Just to clear up my use of the word "verb" (instead of action, mechanic, or input), I'm using the book "A Game Design Vocabulary: Exploring the Foundational Principles Behind Good Game Design" by Anna Anthrophy and Naomi Clark for design lingo, to try and keep my videos more consistent going forward. I believe veteran designer Chris Crawford was the first to really popularise the word verb for this use, though. Also, I agree that some of this stuff might be quite basic but 1) you gotta get the basics right first and 2) it doesn't seem to stop plenty of devs from screwing this up!
Mark Brown Great video! I think smash bros. would have been a good game to mention with all the different attacks with not many buttons needed, just the right combinations.
The problem there is that if you keep the button held during the whole level, then you actually pressed it 0 times. It's not even half a press, it's less than that.
I was legitimately hoping for a breakdown of Mario's jump physics since it can be hard to code jumping that feels as great and fluid as that but this was cool too.
I love how well you nailed how to 'VSauce'. Starting with one question, and using the path to your answer as an excuse to explain and talk about loads of interesting things that are seemingly not even related in some instances. Well done past Mark!
came here to learn about a simple jump verb in an E-rated game but suddenly became thrust into a series of rather grisly and violent M-rated games for sake of discussion.
My gut reaction was that combo systems in fighting games are fundamentally different from, say, double jumps. At first I had a hard time formulating why, though, at the end of the day they both are finite state machines. I think it comes down to this: Jump and double jump are semantically the same action under different contexts (i.e. the game state). It adds ad-hoc overloading to inputs but you could still guess the resulting behavior from a screenshot. This doesn't work for fighting games. There is no way to guess that a heavy after two lights is a slow side sweep which is easy to block. That removes a lot of the elegance that versatile verbs can grant since you have to learn every action separately even if they share a button. Alright, enough rambling. I just wanted to recommend the steam controller to everyone interested in this sort of thing. It is absolutely fascinating how transformative a control scheme can be, and how broad the design space is even though barely any games explore it.
as someone who suffers from hypermobility and dyspraxia, it's nice to see someone advocate physical accessibility in video games, I don't think it's brought up enough, and I really appreciate you doing so
I love this. A lot of it is stuff that seems so simple you'd never notice it until the moment the versatility was taken away. Stuff like that is the key to pitch-perfect design in my eyes.
Brilliantly presented. The button graphics interlaced throughout the video demonstrate the concepts so simply, clearly, and exclusively visually. So perfect.
So what you're saying is that sometimes players are just verbing nouns and sometimes they're adjective verbing nouns, verb conjunction verbing nouns, uselessly verbing because they're not in the correct position, verbing noun preposition noun, verb INTERJECTION start the level over again, and so on.
This comment is criminally underrated. It manages to accurately distill the point while addressing the concern of some regarding the verbiage (huehue). Bravo!
Super Smash Brothers, even more than other fighting games, makes use of versatile verbs. You really only have a few buttons at your command, and attacks only come in 3 main forms: Standard, Special, and Grab. Standard attacks change form based on directional inputs and are commonly referred to as Tilts. Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, and Jab (no directional input) are all very different actions derived from the same core. Smash attacks use the same concept, albeit with a tapping directional input. Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, and and Dash Attack will all vary drastically from the Tilts. Aerials add another layer of depth. From a button-pressing standpoint, they're just like Standard moves, yet Aerials allow for even more options with Forward Air, Up Air, Down Air, Back Air, and Neutral Air all performing more unique functions to the rest of a character's options. Special moves function similarly to Standard Attacks, but use a different button. There are still Side Specials, Up Specials, Down Specials, and Neutral Specials. Not to be forgotten, even Grabs function slightly differently depending on if you're standing, dashing, or pivoting. At least 20 different verbs out of a combination of directional inputs and 3 buttons. Many other fighting games get their multiple interactions out of various forms of button string combos, but Smash's combos are organic, and are created fully from both the game's mechanics and the player's expression. No doubt Nintendo aimed to take the verb-versatility concepts learned from past games and apply them to this series. Its a large reason why the series is so compelling to interact with. It marries the concepts of Sumo Wrestling and competition martial arts immensely well, and no doubt would make an amazing focal point for a future video.
