Post by leunas on Dec 7, 2006 13:37:19 GMT -5
It occured to me out on the golf course today that most sports fall onto a continuum between A) Strategy B) Precision and C) Effort.
A) Strategy - Making good choices within the game, planning ahead.
B) Precision - Executing as planned upon said strategy
C) Effort - Willpower and physical exertion
Being good at golf requires that the player exist somewhere close to the Strategy/Precision edge of the triangle. In fact, the more effort you put in, generally the less likely you are to do well. Thus, as my game gets worse, I start to try harder, and I get even worse, and I end up crying by the 12th hole.
Cycling or swimming requires that the player be somewhere near the Effort point of the triangle. There is a little strategy, and some precision required, but mostly it’s about how capable the body is of putting forth the effort.
Soccer is somewhere in the middle, maybe shading a little more towards precision and effort.
Where does gaming fit on this continuum? Flush against the line between precision and strategy. Interesting that from this perspective, gaming has more in common with golf than it does with soccer, basketball, or cycling. Putting in more effort rarely merits rewards.
Perhaps in comparing gaming to golf on this continuum, it points out that gaming generally exists within the triangle, while golf actually exists outside of the continuum, where effort is actually a negative force on one’s ability to play the game.
Does any of this mean anything useful about game design?� Processing
www.qatfish.com/?p=38
A) Strategy - Making good choices within the game, planning ahead.
B) Precision - Executing as planned upon said strategy
C) Effort - Willpower and physical exertion
Being good at golf requires that the player exist somewhere close to the Strategy/Precision edge of the triangle. In fact, the more effort you put in, generally the less likely you are to do well. Thus, as my game gets worse, I start to try harder, and I get even worse, and I end up crying by the 12th hole.
Cycling or swimming requires that the player be somewhere near the Effort point of the triangle. There is a little strategy, and some precision required, but mostly it’s about how capable the body is of putting forth the effort.
Soccer is somewhere in the middle, maybe shading a little more towards precision and effort.
Where does gaming fit on this continuum? Flush against the line between precision and strategy. Interesting that from this perspective, gaming has more in common with golf than it does with soccer, basketball, or cycling. Putting in more effort rarely merits rewards.
Perhaps in comparing gaming to golf on this continuum, it points out that gaming generally exists within the triangle, while golf actually exists outside of the continuum, where effort is actually a negative force on one’s ability to play the game.
Does any of this mean anything useful about game design?� Processing
www.qatfish.com/?p=38