11

Balancing Your Content and Systems
平衡您的內容與系統

Gather your notes! We will now combine the knowledge we’ve gained from several previous chapters and explore how we can plan, structure, and adjust the rules and content of our games to create an experience that captures and holds the interest of our audience.
收集您的筆記！我們現在將結合從前幾章中獲得的知識，探索如何規劃、結構化並調整我們遊戲的規則和內容，以創造一個能夠吸引並保持觀眾興趣的體驗。

By the end of this chapter, you’ll be armed with practical techniques and methods that you can use to adjust the game’s difficulty, set the pace of the experience, and tune the game’s balance to perfection.
在本章結束時，您將掌握實用的技術和方法，這些技術和方法可以用來調整遊戲的難度、設定體驗的節奏，並將遊戲的平衡調整到完美。

We will cover the following topics in this chapter:
本章將涵蓋以下主題：

• Gameplay balancing
• Game difficulty
• Pacing

Let’s begin!  請提供要翻譯的文學小說段落

Gameplay balancing

The concept of gameplay balancing goes far beyond the qualities of individual objects and characters, and into the nature of play itself. Let’s take a look at a classic example of a game with a flawed design: tic-tac-toe. Why is it flawed? The starting player can never lose. All they need to do is put their mark in the middle. This is a failure of both the design of the rules and the game’s balance itself.
遊戲平衡的概念遠不止於單個物件和角色的特性，而是深入到遊戲本身的性質。我們來看看一個經典的設計缺陷遊戲例子：井字遊戲。為什麼它有缺陷？因為先手玩家永遠不會輸。他們只需要把標記放在中間。這是規則設計和遊戲平衡本身的失敗。

The game has a single, dominant strategy, and once you figure it out or run into it, you’re incentivized to replicate it. The presence of a dominant strategy drastically reduces a player’s options. Once introduced to the play pattern, it narrows down the possibility space and causes the game to lose most of its appeal. A wide possibility space is a defining feature of a well-balanced game, which, in turn, helps keep the game engaging for a long time.
這個遊戲有一個單一的主導策略，一旦你發現或遇到它，你就會被激勵去複製它。主導策略的存在大大減少了玩家的選擇。一旦引入這種遊戲模式，它就會縮小可能性空間，導致遊戲失去大部分吸引力。廣闊的可能性空間是平衡良好的遊戲的一個定義特徵，這反過來又有助於保持遊戲的長期吸引力。

“Given the opportunity, players will optimize the fun out of a game.”
「如果有機會，玩家會將遊戲中的樂趣優化到消失。」

Soren Johnson, lead designer of Civilization IV, 2011.
Soren Johnson，《文明帝國 IV》首席設計師，2011 年。

Players are naturally inclined to fall into the safety of senseless repetition, a single move or combo in a fighting game, an optimized building order in a real-time strategy (RTS) game, or the strongest known character class in a role-playing game (RPG). It’s our job to make this kind of choice as hard as possible. Speaking of choices, why don’t you make one now?
玩家天生傾向於陷入無意義重複的安全感中，比如在格鬥遊戲中使用單一招式或連招，在即時戰略（RTS）遊戲中使用最佳化的建築順序，或在角色扮演遊戲（RPG）中選擇最強的已知角色類別。我們的工作就是讓這種選擇變得盡可能困難。說到選擇，為什麼不現在就做一個選擇呢？

You’re stopped by a group of bandits. Pick your weapon: a rusty dagger or the Excalibur sword?
你被一群強盜攔住了。選擇你的武器：一把生鏽的匕首還是 Excalibur 劍？

Let’s not kid ourselves – this is not a compelling choice; it does nothing to expand your possibilities with an interesting (viable) strategy. And strategies are choices.
別自欺欺人了——這不是一個引人入勝的選擇；它對於擴展你有趣（可行）策略的可能性毫無幫助。而策略就是選擇。

Ask yourself, are you designing a puzzle or a game? Puzzles can be great fun, but they rely on a limited set of solutions. Once a puzzle has been solved, it offers little replayability. Games that rely on puzzles often require a constant stream of new challenges.
問問自己，你是在設計一個謎題還是一個遊戲？謎題可以非常有趣，但它們依賴於有限的解決方案。一旦謎題被解開，它就幾乎沒有重玩價值。依賴謎題的遊戲通常需要不斷提供新的挑戰。

Non-puzzle games, on the other hand, are at their best when they are nearly impossible to solve. To get the most out of your game mechanics, you want solutions that are imperfect and shift depending on the situation. When asked which weapon/gadget/car/character is the best?, the answer you should aim for is, it depends.
非解謎類遊戲，則在幾乎無法解決時達到最佳狀態。為了充分利用你的遊戲機制，你希望解決方案是不完美的，並根據情況而變化。當被問到哪個武器/裝置/車輛/角色是最好的時候，你應該給出的答案是，這要看情況。

Remember, it’s perfectly valid to have an optimal tool for a specific job, but what you should stay clear of is the perfect tool for every job. A compelling choice always comes with a trade-off of some sort. This trade-off doesn’t have to be cost, time, reliability, or a risk of some sort, it may just be the inability to do something equally interesting instead – an opportunity cost.
記住，為特定工作擁有最佳工具是完全合理的，但你應該避免的是每個工作都完美的工具。一個引人入勝的選擇總是伴隨著某種形式的權衡。這種權衡不必是成本、時間、可靠性或某種風險，它可能只是無法做一些同樣有趣的事情——一種機會成本。

Game balancing is a war of attrition. It often comes down to thousands of little changes, be it to the level design, the mechanics, or the game’s data. In the beginning, everything you do will be an estimation, a ballpark. In these early phases, it’s more important to set your data’s structure than to achieve the best possible balance.
遊戲平衡是一場消耗戰。它通常歸結為數以千計的小變化，無論是關卡設計、機制還是遊戲數據。在開始時，你所做的一切都將是估算，大致範圍。在這些早期階段，設置數據結構比達到最佳平衡更為重要。

Only after extensive playtesting, and with the help of subjective player feedback and objective analytics, will you be able to move toward true balance. And still, true balance is more of an aspiration than a guaranteed result.
只有在經過廣泛的遊戲測試，並結合主觀的玩家反饋和客觀的分析數據後，你才能朝向真正的平衡邁進。然而，真正的平衡更像是一種追求，而非保證的結果。

Now that we understand the purpose and importance of gameplay balancing, let’s dive into more practical and applicable insights.
既然我們已經了解遊戲平衡的目的和重要性，讓我們深入探討更實用和可應用的見解。

Gameplay balancing methods and tips
遊戲平衡方法與技巧

The following list of tips and tricks should help you build an understanding of how to approach the process of game balancing. Right after that, we’ll share some of the actual balancing techniques that you can apply to your project:
以下的提示和技巧清單應能幫助你建立對遊戲平衡過程的理解。緊接著，我們將分享一些實際的平衡技術，你可以應用到你的專案中：

• Start somewhere: Is 200 or 2,000 the right number of hit points? Well… that depends. When it comes to game balance, everything is relative. Plant a stake in the ground by setting one element that feels right, and then use it as a reference point for everything else.
  從某處開始：200 或 2,000 是合適的生命值嗎？嗯……這要看情況。在遊戲平衡中，一切都是相對的。先確定一個感覺合適的元素，然後以此作為其他一切的參考點。
• Narrow your options: Avoid iterating in small increments. It’s better to overshoot by a large margin to eliminate that option and increase the resolution of changes as you go along. Your first balancing attempts should be bold (for example, adjust the health by 50% or double the rate of fire); the time for tiny 5% tweaks will come much later, once you’ve laid the groundwork.
  縮小選項範圍：避免以小幅度進行反覆調整。最好是大幅超出預期，以便排除該選項，並隨著進展提高變更的解析度。您第一次的平衡嘗試應該大膽（例如，將生命值調整 50%或將射速加倍）；微小的 5%調整將在稍後的階段進行，當您已經打下基礎時。
• Use big integers: If possible, try to base data around values with at least a couple of digits. Numbers in their hundreds and thousands are easier to read and operate on than tens of millions or fractions. They also allow for the right level of in-game granularity. You can deal 25 damage instead of being forced to choose between the large relative gaps that exist between 2 and 3.
  使用大整數：如果可能，嘗試將數據基於至少有幾位數的值。數百和數千的數字比數千萬或小數更容易閱讀和操作。它們也允許遊戲中適當的細緻程度。你可以造成 25 點傷害，而不是被迫在 2 和 3 之間存在的大相對差距中做出選擇。
• Round up/down smartly: Using multipliers on your data will often create numbers with lots of digits after the decimal point. On top of that, exponential growth in many game economies can easily turn your starting values, which might be in the hundreds, into endgame values in the tens of millions. In these scenarios, you’ll need to use clever rounding methods based on the factor of the number.
  巧妙地進行四捨五入：在數據上使用乘數通常會產生小數點後有許多位數的數字。此外，許多遊戲經濟中的指數增長可以輕易地將起始值從數百變成數千萬的終局值。在這些情況下，您需要根據數字的因數使用巧妙的四捨五入方法。

Note

Spreadsheet formulas are an invaluable tool for any game designer! To achieve good rounding, you can try the following formula:
試算表公式對於任何遊戲設計師來說都是一個無價的工具！為了達到良好的四捨五入效果，你可以嘗試以下公式：

Floor(A1,10^(Floor(log10(A1))-1)))

It takes the value (A1) and rounds it down (Floor) to just two significant digits, creating a set of clean and readable numbers that maintain the right level of detail. This way, 5,421 becomes 5,400, and 1,437,938 becomes 1,400,000.
它將數值 (A1) 向下取整 (Floor) 到僅剩兩位有效數字，創造出一組乾淨且易讀的數字，同時保持適當的細節層次。如此一來，5,421 變成 5,400，而 1,437,938 變成 1,400,000。

If you’d like to show more significant digits, simply change the -1 at the end to -2, and so on. You can also use Ceiling instead of Floor to round values up.
如果您想顯示更多的有效位數，只需將結尾的 -1 改為 -2，以此類推。您也可以使用 Ceiling 代替 Floor 來將數值向上取整。

• Perception matters: Are you familiar with the weak assault rifle anecdote? Rumor has it that, in Halo: Combat Evolved, play testers were avoiding the assault rifle like wildfire. They claimed it was too weak, even when the balancing was taken to the extreme, making it completely overpowered. Turns out, all the weapon needed was a louder sound effect with lower tones, also known as bass.
  感知很重要：你是否聽過那個關於弱勢突擊步槍的軼事？據說在《光環：戰鬥進化》中，遊戲測試者對突擊步槍避之唯恐不及。他們聲稱這把槍太弱，即使在平衡性調整到極致，使其變得過於強大時也是如此。結果發現，這把武器所需要的只是更響亮的音效和更低沉的音調，也就是所謂的低音。

Remember, balance is subjective! If players believe a tool is weak and avoid using it, it is weak, just not from a data point of view. If attempts to popularize a certain strategy with data alone fail, make sure you look for issues in perception. Perhaps what you need to do is work on the feedback, including animation, camera, sounds, visual effects, and physical attributes (such as size).
記住，平衡是主觀的！如果玩家認為某個工具很弱而不使用它，那麼它就是弱的，儘管從數據的角度來看並非如此。如果僅靠數據無法使某種策略流行起來，請務必檢查感知上的問題。或許你需要做的是改進反饋，包括動畫、鏡頭、音效、視覺效果和物理屬性（如大小）。

• Self-balancing strategies and countering: Rock, paper, scissors is a classic example of a self-balancing system; each choice is valid but comes with a clear strength and weakness. It’s also a system built on hard counters – that is, choices that guarantee success against a particular strategy. The most interesting power relationships are usually a bit more subtle since they come down to a series of advantages and disadvantages, rather than absolutes.
  自我平衡策略與對抗：石頭、剪刀、布是一個經典的自我平衡系統範例；每個選擇都是有效的，但同時也有明顯的優勢和劣勢。這也是一個建立在硬性對抗上的系統——也就是說，某些選擇能夠保證對特定策略的成功。最有趣的力量關係通常更為微妙，因為它們涉及一系列的優勢和劣勢，而非絕對的結果。

When designing the dynamics of different units and strategies, make sure that the power relationships make sense in the context of the game. The more grounded in reality and less ambiguous your strengths and weaknesses (trade-offs) are, the lower the learning curve.
在設計不同單位和策略的動態時，確保權力關係在遊戲的背景下是合理的。你的優勢和劣勢（取捨）越貼近現實且不模糊，學習曲線就越低。

For example, in a medieval strategy game, the equivalent to rock paper scissors (but with a less binary result) would be the relationship between archers, pikemen, and cavalry. Archers are strong against pikemen, pikemen counter the cavalry, and cavalry can easily defeat the archers.
例如，在一款中世紀策略遊戲中，類似於剪刀石頭布的關係（但結果不那麼二元化）可以是弓箭手、長矛兵和騎兵之間的互動。弓箭手對長矛兵有優勢，長矛兵能夠克制騎兵，而騎兵則可以輕易擊敗弓箭手。

Another highly popular power relationship is the one of opposing elements, as seen in Pokémon, which started simply with fire burning grass, grass absorbing water, and water putting out fire. Relationships of this kind can be a bit confusing, though, especially if more ambiguous elements join the mix.
另一種非常受歡迎的力量關係是對立元素的關係，如同在《寶可夢》中所見，最初只是火燒草、草吸水、水滅火。然而，這類關係可能會有些混淆，特別是當更多模糊的元素加入其中時。

Put the likes of metal, life, death, light, ice, poison, darkness, and electricity into the mix, and you’ll have a potential cluster of confusion on your hands. To make a system with such a high level of complexity work, you’ll need to introduce it gradually, and ensure a good level of visibility that helps guide the players (in Pokémon, a clear efficacy report is given after each attack – X used Y, it’s super effective!).
將金屬、生命、死亡、光明、冰、毒、黑暗和電力等元素混合在一起，你可能會面臨一團混亂。要讓這樣高複雜度的系統運作，你需要逐步引入，並確保有良好的可見性來引導玩家（在《寶可夢》中，每次攻擊後會提供明確的效果報告——X 使用了 Y，效果拔群！）。

• Feedback loops: Unbalanced systems often spiral out of control due to feedback loops. What are those? Let’s start by examining a scenario from a fictional city management game.
  反饋迴路：不平衡的系統常常因反饋迴路而失控。那是什麼呢？讓我們從一個虛構的城市管理遊戲場景開始探討。