GMT has quickly become my favorite game analysis series on all of RUclips. The concepts you discuss are interesting, you always use several examples from multiple games (typically from multiple genres), and the editing and aesthetic of your videos is relaxing, informative, and intuitive (your graphics and flowcharts are especially well-designed). These are an absolute joy to watch; thank you for your efforts!
_Wahoo!_ I always-a knew I was good at-a jumping! If you want another example of the "cooked grenade" explanation, you should-a take a look at the original ODDWORLD: Abe's Oddysee (no not to be-a confused with Super Mario Odyssey!). In Abe's Oddysee, there are a few-a puzzles where the player must release a grenade just before an explosion to-a destroy a chant suppressor. Throughout the game, the player had been taught to throw granades as soon as they-a held them, but these later puzzles telegraph the alternate way to use grenades very well through the use of auditory cues that allow the player to know exactly when to-a let go of the bomb! Pretty good, huh? Mario thinks so!
Super Mario i was triggered by the fact he said modern even tho in that game was a pretty important mechanic, rushing to the comment section i find it. I'm also glad to see that mario lovescharacters from other games, strange since the only times he encounters non mario characters he either throws shells at them or plain punch them in the face EDIT @Will's wow, i knew about a blind finishing ocarina of time, i guess on abe it's actualy easier since the grid and the kinda trial and error gameplay help a lot in working it only with audio clues
You don't even have to jump that for for an example of cooked grenades. There are several locations in Super Mario Bros 2, where you're encouraged to hold a Bob-omb (or normal bomb) longer to trigger the explosion in mid air, destroying blocks otherwise out of reach for the explosion.
It's satisfying to come across a solution to a tricky design problem - how to get a versatile set of options into a narrow input space? - and then have Mark Brown release a video covering the very topic *the next day*. Love ya, Mark.
Nice video Mark. My favourite verb mechanic is applying the planning mode in transistor. Getting a guarantee to put down some damage from 'stopped time' but then having the penalty of not being able to fight for 5-6 seconds and having to run and dodge before any kind of fightback.
I've been thinking about this a lot ever since I saw your video on Downwell. Glad to have a mini series of yours devoted to the application of this sort of game design.
Awesome content as usual! I really appreciate you addressing the problems for disabled gamers as well - that's an area that is so often completely overlooked by game developers, designers, and reviewers.
In Melee, the A button has a potential to do 12 different moves, and it all depends on what direction you're holding the stick and if you are in the air
Really appreciate you touching on accessibility, not enough game designers even bother so it's great to see you explicitly pointing it out in a series about how people should be designing games!
I've never quite been able to put my finger on why some games feel so much better than others, but the idea that linking verbs together to produce a logical outcome of both verbs just seems so obvious now you say it. It may be basic, but sometimes looking at the basics and explaining them clearly and with examples just makes it all spring into focus. I appreciate it anyway!
this is definitly one of my favorite series, ever. ive always been interested in game design and this series is done in a very nice way to learn about it. also your voice is perfect for it.
I wish you had talked about how versitile verbs cause problems too. Sonic Team always give Sonic the ability to dash along a trail of rings while in mid air. Press A to jump and press B (when close enough to a trail of rings) to perform this move. However, the games always have issues recognizing when Sonic is near a trail of rings or not. Sometimes you will press A and then B near a trail of rings and you'll see yourself quickly plummeting to the ground because you just caused Sonic to use his version of the ground pound. A situational issue like this could be solved by not making this button (or verb) versitile, but by re-assigning this move to a different button, which is fine since Sonic games typically leave a good chunk of the controller unused.
