Basics of Game Design

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CHAPTER 5

ON COMBAT

Many games focus on the clash of characters or nations in conict,

which is resolved through battle. Combat can either be central to

game play as in RPG, RTS, and wargames, or it can be nonexistent

as in sports and many simulation games. If a game features combat,

the player directly control characters or units during the ght as in

RPGs and wargames or simply direct units towards the battle as in

RTS games. In either case, the designer has to decide how combat

is resolved and what factors will aect the sides involved during the

ghting.

e designer has to spell out in detail how combat is to be re-

solved. e met