I’m finding the idea of balancing a game is more difficult in theory then it is in practice. Typically, balance isn’t all that hard to achieve. Sometimes though, it’s not so obvious.
The last game I made, Attack of the Squares, had an interesting balancing moment. From the start, I wanted the game to be completely random. It would have been easier, but more time consuming, to have the same squares generate at the same place each game. I wanted each game to be a little unique. I didn’t want the player to be able too memorize the game.
Making the squares generate at a random pace was tricky enough. I played around with different timings and speed. Sometimes the generation rate was way to slow. Sometimes it was way to fast. Sometimes they clumped to much. Both made the game frustrating and boring. I settled on a set generation speed that made the game fun and fast paced but not frustrating.
The game was still too easy after playing it a lot though. I needed a way to balance that out. I needed a way to make the game feel less stale after some game play. That’s when I came up with the background. It’s a very simple pattern. It moves slightly faster then the squares. It also creates something of a visual effect that messes with the players eyes. It’s hard to stare at and play Attack of the Squares for an extended period of time because of the background. It adds a much needed balance to the game. Everything else is balanced, including point deduction for firing bullets. The moving background was the final key to the game.
Anyway, Attack of the Squares was a fun and interesting learning experience. I’ve put it on the back burner for now though. I intend to add more features later. Right now though, I’m making my version of Arkanoid (one of my all time favorite arcade games).