Due to an unforeseen event, the population in your town shrinks, resulting in a decreased tax income. This, in turn, sabotages your budget and further lowers the satisfaction of your people, making them leave, and reducing the tax income even further. Not long after, your town is desolate and out of funds to pick itself up.
由於一場意料之外的事件，你的小鎮人口減少，導致稅收收入下降。這進而破壞了你的預算，進一步降低了居民的滿意度，使他們離開，稅收收入因此進一步減少。不久之後，你的小鎮變得荒涼，無法籌集資金重振旗鼓。

This is an example of a positive feedback loop, where an event creates a ripple effect that propels its impact even further. Whenever the penalty for failure or reward for success is not carefully managed, there is a strong chance of having your game balance spiral out of control.
這是一個正向反饋循環的例子，事件產生的漣漪效應進一步推動其影響力。每當失敗的懲罰或成功的獎勵未被妥善管理時，遊戲平衡就有很大的可能性會失控。

Stay vigilant and investigate the systems you create by paying close attention to how a player’s power grows and shrinks with each outcome, and whether anything is stopping them from raising or falling completely out of balance. A well-designed game is less of a nuclear reactor and more of a thermostat, keeping the temperature within the desired range.
保持警覺，仔細研究你所創建的系統，密切關注玩家的力量如何隨著每個結果增長或縮減，以及是否有任何因素阻止他們完全失去平衡或過度增長。一款設計良好的遊戲更像是一個恆溫器，而不是核反應堆，能夠將溫度保持在理想的範圍內。

• Try Fermi estimation: Back in Chapter 3, Scoping a Game Project, we introduced you to the estimation techniques attributed to Enrico Fermi. The same method can be utilized in game balancing. The initial values are almost always more or less educated guesses, and you can improve your results by considering the minimum and maximum acceptable values, then shooting straight for the average.
  嘗試費米估算：在第三章《遊戲項目範疇》中，我們向您介紹了歸因於恩里科·費米的估算技術。相同的方法也可以用於遊戲平衡。初始值幾乎總是或多或少是有根據的猜測，您可以通過考慮可接受的最小值和最大值，然後直接瞄準平均值來改善結果。

Is 5 million the right amount of XP when going from level 49 to 50? I don’t know, but I do know that by framing this problem in an approachable way, we can better understand the implications of picking that number. Let’s break it down:
從等級 49 升到 50 需要 500 萬經驗值是否合適？我不知道，但我知道，透過以一種易於理解的方式來框架這個問題，我們可以更好地理解選擇這個數字的影響。讓我們來分析一下：

• How much experience can a player who’s at level 49 get in an hour?
  一名等級 49 的玩家在一小時內能獲得多少經驗值？
• What if they are bad at the game? What if they are experts?
  如果他們不擅長這個遊戲怎麼辦？如果他們是專家呢？
• How many hours will people spend in the game daily?
  人們每天會花多少小時在遊戲中？
• What is the minimum, and what is the maximum?
  什麼是最小值，什麼是最大值？
• Time for some divisions! Do these numbers look right?
  是時候來做些除法了！這些數字看起來正確嗎？

Once you are happy with the time required for different types of players to level up, you’ve got yourself a great starting point!
一旦你對不同類型玩家升級所需的時間感到滿意，你就有了一個很好的起點！

• Unify your units: In complex economies with many resources at play, a shared frame of reference empowers you to make more natural comparisons and more informed balancing decisions. Do not compare apples to oranges... just make sure everything is counted in carrots instead!
  統一你的單位：在資源繁多的複雜經濟體中，共同的參考框架能讓你進行更自然的比較，並做出更明智的平衡決策。不要拿蘋果和橘子相比……只要確保一切都以胡蘿蔔來計算就好！

To start with, determine your unit! You can pick one of the resources that are already in the game, or you can use a completely imaginary one. I usually create a new one, a unified unit (UU). Next up, you must set up a cost relationship matrix inside your balancing spreadsheet. This matrix states how much of the other resources go toward one unified unit.
首先，確定你的單位！你可以選擇遊戲中已經存在的資源之一，或者使用一個完全虛構的資源。我通常會創建一個新的，稱為統一單位（UU）。接下來，你必須在你的平衡試算表中設置一個成本關係矩陣。這個矩陣說明了其他資源中有多少用於一個統一單位。

For example, 1 UU equals 200 gold, 350 wood, 100 sulfur, or five minutes of playtime. The breakdown immediately settles that sulfur is twice as valuable as gold (1 UU = 100 sulfur or 200 gold, and thus 1 sulfur = 2 gold). The question is, is it twice as hard to obtain? And is that a conscious decision or an accident? A UU is highly effective at helping you assess and tune the taps (production) and sinks (spend) of multiple resources in complex economies.
例如，1 UU 等於 200 金幣、350 木材、100 硫磺或五分鐘的遊戲時間。這樣的分解立即確定了硫磺的價值是黃金的兩倍（1 UU = 100 硫磺或 200 金幣，因此 1 硫磺 = 2 金幣）。問題是，獲得硫磺是否真的比黃金難兩倍？這是有意的決定還是偶然的結果？UU 在幫助您評估和調整複雜經濟體中多種資源的生產和消耗方面非常有效。

• Quantities and relative power: Who’ll win the fight between (A) one tank with 80 health and 50 damage and (B) two tanks with 50 health and 25 damage? The sum of the attributes favors (B), but the relative power does not. In this case, after (A) destroys one of the two tanks, it effectively lowers enemy damage potential by half, securing the margin it needs to win.
  數量與相對力量：在一場戰鬥中，誰會勝出？（A）一輛擁有 80 生命值和 50 傷害的坦克，還是（B）兩輛擁有 50 生命值和 25 傷害的坦克？屬性總和對（B）有利，但相對力量則不然。在這種情況下，（A）摧毀其中一輛坦克後，實際上將敵方的傷害潛力減半，從而確保了它所需的勝利優勢。

This is a trivial example, but it goes to show that there’s more to balancing than raw attributes. The number of units in play can be either advantageous (the ability to move independently and attack two targets at once, enemy damage can also be wasted due to overkilling, and so on), as well as disadvantageous (harder to maneuver or engage all enemies at once, requires more space or storage, easily countered by area of effect abilities). Always pay attention to how these factors affect your game!
這是一個簡單的例子，但它顯示了平衡不僅僅是原始屬性的問題。場上單位的數量可能是有利的（能夠獨立移動並同時攻擊兩個目標，敵人的傷害也可能因過度殺傷而浪費，等等），也可能是不利的（更難以同時操控或對付所有敵人，需要更多的空間或儲存，容易被範圍效果技能反制）。務必注意這些因素如何影響你的遊戲！

• Use analytics: Parts of your game will be impossible to balance without the help of analytics. Once the game is in the hands of playtesters, in beta testing or live, you should be able to gather data on the most and least popular choices and strategies, as well as the win/loss ratios associated with them. More information on analytics awaits you in Chapter 14, Mastering Games as a Service.
  使用分析工具：在沒有分析工具的幫助下，遊戲中的某些部分將無法平衡。一旦遊戲進入玩家測試階段、進行測試版測試或正式上線，你應該能夠收集到關於最受歡迎和最不受歡迎的選擇和策略的數據，以及與之相關的勝負比率。更多關於分析工具的資訊，請參閱第十四章《掌握遊戲即服務》。
• Lost opportunity is a cost: Saving money for a single big unit or item? The process of saving resources and withholding actions is part of the cost in itself. This cost varies depending on the game’s mechanics and individual circumstances, but it may mean that you’re unable to scout ahead, capture ground, or defend against an incoming attack. Make sure that build times, limits, cooldowns, and building or research requirements are all taken into account, and treat them as part of the unit cost, allowing you to scale its power more accurately.
  失去的機會也是一種成本：為了一個大型單位或物品而存錢？儲存資源和暫緩行動的過程本身就是成本的一部分。這種成本會根據遊戲的機制和個別情況而有所不同，但可能意味著你無法提前偵查、佔領地盤或抵禦即將到來的攻擊。確保將建造時間、限制、冷卻時間以及建築或研究需求都考慮在內，並將它們視為單位成本的一部分，這樣才能更準確地衡量其力量。
• Make things feel powerful: A common pitfall for many inexperienced designers is to put absolute trust in their spreadsheet formulas and move everything toward an uninspiring mediocrity. The most rewarding games are those in which most tools, gadgets, abilities, and weapons are not only fun to use, but when applied in the correct scenario, they feel absolutely overpowered. Above all, your game should be exciting, and it’s hard to pull that off if differences between strategies are minuscule, and the outcome of the balancing is dull.
  讓事物感覺強大：許多缺乏經驗的設計師常犯的一個錯誤是過度依賴電子表格公式，將一切推向乏味的平庸。最令人滿意的遊戲是那些工具、小玩意、能力和武器不僅使用起來有趣，而且在正確的情境下應用時，感覺絕對強大無比。最重要的是，你的遊戲應該是令人興奮的，如果策略之間的差異微乎其微，平衡的結果又乏味，那麼這一點就很難實現。
• Minimize the iteration time: Having to rebuild the entire game just to see a few modified parameters in action is not only a huge waste of time but also makes the balancing tasks much harder to pull off. It is hard to follow your ideas through if you must put your thought process on hold for minutes or hours at a time.
  縮短迭代時間：若要重建整個遊戲僅僅是為了查看幾個修改過的參數，這不僅是極大的時間浪費，還使得平衡任務更加難以完成。如果必須每隔幾分鐘或幾小時就暫停思考過程，那麼很難貫徹你的想法。

Before production begins, make sure that the team knows your plans and intentions regarding game balancing. In an ideal world, basic tuning operations are done in the game editor or by using a debugged in-game interface and are immediately reflected in the game.
在製作開始之前，請確保團隊了解您在遊戲平衡方面的計劃和意圖。在理想的情況下，基本的調整操作應在遊戲編輯器中完成，或通過已除錯的遊戲內介面進行，並立即在遊戲中反映出來。

Quick iteration times will help you enter the flow state and apply your creativity more naturally, with experimental edits that are in direct response to immediate observations.
快速的迭代時間將幫助你進入心流狀態，更自然地運用你的創造力，進行直接回應即時觀察的實驗性編輯。

• Make bot development a priority: When you are working on a multiplayer game, validating your changes can be a challenge, especially if the game involves large teams of players. On Boom Beach: Frontlines, we had a total of 18 players on the battlefield, and before we had CPU-controlled bots, it was nearly impossible to check new units, mechanics, and balance changes in a believable scenario.
  將機器人開發列為優先事項：當您正在開發一款多人遊戲時，驗證您的更改可能是一項挑戰，特別是如果遊戲涉及大型玩家團隊。在《Boom Beach: Frontlines》中，我們在戰場上總共有 18 名玩家，在我們擁有 CPU 控制的機器人之前，幾乎不可能在一個可信的場景中檢查新單位、機制和平衡變更。

Calling upon real people to join your game every time you want to verify something is unsustainable. Bots will never replace real players, but they are crucial to enable rapid iteration. So, if you are making a multiplayer game, ensure bots are on the roadmap and urgently prioritized.
每次想要驗證某些事情時都召集真人來參與遊戲是不可持續的。機器人永遠無法取代真人玩家，但它們對於實現快速迭代至關重要。因此，如果你正在製作一款多人遊戲，請確保機器人已列入計劃並被緊急優先考慮。

• Focus on the end user: As you grow more and more adept at playing your own game (and solving your own puzzles), everything you create will begin to feel straightforward. The more experience you have with your game, the higher the risk of creating inaccessible content.
  專注於最終使用者：隨著你對自己的遊戲越來越熟練（以及解決自己的謎題），你所創造的一切將開始感覺簡單明瞭。你對遊戲的經驗越豐富，創造出難以接觸的內容的風險就越高。

Keep track of your target audience and determine who’s going to interact with the feature or content that you’re tuning. When testing your work, you can try to put an artificial handicap on yourself, for example, by restricting yourself from using more than a few special abilities or making purposefully sub-optimal decisions and seeing how the gameplay scenario evolves from there.
追蹤你的目標受眾，並確定誰將會與你正在調整的功能或內容互動。在測試你的作品時，你可以嘗試給自己設置一個人為的限制，例如，限制自己使用不超過幾個特殊能力，或故意做出次佳的決策，然後觀察遊戲情境如何從那裡發展。

• Consider a static power relationship: Depending on the type of game, it may be possible to vastly simplify your balancing job by establishing a static power relationship between your content. To do that, you must ensure that the power progression (such as increases in health and damage of units) only applies to a set of shared variables and does not modify the relationship between different unit types in any significant way.
  考慮一種靜態的力量關係：根據遊戲的類型，透過在內容之間建立靜態的力量關係，可能會大大簡化你的平衡工作。為此，你必須確保力量的進展（例如單位的生命值和傷害的增加）僅適用於一組共享變數，並且不會以任何顯著方式修改不同單位類型之間的關係。

To put things simply, if, as your troops level up, everything stays the same except for their health and damage going up, it means that an Assault troop fighting a Bazooka troop has the same outcome whether they are both at level 1, 50, or 100. This leads to massive time savings as it removes the complexities of ever-changing power relationships as new and existing pieces of content level up.
簡單來說，如果隨著你的部隊升級，除了他們的生命值和傷害增加之外一切都保持不變，那麼無論是突擊部隊對抗火箭筒部隊，結果都是一樣的，無論他們是在 1 級、50 級還是 100 級。這樣可以節省大量時間，因為它消除了隨著新舊內容升級而不斷變化的力量關係的複雜性。

If things stay relatively the same, you can test everything at the same power level and be sure that even as the game expands and more power levels are added, your balance will remain intact.
如果情況保持相對不變，您可以在相同的能力等級下測試所有內容，並確保即使遊戲擴展並增加更多能力等級，您的平衡性仍然保持不變。

In Boom Beach: Frontlines, a single, unified level-up curve was applied to every single troop, vehicle, building, and powerup, modifying both their health and damage by a set percentage, in lockstep, and leaving every other parameter intact. A huge time savior!
在《Boom Beach: Frontlines》中，對每個部隊、載具、建築和增強道具都應用了單一的統一升級曲線，通過設定的百分比同步修改它們的生命值和傷害，並保持其他參數不變。這大大節省了時間！

We hope that these standalone tips and methods will prove useful in your balancing efforts. But if you’re not yet confident about balancing an entire complex gameplay system, worry not – we’ll now dig deeper into two practical examples.
我們希望這些獨立的提示和方法能在您的平衡工作中發揮作用。但如果您對平衡整個複雜的遊戲系統還沒有信心，別擔心——我們現在將深入探討兩個實際的例子。

