Level Up.pdf

State of the Art Bang Bang 261
doesn ’ t even have to be a “ suit of armor. ” Mario ’ s Tanooki 6 suit not only
added protection, but let him fly, grow, and turn into an invincible statue.
What ’ s great about armor is it ’ s an easy way for the player to customize
their character without changing the base model. World of Warcraft does it
right. You can find, buy and even make custom gear — and when another
player sees your pimp helmet, they ’ re gonna want one too. It ’ s a great way
to motivate players to spend more time in your game. It doesn ’ t have to be
armor; it can be hats, unique weapons or mounts. The more customization
you allow the player, the better.
State of the Art Bang Bang
Ooooh! Guns, guns, guns!
Clarence Boddiker (RoboCop)
Shooting is simple. Aim the gun, pull the trigger. Right? But let ’ s look at
some of the most popular multiplayer shooters and see how wide they vary
from each other:
Quake has maps that promote linear action and predictable looping
movement patterns. Weapon and armor pickups can change the dynamics
of the action in a heartbeat.
Halo is played more like a sport, with game - like modes of play. The rhythm
of the action is slower than many shooters, partially due to the player ’ s
6 Tanuki are Japanese raccoon dogs. Mario wears Tanuki footie pajamas with raccoon ears. It ’ s
adorable. Really.