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I think that there is a different and better way to do adaptive difficulty... as players rank up, simply give them less. This could apply to shooter games, RPG's, MMO's and yes, fighter games.
I know shooters best, but it makes no sense to me to give better players more weapons, better weapon options, better perks or any of that other stuff... adaptive difficulty should be that as you get better at a game you start narrowing down your playing style and choosing just one gun, or losing all your perks. I expressed a lot of this in an old blog called "undies and a knife" and that's what the top players should be running around in. They are visually obvious as a much superior player to the heavily bundled noobs in their heavy armour, but the better player should be a little easier to kill for the n00b - while from the superior player's viewpoint, the game continues to increase in challenge. They know the maps, they know the game and they become more reliant on that type of knowledge to place well in the game.
Some say that people would simply stop playing the game as they lost assets like guns, armour or perks... but I do think that attaining the top rank is still a quest and most would stick with it - especially if their rank was visually different on the battlefield (which it usually isn't). Even something simple like giving better players more visible outfits helps to even the field - a bright red beret for top ranks that stands out to both the allies and enemy players.
I like the concept of adaptive play... mostly because games tend to get quite boring when you get fairly good at them. It would retain the feeling of challenge. I think that there are ways to bring adaptive play to many games and it would be nice to see devs look at this option.
I know shooters best, but it makes no sense to me to give better players more weapons, better weapon options, better perks or any of that other stuff... adaptive difficulty should be that as you get better at a game you start narrowing down your playing style and choosing just one gun, or losing all your perks. I expressed a lot of this in an old blog called "undies and a knife" and that's what the top players should be running around in. They are visually obvious as a much superior player to the heavily bundled noobs in their heavy armour, but the better player should be a little easier to kill for the n00b - while from the superior player's viewpoint, the game continues to increase in challenge. They know the maps, they know the game and they become more reliant on that type of knowledge to place well in the game.
Some say that people would simply stop playing the game as they lost assets like guns, armour or perks... but I do think that attaining the top rank is still a quest and most would stick with it - especially if their rank was visually different on the battlefield (which it usually isn't). Even something simple like giving better players more visible outfits helps to even the field - a bright red beret for top ranks that stands out to both the allies and enemy players.
I like the concept of adaptive play... mostly because games tend to get quite boring when you get fairly good at them. It would retain the feeling of challenge. I think that there are ways to bring adaptive play to many games and it would be nice to see devs look at this option.
This was a pretty interesting read!!
Now that I think about it, usually if I'm playing couch multiplayer I'll introduce some form of handicapping whether the game allows it or not. It's a delicate balance between competition and fun. I guess not all games include "bighead mode" anymore.
Now that I think about it, usually if I'm playing couch multiplayer I'll introduce some form of handicapping whether the game allows it or not. It's a delicate balance between competition and fun. I guess not all games include "bighead mode" anymore.
@Elsa, I agree that for competitive play, more experienced players shouldn't reap additional bonuses. It's one of the reasons I don't really want to try learning to play a shooter (beyond just being awful at them) because even if I do well on the single player campaign mode, I'll be so behind in multiplayer that it feels unfair. I'm probably over generalizing, but if they introduced either the idea of different defense levels or more my idea of more forgiving hit boxes, I would be more inclined to play.
I'm also not saying that they scrap unbiased competitive play as a whole. If people want to reap their bonuses, they should be allowed to do so. Just in a separate playground so as not to prey on helpless folk like myself.
@Celica, I know that with fighting games, you have the option to limit health bars and things, but it's a little tricky to figure out what's appropriate for both sides. Since the Pong prototype updates it so frequently, it takes the guesswork out of it. It's a little harder to figure out how to scale other games, but I'm sure it can be done in due time.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I'm also not saying that they scrap unbiased competitive play as a whole. If people want to reap their bonuses, they should be allowed to do so. Just in a separate playground so as not to prey on helpless folk like myself.
@Celica, I know that with fighting games, you have the option to limit health bars and things, but it's a little tricky to figure out what's appropriate for both sides. Since the Pong prototype updates it so frequently, it takes the guesswork out of it. It's a little harder to figure out how to scale other games, but I'm sure it can be done in due time.
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