MBT balancing

The MBT approach takes root in old real-time strategy games such as Command and Conquer, where the pillar unit of the army (usually the main battle tank, hence the MBT) serves as the centerpiece for unit balancing. It’s a simple but effective technique that can be applied to medium amounts of content (25-100 units).
MBT 方法源自於早期的即時戰略遊戲，如《終極動員令》，在這些遊戲中，軍隊的支柱單位（通常是主戰坦克，因此稱為 MBT）作為單位平衡的核心。這是一種簡單但有效的技術，適用於中等數量的內容（25-100 個單位）。

To start with, pick a well-rounded unit, the focal point of the content. In the case of a real-time strategy game such as CC: Red Alert, it would be the main battle tank – the backbone of most armies. Set the stats of your MBT and tie everything else in the game right back to it. If your game features multiple factions, balancing the MBTs of each faction serves as a cross-faction anchor.
首先，選擇一個全面的單位作為內容的焦點。在即時戰略遊戲如《CC：紅色警戒》中，這個單位就是主戰坦克——大多數軍隊的中堅力量。設定你的主戰坦克的數據，並將遊戲中的其他一切都與之緊密相連。如果你的遊戲有多個陣營，平衡每個陣營的主戰坦克將作為跨陣營的錨點。

Regardless of final in-game values, you want your initial MBT’s stats to be as easy to read as possible: Speed 10, Health 100, Damage Per Second 10, Attack Speed 1, Range 10, Cost 100. These simple, round numbers make every other unit in the game instantly comparable to the common denominator.
無論最終遊戲中的數值如何，您都希望初始 MBT 的數據盡可能易於閱讀：速度 10，生命值 100，每秒傷害 10，攻擊速度 1，射程 10，成本 100。這些簡單的整數使遊戲中的每個其他單位都能立即與這個共同基準進行比較。

Once the base data for most units is plugged inside your spreadsheets, you can use simple formulas to calculate things such as the following:
一旦大多數單位的基礎數據輸入到你的試算表中，你可以使用簡單的公式來計算以下內容：

• Health per resource spent
  每單位資源消耗的健康值
• Damage per second (DPS) per resource spent
  每單位資源的每秒傷害 (DPS)
• Time to kill an MBT (derived from using attack speed and DPS)
  擊毀主戰坦克所需的時間（根據攻擊速度和每秒傷害計算）
• Time to be killed by an MBT
  被主戰坦克擊殺所需的時間

Once you’re happy with the balance on paper, you can apply multiplications and round to the data to make the numbers work and look good in-game.
一旦你對紙上的平衡感到滿意，就可以將數據進行乘法運算並四捨五入，使數字在遊戲中運行良好且看起來不錯。

This technique can get you very far, very quickly, but its value goes down with the amount of complexity in play. Once you introduce elements such as special attacks, area of effect abilities, different armor types, status resistances, and whole new categories such as flying or melee units, the MBT approach becomes much harder to pull off efficiently and effectively.
這種技術可以讓你快速取得進展，但隨著遊戲中複雜性的增加，其價值會下降。一旦你引入了特殊攻擊、範圍效果能力、不同的護甲類型、狀態抗性，以及全新類別如飛行或近戰單位等元素，MBT 方法就變得難以有效且高效地執行。

Layered Modifiers

The titular Layered Modifiers are as much of a balancing method as they are a way of structuring and thinking about your data. It is a powerful and highly scalable approach that can help you manage huge amounts of content and variables.
所謂的「層次修飾符」既是一種平衡方法，也是一種組織和思考數據的方式。這是一種強大且高度可擴展的方法，可以幫助您管理大量的內容和變數。

Case in point, I used this method in a mobile strategy game called Transformers: Earth Wars to establish and maintain balance with over 20,000 buildings and character variants. In terms of combat balancing alone, our data spreadsheets were in control of the following:
例如，我在一款名為《Transformers: Earth Wars》的手機策略遊戲中使用了這種方法，以建立和維持超過 20,000 個建築和角色變體的平衡。僅就戰鬥平衡而言，我們的數據試算表掌控了以下內容：

• Nine defensive buildings (with up to 15 upgrade levels)
  九座防禦建築（最多可升級至 15 級）
• 13 utility and production buildings (with up to 15 upgrade levels)
  13 座實用和生產建築（最多可升級至 15 級）
• Six Combiners (super-units composed of 5-6 other robots; each Combiner had two upgrade versions and 10 to 20 power levels)
  六個合體機器人（由 5 至 6 個其他機器人組成的超級單位；每個合體機器人有兩個升級版本和 10 到 20 個能量等級）
• Over 120 Transformers characters, equally divided into two playable factions – Autobots and Decepticons:
  超過 120 個變形金剛角色，平均分為兩個可操控的陣營——博派和狂派：
  • Autobot and Decepticon characters were paired against one another. Some pairings were equal, while some were slightly asymmetric. We pushed for variation early on, but after several months of live operations, we moved toward a near 100% equality within each pairing, mostly to maintain the community’s sentiment on fairness.
    博派與狂派角色被配對對抗。有些配對是平等的，而有些則略有不對稱。我們在早期就推動了變化，但在經過幾個月的實際運營後，我們朝著每個配對幾乎 100%平等的方向發展，主要是為了維持社群對公平性的感受。
  • Each character was given a star rating (from 1 to 5 stars). The higher the rating, the more rare and powerful the character. We usually released between 3 and 5 versions of each character.
    每個角色都被賦予了一個星級評分（從 1 到 5 星）。評分越高，角色就越稀有且強大。我們通常會釋出每個角色的 3 到 5 個版本。
  • All characters had from 20 to 60 levels of experience (20 for 1-star, 40 for 2-star, 50 for 3-star, and 60 for 4 and 5-star characters).
    所有角色的經驗等級從 20 到 60 不等（1 星角色為 20 級，2 星角色為 40 級，3 星角色為 50 級，而 4 星和 5 星角色為 60 級）。
  • Each character had a special ability with 10 upgrade levels (most abilities were unique within your faction and were only shared with a bot’s counterpart on the opposite side).
    每個角色都有一項特殊能力，並擁有 10 個升級等級（大多數能力在你的陣營中是獨一無二的，只有在對方陣營中才會與機器人的對應角色共享）。
  • Dozens of unique (and upgradeable) pieces of equipment that changed the stats and abilities of characters and defenses.
    數十種獨特且可升級的裝備，能改變角色和防禦的屬性與能力。
  • A few dozen battle boosts (single-use power-ups).
    幾十個戰鬥增強道具（一次性使用的能力提升）。

So, how do you deal with over 20,000 moving parts? By starting from the very top and creating layers of modifiers that help differentiate, scale, and distinguish between your units.
那麼，你要如何處理超過兩萬個活動部件呢？從最上層開始，創建一層層的修飾符，幫助區分、縮放和區別你的單位。

In Transformers: Earth Wars, we were able to master our data in Google Sheets and used an in-house plugin to import data from the sheets into files for use in-game.
在《變形金剛：地球之戰》中，我們能夠在 Google Sheets 中掌握我們的數據，並使用內部插件將數據從表格導入到遊戲中使用的文件中。

Let’s break down the organization of character data and how various parts were multiplied and inherited at different levels. Note that a similar (but less complicated) approach was used for buildings, game economy, and other data-heavy aspects of the game.
讓我們來分析角色數據的組織，以及各個部分如何在不同層級上被複製和繼承。請注意，類似（但較不複雜）的方式也被用於建築、遊戲經濟和其他數據密集的遊戲方面。

Tier 1 – the Globals sheet
第一層 – 全域變數表

Globals are the very top level of our data structure. By changing values here, you can change the balance of all units in the game. Once established, these values rarely change. The Globals sheet contains the following:
全域變數是我們資料結構的最高層級。在這裡更改數值，可以改變遊戲中所有單位的平衡。一旦確立，這些數值很少會改變。全域變數表包含以下內容：

• Base stats: HP (health), DPS (damage), and movement speed
  基礎屬性：HP（生命值）、DPS（傷害）和移動速度
• Level-up bonuses: Set percentage increase to HP and DPS
  升級獎勵：設定 HP 和 DPS 的百分比增長
• Star-rating multipliers: Table of multiplications to base HP and DPS on, depending on the star rating
  星級倍數：根據星級評分，對基礎 HP 和 DPS 進行的乘法表
• Post-battle cooldown values: Characters go on cooldown after each battle, and the length grows with character level
  戰鬥後冷卻值：角色在每次戰鬥後會進入冷卻狀態，且隨著角色等級的提升，冷卻時間會增加

Tier 2 – the Character Classes sheet
第二層級——角色類別表

This is another high-level sheet that was established and iterated early on. There were 18 character classes in the data, which is far too many for an average player to keep in their head.
這是另一個在早期就建立並反覆修改的高階表格。數據中有 18 個角色類別，對於一般玩家來說，這實在是太多了，難以記住。

This is why some of the classes were merged when they were imported, allowing us to maintain six easily distinguishable in-game character classes. For example, Melee DPS existed as a separate class inside the sheets but was put under the umbrella of the Warrior class later down the line. All in all, the Character Classes sheet contains the following:
這就是為什麼在匯入時合併了一些職業，讓我們能夠維持六個易於區分的遊戲內角色職業。例如，近戰輸出在表格中作為一個獨立的職業存在，但後來被歸入戰士職業之下。總而言之，角色職業表包含以下內容：

• Class-based stat multipliers: HP (health), DPS (damage), and movement speed
  基於職業的屬性倍數：HP（生命值）、DPS（傷害）和移動速度
• Starting abilities: Basic and special attacks
  起始能力：基本攻擊和特殊攻擊
• Common passive effects: For example, Warriors get immunity to stun effects
  常見的被動效果：例如，戰士具有免疫暈眩效果的能力
• Default weapons: For example, Gunners usually use the same grenade launcher, unless it gets overwritten later
  預設武器：例如，槍手通常使用相同的榴彈發射器，除非後來被替換
• Base in-game size: Warriors are bigger than Gunners, while Minions are even smaller
  遊戲中的基礎大小：戰士比槍手大，而小兵則更小
• And more!: There’s a variety of additional parameters and tags that are used in battle to tell classes apart, both visually and functionally
  還有更多！：在戰鬥中使用了各種額外的參數和標籤，以在視覺和功能上區分不同的職業

Tier 3 – the Character Archetype sheet
第三階層 – 角色原型表

With foundations set by Globals and Character Classes, we can now define the characteristics of a single, bespoke unit. The Character Archetype sheet is the starting point for any designer who wishes to add a new character to the game. It is the place where the most specific qualities are set, including these:
在由全域變數和角色類別奠定的基礎上，我們現在可以定義單一、量身訂製單位的特徵。角色原型表是任何設計師希望為遊戲新增角色時的起點。在這裡設定最具體的特質，包括以下這些：

• Character class and faction: Pick one of the 18 classes from the Character Classes sheet and select a faction for your new robot.
  角色類別和陣營：從角色類別表中選擇 18 個類別之一，並為您的新機器人選擇一個陣營。
• Individual stat modifiers: Characters can be customized within each class by giving them various modifiers – for example, 1.08x HP and 0.96x DPS or additional movement speed.
  個別屬性修正：角色可以在每個類別中通過賦予各種修正來進行自定義——例如，1.08 倍的 HP 和 0.96 倍的 DPS 或額外的移動速度。
• Attack overwrites: Many attacks are shared between characters, but it’s up to the designer to hand-pick the most suitable ones. For example, a Warrior with a melee weapon will use sword attacks rather than punches. Additional attacks and abilities are also added on a case-by-case basis.
  攻擊覆蓋：許多攻擊在角色之間是共享的，但設計師需要精心挑選最合適的。例如，使用近戰武器的戰士會使用劍攻擊而不是拳擊。額外的攻擊和能力也會根據具體情況添加。
• Special ability: Some special abilities are shared between a few bots in the same class, but most characters receive a bespoke special ability that’s been handcrafted by the designer.
  特殊能力：一些特殊能力在同一類別的幾個機器人之間是共享的，但大多數角色會獲得由設計師精心打造的專屬特殊能力。
• Additional passive effects: You can customize the character further by including passive effects such as immunity to stun.
  額外的被動效果：您可以進一步自訂角色，包含免疫暈眩等被動效果。
• Weapon overwrites and other cosmetic data: We have the full ability to supply the character with a different (or an additional) weapon, as well as change its size and other cosmetic attributes.
  武器覆蓋和其他外觀數據：我們完全有能力為角色提供不同（或額外）的武器，並且可以改變其大小和其他外觀屬性。

Tier 4 – the Upgrade Path sheet
第四級 – 升級路徑表

With the character’s class and archetype largely defined, it’s time to decide what star ratings will be available. The Upgrade Path sheet contains little bespoke data but is often imported and referenced across many sheets to build a list of available characters and their star ratings.
隨著角色的職業和原型大致確定，是時候決定可用的星級評分了。升級路徑表包含的專屬數據不多，但經常被導入並在多個表中引用，以建立可用角色及其星級評分的列表。

Tier 5 – the Troop Level Data sheet
第 5 級 – 部隊層級數據表

There are tens of thousands of character-level files, but none of them have to be managed by hand. The Troop Level Data sheet uses the data and multipliers from other sheets to assemble a long list with stats and parameters for each level and a star rating for a character. All you have to do is import the new parameters from the sheet and put them in the game files!
有成千上萬的角色等級檔案，但不需要手動管理。部隊等級數據表使用其他表格中的數據和乘數，組合出一個長長的列表，列出每個等級的統計數據和參數，以及角色的星級評分。你只需從數據表中匯入新的參數，然後將它們放入遊戲檔案中即可！

Note

It was hugely cumbersome to have an individual JSON file for each character level. For the rest of the games, we’ve fixed this setup and moved away from separate files and toward utilizing one master file that contains shared formulas and curves that modify the stats of the unit as it levels up, which is a much more sustainable and less error-prone approach!
為每個角色等級設置一個獨立的 JSON 檔案是非常繁瑣的。對於其餘的遊戲，我們已經修正了這種設置，並不再使用分開的檔案，而是採用一個主檔案，該檔案包含共享的公式和曲線，這些公式和曲線會隨著單位升級而修改其屬性，這是一種更可持續且不易出錯的方法！

Use case summary

Let’s sum up our multi-layered setup and extract its key learnings:
讓我們總結一下我們的多層次設置並提取其關鍵學習點：