Super Mario 3D Land / World also have an obscure rolling move which makes it possible for Big Mario to squeeze through tiny gaps, but it's more complicated than it's worth it. Terranigma's battle system is built around three verbs: jumping, dashing and attacking. Using one of these, or two, or all three at a time yields different outcomes of varying effectiveness. For example the dash attack pierces the iron knights defense but if you don't back out during the monster's very short stunned state you risk getting heavy damage. But it's not well implemented, and the one boss battle that needs it (along with magic) despite the technique not being taught earlier in-game, Blood Mary, is a major road block in that game that players just grind to skip with overpowered stats, eliminating much of the challenge from later game parts (many other bosses after her would require these tactics as well).
This isn't a problem with versatile verbs. Verbs are not buttons, they are the actions a player can take. In this case; the developer stuck 2 different verbs (different actions) onto the same button. Hence, it's not a versatile verb. It's a cluttered button :)
This is honestly the best video game-related content on RUclips, and maybe on the internet. You take the intrigue of RadioLab or This American Life and combine it with incredibly insightful and creative analysis which begets whole new paradigms in conceptualizing game design.
I remember playing the old Lego Star Wars in multiplayer as a kid with a friend. We were often just fighting each other pressing repeatedly the attack button to zip zap the lightsaber and defend by holding the block button. If you keep the latter down, nothing can hurt you. Or so I thought. I remember the revelation when discovering that by pressing the attack button right when the previous attack finished (instead of just spamming it) would lead to a hidden 4-hit combo with a final unstoppable attack that would bypass the block action. You don't need that attack at all to finish the game, it's Lego Star Wars after all, but that feeling of just winning every fight with my friend was truly great.
Fantastic video. I appreciate the moment you take to talk about the possibility of someone not being able to preform tricks in games due to a disability or likewise. I know for me personally I love mario because there's a thrilling element of just being able to show off! Side jumps, long jumps, flips and spins allow a seasoned player to feel like an expert.
A perfect video for Dustforce's movement. Directional keys and 4 basic actions when combined with the level geometry, gets you so many options for handling an area
One of my favourite examples of this is in Skate 3 (and probably 1 and 2 as well, although I haven't played them). Cross and Square controls your left and right foot, R2 and L2 your handgrabs, Left stick controls your direction, and finally the Right stick allows you to do flip-tricks simply by flicking it in numerous ways. And that's pretty much the entire game's control scheme, yet you can combine them into all sorts of crazy tricks - It's all contextual. And most importantly, it just feels good. It's not often I load up a game just to mess about with the controls for a couple of hours.
After having read Game Feel by Steve Swink front to back. There is so much to gain from this video. It's amazing how you can put crucial game making techniques, that might seem confusing to read, into a perfect context that makes it a bazillion more times easier to understand. Amazing work!
I really love that you included the note on the Game Accessibility Guidelines - will definitely check out this resource. Otherwise, another great video that'll make me think about game design in a new way. Great series.
One interesting gesture that comes to mind is using the analog sticks to mimic punches in Fight Night or golf swings in Everybody's Golf. That's always one I've enjoyed. Especially when you execute a flawless swing of the analog stick to satisfying land a KO punch on FN.
Did I already said that YOU'RE GREAT DUDE ! as a futur game designer (or at least i hope so), all of your videos are pure gold and i think you're one of the best talking about game design. You're concise, clear, and just perfect !! damit. keep up the great work mark
The word verb is at the same time the most perfectly fitting word to use for this concept, and the most seemingly inappropriate word to use. Very hard to find another word with quite the same meaning, but Verb is so tightly connected with spoken language that it's hard to disassociate it from that context. Regardless, another great video as always, MB. Love your channel.
I like your use of terminology when you talk about the player "expressing" themselves through their inputs. I feel like the recognition of that one word could have a great effect on how a designer develops their control scheme.
Great video. I think a big part of the fun factor that Mario games have had since their first 3D platformer with Super Mario 64 to the present are very directly linked to Nintendo giving Mario so much of that complexity with Mario's jump from the beginning. It's interesting that they implemented just about all of Mario's 3D jump capabilities on their very first iteration, from jump, double jump, triple jump, the change in direction jump, the crouch+backflip jump, running crouch+long jump, and jump+ground pound. All of those staples came on their first attempt at this, when nobody was even familiar with a 3D platformer. Giving that much versatility right out of the gate is really what made Mario 64 such a fun game, that gave the player so much more they could do as they mastered the game.
