Making difficulty curves in games
This article delves into the art and science of game difficulty curves, proposing a 'Difficulty Saw' model that balances challenge with player progression. It argues against simply making games harder, instead advocating for intelligent design that makes players feel like they are constantly improving. The Hacker News discussion debated dynamic difficulty adjustments and the subjective nature of what constitutes a 'normal' gaming experience.
The Lowdown
Game design is a tightrope walk: keep players engaged without frustrating or boring them. This article, "Making difficulty curves in games" by David Strachan, proposes a more nuanced approach than the traditional ever-increasing difficulty, introducing the concept of a 'Difficulty Saw'.
- The Difficulty Saw: Instead of a steady incline, difficulty should ebb and flow like a saw blade. Introduce a new mechanic, build challenge, then ease off before introducing the next. This ensures players are consistently learning and mastering new skills without constant spikes.
- Player Perception: The core idea is to give players the feeling of getting better, rather than just making the game objectively harder. Developers often struggle to gauge true player difficulty, as their own mastery obscures initial learning hurdles.
- Dos and Don'ts: The author provides actionable advice, such as offering optional challenges, multiple learning paths, and subtle visual hints. Conversely, he advises against punishing players for poor performance, hiding core mechanics, or forcing unskippable cutscenes before retries.
- Target Audience Matters: Every game has a unique curve, and attempting to please everyone is futile. Developers should identify their target market and design difficulty accordingly, whether for casual mobile games or brutally difficult challenges.
- Empirical Data for Tuning: Collecting data on player deaths, level completion rates, and watching gameplay footage are crucial for identifying friction points and adjusting the difficulty curve effectively.
- Knowledge as a Key: Games can reward players by demonstrating their progress and even hiding shortcuts that are unlockable not by power, but by advanced knowledge of game mechanics.
Ultimately, Strachan suggests treating difficulty pacing like the emotional arcs in films, with alternating periods of high action and calm. This 'Super Saw' approach ensures sustained engagement across various aspects of game design, from mechanics introduction to emotional impact.
The Gossip
Dynamic Difficulty Debates
A hot topic was the article's suggestion of dynamically adjusting difficulty. Many commenters strongly argued against this, noting that players quickly perceive such systems as cheap and unrewarding. They cited examples like Oblivion's enemy scaling or WoW's power creep, where an increased player level or gear leads to enemies also scaling up, diminishing the satisfaction of progression and making older content less impactful. The consensus leaned towards transparent difficulty or fixed challenges that reward player skill and knowledge.
Setting the Standard
The discussion delved into the subjectivity of game difficulty settings. Commenters highlighted how 'normal' varies wildly among players, with some preferring games without explicit difficulty options (like Dark Souls) that instead offer a rich toolkit for problem-solving. Others championed the idea of granular difficulty, allowing players to tailor specific mechanics or even skip non-typical mini-games they find frustrating, ensuring a more personalized and enjoyable experience.
Pacing Progress
Commenters expanded on the broader concept of pacing and experience curves, noting its critical role in player retention. The 'difficulty saw' model was recognized as effective for introducing new mechanics gradually, a technique commonly seen in Nintendo titles. The unique challenges of pacing in incremental games were also brought up, where developers constantly battle players finding exploits or getting stuck in grinding loops, sometimes revealing the artificiality of imposed play-time metrics.