powerful input device when used correctly. Its great strength is that it is a control
device with which most non-gamer computer users are already familiar. This makes
mouse-only games very easy to jump into, since they minimize the time the user must
spend learning controls.
A big part of designing a good mouse-based interface is making a system that does
not look as sterile and business-like as the Windows file manager yet retains its ease of
use. Making the interface look attractive is mostly a matter of well-conceived art, but
making it attractive without losing any of its intuitiveness and functionality can be quite
challenging. Whenever an artist suggests making a button look a certain way, the
designer must consider if the new design takes away from the player’s ability to under-
stand how that button works. Often, you can borrow clearly understood icons from
other interfaces, either from other games or from real-world devices such as VCRs or
CD players. For example, everyone knows what a “fast forward” symbol on an audio
device looks like, and using this appropriately in your game will mean that players
instantly know what a given button does. Making buttons in your game that players can
intuitively understand and that also look attractive is equal parts creativity and
playtesting. If a majority of the people playtesting your game tell you your buttons are
unobvious and confusing, they almost definitely are, and you need to return to the
drawing board.
A common game design mistake is to try to include too much. This applies to all
aspects of gameplay, but particularly to controls, where sometimes the cliché “less is
more” really holds true. Every time you add a new button or key to your game, you
must ask yourself if the complexity you have just added to the game’s controls is worth
the functionality it enables. When designing a PC game, the temptation is particularly
great, since the keyboard provides more keys than any game would ever need to use.
Unfortunately, some games have tried to use nearly all of them, binding some unique
function to practically each and every key. Complex keyboard controls favor expert
players while alienating the novices, leading to a radically decreased number of people
who might enjoy your game. Due to the limited number of buttons they provide, con-
sole control pads are much more limiting in what they will allow the designer to set up.
132 Chapter 7: The Elements of Gameplay
TheDiabloseries’
extremely simple
controls make them
some of the easiest
games to learn
available. Pictured here:
Diablo II.