Keeping the learning going.

I decided to try out the game Plants vs Zombies. I found it interesting how the game introduced it's mechanics, and the way it attempted to vary the game play. I believe it is important to have variation in games, to maintain the sense of learning. If every stage is approached in the same manner, it can quickly become repetitive (though repetition is not always bad; it is in fact, a rather important part of learning.)

Previously, I had been thinking about some other Turret Defense style games such as Monsters (PS3) and Defense Grid the Awakening (on Steam). While thinking about them, I'd come to believe that it was a good idea to vary the balance of the towers occasionally, as a way to encourage different approaches to different levels (and perhaps even the same level sometimes).

The expansion to Monsters, did change the balance of things, making it a somewhat different experience from the game's initial levels, which I believe helped make the expansion better since what towers were most effective in a given situation, had to be learned all over again.

The primary form of variation presented by the Monsters game was in the form of what path the monsters took, and what sorts of monsters came. Each level often involved memorizing a different build order, with the task of figuring out the right build order being the main challenge.

Defense Grid the Awakening created variation primarily through excellent amounts of variation in level layout. Different levels could often require vastly different approaches to beating them. In some instances, the levels would be designed in such a way, that many different approaches could all work, allowing creativity to thrive.

Plants vs Zombies doesn't have complicated level design. It's a fairly simple game. To create challenge, they give players a variety of different types of plant (tower) that all end up competing for the same resources, presenting the player with the difficult task of figuring out what to plant, when, and where. The primary tug-o-war was between investing in the now (damage dealing plants), and investing in the future (resource producing plants).

The variation Plants vs Zombies provided came largely in the form of new plants frequently becoming available, and the changes between day, night, and the backyard with a pool. These changes affected what plants were available, and where they could be placed.