Re: Breakout... (was Space Duel mod)

Clay Cowgill wrote:
>
> "special" bricks drop a prize to be caught (ala Arkanoid), prizes give
> capabilities triggered by super-zap:
> a) super-zap: destroy some random number of bricks
> b) time-warp: slow down ball speed 50% for some period of time
> c) grow: paddle gets bigger for some period of time
> d) catch: catch the ball and fire it off when ready
>
> "Badguys" appear and fly around the screen:
> a) dropping in new bricks
> b) making weird ball bounces
> c) steal the ball and run off-screen (losing ball) unless hit by
> a second ball before they escape

As much as I enjoy Breakout (and prefer Super Breakout), I really don't
enjoy Arkanoid. It just isn't "old school" enough for me.

For me, the classic pattern in the vintage games was a very small number
of interactions that were simple to grasp adn internalize, a variety of
venues that made these interactions more interesting, and tight controls
and speed and a sense of being at the edge of control.

Tempest and Robotron are classic examples: shoot, keep moving, survive

Arkanoid added complexity in interactions (why the hell does this brick
give me a powerup??), not complexity in the give and take between venue
and interactions. Made the game seem arbitrary and not necessiarily
fair. Almost like being in a western where all of a sudden Aliens
appear and snatch the bad guy before the shootout. Yeah, the director
can do it, but it breaks the "rules" of the illusion.

By fixing the interactions to a *very* small space, you define the
"rules" for the game universe. The venue then becomes a challenge
rather than "cheating". Couple in tight controls and you complete the
illusion of projecting yourself into a new "space" (Tempest and Robotron
are classic examples of this)

Warlords kicks serious ass because the interactions are hyper simple,
yet the venue creates the challenge. This is old school.

Mortal Kombat has hyper complex interactions as the basis of the
challenge, but rewards players that can master the 15 button combos.
This is new school.

Old school is a visceral connection to the innards of the game. New
school is a technical challenge to become proficient at the game.

(all this is making me think it is time to put together the equivalent
of OO Design Patterns for vintage games ;-)

This is why most of my brainstorming ideas for vector clayout involved
either the player controling changes to the interactions (superzapper
ball explosion, firing a shot with your paddle) or variations on the
venue (bricks in the center, around the edge, bricks that fight back in
a predictable way, etc.) Anyone familiar with old games can walk up to
this and feel like this could have come out 20 years ago.

My 2000 millicents on why old games cool and new games are K00L. Of
course, one of the advantages of writing your own games is being
perfectly justified to ignore people like me ;-)

Ray
Received on Tue May 4 15:54:54 1999