04-29-2014, 10:06 AM
There's been much discussion on the forum and several articles in S&D that discuss this self-identity crisis that PBM seems to be suffering though. Amber's "What's In A Name?" (S&D #4, p44) in particular summarizes Phoenix's struggle with this identity crisis.
We all have our idea of what a PBM game is when you remove the mail, but how that's different than any of the myriad of online turn-based games out there day is a unclear.
These games are wildly successful. Today's gamers are playing these games, not PBMs. What can we learn from them?
I want to highlight a game that most of you probably won't consider of PBM ilk, to be honest, I probably don't either (though I do really enjoy the game). Nonetheless, it is a fun game, and interesting from a game design perspective. It uses new technology (3D graphics, mouse drag'n'drop controls, etc) in a classic turn-based format, and its available on every platform.
Frozen Synapse
It's sort of a turn-based SWAT sim. Each player controls a squad of soldiers with various weapons (auto rifle, sniper, shotgun, bazooka, etc). During a turn the player plots waypoints for each solider, directing them to go to certain locations, face a certain direction, kneel, go prone, etc.
In PBM terms, these are the orders. Each turn is two phases: planning and resolution. Again, in PBM terms the planning phase is the order submission phase. Players scheme and strategize for a time before entering their final instructions.
Notably, the game is asynchronous, that is, both players don't need to be playing at the same time. Turn length is configurable from a few minutes to a few days.
When it comes to this crucial planning and strategizing phase, Frozen Synapse is unique among turn based games (AFAIK, please correct me!) in that it lets you run simulations of what might occur. Practically, this means you can enter tentative orders, press a Play button, and see how your units will move on the screen. You can even enter tentative orders for enemy units (if you can see them). This lets you run through various strategies and tactics without the frustrating live trial-by-fire of most TBGs.
Once both players have entered the orders for their units, the computer resolves all the order simultaneously. The result is a very nifty animation whereby you see the soldiers sprint around, duck behind cover, shoot at each other, etc.
Here's a screenshot.
![[Image: shooty.jpg]](http://www.frozensynapse.com/images/shooty.jpg)
In the screenshot above you see three teams: green, red, and yellow. It is a top-down 3D view. You can clearly see the terrain displayed as vertical rectangular walls rising out of the floor. These provide concealment and cover.
Green is the active player. He has designated several waypoints for his soldier. To me, they don't look like very smart waypoints, as he is sending his soldier out into the middle of an active firefight between yellow and red.
Here's a selection of youtube videos that introduce the game:
There is a single player mode that has a story, but I've never played it and therefore can't offer an opinion of it.
This isn't a PBM!
Well you're probably right, but it is PBM inspired and I think 21st century PBMs could learn a thing or two from Frozen Synapse.
From my perspective, the main reason Frozen Synapse falls short of a PBM is its length. It is short. If both players are present (submitting turns at the same time), a game won't last more than 10 minutes. Some would interpret this as lacking depth, but I counter that just because the individual games are short doesn't mean the game itself lacks depth. Chess is played quickly, but it isn't lacking depth. There is a mountain of tactics that must be masted with Frozen Synapse, but that said, the individual games are very short and don't offer the time-consuming, mind-crunching preoccupation that we love from PBMs.
However, it contains many mechanics that are familiar to PBM games:
The graphical user interface and player interaction model are novel, especially for PBMs, which are still stuck in the everything-as-a-spreadsheet mindset to represent information and whose idea of player feedback is a 30 page PDF or webpage full of tabular data.
This isn't to say that I believe PBMs need to do away with the text and replace them with shiny graphics altogether, to the contrary, I am a great fan of text based games which are singular in their ability to stoke the imagination to life.
I merely offer Frozen Synapse as a point of comparison. It is a very successful modern turn-based indie game that has people flocking to it in droves. While I've no empirical data to back this up, I imagine many Frozen Synapse players would love the more engaging, long-term, slow-paced style gaming that PBM excels at. This playerbase is a missed opportunity for PBM.
We all have our idea of what a PBM game is when you remove the mail, but how that's different than any of the myriad of online turn-based games out there day is a unclear.
