Tidiness theory6/10/2023 I just don’t find it to be worth my time to do so and instead move on to another area. Again using Diablo 2 as my example, there are plenty of instances where I choose not to wipe the map clean. Going back to Romero’s query on “failing our evolution,” there are plenty of cases in games in which players see messes and just keep moving on. Instead you are encouraged to build up until you are capable of safely cleaning the map of your opponent. In many (all?) strategy games you can try and rush into your opposition early on, but to do so is either suicidal or just extremely risky. The urge to clean has also been used in the realm of tactical games as a form of temptation which must be ignored. If the core mechanic is to clean up, then all you need to learn as a player is, “How do I clean this up?” As a designer, the more you stray from this basic premise, the more you will have to actively engage with the players to let them know what they need to do in addition to how they need to do it. By this I mean games which are easy to pick up and understand exactly what you need to do. Space Invaders wouldn’t be nearly as fun if I didn’t have to gauge a mix of missile speed and enemy movement speed in order to hit anything.įor this reason I think Tidiness Theory is actually best utilized as a guide for making easily read games. If Diablo 2 just had me click on each enemy once, then I wouldn’t have nearly as much fun as I do currently where I have to throw out fireballs and poison novas. Yes, creating order is pleasant and fun, but I don’t solve the same puzzle over and over again because it needs to be put in order (especially since I’m likely the one who put it back into disorder). But is our desire for order honestly why we keep coming back? Do I constantly play Diablo 2 because I can’t stand having Diablo’s minions obstructing the countryside? It can be wonderful to revel in a solved puzzle. There is a nice calm to be found once you have defeated every enemy. On one hand I agree because there is joy to be found in creating/discovering a well-ordered system. I find I both agree and disagree with Romero’s assessment that Tidiness Theory is why players continue to play certain games. ![]() While I think his closing paragraph is rather misinformed (evolution just don’t work that way), the rest of his article paints a good outline of how Tidiness Theory rears its head across multiple genres. John Romero recently posted an article in which he discussed the strength of Tidiness Theory in game design, the human desire to build, and the potential ramifications these behaviors in games have for evolution.
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