I think Metal Gear Solid 3 is a really great example of The Versatile verb Concept in this video. Specifically, CQC. you can press the button to punch, press it repeatedly for a combo, hold the button while moving to throw an enemy to the ground, hold the button while standing still to grab them, press it firmly while grabbing an enemy to slice their throat, press it lightly while moving the stick and holding an enemy to throw the held enemy to the ground, and probably one or two more that I'm missing. great video!
I love it when games make "to press X or not to press X" an engaging choice. Luftrausers is a great example I never thought of. Playdead's Inside spends its first ten or so minutes asking the player to decide no more than whether or not to move forward, and it was an incredibly tense and engaging ten minutes, despite (because of?) the mechanical simplicity.
Another great video that makes you think more about the possibilities of controls. Also, thanks for bringing up accessibility as a consideration. It's easy to forget about that as your designing.
such a cool video. what's funny is I never think about these jumps. they all eventually come naturally. it's part of the fun of learning a new Mario game. it's always similar, but different enough that it's fun to learn.
Another good example is how movement works in the first Super Mario Bros, it's not just a matter of " pressing run modifies jump height and distance" but how the momentum of the character also affects the distance and speed of the jump so it becomes "for how long do you press the run button/how much momentum Mario has before jumping" and then you also have that pressing or releasing a directional button also modifies Mario's momentum both while running and while jumping. At the end of the day every single one of these mechanics and button presses modify the way the other mechanics work.
Loving this channel so much! I'm not planning on making a video game or getting into the industry in any way But these videos are so much fun and just make me feel smart lol
You should take a look at the Trials games. Their use of buttons is amazing. Leaning the bike, knowing when to let go of gas, knowing how to bunny hop... there's a massive array of different techniques to master from just the analogue stick and accelerator.
Kirby games are a great example of this, because 'Attack' can mean so many different things and still be just one button. Multiple taps, directional inputs, dashing, being in midair and so many other factors can affect what moves are used, and so every ability can have a multitude of different attacks without ever being difficult to learn. Compare this to so many action and fighting games where players need to memorize a series of different inputs for numerous different attacks.
Where to start? Sequel bloat? Plot fatigue? How to transpose a 2.5D game in to a 3D one? Looking forward to seeing what you come up with - MGS is ripe for constructive criticism!
TMNT 4: Turtles in Time on SNES let you do 9 different attacks with just 1 attack button and without combos (idk if its the same on arcade). Here's the list: 1. standing triple hit (combo) 2. Jump+attack to do a special that costs health 3. running shoulder bash 4. a sliding tackle (attack after jumping while running) 5. Divekick if you attack while going up during a jump 6. repeatable weapon attack if you attack at the height of your jump 7. air-dashing leg sweep when attack while coming down during a jump 8. enemy swing attack, performed by attacking an enemy, moving in very close during his hitstun, stopping and attacking again 9. Throw an enemy at the screen (literally), performed by attacking an enemy, and then attacking while moving in very close during his hitstun It helps make the game feel cool to look at and non-repetitive even though what's too bad about the game is that all those attacks have no differences in kind in terms of output (except for those last 2). Still a very impressive amount of stuff to put on one button without combos (and yes im disregarding the first triple hit because it takes no mastery to learn, its the first attack any player does in the game)
A, actually. Plus, L and R are tied to the exact same actions. And of course, there's the C stick and pause button, right? But yeah, I was seriously impressed with that game's controls from Day 1.
Verbs =/= pressing a button. Kirby's Air Ride does not have versatile verbs per se, but good context sensitivity on button presses. One button (B) can trigger a number of different verbs (actions) depending on the context (player position, speed, turning radius etc). So Kirby's Air Ride is actually not a great example for versatile verbs.