These games are wildly successful. Today's gamers are playing these games, not PBMs. What can we learn from them?
I want to highlight a game that most of you probably won't consider of PBM ilk, to be honest, I probably don't either (though I do really enjoy the game). Nonetheless, it is a fun game, and interesting from a game design perspective. It uses new technology (3D graphics, mouse drag'n'drop controls, etc) in a classic turn-based format, and its available on every platform.
Frozen Synapse
Quote:Frozen Synapse is a thrilling PC, Mac, Linux and tablet (iOS/Android) strategy game. It brings the simultaneous turn-based strategy genre bang up-to-date and lets you give detailed, accurate orders to your squad. Classic gameplay with a modern interface!
It's sort of a turn-based SWAT sim. Each player controls a squad of soldiers with various weapons (auto rifle, sniper, shotgun, bazooka, etc). During a turn the player plots waypoints for each solider, directing them to go to certain locations, face a certain direction, kneel, go prone, etc.
In PBM terms, these are the orders. Each turn is two phases: planning and resolution. Again, in PBM terms the planning phase is the order submission phase. Players scheme and strategize for a time before entering their final instructions.
Notably, the game is asynchronous, that is, both players don't need to be playing at the same time. Turn length is configurable from a few minutes to a few days.
When it comes to this crucial planning and strategizing phase, Frozen Synapse is unique among turn based games (AFAIK, please correct me!) in that it lets you run simulations of what might occur. Practically, this means you can enter tentative orders, press a Play button, and see how your units will move on the screen. You can even enter tentative orders for enemy units (if you can see them). This lets you run through various strategies and tactics without the frustrating live trial-by-fire of most TBGs.
Once both players have entered the orders for their units, the computer resolves all the order simultaneously. The result is a very nifty animation whereby you see the soldiers sprint around, duck behind cover, shoot at each other, etc.
Here's a screenshot.
In the screenshot above you see three teams: green, red, and yellow. It is a top-down 3D view. You can clearly see the terrain displayed as vertical rectangular walls rising out of the floor. These provide concealment and cover.
Green is the active player. He has designated several waypoints for his soldier. To me, they don't look like very smart waypoints, as he is sending his soldier out into the middle of an active firefight between yellow and red.
Here's a selection of youtube videos that introduce the game:
- One minute intro - note that the game isn't near as fast paced as this video makes out. It is a slow tactical game, not a fast run and gun.
- Longer introduction with commentary - good depiction of order entry phase.
- Gameplay with commentary - a game is played turn by turn while the player strategizes out loud
There is a single player mode that has a story, but I've never played it and therefore can't offer an opinion of it.
This isn't a PBM!
Well you're probably right, but it is PBM inspired and I think 21st century PBMs could learn a thing or two from Frozen Synapse.
From my perspective, the main reason Frozen Synapse falls short of a PBM is its length. It is short. If both players are present (submitting turns at the same time), a game won't last more than 10 minutes. Some would interpret this as lacking depth, but I counter that just because the individual games are short doesn't mean the game itself lacks depth. Chess is played quickly, but it isn't lacking depth. There is a mountain of tactics that must be masted with Frozen Synapse, but that said, the individual games are very short and don't offer the time-consuming, mind-crunching preoccupation that we love from PBMs.
However, it contains many mechanics that are familiar to PBM games:
- turn based asynchronous play
- order entry phase distinct from results phase
- turn preparation requires mindfulness and thought
The graphical user interface and player interaction model are novel, especially for PBMs, which are still stuck in the everything-as-a-spreadsheet mindset to represent information and whose idea of player feedback is a 30 page PDF or webpage full of tabular data.
This isn't to say that I believe PBMs need to do away with the text and replace them with shiny graphics altogether, to the contrary, I am a great fan of text based games which are singular in their ability to stoke the imagination to life.
I merely offer Frozen Synapse as a point of comparison. It is a very successful modern turn-based indie game that has people flocking to it in droves. While I've no empirical data to back this up, I imagine many Frozen Synapse players would love the more engaging, long-term, slow-paced style gaming that PBM excels at. This playerbase is a missed opportunity for PBM.