• Globals are the foundations for everything; they allow us to make sweeping changes to the entire balance from a single place.
  全域變數是所有事物的基礎；它們允許我們從一個地方對整體平衡進行全面的調整。
• Classes allow us to group similar content and balance different categories of content against one another – for example, ranged characters against melee ones.
  類別讓我們能夠將相似的內容分組，並在不同類別的內容之間取得平衡——例如，遠程角色與近戰角色之間的平衡。
• Archetypes give us the option to personalize each piece of content and retain control over the minute details.
  原型讓我們能夠個性化每一個內容，並掌控細節。
• Upgrade Paths is where we clone a single character into several variants. They let us determine which variants of the characters we’ll have in the game and whether there are any special changes between different versions.
  升級路徑是我們將單一角色克隆成多個變體的地方。它們讓我們能夠決定遊戲中會有哪些角色變體，以及不同版本之間是否有任何特殊變化。
• Troop Level Data is a datasheet that uses everything we defined previously to automatically assemble thousands of character files. All we need to do is import the data into the game!
  部隊等級數據是一個數據表，利用我們之前定義的一切，自動組裝成千上萬的角色文件。我們所需要做的就是將數據匯入遊戲中！

This might seem like a lot of spreadsheet work, but the time we’d save on balancing and setting up game data could be counted in hundreds of man-hours. Layered Modifiers allowed us to handcraft and personalize each character and building while retaining the flexibility to make sweeping changes to the game’s balance on a grand scale. Consider a similar approach whenever you’re faced with a large game economy with thousands of moving parts.
這看似需要大量的試算表工作，但我們在平衡和設置遊戲數據上節省的時間可以以數百工時計算。分層修飾符讓我們能夠手工製作並個性化每個角色和建築，同時保留在大規模上對遊戲平衡進行重大改變的靈活性。每當面對擁有數千個活動部件的大型遊戲經濟時，請考慮採用類似的方法。

Note

While big spreadsheets are great for handling heaps of game data, new mechanics and abilities are best tuned on a real-time basis. In Transformers: Earth Wars, we created and balanced character abilities directly inside Unity Editor, which allowed for a quick, and in some cases instant, iteration.
雖然大型試算表非常適合處理大量的遊戲數據，但新的機制和能力最好能夠即時調整。在《Transformers: Earth Wars》中，我們直接在 Unity Editor 中創建和平衡角色能力，這使得快速甚至在某些情況下即時的迭代成為可能。

As for game mechanics, camera controls, and certain game rules, we built a simple debug menu that gave us control over default parameters and allowed us to switch (flag) components of different features ON and OFF. This level of control enables live experimentation with game features and is invaluable when prototyping new gameplay.
至於遊戲機制、攝影機控制和某些遊戲規則，我們建立了一個簡單的除錯選單，讓我們能夠控制預設參數，並允許我們將不同功能的元件開啟或關閉。這種控制程度使得我們能夠即時實驗遊戲功能，對於原型設計新遊戲玩法來說是無價的。

Now, not many games are as complex and content-heavy as Transformers: Earth Wars, but by dissecting an extreme example, we can appreciate how a complex content creation and balancing task can be simplified and scaled for years of successful live operations.
現在，並不是所有遊戲都像《Transformers: Earth Wars》那樣複雜且內容豐富，但通過剖析這樣一個極端的例子，我們可以理解如何簡化和擴展複雜的內容創作和平衡任務，以實現多年成功的即時運營。

With a slew of balancing insights shared and important examples discussed, we can now move on to an adjacent topic: game difficulty.
在分享了一系列平衡見解並討論了重要的例子後，我們現在可以轉向一個相關的主題：遊戲難度。

Game difficulty

It’s up to the game and level designers to create an experience that’s optimal for as many players as possible, and if that seems like a simple task, trust us when we say it’s not!
遊戲和關卡設計師的責任是為盡可能多的玩家創造最佳體驗，如果這看起來像是一個簡單的任務，相信我們，這並不簡單！

As will be established in Chapter 13, Making Your Games Accessible, our audience varies greatly in their level of gaming experience, real-world knowledge, physical and mental capacity, and even language proficiency.
正如第十三章《讓你的遊戲更具可及性》中所述，我們的受眾在遊戲經驗、現實世界知識、身心能力，甚至語言能力上都有很大的差異。

From pattern recognition and memory to spatial navigation, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination, there are many skills at play, and in some departments, the gap between players can be huge. Moreover, some players like to be challenged, and others have little time and patience for a serious struggle, preferring to breeze through levels and experience the story with relative ease.
從模式識別和記憶到空間導航、反應能力和手眼協調，這些技能在遊戲中都扮演著重要角色，而在某些方面，玩家之間的差距可能非常大。此外，有些玩家喜歡挑戰，而另一些玩家則沒有太多時間和耐心去面對嚴峻的挑戰，更喜歡輕鬆地通過關卡，享受故事的過程。

There are many ways of addressing this difficulty gap. Some rely on preset attributes and redesigning the game content, while others are fully automatic and respond to the player’s performance. No matter which solution you go for, it’s important to remember that, as the designer of the game, you’re sure to know it inside out. By default, you’ll make the game too difficult for the average player.
有許多方法可以解決這種難度差距。有些依賴於預設屬性和重新設計遊戲內容，而另一些則是完全自動化的，根據玩家的表現進行調整。無論選擇哪種解決方案，重要的是要記住，作為遊戲的設計者，你一定對遊戲瞭若指掌。通常情況下，你會讓遊戲對普通玩家來說過於困難。

It’s paramount to playtest (that is, have other people play your game) early, and playtest often, even if the sessions end up being quick, informal, and undocumented (we’ll discuss playtesting in great detail in Chapter 13, Making Your Games Accessible). Try to expose your work to players on both ends of the spectrum. Looking at how low-skilled and extremely proficient people react to new in-game challenges will help you assess what is and isn’t difficult, and where that difficulty is coming from.
在遊戲開發過程中，早期進行遊戲測試（也就是讓其他人玩你的遊戲）是至關重要的，並且要經常進行測試，即使這些測試會是快速、非正式且未記錄的（我們將在第十三章《讓你的遊戲更具可及性》中詳細討論遊戲測試）。嘗試讓不同水平的玩家接觸你的作品。觀察低技術和極高技術的玩家如何應對遊戲中的新挑戰，將幫助你評估哪些部分是困難的，以及這些困難來自何處。

Is it the number of variables at play, such as input frequency, accuracy, or timing, or is it game knowledge and mastery over game mechanics? After several sessions of this type, you’ll gain insight into the main sources of difficulty in your game. You can use this knowledge in two ways:
是因為遊戲中變量的數量，例如輸入頻率、準確性或時機，還是因為遊戲知識和對遊戲機制的掌握？經過多次這類測試後，你將能洞察遊戲中主要的困難來源。你可以用這些知識來達成兩個目的：

• To develop a set of rules to adhere to: For example, in a real-time strategy game on easy difficulty, we shouldn’t have the AI attack the player in the first 6 minutes as they are unlikely to be ready.
  制定一套規則來遵循：例如，在一款即時戰略遊戲的簡單難度中，我們不應該讓 AI 在前 6 分鐘內攻擊玩家，因為他們可能尚未準備好。
• To help you score your encounters: Try assigning artificial difficulty points and multipliers to various parts of your gameplay challenges. For example, a shielded enemy is 5, a shotgun troop is 3 (but 7 when fought up-close), having at least two enemies at once adds +20% to the encounter’s overall difficulty, and so on.
  幫助你評分你的遭遇：嘗試為遊戲挑戰的各個部分分配人工難度點數和乘數。例如，一個有盾的敵人是 5 分，一個霰彈槍部隊是 3 分（但近距離作戰時是 7 分），同時有至少兩個敵人會增加+20%的整體遭遇難度，等等。

These calculations will be very rough at first, but you can make them more accurate by using them on fragments that are known to be easy or hard and adjusting the scoring criteria afterward. After a few days of iteration, you’ll be able to measure how easy or hard each part of the game is, even before it’s made!
這些計算一開始會非常粗略，但你可以通過將它們應用於已知簡單或困難的片段並隨後調整評分標準來使其更準確。經過幾天的反覆調整，你將能夠在遊戲尚未完成之前測量出每個部分的難易程度！

With informed playtesting results and a set of rules and encounter score criteria at hand, you should be able to adjust the game’s difficulty to players’ needs. But how do you wish to go about it? Should the game adjust during play or is it best to stick to a classic set of difficulty settings? Do you need them at all? We’ll explore all this in the next few sections!
透過詳盡的遊戲測試結果以及一套規則和遭遇評分標準，你應該能夠根據玩家的需求調整遊戲的難度。但你希望如何進行調整呢？遊戲應該在遊玩過程中自動調整，還是最好堅持使用經典的難度設定？你真的需要這些設定嗎？我們將在接下來的幾個部分中探討這些問題！

Static difficulty settings
靜態難度設定

Presenting a set of difficulty settings for players to choose from at the beginning of the game is one of the most common practices for tackling the initial skill gap. If possible, you should allow this setting to be changed on-the-fly from within the options screen. This ensures that players are not entirely constrained by their initial choice, should they find themselves mismatched to the gameplay challenges at hand.
在遊戲開始時為玩家提供一組難度設定選擇，是解決初始技能差距的最常見做法之一。如果可能，應允許玩家在選項畫面中即時更改此設定。這確保了玩家不會完全受限於他們的初始選擇，若他們發現自己與當前的遊戲挑戰不匹配時，可以進行調整。

Difficulty settings may seem like a trivial system at first but determining what to change and how to change it without sacrificing playability is the hard part (pun intended). The most common and often the easiest approach is to create multipliers for basic game parameters such as time or move limit, player and enemy health, damage and accuracy, cost of equipment, and so on.
難度設定乍看之下似乎是一個微不足道的系統，但要在不犧牲可玩性的情況下決定改變什麼以及如何改變，才是困難的部分（雙關語）。最常見且通常最簡單的方法是為基本遊戲參數創建倍數，例如時間或移動限制、玩家和敵人的生命值、傷害和準確度、裝備成本等等。

This practice can often get you quite far, but it can also result in weird and immersion-breaking scenarios where, for example, enemies operate with spot-on accuracy and require a ridiculous amount of hits, while players themselves perish after a single shot in the foot.
這種做法通常可以讓你走得很遠，但也可能導致奇怪且破壞沉浸感的情況，例如，敵人操作得精準無比且需要大量命中，而玩家自己卻在腳部中彈後立即陣亡。

Note

A hard difficulty setting should challenge all types of skills. Be careful of reducing your gameplay to a memory challenge, where players have to endure constant failure until they develop a bespoke solution to a particular encounter, only to fail repeatedly on the next one. By the same account, playing on an easy or casual setting should still involve making gameplay choices and require an understanding of basic game mechanics.
困難的難度設定應該挑戰各種技能。要小心不要將遊戲玩法簡化為記憶挑戰，讓玩家必須忍受不斷失敗，直到他們為特定遭遇開發出專屬解決方案，卻在下一次遭遇中再次失敗。同樣地，在簡單或休閒設定下遊玩仍應涉及遊戲選擇，並需要理解基本的遊戲機制。

By modifying attributes, costs, and rewards, you manipulate not only the game’s difficulty but also the player’s behavior. For example, by making things such as health and ammo pick-ups extremely scarce, you are sure to encourage overly slow and safe play.
通過修改屬性、成本和獎勵，你不僅操控遊戲的難度，還影響玩家的行為。例如，將生命值和彈藥拾取物設置得極為稀少，肯定會鼓勵過於緩慢和安全的遊玩方式。

On the other hand, if you make these resources overly abundant, players will stop caring about them altogether and resort to the easiest, most powerful solution (no matter how boringly repetitive).
另一方面，如果這些資源過於豐富，玩家將不再關心它們，並會訴諸於最簡單、最強大的解決方案（無論多麼乏味重複）。

A step up from simple multipliers is to modify the gameplay challenges themselves by doing the following:
從簡單的倍數提升一個層次，可以通過以下方式修改遊戲挑戰本身：

• Including bespoke challenge variations: Adding, removing, and swapping out enemies across the whole game can be a tedious task. If possible, strive for a system where you can flag different parts of in-game challenges (such as enemies or obstacles) and toggle them ON/OFF based on the flag.
  包括定制的挑戰變體：在整個遊戲中添加、移除和替換敵人可能是一項繁瑣的任務。如果可能，努力實現一個系統，讓你可以標記遊戲內挑戰的不同部分（如敵人或障礙物），並根據標記切換它們的開啟/關閉。

For example, out of seven enemies that can spawn in an encounter, enemy #5 will only spawn on the hard setting, and enemy #3 will be swapped out for a weaker one when playing on easy. However, be careful when making drastic changes – you can accidentally break the game’s performance (too many actors on the screen) or create an encounter that’s so short it feels redundant or so long it gets tedious.
例如，在一次遭遇中可以生成的七個敵人中，敵人#5 只會在困難模式下生成，而敵人#3 在簡單模式下會被替換為較弱的敵人。然而，在進行重大更改時要小心——你可能會不小心破壞遊戲的性能（螢幕上出現太多角色）或創造一個過於短暫而顯得多餘或過於冗長而變得乏味的遭遇。

• Modifying starting states: This involves changing the player’s initial units/equipment/abilities/tools and so on, as well as modifying the default state of the world. Now, changing the entire map layout may seem a bit extreme, but making certain traps or pick-ups appear/disappear depending on the difficulty setting is not unfeasible!
  修改起始狀態：這涉及更改玩家的初始單位/裝備/能力/工具等，以及修改世界的預設狀態。現在，改變整個地圖佈局可能看起來有些極端，但根據難度設定讓某些陷阱或拾取物品出現/消失並非不可行！
• Changing the winning and losing conditions: Setting different score requirements, turn and time limits, or adding/removing requirements altogether is usually easy to pull off but requires individual tuning and additional playtesting.
  改變勝負條件：設定不同的分數要求、回合和時間限制，或是完全添加/移除要求，通常很容易實現，但需要個別調整和額外的遊戲測試。

Needless to say, difficulty-specific content variations can add a lot of workload across the whole project, which is why it often pays off to invest time in modifying your game systems and mechanics instead.
毋庸置疑，針對不同難度的內容變化會增加整個項目的工作量，因此通常值得投入時間來修改遊戲系統和機制。

Let’s take a look at a few examples:
讓我們來看看幾個例子：

• Moving the information horizon: Information is power! You can affect a player’s decision-making capabilities by changing the rules around the fog of war or by unveiling/obscuring information about enemy strength, position, strategy, and weaknesses.
  移動資訊地平線：資訊就是力量！您可以透過改變戰爭迷霧的規則，或揭示/隱藏有關敵人實力、位置、策略和弱點的資訊，來影響玩家的決策能力。
• Toggling player assisting features: Depending on the difficulty setting, you can vary the amount of gameplay assistance offered to players. This includes anything from enabling or disabling hints and aim assist to toggling various elements of the user interface such as the mini-map, objective and enemy markers, target reticle, and so on.
  切換玩家輔助功能：根據難度設定，您可以調整提供給玩家的遊戲輔助程度。這包括啟用或停用提示和瞄準輔助，以及切換使用者介面的各種元素，如小地圖、目標和敵人標記、目標準星等。
• Adapting major game systems: Gameplay stretches far beyond the scope of your level design and mechanics. Any optional rules and restrictions can be toggled based on the game’s difficulty. For example, in a puzzle game, the time limit could be turned off on easy, while the move undo feature could be made unavailable on hard.
  調整主要遊戲系統：遊戲玩法遠遠超出了關卡設計和機制的範疇。任何可選的規則和限制都可以根據遊戲的難度進行切換。例如，在益智遊戲中，可以在簡單模式下關閉時間限制，而在困難模式下則可以禁用移動撤銷功能。

