superheroes

You can stay stretched out on the sofa with your controller in your hand while you wait in the lobby for your next game to begin. Because I’m blogging about gameplay. So while you are sitting there I wonder if you know the answer to this question. Who created the first video game? Sometime ago I did a blog post for the GC Speckies: Come Play With Me that answered that question. You can find it here?

Let’s look at the term gameplay. What does gameplay mean exactly? Does it simply mean a series of choices? Or is it more about player interactions with the game’s system and other gamers? Could it be more about the challenges, motivation and the task performance that are involved? Perhaps it really means all of these things combined.

There are different types of gameplay:

Asymmetric gameplay
Cooperative gameplay
Deathmatch
Emergent gameplay
Hack and slash
Leveled gameplay
Micromanagement
Nonlinear gameplay
Twitch gameplay

Each type of gameplay has its own description, history (origin from where it developed), and variations that have evolved.

We all know today’s games can vary from light action fun to very serious out of this world experiences. This means the gameplay will differ too. Some games will have an asymmetric gameplay that will require players to make a series of choices so players can develop a connection to the characters and then set players a challenge level by level. In some gameplay like this players collect things by touching them, battling enemies, or finding a character that is captured. Other games will have a much more complex gameplay.

There are some fantastic presentations on gameplay and this is one of my favourites Lego Marvel Super Heroes: LEGO Marvel Gameplay Comic-Con

Gameplay is built on the platform of playability which includes learning, motivation, challenge, skill, emotions, interwoven stories that will challenge both the creators and the players and this, in my opinion, is the basis of great gameplay. For what are we if not challenged in some way throughout life?

May the gameplay prosper!

Gameplay Tribute

By Vacen Taylor

The Assassin’s Creed lives

And the Black Ops do their duty

Alice runs but not to the Battlefield

Spells form The Elder Scrolls

The Crysis has its recon

While Halo circles space

Treasure hides in the Borderlands

Survival drives a Tomb Raider

Grand Theft Auto moves by mission

While the Mario Bros Jump

A Need For Speed sets the pace

FIFA shoots and scores.

The gameplay is alive

And transforms energy into power

Gamers rule this world

Play hard, play well.

Next month I’m looking at superhero fiction that changed the world.

Until then, be brave and bold in your chosen field of creativity. And never be afraid to explore new techniques.

I’m asked this all the time. I come from a long history of collecting comics. Mostly superheroes. I guess that means I have a set idea of what makes a good hero. I collect more from the Marvel family than DC, but I enjoy both. These days I collect in themes and not by consecutive number. A more recent theme I’m collecting are the comics that include the destruction of the Captain America shield.

So, for me a good hero needs three things. Here’s the short answer. Courage, self-sacrifice and good moral choices.

Expanding on that.

Courage: Having the courage to face danger and adversity in my opinion is very important.
Self-sacrifice: The idea that it’s for the greater good of all humanity or an individual running into a burning building to save someone. That’s an important trait to have if you are a hero.
Good morals: Having sound morals enables a hero to make good decision when the need arises.

Comics from my collection : Avengers Annual Vol 1 No12 1983

Heroes like Captain America, She-Hulk, Thor, Captain Marvel, Starfox

Having said all that, heroes need flaws or vulnerabilities. Let’s face it, if heroes have no vulnerable aspects they aren’t believable and we won’t be cheering for them to make it through when things go wrong. Remember even Superman had a weakness to Kryptonite. Check out a scene here.

And remember sometimes heroes can turn bad if they are subjected to foreign elements. We’ve seen that happen to Spider-Man in the past.

Now what makes a good villain? Short answer. Wickedness, self-preservation and no morals.

Expanding on that.

Wickedness: Having an allegiance to wickedness provides the foundation for a great villain. The Joker, a character from Batman is a perfect example of that.
Self-preservation: The idea that it’s all about saving himself or herself first. A classic example is pushing everyone else out of the way as the villain attempts to escape a burning building while the hero runs in. Polar opposites.
No morals: meaning they have no limits to what they will do to achieve their wicked goal.

Now having said all that, villains need a strength or some vulnerabilities too. Once again if villains have no vulnerable aspects they aren’t going to be believable. Every criminal or villain has something or someone they love. That’s true in real life. In writing these characters they need something that gives them a vulnerability that can often be exploited. A classic example is the Sandman in the Spider-Man 3 movie. Watch the scene here. You can’t tell me there’s not a moment when you feel empathy for what he has become? Once a criminal on the run and now he is the Sandman, but he still loves someone.

Of course these are six basic traits I believe in, a foundation from which I can build a character. There is a lot more involved in developing a hero or a villain, the language they use, the clothes they wear, their habits and so on. The key to a good hero or villain is up to the writer.

Until next time, be brave and bold in your chosen field of creativity. And never be afraid to explore new techniques.

Gameplay

What Makes a Good Hero?

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