+Rick Sorgdrager ... Huh? The action button in Kirby Air Ride is really only context sensitive to whether you have a copy ability and what Air Ride you're riding, and only sort-of in the latter regard. It always functions as a brake button via touching your Air Ride with the ground ( which means it also allows you to interact with ground objects like switchs and boost panels ) that amps up your turning rate and allows you to charge up a boost ( unless you're riding the *_PUSSY WAGON_* ), which can "overcharge" and expire if you hold it down too long, and usually launches you forward though ... two? Air Rides can only move forward through boosting and consume the boost much more slowly, so it operates more like battery charging with them. It also lets you quickly descend from an airborne state ( though again, it works via touching the ground, so that's pretty intuitive ) and allows to to inch forward by pressing upwards ( ... again, you're touching the ground, so your tiny little Kirby feet can actually touch the ground like that ), with the City Trial-exclusive detail of pressing back while braking to hop off of your Air Ride to grab another ( yadda yadda, you're on the ground and also still, so it makes sense that you would hop off during it ). That's pretty damn versatile, all from the verb "brake."
We can start with a trailer that doesn't turn out to be an entrance to Smash for Rosalina, after seeming to have settled for an entrance to Mario Kart for Kirby.
It's cool how a game like braid takes its one verb- rewinding time- and without adding any other input, creates an entire game about the implications. Those types of puzzle games are like the ultimate version of this.
I've seen this one already. But I was heavily clouded in considerations for my input design, so I came back to this video again hurriedly. Without trying to ape it entirely, I'm trying to think of a way to utilize the same mechanic essentially used by the A does all Action Button in Zelda: OoT. Only conceptualizing it, personifying it to mean something to the player. Thanks, Mark. This definitely helps as always.
I think it's worth mentioning alternative combos scored by making a little pause between certain moves, like in DMC. It allows for more variety and requires focus
Mechanics (or verbs, as per your vernacular) are the most important part of video games, yet they seem to be overlooked in so many games. They are your means for interacting with the game's world and systems, but so many are under-developed and have such little interactive potential. I've always found Mega Man's primary functions to be a great example. The game is an action platformer where you jump and shoot, but Mega Man can't aim up or down, so you have to combine these two functions to hit higher targets. In this way, these two functions support one another in a natural way. And if that weren't enough, the various abilities gained from robot masters can then be designed in ways to cover the functional blind-spots of the Mega Buster to add wrinkles to the gameplay and give the player different options for tackling each challenge. I've always had great appreciation for Mega Man's design.
I think a good note to keep while making versatile verbs is not making them unnecessarily complex, where one button does multiple things that are unrelated mechanics wise, like the same button for picking up stuff or getting in a car. If i want to pick up something next to a car how does it prioritise that over getting into it, and the other way around.
Verbs ≠ buttons, though. A button that does many unrelated things, especially to the point of confusion, isn't a versatile verb - just an awkwardly cluttered button.
I think a great example of a combination verb is Classic Sonic's Spin Dash. (A (hold) + B> maybe B again & again with timing > release A with timing = C with varying speeds) It simply combines the verbs of crouch and jump. When standing still, crouching and pressing jump revs a spin dash. Releasing crouch fires off Sonic, returning the jump verb to normal. Spin Dashing requires two separate inputs to work: crouch to act as the release, and jump to rev. Mashing jump more times results in a faster spin dash by adding charge that decays over time, meaning you need to mash and release as fast as possible for an optimal spin dash. A lot of classic Sonic games tend to have jump mapped to multiple buttons as well, meaning that players can mash any number of buttons in any way they prefer. When moving, crouching becomes rolling, so it forces it to be done from a standing position causing a trade-off: Should I keep running forwards at my current speed, or stop to spin dash and potentially generate more speed? 3-D Sonic, especially Adventure 1 & 2 showcase why single button spin dashing isn't as interesting. Simply holding a button removes a lot of the skill expression and kinetic feeling of the action. Now it's mostly about holding the button for the precise amount of time for a maximum charge. Even if you hold too long, you still get a optimal spin dash. Adventure had roll (tap) and spin dash (hold) as verbs on the same button, and while aesthetically it makes sense, i think separate verbs like in the classic titles to preserve the spin dash would have been better.