Moreover, you can make your in-game challenges more thrilling (but also potentially frustrating) by limiting the quantity of game saves or restricting them to a particular place or point in time (be it outside of combat or in a special shrine).
此外，您可以通過限制遊戲存檔的數量或將其限制在特定的地點或時間點（無論是在戰鬥之外還是在特殊神殿中）來使遊戲內的挑戰更加刺激（但也可能更具挫折感）。

That said, changes to the base rules and systems can be controversial and have an undesirable impact on some of your mechanics and the structure of the average game session. Apply them with great care.
話雖如此，對基本規則和系統的改變可能會引起爭議，並對某些機制和一般遊戲回合的結構產生不良影響。應謹慎應用。

• Modifying the artificial intelligence: Look for parts of enemy behavior that can be tweaked across difficulty settings without making the enemies seem either incompetent or godlike. For example, you could modify the likelihood of flanking or aggressive pursuit behaviors, or the chances of using special moves and throwing grenades.
  修改人工智慧：尋找可以在不同難度設置中調整的敵人行為部分，而不會讓敵人顯得無能或如同神一般。例如，你可以修改側翼攻擊或積極追擊行為的可能性，或使用特殊招式和投擲手榴彈的機率。

Another good trick is to provide the enemies with low initial accuracy – that is, the first few shots are unlikely to hit (and perhaps they even deal lowered damage), giving players more time to react while still feeling threatened.
另一個好方法是讓敵人的初始準確度較低——也就是說，前幾次射擊不太可能命中（或許它們甚至造成較低的傷害），這樣可以給玩家更多的反應時間，同時仍然感受到威脅。

• Changing the consequences of failure: Lowering or increasing the consequences of failure will dramatically change the feel of the game. To increase the tension and make your gameplay more impactful, you can experiment with progress loss (experience, items, resources, and so on) or even more extreme features such as permanent death – a defining feature of modern rogue-like games such as Faster Than Light and Rogue Legacy.
  改變失敗的後果：降低或增加失敗的後果將會顯著改變遊戲的感受。為了增加緊張感並讓遊戲玩法更具影響力，你可以嘗試進行進度損失（經驗、物品、資源等）或甚至更極端的功能，如永久死亡——這是現代類 Rogue 遊戲如《Faster Than Light》和《Rogue Legacy》的定義特徵。

Negative consequences are not for everyone, though, so be very careful as to how and when you apply them. You’re at a real risk of infuriating your players and throwing them into a feedback loop fueled by failure, where each death makes them weaker and even more likely to fail again. Consider serving these features on an opt-in basis.
然而，負面後果並不適合每個人，因此要非常小心地選擇何時以及如何應用它們。你有可能激怒玩家，將他們推入一個由失敗驅動的反饋循環中，每次死亡都讓他們變得更弱，更容易再次失敗。考慮將這些功能設置為選擇性啟用。

In XCOM2, players can toggle Ironman mode when starting a new game. On Ironman, players are restricted to a single save file, which gets overwritten on each turn, making every action and decision irreversible (and by extension, much more thrilling). And since XCOM2 can be a difficult game, the consequences of a failed mission can be dire! Losing a few veteran soldiers, along with their equipment, can make any subsequent missions harder and could even cause you to fail your entire 20-hour playthrough!
在 XCOM2 中，玩家可以在開始新遊戲時切換到 Ironman 模式。在 Ironman 模式下，玩家僅限於一個存檔檔案，每回合都會覆蓋，這使得每個行動和決策都不可逆轉（因此更加刺激）。由於 XCOM2 是一款困難的遊戲，任務失敗的後果可能非常嚴重！失去幾名老兵及其裝備，會讓後續的任務更加困難，甚至可能導致整個 20 小時的遊戲過程失敗！

Figure 11.1 – An XCOM 2 mission report that spells trouble. With two squad members killed and another one gravely wounded, the player is up for a challenging run
圖 11.1 – 一份 XCOM 2 任務報告，顯示出麻煩。兩名小隊成員陣亡，另一名重傷，玩家面臨一場艱難的挑戰

Note

Remember, making any changes to game difficulty will cause ripple effects in the game’s balance (by promoting or diminishing the effectiveness of certain strategies) and the pacing of the experience (by encouraging more reckless or careful play). Do not venture into extremes; try mixing several solutions and observe their effects.
請記住，對遊戲難度進行任何更改都會對遊戲的平衡產生連鎖反應（通過促進或削弱某些策略的有效性）以及體驗的節奏（通過鼓勵更魯莽或更謹慎的玩法）。不要走向極端；嘗試混合多種解決方案並觀察其效果。

Embracing mono-difficulty
擁抱單一難度

Multiple difficulty settings are a long-accepted practice among players and the industry, but not every game requires them. Even if you normalize your game toward the average player, you can still cater to the far ends of the skill spectrum.
多重難度設定在玩家和業界中已經是長期被接受的做法，但並非每款遊戲都需要這樣做。即使你將遊戲調整至適合一般玩家，你仍然可以滿足技能光譜兩端的需求。

A great way to maintain a single difficulty mode, yet prevent players from getting stuck, is to offer them help once they meet a certain condition. For example, if they’re stuck on a puzzle for 15 minutes, this could trigger a hint, or if they fail to complete the stage five times in a row, they get a power-up.
一個保持單一難度模式但又能防止玩家卡關的好方法，是在他們達到某個條件時提供幫助。例如，如果他們在一個謎題上卡住了 15 分鐘，這可以觸發提示，或者如果他們連續五次未能完成關卡，他們會獲得一個強化道具。

Successful (and very explicit) examples of such systems can be found in many Nintendo products. Super Mario 3D World gives you access to a powerful power-up after several deaths, while New Super Mario Bros. U features a Super Guide Block – an auto-play mode that can complete the troubling area (or even the entire stage) for the player. These systems are opt-in (players can ignore the help offering) and often have some kind of consequence, such as a reduced score.
這類系統的成功（且非常明確）的例子可以在許多任天堂產品中找到。《Super Mario 3D World》在多次死亡後會給你一個強大的強化道具，而《New Super Mario Bros. U》則有一個超級指南方塊——一種自動遊玩模式，可以為玩家完成困難區域（甚至整個關卡）。這些系統是選擇性使用的（玩家可以忽略提供的幫助），通常會有某種後果，例如分數減少。

On the other hand, to cater to the highly skilled players, you’ll need to create ample ways for them to show off and receive recognition. The most popular features include optional objectives (in Super Mario 3D World, that would be collecting all of the special coins) and difficult side missions, optional bosses, high-score tables, maliciously hidden secrets, accolades, and achievements. Reaching the end of a game may be relatively easy, but mastering it – completing all challenges and unlocking an alternative ending – should be a far harder endeavor!
另一方面，為了迎合高技術水平的玩家，你需要創造足夠的方式讓他們展示實力並獲得認可。最受歡迎的功能包括可選目標（在《Super Mario 3D World》中，這指的是收集所有特殊硬幣）和困難的支線任務、可選的頭目戰、高分榜、隱藏得極其險惡的秘密、榮譽和成就。遊戲的結局可能相對容易達成，但要精通它——完成所有挑戰並解鎖替代結局——應該是一個更困難的任務！

Mono-difficulty is a great option for story-driven experiences and puzzle or adventure games. Puzzle challenges are not only difficult to grade accurately (what’s hard for me may be trivially easy for you), but also pose a challenge to the creation of more discrete difficulty settings – how can you scale your puzzles without giving away the solution?
單一難度對於以故事為主的體驗以及益智或冒險遊戲來說是個不錯的選擇。益智挑戰不僅難以準確評分（對我來說困難的可能對你來說輕而易舉），還對創建更多離散的難度設定構成挑戰——如何在不洩露解答的情況下調整你的謎題難度？

A fixed difficulty setting is also a suitable choice for products with innovative mechanics that do not rely on physical prowess or strong gaming experience – we all start in a similar spot. Budget and time constraints are also valid, though for far less glamorous reasons.
固定難度設定對於那些不依賴於體能或豐富遊戲經驗的創新機制產品來說也是一個合適的選擇——我們都從相似的起點開始。預算和時間限制也是合理的考量，儘管原因不那麼光鮮亮麗。

Automatic difficulty adjustment
自動難度調整

Regardless of whether your game has one or six difficulty settings, let’s look at how you can cleverly adapt individual challenges to a player’s current progress or performance.
無論你的遊戲有一個或六個難度設定，讓我們來看看如何巧妙地根據玩家的當前進度或表現來調整個別挑戰。

Rubberbanding

Rubberbanding systems are designed to keep contestants close together, to wrap an imaginary rubber band around them. They try to maintain an optimal level of challenge for each player by creating a negative feedback loop and adjusting in-game variables in real time. You can view rubberbanding as a systematic equivalent of Robin Hood; it helps those who struggle while providing an extra challenge to those who dominate. It can be done with players being well aware of the process or in total secret.
橡皮筋系統旨在讓參賽者保持接近，彷彿用一條想像中的橡皮筋將他們圍繞起來。它們試圖通過創造一個負反饋迴路並即時調整遊戲內變數，來為每位玩家維持最佳的挑戰水平。你可以將橡皮筋系統視為系統化的羅賓漢；它幫助那些掙扎的玩家，同時為那些主宰遊戲的玩家提供額外的挑戰。這可以在玩家完全知情的情況下進行，也可以在完全保密的情況下進行。

Most racing games do their best to cover their tracks and create an illusion of a tight and fair race. In Burnout, Need for Speed, and countless other games, an invisible rubber band controls the speed of NPC drivers, linking their performance to a player’s position. Get ahead and the rivals will soon follow to contest your position; fall behind and the whole pack of AI drivers will slow down to let you catch up and get within a fighting range.
大多數賽車遊戲都盡力掩飾其軌跡，創造出一種緊張而公平的比賽幻覺。在《Burnout》、《Need for Speed》和無數其他遊戲中，一條無形的橡皮筋控制著 NPC 駕駛員的速度，將他們的表現與玩家的位置聯繫起來。領先時，對手很快就會跟上來爭奪你的位置；落後時，整個 AI 駕駛員群體會放慢速度，讓你追上並進入可競爭的範圍。

On the other hand, item box mechanics in Nintendo’s Mario Kart serve as a good example of rubberbanding that’s almost explicit. The game features boxes that can be picked up during the race, and each box gives out a seemingly random item from a selection of several weapons and power-ups.
另一方面，任天堂的《瑪利歐賽車》中的道具箱機制就是一個幾乎明顯的橡皮筋效應的好例子。遊戲中設有可以在比賽中拾取的箱子，每個箱子會從多種武器和增強道具中隨機給予一個物品。

However, players are quick to realize that participants at the front of the pack receive far inferior items than those at the end. The gap in item quality between positions 1 and 8 is huge, and the game never tries to obscure it – some items are simply unavailable to well-performing drivers.
然而，玩家很快就會發現，排在前面的參賽者所獲得的物品遠不如排在後面的參賽者。第 1 名和第 8 名之間的物品品質差距巨大，而遊戲從不試圖掩蓋這一點——某些物品對表現良好的駕駛者來說根本無法獲得。

The item box modifiers in Mario Kart serve as proof that the use of rubberbanding reaches far beyond the racing genre. Bonuses and penalties based on a player’s standing (be it against the NPCs as well as other players) can be introduced to almost any game system.
《瑪利歐賽車》中的道具箱修正值證明了橡皮筋效應的使用遠遠超出了賽車類型。根據玩家的排名（無論是對抗 NPC 還是其他玩家）來給予獎勵和懲罰的機制幾乎可以引入到任何遊戲系統中。

Once you’ve determined what to adjust, you’ll also need to decide whether to be explicit about it or keep it a secret. As a rule of thumb, any game that tries to maintain a level of credibility and fairness in its competitive play should be crystal clear about the benefits and pitfalls of holding a certain place.
一旦你確定了需要調整的內容，你還需要決定是要明確說明還是保持秘密。一般來說，任何試圖在競技遊戲中保持可信度和公平性的遊戲都應該清楚地說明佔據某個位置的好處和壞處。

In the case of single-player games, the options are wider, and you may employ any tricks you wish. However, bear in mind that enforcing optimal difficulty across the board can make for a poorly paced and highly predictable game (we’ll speak more about pacing later in this chapter).
在單人遊戲的情況下，選擇範圍更廣，您可以運用任何您想要的技巧。然而，請記住，強制在整個遊戲中維持最佳難度可能會導致遊戲節奏不佳且高度可預測（我們將在本章稍後討論節奏問題）。

Multiplayer matchmaking  多人配對

Multiplayer games are at their best when they’re played between equal opponents. This is easier said than done, but there are several criteria you can consider when pitting players against one another:
多人遊戲在實力相當的對手之間進行時最為精彩。這說起來容易做起來難，但在讓玩家彼此對戰時，您可以考慮幾個標準：

• Inexperience: You may want to safeguard newcomers and have them play against one another until they reach a certain stage. Avoid applying this to the entire population.
  缺乏經驗：您可能希望保護新手，讓他們彼此對戰，直到達到某個階段。避免將此應用於整個玩家群體。
• Progression: If players get more powerful over time (for example, by gaining experience levels or building up their kingdom), you might want to calculate their power and use it to match players who are not too far apart from one another.
  進展：如果玩家隨著時間的推移變得更強大（例如，通過獲得經驗等級或建立自己的王國），您可能需要計算他們的實力，並用來匹配實力相差不大的玩家。
• Past performance: This is often done by introducing an Elo rating system, which gives each player a skill rating. This rating can be shown directly as-is, translated into a title/medal/league of some sort, or kept invisible (to prevent players from trying to game the system and lower their ratings in anticipation of big events).
  過去表現：這通常是透過引入 Elo 評分系統來完成的，該系統為每位玩家提供技能評分。這個評分可以直接顯示出來，轉換成某種頭銜/獎牌/聯賽，或者保持隱藏（以防止玩家試圖操縱系統並在重大事件前降低他們的評分）。

