Porter's World

What NOT to do

Having your players not know how to play, complain, then rate your game down is something we all hate. One solution I see people doing far too often is forcing a tutorial upon the players, bad move. As much as you may hate reading comments about your players not knowing how to play, especially after they skip the tutorial, forcing one upon them still isn’t the way you want to go about it.

Let’s face it, 90% of players aren’t going to read our tutorials, especially if they’re not forced to. This creates a huge problem however, if our game is complicated even in the slightest, or has odd controls, or both, we’re about to run into some trouble. Having players not know how to play your game is just as bad as having a horrible game, it’s all the same in the eyes of the player. Throwing in a tutorial as the first level and making it mandatory works, but it also turns a lot of players away, that is, when they know.

Where a forced tutorial may turn players away, you can still throw a tutorial in your first level, or levels, and get away with it. An example of a game that had mini tutorials within levels that weren’t forced is Super Mario World. If you recall the game, there were help boxes (Blue and Red Boxes) all over the place when new concepts were introduced, it was up to you click on them or not, which often happened when a player died right after skipping one of those boxes. This strategy allows players to completely skip the instructions and have a good time, but have instructions right there in the gameplay before the area they died in if needed. This method really is a lot more powerful than it sounds, because it works. I almost never go into an instructions menu or tutorial menu in a flash game, I do however read signs or background instructions when they’re embedded in game, which is proof the method works. Raider Episode 1 for instance has signs throughout the game explaining things. I skipped these signs all together for my first attempt at the game, but when I died I started reading them to see what advice they had to offer, and I did this because I didn’t have to go out of my way to do so. Games such as Star Fox 64 told you to “Do a barrel roll!” mid action, the instructions popped up on screen and you followed them, but never did you go out of your way to learn how.

It really is a simple concept, but I can’t stress how much this can make or break a game. One of the most difficult decisions I find myself making in game design is how to get the instructions out to the player. Figuring out how you’ll ensure even the most novice of players can understand what to do and what is going on is incredibly important, and the above is generally the best solution. If you find yourself having problems getting your instructions across to players, pick up one of the above mentioned games and check them out, you’ll see how it’s done.

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

Raider Episode 1

They just don’t make games like they used to, or do they? Some developers do indeed make them like they used to and Raider Episode 1 is proof. Raider Episode 1 looks and feels like an incredibly refined NES game. It offers incredible challenge, simple controls and tons of platforming goodness. In my opinion, Raider Episode 1 has definitely come the closest any flash game has ever come to delivering the challenge and feel of a a great classic NES game.

As I mentioned, Raider Episode 1 offers an incredibly challenging experience. It is by far too challenging for any casual flash gamer, but it delivers an experience unlike any other flash game on the net today. The level design is fantastic, the enemies simple, yet fun, and the distance between check points far enough to nearly drive you crazy, but close enough to keep you addicted and trying over and over when you die and start at the last one. The art is very retro, but refined to appeal to those who dislike pure 8-bit graphics, which is a smart move since I’ve found that points are often taken away in the public’s eye if you go too retro. The music is awesome and the sound effects incredibly retro and fitting. There are 3 difficulty modes for players to select, the easiest still being a bit too hard for casual flash gamers, and the hardest challenging the most hardcore NES veterans. For those who really desire a challenge, the game awards you a rank after completion which ranges from E to S, S being the best. This rank will be saved to your computer and read in when playing future installments of the game as well. Regardless of the difficulty selected, there is enough difficulty in this game to satisfy anyone with a thirst for challenge.

Unlike most NES games, Raider Episode 1 does in fact have a story. It’s going to be slowly introduced throughout five episodes. You play as Arkus Zei, a space pirate in need of some currency. Arkus is told of a rumor regarding a great ship filled with relics from a civilization that long ago destroyed themselves. Out of curiosity you pursue the coordinates you were told and indeed arrive upon a large ship. You must navigate this ship in search for relics and escape with the loot. You are armed with a close range sword and a long ranged blaster to defeat any threats you encounter. In addition to the default story, players will be able to see a slightly altered version of the story in the final installment, if their rank throughout all five episodes meets the requirements. The story is interesting enough and most will enjoy the additional content, and those who don’t can simply skip it. All in all it’s a nice addition that helps wrap up the package for this great game.

Overall there can’t be enough said to do this game justice. The game did suffer some rather low ratings on the net, but that’s unfortunately the result of developers holding the hands of players and making things too easy in modern day games. In the end, Raider Episode 1 is perfect for anyone looking to go back to the NES days or a great challenge, definitely give this game a fair play, you won’t regret it.