Movement in general is the most versatile mechanic in games. Where you are determines what you can do and what can be done to you. I think this is why having strong movement mechanics is a crucial part of great games. Monster Hunter also has a very versatile B button the dodge evade button, which sure allows you to still be alive but it also important to use for optimal positioning and optimal play with weapons like the Gunner Weapons, Greatsword, Lance, and Glaive. It also helps users play with the mounting system since you can roll into an aerial attack and with canceling moves. Also attacking after rolling with some weapons wives it new attacks.
Another big difference in how Mario jumps from classic arcade games like Donkey Kong to Super Mario Brothers, is the introduction of sub-pixel position and velocity in the physics calculations. The code for this actually first appeared in Balloon Fight, and made it into SMB. This made jumping much more fluid than in old arcade games because Mario could smoothly decelerate at the height of each jump instead of his speed snapping to integer values. This is a big part of why Super Mario Brothers (and future games), felt so nice to control compared to other titles at the time.
All that talk of games where you must attack to keep enemies away but also not attack so you don't die yourself reminds me of the MechWarrior games. While they are certainly very complicated games with a dizzying amount of buttons to press, they all have a very simple element: heat. When you fire your weapons, use your jump jets or anything like that, your robot heats up. If your robot heats up too much, it will shut down, take damage or even explode (depending on the title). Because of this, you have to be careful not to shoot too much, but also to keep shooting so that your enemy doesn't kill you. Then we add on top of that weapons that can inflict heat on the enemy, and you have a very interesting system.
Excellent video, you are fun to watch! I liked the idea of these "Versatile Verbs." It's quite gratifying to know that one mechanic could have various results depending on the implementation of that action, hence different meanings and solutions to a multitude of problems. The more interesting example was the button hold, it makes any shooter game boring if the player can just retain the shooting button down throughout the level. So, a round of applause to these games that make performing this action more satisfying and entertaining.
A good example of different verbs being mapped to the same button can be found in Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 with the fire button. Preceding the over-homogenization of most tactical shooters, these games chose to map aiming your gun to the same button as firing by relying on button sensitivity capabilities of the PS2. A soft press readied your firearm, finger on the trigger, allowing you to aim down the sights (with a tedious press of an extra button to initiate first person mode- it wasn't perfect). Pressing your finger down the rest of the way caused you to fire. This made it imperative that you remain calm when using your weapon- a hasty release of the button after aiming might cause you to fire, too, if you're heavy handed. I haven't felt controls-related tension like it in any other game.
Thanks for bringing up accessibility. I love complex combinations myself but my Dad doesn't have as much fine control with his hands due to years of working with them, so even using the l-stick to sprint is tough for him.
@2:45 - Speaking of the Mega Man's charged shot, NES era Megaman was actually the more interesting version here because if you took a hit you lost the charge and had to start over. Also, the invulnerability frames on bosses (from MM4 through MM8 and entire X series) was about the same as the time required to charge your shot, so there actually wasn't as much motivation to shoot normal shots over charging them. @4:30 - Azure Striker Gunvolt is a good example of pressing / not pressing your attack being interesting. By default you are equipped with an item that causes incoming damage to be deducted from your Energy instead of your HP -- but it's only active when you're not attacking (which also uses that Energy). So by attacking, you're making yourself more vulnerable to incoming attacks yourself.
10:18 A very important point that I often feel game developers overlook during design and apply only as half-hearted after thought. One that *every* game should have is Key/Button rebinding. It is impossible to design a complex control scheme for *every* user, and key rebinding/mapping is a proven way to allow end users (players) to manage final comfort. Much like being able to set Field of View, Depth of Field, Motion Blur, and other visual options (that can negatively impact Simulation Sickness prone players). While designing UI and other visual elements I frequently use tools like CVSimulator to check myself against the more common forms of color-blindness, as a *first pass*. The follow up is with a tester who has that condition. I feel keeping such accessibility in mind from the start has made me a better designer. It certainly has made me more aware of color (pattern) and *shape* use.