Regardless, after each game, rating points are attributed to the winner and are detracted from the loser based on their standings. In an uneven match, the higher-rated player has more to lose and less to gain, and vice versa.
無論如何，每場比賽結束後，勝者會獲得評分點數，而敗者則會根據他們的排名被扣除點數。在不均衡的比賽中，評分較高的玩家有更多的損失和較少的收益，反之亦然。

• Current performance: In some scenarios, the easiest approach might be to match players based on their most recent standing or a winning streak. For example, let’s say that the players are to play a total of 10 games; all you need to do is match people with similar win rates together.
  當前表現：在某些情況下，最簡單的方法可能是根據玩家最近的排名或連勝紀錄來進行配對。例如，假設玩家要進行總共 10 場比賽；您只需將勝率相近的人配對在一起即可。

This will make it harder and harder for the player to go on undefeated while giving the players who are below average an increasing chance to win over time. This works best when players start at a similar entry point.
這將使玩家越來越難以保持不敗，同時讓那些低於平均水平的玩家隨著時間的推移有更大的獲勝機會。這在玩家從相似的起點開始時效果最佳。

• Self-determined matchmaking: You can also try to offload the burden of matchmaking by letting the players pick their opponent. Put your players into several categories based on their skill or power, and then let them choose what kind of opponent they wish to fight. Make sure you incentivize punching above your weight while providing an insignificant reward for smashing someone far weaker.
  自我決定的配對：你也可以嘗試通過讓玩家選擇對手來減輕配對的負擔。根據玩家的技能或力量將他們分成幾個類別，然後讓他們選擇想要對抗的對手類型。確保激勵玩家挑戰比自己強的對手，同時對擊敗遠弱於自己的對手提供微不足道的獎勵。

Progression-driven difficulty
以成長為驅動的難度

Certain games aspire to offer both extensive character progression systems and vast worlds with seemingly unrestricted exploration. This offering creates a balancing risk where players are likely to run into a whole array of encounters, from trivial to impossibly difficult.
某些遊戲旨在提供廣泛的角色成長系統和廣闊的世界，讓玩家似乎可以無限制地探索。這種設計帶來了一種平衡風險，玩家可能會遇到各種各樣的挑戰，從微不足道到極其困難。

To counter this risk, game developers often create systems that automatically adjust game difficulty based on a particular indicator, such as the critical vector of progression (which we introduced as a concept in Chapter 3, Scoping a Game Project). This could be a player’s experience level, the state of the main storyline, or even the elapsed time since the game began.
為了應對這種風險，遊戲開發者通常會創建系統，根據特定指標自動調整遊戲難度，例如進度的關鍵向量（我們在第三章《遊戲項目範疇》中引入的概念）。這可能是玩家的經驗等級、主線劇情的狀態，甚至是遊戲開始以來的經過時間。

The aforementioned difficulty changes often focus on scaling the power of encountered enemies or even replacing them with entirely different ones. Some rewards are also adjusted to remain meaningful, which means that with the very same enemy, the quest or loot chest will offer more impressive rewards once your character has progressed.
上述的難度變化通常著重於調整遇到的敵人的力量，甚至用完全不同的敵人來取代。有些獎勵也會進行調整以保持其意義，這意味著即使是同樣的敵人，當你的角色進步時，任務或寶箱將提供更令人印象深刻的獎勵。

Difficulty scaling does not have to be linear; the average encounter may get progressively more difficult as players become more accustomed to the game and master its mechanics.
難度調整不必是線性的；隨著玩家對遊戲越來越熟悉並掌握其機制，平均遭遇可能會逐漸變得更具挑戰性。

Note

Progression-driven difficulty scaling does not address the differences in skill and capabilities between different players. You may still need to resort to the classic difficulty settings in addition to your scaling.
進程驅動的難度調整無法解決不同玩家之間技能和能力的差異。你可能仍然需要在調整的基礎上使用經典的難度設置。

In some cases, progression-based difficulty management is a very appealing and effective tool. It allows you to do the following:
在某些情況下，基於進程的難度管理是一個非常吸引人且有效的工具。它允許你做到以下幾點：

• Open up the game world: There’s no right or wrong place to be. Explore! Go wherever you want, whenever you want.
  打開遊戲世界：沒有對錯的地方。探索吧！隨時隨地去你想去的地方。
• Avoid backtracking: No need to run away from a difficult fight, only to return to the very same spot later.
  避免回頭：不需要逃避一場艱難的戰鬥，然後再回到同一個地方。
• Reduce frustration in combat encounters: There’s little risk of getting stuck or killed by a single hit from a powerful foe.
  減少戰鬥遭遇中的挫折感：幾乎沒有被強大敵人一擊擊倒或卡住的風險。
• Reward players’ time accordingly: No longer do you have to face the boring grind of pushing through a swarm of completely inferior foes and tasks, with nothing but meaningless rewards to offset your time.
  適當獎勵玩家的時間：不再需要面對無聊的重複勞作，推進一群完全劣勢的敵人和任務，只有毫無意義的獎勵來彌補你的時間。
• Provide life to the entirety of the game’s content: Since the challenges and rewards scale, the entirety of your game content remains viable, so there’s no risk of devaluing a large chunk of the game by advancing your characters beyond the relevant range.
  為整個遊戲內容注入生命：由於挑戰和獎勵會隨之調整，整個遊戲內容保持可行，因此不會因為角色超出相關範圍而貶低遊戲的大部分內容。
• Help with economy balancing: Costs that inflate and deflate based on a player’s status and income help keep things in an acceptable and relevant range.
  協助經濟平衡：根據玩家的狀態和收入而波動的成本有助於將一切保持在可接受且相關的範圍內。

Nevertheless, employing an auto-balancing system on a wide scale comes with significant pitfalls. By constantly scaling the challenges, you effectively remove the frame of reference between the power of players’ avatars and the obstacles they face.
然而，在大範圍內使用自動平衡系統會帶來顯著的缺陷。通過不斷調整挑戰的難度，你實際上移除了玩家角色的力量與他們面對的障礙之間的參考框架。

This lack of contrast and static difficulty space hurts your game in several ways:
這種缺乏對比和靜態的難度空間在多方面損害了你的遊戲：

• Diminished motivation to progress: Getting killed by a powerful enemy can be annoying, but it can also inspire players to better themselves. Setting your sights on becoming worthy of this seemingly impossible challenge is an amazing motivator.
  動力減弱：被強大的敵人擊敗可能會讓人沮喪，但也能激勵玩家提升自我。將目標設定為克服這看似不可能的挑戰，是一個絕佳的動力來源。
• Lack of visible growth: From time to time, you should stop and appreciate how far you’ve come. It feels great to crush an enemy that used to be a real challenge.
  缺乏明顯的成長：不時地停下來欣賞自己走過的路程是很重要的。擊敗曾經是巨大挑戰的敵人，感覺真是太棒了。
• A lessened thrill of exploration: Once you realize that no matter where you go you’ll get a fair fight and a fair reward (nothing more, nothing less), the motivation to venture into faraway lands fizzles away.
  探索的刺激減少了：一旦你意識到無論你走到哪裡，你都會得到一場公平的戰鬥和一個公平的獎勵（不多不少），那麼前往遙遠土地的動力就會消失。

Note

These cons are something that the designers at Bethesda (creators of the games in the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series) have realized and tried to address in some of their more recent games. While most quest-driven challenges appear to scale with player level, there seems to be a limit to how much the things within the game world can bend. This modified system helps maintain the feeling of progression in the outside world while keeping the core of the experience within a player’s ability range and comfort zone.
這些缺點是 Bethesda（《Fallout》和《Elder Scrolls》系列遊戲的創作者）的設計師們在他們的一些較新遊戲中意識到並試圖解決的問題。雖然大多數任務驅動的挑戰似乎會隨著玩家等級而調整，但遊戲世界中的事物能夠彎曲的程度似乎有限。這種改良的系統有助於在保持玩家能力範圍和舒適區域的同時，維持外部世界的進展感。

Now that we’ve covered the essentials of gameplay balancing and game difficulty, as well as numerous methods that can be used to assess and shape them, it is time to build upon some of these learnings as we explore the concept of pacing. No matter how perfectly balanced your gameplay is, nor how evenly matched the difficulty level, a lack of variation and poor pacing can either exhaust your players or bore them to death.
現在我們已經涵蓋了遊戲平衡和遊戲難度的基本要素，以及可以用來評估和塑造它們的多種方法，是時候在這些學習的基礎上進一步探討節奏的概念。無論你的遊戲玩法多麼完美平衡，或難度級別多麼均勻，如果缺乏變化和不良的節奏掌控，都可能讓玩家感到疲憊或無聊至極。

Pacing

Pacing is all about setting the tempo of your game and keeping the players engaged; it’s the heartbeat of your game. Our ultimate goal is to utterly captivate our audience, suspend their disbelief, and keep them in a state of flow.
節奏掌控關乎於設定遊戲的節拍並保持玩家的投入；這是遊戲的心跳。我們的最終目標是徹底吸引觀眾，讓他們忘卻現實，並保持在一種流暢的狀態中。

The psychological concept of flow or the zone was recognized and named by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1975 and refers to the mental state of being fully immersed in the task at hand, even to the point of losing the sense of time and space:
心理學中的「心流」或「最佳狀態」這一概念是由米哈里·契克森米哈伊於 1975 年提出並命名的，指的是一種完全沉浸於當下任務的心理狀態，甚至達到忘記時間和空間的程度

Figure 11.2 – Diagram of the flow concept
圖 11.2 – 流程概念圖

This basic flow graph represents the relationship between difficulty and skill. As players become more experienced and competent, they require more challenging tasks.
這個基本的流動圖表代表了難度和技能之間的關係。隨著玩家變得更加有經驗和能力，他們需要更具挑戰性的任務。

However, there’s more to pacing than matching a player’s skill and task difficulty! As you may remember, back in the Chapter 9, The Fundamentals of Level Design we mentioned that the pace of the game is often dictated by the intensity of the levels you create.
然而，節奏不僅僅是匹配玩家的技能和任務難度！如你所記得，在第九章《關卡設計的基礎》中，我們提到遊戲的節奏往往由你創建的關卡強度所決定。

This intensity stems not only from task difficulty but also from mental and sensory stimulation. By this standard, game designers, level designers, writers, and artists are all responsible for invoking and maintaining the flow state in their own regard.
這種強度不僅源於任務的難度，還來自於心理和感官的刺激。按照這個標準，遊戲設計師、關卡設計師、作家和藝術家都各自負責喚起並維持流暢狀態。

If you were to look at your game as if it was a dish or a musical composition, every bit of content and functionality you have would become an ingredient or an instrument; they all play an important part in something bigger. Exciting plot twists and a whole new planet to explore both stimulate your audience and raise your overall intensity without affecting game difficulty at all.
如果你將你的遊戲視作一道菜餚或一首音樂作品，那麼每一個內容和功能就會成為一種食材或一件樂器；它們都在更大的整體中扮演著重要的角色。令人興奮的情節轉折和一個全新的星球供探索，既能刺激你的觀眾，也能提升整體的緊張感，而不會影響遊戲的難度。

As a rule of thumb, novel content and difficult sections raise your intensity while repetitive segments and low difficulty lower it. Prolonged periods of low intensity lead to boredom, while long, overly intense sections can exhaust your players. However, this is just scratching the surface. Before we understand how to set and control the pace, let’s unpack the meaning of mental and sensory stimulation in the context of games.
一般來說，新穎的內容和困難的部分會提高你的強度，而重複的片段和低難度則會降低它。長時間的低強度會導致無聊，而過長、過於強烈的部分則可能讓玩家感到疲憊。然而，這只是表面現象。在我們了解如何設置和控制節奏之前，讓我們先解開在遊戲中心理和感官刺激的意義。

Mental and sensory stimulation
心理和感官刺激

Reducing the role of pacing to simply manage difficulty would make us disregard a whole range of more complex aspects of video games. For example, most humans find great joy in exploring uncharted lands, experimenting with new tools, and diving deep into captivating stories. These types of experiences are unarguably useful in making our games more immersive and engaging and thus should be paced accordingly.
將節奏的作用簡化為僅僅管理難度，會使我們忽視電子遊戲中一系列更為複雜的方面。例如，大多數人類在探索未知領域、嘗試新工具以及深入引人入勝的故事中找到極大的樂趣。這些類型的體驗無疑對於使我們的遊戲更具沉浸感和吸引力是有用的，因此應該相應地調整節奏。

To begin with, any part of the game that encourages thinking and decision-making can be considered as cognitively and mentally stimulating. Actions that stimulate our players include (but are not limited to) the following:
首先，任何鼓勵思考和決策的遊戲部分都可以被視為具有認知和心理刺激作用。刺激玩家的行為包括（但不限於）以下幾點：

• Learning and mastering gameplay mechanics and controls
  學習和掌握遊戲機制和控制
• Analyzing new and unfamiliar content and building world knowledge
  分析新的和不熟悉的內容並建立世界知識
• Predicting the consequences of story developments and reminiscing about past events
  預測故事發展的後果並回憶過去的事件
• Making meaningful decisions
  做出有意義的決策
• Calculating risks and rewards and planning your moves
  計算風險與回報並規劃你的行動

Sensory stimulation, on the other hand, is all about the visceral experience of inhabiting, observing, and listening to the game world, as well as interacting with it outside the context of game challenges. Sensory stimulation stems from these aspects:
另一方面，感官刺激完全關乎於身臨其境的體驗，觀察和聆聽遊戲世界，以及在遊戲挑戰之外與其互動。感官刺激源自於以下幾個方面：

• The theme and mood of the game
  遊戲的主題和氛圍
• Visuals such as 2D and 3D art, animation, visual effects, environments, and the graphical user interface
  視覺效果如 2D 和 3D 藝術、動畫、視覺特效、環境以及圖形使用者介面
• UI interactions
• Background actors and NPCs (animals or people going about their day)
  背景演員和 NPC（動物或人們日常活動）
• World interaction and physics (some of us spent hours using the Gravity Gun to throw bathroom sinks in Half-Life 2)
  世界互動和物理效果（我們中的一些人曾花數小時在《半條命 2》中使用重力槍投擲浴室水槽）
• Audio music, sound effects, voice-overs, and ambient noises
  音樂、音效、旁白和環境噪音
• Passive (non-interactive) storytelling via text, cutscenes, and audio
  透過文字、過場動畫和音頻進行被動（非互動式）敘事

These sources of mental and sensory stimulation are often heavily intertwined and impossible to break down without extensive research, but attempting to list them may help us appreciate the roles of various parts of the game in terms of pacing.
這些心智和感官刺激的來源通常緊密交織，若不進行深入研究，幾乎無法分解，但嘗試列舉它們可能有助於我們理解遊戲中各個部分在節奏上的角色。

