise to give the player a map, because it‟s
hard for the player to remember how the rooms were
related to one another.

There‟s not a lot of fun in being lost. Another alternative
to maps is the compass

Journal Keeping
The game fills in a journal with text as the player goes
along, recording important events or information he/she
has learned.

Summary

Even thought the examples in this chapter have used
“classic” action games, this is one genre of game in
which the core “gameplay” has remained essentially
unchanged since the outset.
The only change in action games throughout the years is
their graphical complexity.
Adventure games are seldom a technological challenge
to build unless you‟re trying to include powerful artificial
intelligence techniques.

Your talents at creating
stories, places, characters, plot, dialogue and puzzles
will be tested as in no other genre.

Action and Adventure Games

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