the tone of the participants’ voices. InCommand & Conquer, players know that a unit
has received a particular order by an audio cue provided by that unit: “I’ll get right on
it!” Similarly, when units off-screen are being attacked, the game communicates this to
players by saying “Unit attacked” or “Unit lost.” Audio cues can provide an excellent
supplement to on-screen information, or can work quite effectively as the sole way of
communicating critical information.
A good output system for a game is both powerful and intuitive. It allows players to
jump right into the game and understand what is happening in the game-world, but it
also provides expert players with all the information they need to play the game effec-
tively. Over time, the data the game communicates to the players should become
transparent, just as the players’ controls should become invisible once players are
familiar with them. Players should not have to think about understanding the state of
the world; they should just retrieve what they need by quickly looking at the screen,
and then be able to react to it just as quickly through intuitive and responsive controls.
As I have stated before, it is important not to get too creative in developing your
input/output systems. The dominant paradigms from other games are often dominant
for a reason: they work. The expression that “good artists borrow but great artists
steal” is nowhere more true than in I/O design in games.
Basic Elements ...............................
In this chapter I have discussed just a few of the elements of good gameplay: unique
solutions, non-linearity, modeling reality, teaching players, and input/output. I feel that
each of these components deserves serious thought as you set out to develop a game.
Of course, this is far from a complete list, and as you work as a game designer you will
accumulate your own personal list of elements that you feel contribute to good
gameplay. No one can say for certain what the elements of good game design are. Each
game designer must decide that for herself. This personal preference is part of what
makes each game bear the distinct stamp of its author and lends the best games the
individuality that makes them great.
140 Chapter 7: The Elements of Gameplay