To effectively use mental and sensory stimulation in this context, you need to be aware of the inherent diminishing returns. Repeated exposure to any element (be it a type of puzzle, musical piece, animation, or background) reduces its impact and effectiveness. Overly familiar elements get parsed by our brains as a simple background. Just like strangers on the bus, they are rarely memorable or worthy of prolonged attention. There is comfort in familiarity, but too much of it leads to a feeling of stagnation. Every game world needs background noise, but it’s up to you to make sure that there is enough going on to maintain a player’s interest.
要在這種情境中有效利用心智和感官刺激，你需要意識到其固有的遞減效應。對任何元素的重複接觸（無論是某種類型的謎題、音樂片段、動畫或背景）都會降低其影響力和效果。過於熟悉的元素會被我們的大腦解析為簡單的背景。就像公車上的陌生人一樣，它們很少讓人印象深刻或值得長時間關注。熟悉感中有舒適，但過多則會導致停滯的感覺。每個遊戲世界都需要背景噪音，但由你來確保有足夠的內容來維持玩家的興趣。

Note

Remember, adding more content and mechanics is not a surefire way of making your game more engaging. To start with, piling up more elements will make quality assurance, playtesting, and any gameplay iterations much more expensive. Even then, your attempts at enriching the experience can backfire.
記住，增加更多內容和機制並不是讓你的遊戲更具吸引力的萬全之策。首先，堆積更多元素會使品質保證、遊戲測試和任何遊戲玩法的迭代變得更加昂貴。即便如此，你試圖豐富體驗的努力也可能適得其反。

The same elements that are used to inspire feelings of awe, anticipation, curiosity, and artistic satisfaction can end up overwhelming the player. The story can get diluted by unnecessary plot points and the entire game can get too big to manage, too difficult to balance, and too long to play through. Prepare a content lifespan document, set your pacing early on, and only keep what works!
那些用來激發敬畏、期待、好奇和藝術滿足感的元素，最終可能會讓玩家感到不堪重負。故事可能因不必要的情節點而被稀釋，整個遊戲可能變得過於龐大而難以管理，過於困難而難以平衡，並且過於冗長而難以通關。準備一份內容壽命文件，及早設定你的節奏，只保留有效的部分！

How to approach pacing
如何掌握節奏

Challenging and stimulating experiences are powerful weapons against boredom, but using them to their best effect is a difficult art. Even in a game with a set, unchanging difficulty setting, the intensity of moment-to-moment gameplay is rarely constant.
具有挑戰性和刺激性的體驗是對抗無聊的強大武器，但要將它們發揮到最佳效果是一門困難的藝術。即使在一個設有固定、不變難度設定的遊戲中，瞬間遊戲玩法的強度也很少是恆定的。

Instead, we ought to steadily escalate these physical and mental difficulties but also remember to give players a moment to catch their breath, plan their next moves, invest resources, and start anticipating the next big thing. Moments of lower intensity do not need to be empty; they can be populated with scripted events, storytelling, socializing, and sensory stimulation.
相反地，我們應該穩步地增加這些身心上的挑戰，但也要記得給玩家一個喘息的機會，讓他們能夠計劃下一步行動、投資資源，並開始期待下一個重大事件。低強度的時刻不必是空洞的；它們可以充滿劇本事件、故事敘述、社交互動和感官刺激。

Note

Contrast applies to pacing as much as it applies to art. If everything explodes, nothing really does. A game that’s all-out intense has no highlights, no ups, and no downs. Flatly-paced gameplay and storytelling make up for a series of experiences that easily clump together into an indistinguishable mess.
對比不僅適用於藝術，也適用於節奏。如果一切都在爆炸，那麼實際上什麼都沒有爆炸。一款全程高強度的遊戲沒有亮點，沒有高潮，也沒有低谷。平淡無奇的遊戲節奏和故事敘述會形成一系列容易混淆的經歷，最終成為一團模糊不清的混亂。

To put things into a more practical perspective, we’ll explore some methods we can use to pace linear content, follow that with more systemic solutions, and close off with some loose tips!
為了更實際地看待這些問題，我們將探討一些用於調整線性內容節奏的方法，接著介紹更多系統性的解決方案，最後提供一些零散的建議！

Pacing linear content  調整線性內容的節奏

Linear game content is driven by the combined efforts of level design and the narrative, making it expensive and time-consuming to iterate on, but giving you the ability to control gameplay on a very granular, moment-by-moment basis. One of the best ways of exercising this control is to work with a timeline.
線性遊戲內容是由關卡設計和敘事共同推動的，這使得迭代過程既昂貴又耗時，但卻能讓你在非常細微的、逐刻的基礎上控制遊戲玩法。行使這種控制的最佳方法之一是使用時間軸。

This timeline is a long graph spanning the entire length of a single, self-contained fragment of the game that you’re about to pace. Gradually, your timeline will be populated with more and more precise details, creating a solid action plan and reducing iteration times dramatically.
這個時間軸是一個長圖，跨越了你即將安排節奏的遊戲單一自成一體的片段的整個長度。隨著時間的推移，你的時間軸將逐漸填滿越來越精確的細節，從而創建一個堅實的行動計劃，並顯著減少迭代時間。

It’s best to start this process early on, during the outline or blockout period, when there’s still a potentially high degree of flexibility in terms of gameplay, story, intensity, and structure.
最好在早期就開始這個過程，在大綱或初步設計階段，當遊戲玩法、故事、強度和結構仍有很大靈活性時。

Note

Even though we’re working on a single area or level, the pace and progression of the entire game have to be taken into consideration. Make note of what happens before and after your stage, and how your plan fits the overall structure of the game.
即使我們正在處理單一區域或關卡，也必須考慮整個遊戲的節奏和進程。記下在你的階段之前和之後發生的事情，以及你的計劃如何適應遊戲的整體結構。

Since it’s much easier to work on a trusted and effective storytelling structure, try dividing your timeline (and thus, your stage) into three or four distinct acts:
由於在一個值得信賴且有效的敘事結構上工作要容易得多，試著將你的時間線（也就是你的舞台）分成三或四個不同的幕：

• Introduction
• Escalation
• The twist (optional)  反轉（可選）
• Conclusion

These acts will help you govern the overall flow of intensity in the level and help you provide a sense of progression and closure. They are also useful scaffolding for framing the narrative.
這些行為將幫助你掌控關卡中整體強度的流動，並協助你提供一種進展和結束的感覺。它們也是構建敘事框架的有用支架。

Let’s take a look at a fictional example:
讓我們來看看一個虛構的例子：

Figure 11.3 – A sample level broken up into four acts
圖 11.3 – 一個樣本關卡被分成四個幕

Now, use the content lifespan, the script, the level sketch, or any other design document to make a list of any elements that you absolutely must have on your level. This includes things such as plot twists, puzzle ideas, new content, mechanics you plan to introduce, and so on.
現在，使用內容壽命、劇本、關卡草圖或任何其他設計文件，列出在你的關卡中絕對必須擁有的任何元素。這包括情節轉折、謎題想法、新內容、你計劃引入的機制等等。

Place these elements on the timeline and pinpoint the desired intensity and its trend at that point in time:
將這些元素放置在時間軸上，並在該時間點確定所需的強度及其趨勢：

Figure 11.4 – An example of a level timeline with key events
圖 11.4 – 關卡時間軸與關鍵事件範例

This is a good starting point, but our acts consist of more than a few key points! We can divide them further into areas or chunks of various types. Here are some examples:
這是一個不錯的起點，但我們的行為不僅僅由幾個關鍵點組成！我們可以進一步將它們劃分為不同類型的區域或片段。以下是一些例子：

• Gameplay chunks may include various types, such as the following:
  遊戲玩法模塊可能包括各種類型，例如以下幾種：
  • Combat
  • Puzzle-solving
  • Platforming
  • Exploration
  • Stealth
• Narrative chunks for important story elements, cutscenes, dialogue sections, and so on
  敘述片段用於重要的故事元素、過場動畫、對話部分等等
• Tutorials and scripted events
  教學和腳本事件

Populate the graph with various chunks and try to maintain a level of variety within gameplay tasks and their intensity. Keep refining the curve as you go along! Even though this intensity may seem ambiguous at first, it will provide you with a meaningful target to hit during gray boxing and implementation phases and enforce a degree of self-control:
在圖表中填入各種片段，並嘗試在遊戲任務及其強度中保持一定的多樣性。隨著進行不斷地完善曲線！即使這種強度一開始看起來模糊不清，但在灰盒階段和實施階段，它將為您提供一個有意義的目標，並強化一定程度的自我控制：

Figure 11.5 – Various gameplay chunks are plotted on the timeline
圖 11.5 – 各種遊戲玩法片段在時間軸上繪製

With a complete timeline at hand, you can plan your work more effectively, build up to big events, vary the tasks, and deliver an emotional impact. Do not rush your timelines; a solid plan can help you save lots of time later on!
擁有完整的時間表在手，你可以更有效地規劃工作，逐步推進重大事件，變化任務，並帶來情感的衝擊。不要急於制定時間表；一個穩固的計劃可以幫助你在後期節省大量時間！

Pacing via rules and mechanics
透過規則與機制來調整節奏

By adding and modifying the game’s rules and mechanics, you can evolve your gameplay scenarios, setting the pace and intensity in a highly efficient and repeatable way.
透過增加和修改遊戲的規則與機制，你可以在高度有效且可重複的方式中演化你的遊戲場景，設定節奏和強度。

Let’s look at some examples of using game system pacing:
讓我們來看看一些使用遊戲系統節奏的例子：

• Time: Time limits are often used to raise the pace and keep players on the task at hand. Even if things start slowly and calculated, the action is sure to pick up as any indecision and inaction slowly accumulates toward an incredibly tense finale.
  時間：時間限制常被用來提高節奏，讓玩家專注於手頭的任務。即使事情一開始緩慢且經過深思熟慮，隨著任何猶豫不決和不作為逐漸累積，行動必然會在一個極度緊張的結局中加速。

Furthermore, by using mechanics such as overtime (where the game does not end for as long as a losing team is contesting the objective), you can make the game more exciting and give the underdogs a chance to come back from their previous mistakes.
此外，透過使用加時賽等機制（當落後的隊伍仍在爭奪目標時，遊戲不會結束），你可以讓遊戲更加刺激，並給予劣勢方一個從先前失誤中逆轉的機會。

On a different note, the games in the Warrioware series are an extreme example of using time in pacing. Players are presented with a series of quick and silly micro-games, simple tasks that test your reaction time and ask for a few precise inputs. Things start slow, but after a series of several micro-games, the game speeds up and raises the difficulty by reducing the time limits for all tasks.
另一方面，《戰鬥工廠》系列遊戲是利用時間來調節節奏的極端例子。玩家面對一系列快速且滑稽的微型遊戲，這些簡單的任務測試你的反應時間，並要求一些精確的輸入。遊戲開始時節奏較慢，但在經歷了幾個微型遊戲後，遊戲會加快速度，並通過縮短所有任務的時間限制來提高難度。

• Score: Getting close to beating a high score is sure to raise the stakes, but the use of scoring systems extends beyond rankings or the leaderboard and has great effects on pacing in scenarios involving direct competition. For example, in Rainbow Six: Siege, as in many eSports games, two teams compete in games that are divided into multiple, individually scored rounds.
  分數：接近打破高分紀錄肯定會提高賭注，但計分系統的使用不僅限於排名或排行榜，還對涉及直接競爭的情境中的節奏產生重大影響。例如，在《Rainbow Six: Siege》中，與許多電子競技遊戲一樣，兩支隊伍在分為多個、各自計分的回合中競爭。

As the opposing team starts winning points, the intensity naturally grows higher for the losing team. For the leading side, on the other hand, the effect is the opposite. If you need 5 points to win, dropping from 4-0 to 4-1 is still a low-intensity scenario (after all, you have plenty of room for error).
當對方隊伍開始得分時，落後的隊伍自然會感受到更高的壓力。反之，領先的隊伍則感受到相反的效果。如果你需要 5 分才能獲勝，從 4-0 降到 4-1 仍然是一個低壓的情況（畢竟，你還有很多犯錯的空間）。

As always, the key to sustaining an engaging pacing across both teams is to provide the means for the losing side to come back, and by extension, keep the winning team on their toes.
一如往常，保持雙方隊伍節奏吸引人的關鍵在於提供落後方反敗為勝的機會，進而讓領先方保持警惕。

• Resource escalation: Taking control over resource generation is one of the most effective ways a game designer can raise or lower the intensity of any gameplay scenario. In this context, the resources (minerals, coins, fuel, mana, and so on) are anything that players can use to introduce new elements and options to the game (units, moves, combinations, special abilities, and so on).
  資源升級：掌控資源生成是遊戲設計師提升或降低任何遊戲場景強度的最有效方法之一。在這個背景下，資源（礦物、硬幣、燃料、法力等）是玩家可以用來引入新元素和選項到遊戲中的任何東西（單位、動作、組合、特殊能力等）。

Resource escalation can be done linearly, exponentially, or in distinct stages. For example, in Hearthstone, Marvel SNAP, and Magic the Gathering, the possibilities for combos and the potential impact of each card grows steadily with the rise of mana. Clash Royale, on the other hand, has 3-minute-long matches, where resource production is kept still for the first 2 minutes.
資源升級可以是線性、指數或分階段進行。例如，在《爐石戰記》、《Marvel SNAP》和《魔法風雲會》中，隨著法力的增加，連擊的可能性和每張卡牌的潛在影響穩步增長。另一方面，《Clash Royale》的比賽時間為 3 分鐘，其中前 2 分鐘資源生產保持不變。

After that, the game goes into overdrive and doubles the resource generation process, and thus multiplies the speed and intensity of the gameplay. This practice also increases the chances of resolving the match in 3 minutes without triggering overtime.
之後，遊戲進入超速模式，將資源生成過程加倍，從而成倍提高遊戲的速度和強度。這種做法也增加了在不觸發加時賽的情況下在 3 分鐘內解決比賽的機會。

• Pacing in MOBA games: Games in the MOBA genre such as League of Legends and DOTA 2 are great examples of games that use rules and systems to manipulate pacing. It pays off to investigate these games, even if you are not a fan. In both cases, the game starts slowly, with players largely sticking to their area of the map and methodically accumulating resources and unlocking new abilities.
  MOBA 遊戲的節奏：MOBA 類型的遊戲，如《英雄聯盟》和《DOTA 2》，是利用規則和系統操控節奏的絕佳範例。即使你不是這類遊戲的愛好者，也值得研究這些遊戲。在這兩種情況下，遊戲開始時節奏緩慢，玩家大多停留在地圖的區域內，並有條不紊地累積資源和解鎖新能力。

