Comments on: Luck in games

By: Arcade

Arcade — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:28:30 +0000

@Mike C
Interesting, that’s a very good point!

Knowing you can’t plan and/or control everything and that you’ll have to rely on “luck” in some cases would definitely affect the pacing.

Thanks for commenting.

By: Mike C

Mike C — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:10:35 +0000

Luck can have another, very important function: Pacing. I was working on a tabletop strategy game (squad-level combat), and in the early incarnations there was no significant chance element. A particular weapon did a set amount of damage every time it was used, for example.

What I found was that the game was reduced to something along the pace of untimed chess… when the game was supposed to be about running around and blowing stuff up. So I changed the mechanics a little to include dice rolls, and all of a sudden people were being reckless and brave and, generally, enjoying themselves far more.

Uncertainty (via chance) didn’t negate good planning and strategy, but it sure did enhance the feel.

By: Arcade

Arcade — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:18:40 +0000

@Håkan
True. “Luck” does keep things interesting and fresh and I can’t deny the success of that devil-game you’re talking about. And the fact that you can’t “beat” the system.

By: Håkan

Håkan — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:13:58 +0000

No I was just establishing the difference between rand() and the type of luck you were referring to=)

But it’s a good point still. Baldurs Gate is a game with little to no luck.
While in Diablo, both enemy-spawns and the loot they drop is a case of “luck”. So luck is a factor that can give purpose to a game. Just as well as a good story can give purpose, or playing just to gain xp, or even re-playing a a sequence merely for the challenge.

By: Arcade

Arcade — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:15:53 +0000

@Håkan
Well, true. “Luck” doesn’t exist in a philosophical way, nor does anything happen by “random”. But of course we’re talking from the eye of the beholder here.

By: Håkan

Håkan — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:12:09 +0000

Every game has luck, and none. Luck doesn’t exist, only random numbers. Which applies equally to real-life as to games.

Can’t agree D&D games have luck involved, althought the game mechanic is in a higher extend depending on random numbers than for example action games. Weapon damage, chance to hit and so forth is all based on dice-rolls.

If you refer to luck as a “randomness that seriously can impact the outcome of your game”, those in Baldurs Gate 2 for example, are the only real flaws of the game. And they are so serious one might consider killing their game designers just for retribution.

By: Markus Hammarstedt

Markus Hammarstedt — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:57:25 +0000

Regarding Mario Kart, when I play that game with friends (or anything similar one) I always get frustrated when a friend of mine wins because of luck. And I don’t enjoy the win if I won because of luck. It just removes the entire competition aspect for me, like it didn’t matter what I did. The result would have been the same anyways.

Overall I agree with you Arcade. Luck is a factor that should be used only under certain circumstances. Luck SHOULD be avoided in games like Quake. But as Arshak said, some of the worlds most popular games is basically based on luck. But that doesn’t mean that “luck is good” in general. I don’t think it should be forced into a game due to lack of ideas from designers or because it’s an easy solution.

By: Arshak

Arshak — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:23:43 +0000

In my opinion luck is not an element that one should avoid. Most card games have a healthy amount of Luck in them. Think about Poker. Introducing an unknown element, luck and indirect information gives the players a lot to think about.

Most D&D role-playing games have luck as a factor also.

By: Arcade

Arcade — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:11:15 +0000

@David Lundvall
What you’re describing about feeling you’re not in control is exactly why I try and stay away from luck.

But then again, luck and randomness whas what made the game fun for so long. We were just “playing for fun”. It would never work out for competetive e-sport.

By: David Lundvall

David Lundvall — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:42:47 +0000

Hehe, I remember you guys playing and laughing for a good hour every lunch break. But I never joined in, not even once.

I guess I am not interested in the game due to several reasons. I am not a big fan of the small-creatures-luck-no-control genre. I am actually a bit scared of it. I don’t mind people can win due to luck, but I don’t want the game to be total random or too much luck. I am scared of not having control. I can only watch my worms die while I am waiting for my turn.

Worms is not my type of game. But I am fine with a game being a bit random, but not this much.