As players grow in power, their options increase and so does the intensity. After several minutes, players are more able to withstand enemy defenses and secure kills. This shifts the dynamic and encourages players to group up, enforcing intense team fights.
隨著玩家實力的增強，他們的選擇也隨之增加，遊戲的緊張程度亦然。在經過幾分鐘後，玩家更能抵擋敵人的防禦並取得擊殺。這改變了遊戲的動態，鼓勵玩家組隊，促成激烈的團隊戰鬥。

However, the higher your character level, the longer you need to wait to respawn. This may provide a nice break from an increasingly stressful game, but it also increases the consequences of failure. Near the end of a match, the intensity spikes from each encounter can become enormous, especially since both teams are constantly damaging each other’s defenses and coming ever closer to securing a victory.
然而，角色等級越高，重生所需等待的時間就越長。這可能為日益緊張的遊戲提供了一個不錯的喘息機會，但也增加了失敗的後果。在比賽接近尾聲時，每次遭遇的緊張程度可能會變得極大，尤其是因為雙方隊伍不斷損害彼此的防禦，並越來越接近取得勝利。

Pacing tips

Now that we have an understanding of what pacing is and how to approach it, let’s look at some more concrete examples and tips, starting with the role of actor removal.
現在我們已經了解了節奏是什麼以及如何處理它，讓我們來看看一些更具體的例子和技巧，首先從角色移除的角色開始。

Investigating actor removal
調查角色移除

Strategy games have a natural pace based on the slow accumulation of power and the results of exercising it. In many cases, the intensity grows as you amass an army, peaks when you go into battle, and either raise through a lost encounter (as you scramble to recover and are left feeling exposed) or lowers with a win (as the threat is reduced).
策略遊戲有一種基於力量緩慢積累和運用結果的自然節奏。在許多情況下，隨著你集結軍隊，緊張程度會增加，當你進入戰鬥時達到頂峰，然後在失去的遭遇中上升（因為你急於恢復並感到暴露）或在勝利中下降（因為威脅減少）。

Moreover, the higher the number of cards, units, or resources at a player’s disposal, the more actions and choices they have to make or at least consider. Having little to do is far more relaxing than having to analyze hundreds of combinations and spread the attention across multiple actors and possible locations.
此外，玩家手中擁有的卡牌、單位或資源越多，他們需要做出的行動和選擇就越多，或者至少需要考慮的選擇就越多。相比之下，無事可做要比分析數百種組合並將注意力分散在多個角色和可能的位置上輕鬆得多。

In team-based games, player elimination is sure to put more pressure on the remaining players, especially if there’s still a remote chance of winning. Increasing the chance to recover from a losing scenario is a great way of making the game more fun for both sides.
在團隊遊戲中，玩家被淘汰無疑會給剩下的玩家帶來更大的壓力，尤其是在仍有一絲獲勝希望的情況下。提高從失敗局面中恢復的機會，是讓遊戲對雙方都更有趣的一個好方法。

These are just a few simple examples, but hopefully, you’ll look at actor removal and player elimination in your games. Analyze the effects they have on pacing, and look for improvements that can be made to address or increase these effects.
這些只是一些簡單的例子，但希望你能在遊戲中考慮角色移除和玩家淘汰。分析它們對節奏的影響，並尋找可以改進的方法來解決或增強這些效果。

High intensity and storytelling
高強度與敘事

As things start to blow up and the tempo picks up, the plot might need to take a backseat. Most Hollywood action movies deliberately pause major plot developments for the duration of intense action sequences (car chases, fights, shootouts, and so on).
當事情開始爆發，節奏加快時，情節可能需要暫時退居次位。大多數好萊塢動作電影故意在激烈的動作場景（如追車、打鬥、槍戰等）期間暫停主要情節發展。

These scenes can be great for light characterization but suffer when trying to express complex motives, deep emotions, and intertwined storylines. The viewer will be too distracted by everything that’s going on to pay attention to more intricate and subtle aspects of the narrative.
這些場景可以很好地進行輕度角色刻畫，但在表達複雜動機、深刻情感和交錯的故事線時會受到影響。觀眾會因為發生的一切而過於分心，無法注意到敘事中更精緻和微妙的方面。

Consider applying the same principle to your game and avoid putting heavily involved story elements in very intense sections of your game.
考慮將相同的原則應用於你的遊戲中，避免在遊戲中非常緊張的部分加入過於複雜的故事元素。

Multiplayer pacing and level design
多人遊戲的節奏和關卡設計

The layout of your maps is a great tool to modify pacing. You may remember from Chapter 9, The Fundamentals of Level Design, that providing effective cover will encourage more careful and static play, while rich flanking opportunities and pick-ups will promote movement. However, to further control your pacing, you must look at how gameplay evolves.
地圖的佈局是調整節奏的絕佳工具。你可能還記得在第九章《關卡設計的基本原理》中提到，提供有效的掩護會鼓勵更謹慎和靜態的遊戲方式，而豐富的側翼機會和拾取物品則會促進移動。然而，要進一步控制你的節奏，你必須觀察遊戲玩法的演變。

As an example, in the Battlefield series, the Rush game mode has one team defending two objectives (radio transmitters or similar) from the attackers who are trying to successfully detonate them before running out of time or respawns.
例如，在《戰地風雲》系列中，Rush 遊戲模式中有一隊需要防守兩個目標（如無線電發射器或類似物）以防止攻擊者在時間或重生次數耗盡前成功引爆它們。

Upon the successful destruction of both objectives, a new set becomes available and the entire action shifts to a new part of the map. There may be up to five different sets of fresh targets, and each set may offer new gameplay opportunities, vehicles, and strategies. In Rush, the evolving map layout is constantly shifting pace.
在成功摧毀兩個目標後，新的目標組會出現，整個行動會轉移到地圖的另一部分。可能會有多達五組不同的新目標，每組都可能提供新的遊戲機會、載具和策略。在 Rush 模式中，不斷變化的地圖佈局使遊戲節奏持續變化。

The map layouts in a real-time strategy game such as Starcraft 2 are equally as important. For instance, you can increase or lower the pace of the match entirely by modifying the number of resources that are available in the starting location, thus changing resource production rates and encouraging or discouraging early expansion efforts.
在即時戰略遊戲如《星海爭霸 2》中，地圖佈局同樣重要。例如，您可以通過修改起始位置的資源數量來完全改變比賽的節奏，從而改變資源生產速度，並鼓勵或抑制早期擴張的努力。

Increasing the map size and surrounding players with destructible obstacles or water would further modify the tempo but at the cost of possibly invalidating certain strategies – ones we worked so hard to enable with careful game balancing.
增加地圖大小並用可破壞的障礙物或水域包圍玩家會進一步改變節奏，但可能會以使某些策略失效為代價——這些策略是我們通過精心的遊戲平衡努力實現的。

Utilizing threat and anxiety
利用威脅和焦慮

In games that revolve around challenge and skill, threat and anxiety play a dominant role in setting the intensity, a role that’s often mismanaged or misunderstood. The threat itself does not depend entirely on the actual difficulty of the gameplay scenario. Instead, it is based on the perception of adversity and fueled by the negative consequences of failure.
在以挑戰和技巧為核心的遊戲中，威脅和焦慮在設定緊張感方面扮演著主導角色，這個角色常常被誤解或管理不當。威脅本身並不完全取決於遊戲場景的實際難度，而是基於對逆境的感知，並由失敗的負面後果所驅動。

If the stakes are high, a relatively trivial gameplay encounter can be a source of an immense level of threat. For example, when players die in Dark Souls (and other games in the so-called Souls series, including Elden Ring), they drop any souls they’ve amassed but have not spent. Souls are a crucial resource that relates to a character’s overall progression. If players fail to collect the dropped souls within their next life, the souls disappear forever, and with them, potentially hours of character progression.
如果賭注很高，即使是相對瑣碎的遊戲過程也可能成為巨大的威脅來源。例如，當玩家在《黑暗靈魂》（以及所謂的靈魂系列中的其他遊戲，包括《艾爾登法環》）中死亡時，他們會掉落所有已累積但尚未使用的靈魂。靈魂是與角色整體進展相關的重要資源。如果玩家未能在下一次生命中收集掉落的靈魂，這些靈魂將永遠消失，並且可能會失去數小時的角色進展。

By raising the stakes and tapping into the loss aversion bias (it’s in our nature to absolutely hate losing or missing out on things), this mechanic can turn even the most trivial and previously mastered part of the stage into an immensely stressful endeavor. However, there is a positive flipside to this inarguably extreme mechanic.
通過提高賭注並利用損失規避偏誤（我們天性上非常討厭失去或錯過東西），這種機制可以將即使是最瑣碎且已經掌握的關卡部分變成極度壓力的挑戰。然而，這種無可爭議的極端機制也有其積極的一面。

The high game difficulty and consequences of repeated failure don’t just raise the intensity and reinvigorate completed content; successfully collecting dropped souls is accompanied by a great sense of satisfaction, pride, and relief.
高難度的遊戲挑戰和反覆失敗的後果不僅提升了緊張感，還讓已完成的內容重新煥發活力；成功收集掉落的靈魂時，伴隨而來的是極大的滿足感、自豪感和如釋重負的感覺。

Moreover, even if you were to fail twice in a row, the souls may be gone forever, but so is the pressure and tension built around trying to reclaim them. For an average Dark Souls player, repeated death is as frustrating as it is motivating:
此外，即使你連續失敗兩次，靈魂可能永遠消失，但圍繞著試圖奪回它們的壓力和緊張感也隨之消散。對於一般的《黑暗靈魂》玩家來說，反覆的死亡既令人沮喪又激勵人心：

Figure 11.6 – Screen of a Dark Souls player
圖 11.6 – 黑暗靈魂玩家的螢幕

Figure 11.6 shows an all too familiar screen for any Dark Souls player. Yet, against all odds, the Dark Souls series has normalized and popularised the emotional rollercoaster of high-stakes gameplay in the west.
圖 11.6 展示了一個對任何《黑暗靈魂》玩家來說都再熟悉不過的畫面。然而，儘管一切困難，《黑暗靈魂》系列在西方已經將高風險遊戲的情感過山車常態化並普及化。

Dark Souls aside, an intense game does not need to be a severely punishing one. In BioShock, difficult battles often end up with close calls and hard-fought victories. This is no accident. According to the developers, the game is designed to tip the scale in the player’s favor in times of great need.
撇開《黑暗靈魂》不談，一款緊張刺激的遊戲不一定要是懲罰性極強的。在《生化奇兵》中，艱難的戰鬥往往以驚險的險勝告終。這並非偶然。根據開發者的說法，遊戲設計旨在於玩家最需要的時候傾斜天平，讓玩家佔據優勢。

When the player is about to die, the game leaves them with a small percentage of health and turns them invulnerable for a short period. This gives the player a chance to shoot back and finish the fight with just a tiny portion of their health left. It sure feels great to repeatedly escape death by a razor-thin margin!
當玩家即將死亡時，遊戲會讓他們剩下一小部分的生命值，並在短時間內變得無敵。這給予玩家一個機會，以僅剩的一點生命值反擊並結束戰鬥。能夠一次又一次地以毫髮之差逃過死亡，確實讓人感到非常爽快！

There are many more examples of such trickery in the world of game development. Just because we expect our players to play fair doesn’t mean we can’t cheat a little to ensure they are having a good time. If done right, these tricks will remain invisible to the players and keep them inside the flow channel, but if done badly, they will backfire and break the immersion we worked so hard to build.
在遊戲開發的世界中，這種小伎倆的例子還有很多。即使我們期望玩家公平遊戲，也不代表我們不能稍微作弊一下，以確保他們玩得開心。如果做得好，這些小伎倆將對玩家來說是無形的，並讓他們保持在流暢的遊戲體驗中，但如果做得不好，則會適得其反，破壞我們辛苦建立的沉浸感。

Note

A game with no failure states and no punishment poses no direct threat to the player, and some can argue that it is not even a real game, but an interactive experience. In such scenarios, it’s very difficult to maintain a player’s interest by directly challenging their abilities.
一款沒有失敗狀態和懲罰的遊戲對玩家不構成直接威脅，有人甚至可以爭辯說這不是真正的遊戲，而是一種互動體驗。在這種情況下，直接挑戰玩家的能力很難維持他們的興趣。

Instead, the game has to rely on other emotions and control pacing by rewarding progress, aspirational goals (difficult puzzles and challenges), as well as mental and sensory stimulation (new mechanics, inspiring art, a captivating story, and so on). Note that having to replay even the smallest part of the game is a form of punishment – repeating tasks without making progress in the game is rarely fun.
相反，遊戲必須依賴其他情感並通過獎勵進度、激勵目標（困難的謎題和挑戰），以及心理和感官刺激（新的機制、激勵人心的藝術、引人入勝的故事等）來控制節奏。請注意，即使是重玩遊戲中的最小部分也是一種懲罰——在遊戲中重複任務而沒有進展很少是有趣的。

The screenshots that were used in this chapter are for illustrative purposes only. For more information, please consult the terms and conditions of the publishers mentioned in the Disclaimer section of this book.
本章中使用的截圖僅供說明之用。欲了解更多資訊，請參閱本書免責聲明部分中提到的出版商的條款和條件。

Summary

In this chapter, we learned about three interconnected subjects that come together to help you make a game full of varied and exciting gameplay scenarios.
在本章中，我們學習了三個相互關聯的主題，這些主題共同幫助你創造出充滿多樣化和刺激遊戲場景的遊戲。

To start with, we looked at game balancing, which helps us increase the possibility space by addressing dominant strategies, tuning mechanics, and changing the parameters of game content. Following that, we explored the methods of setting and adjusting the overall difficulty of the game, helping us match it with the capabilities of our audience.
首先，我們探討了遊戲平衡，這有助於我們通過解決主導策略、調整機制以及改變遊戲內容的參數來增加可能性空間。接著，我們研究了設定和調整遊戲整體難度的方法，幫助我們將其與玩家的能力相匹配。

Finally, we looked at pacing, which allows us to maintain a player’s interest and keep them in the flow by manipulating the structure and relative intensity of each gameplay session.
最後，我們探討了節奏，這使我們能夠透過操控每個遊戲環節的結構和相對強度來維持玩家的興趣，並讓他們保持在遊戲的流暢體驗中。

Next up, we’ll dive into Chapter 12, Building a Great User Interface and User Experience, which covers practical tips and guidelines on how to present information, set your controls, build a heads-up display, and turn every interaction into a delightful experience.
接下來，我們將深入探討第十二章，打造出色的使用者介面與使用者體驗，這一章節涵蓋了如何呈現資訊、設定控制項、建立抬頭顯示器，以及將每次互動轉化為愉悅體驗的實用技巧和指導方針。