Example that came to mind: In the Enter the Matrix game, Neo would break the opponent's guard with on button (throw button, basically), then during the guard break animation, you had 4+ throws you could do by hitting one of the face buttons, including the throw button itself. Pretty great part of the game play, imo.
Boy, I hope you can read this. I was glad that towards the end of this video, you said that this is sort of a part 1 of this topic. Because as great as you managed to explain the concept of "verbs" in video games, you forgot to reference a particular genre where all of this is applicable. Fighting games Everything you just said about simple button press, hold, repeated press, simultaneous press with other buttons (or direction buttons), timing, combination, chains, etc is the complex foundation on how you control a character in fighting games. I would want to try to explain and expound on this in this comment section but it would feel like I would just be borrowing ideas you presented on this excellent video. Besides, you hinted that there might be a part 2 on this topic, I hope you can insert fighting games as one of the best examples on video game verbs. For all glorious moves (super moves) happening onscreen are choreographed by a joystick and a set of 2 to 6 buttons.
Don't forget about toggles, buttons which keeps their effects until pressed again. The most common practice is pressing a button to stay crouched, however most games have an option to change it to where you can just hold the crouch button again. Another classic example though is pressing a button to turn on your flashlight. Switching weapons is also a toggle button-press. Some change your weapon visually on screen, although it's not always necessary, like switch between plasma and frag grenades in halo. That said, combos in video games are basically toggle-button with a limited duration of effect. For instance, to do a double jump, you have to press (A) a second time before your character touches the ground. (I suppose holding a button is also another form of button toggles as well, in which the effect stays active until the button is released)
I love the reload mechanic of Insurgency: Sandstorm. Push R - Normal reload, the half-empty magazine is put back into your mag rotation, all the way to the back. Hold R, and you see how many bullets you have left in the mag, and how many mags you still have. Double-tap R and you reload faster, but you discard the magazine currently in your weapon. Genius.
There is also button pressure is several games. Like Mario sunshine and whether you run and spray or stand still and spray the water where you want (of course most games with vehicles have this with determining the amount of acceleration). Also, some MGS games had something I don't remember seeing in any other game, probably because it is quite a hassle. You would hold down square to ready your gun and release to fire, but if you didn't want to fire you slowly released the button to go back to holster position.
One of my favorite sequenced/combined verbs is Mario’s pounce in SM Odyssey. Though I’m not sure if that meets your criteria for good design - interrupt a ground pound with the hat button.
Just to clear up my use of the word "verb" (instead of action, mechanic, or input), I'm using the book "A Game Design Vocabulary: Exploring the Foundational Principles Behind Good Game Design" by Anna Anthrophy and Naomi Clark for design lingo, to try and keep my videos more consistent going forward.
I believe veteran designer Chris Crawford was the first to really popularise the word verb for this use, though.
Also, I agree that some of this stuff might be quite basic but 1) you gotta get the basics right first and 2) it doesn't seem to stop plenty of devs from screwing this up!
Mark Brown Great video! I think smash bros. would have been a good game to mention with all the different attacks with not many buttons needed, just the right combinations.
Mark Brown also botw boss keys??
It's music made in the app Garage Band
Just threw together a couple loops - nothing fancy!
Hope you will enjoy the new Zelda! :)
"What's the difference between pressing a button and holding it down?"
Well, if you hold it down you can complete a level with only half an A-press
But first, we need to talk about parallel universes
An a press is an a press. You can't say its only a half.
Great video. This made me reconsider the button-layout of a game I'm currently working on.
Keep up the inspiring of people.
that's a controversial statement there, Stanza ;)
The problem there is that if you keep the button held during the whole level, then you actually pressed it 0 times. It's not even half a press, it's less than that.
I was legitimately hoping for a breakdown of Mario's jump physics since it can be hard to code jumping that feels as great and fluid as that but this was cool too.
I love how well you nailed how to 'VSauce'. Starting with one question, and using the path to your answer as an excuse to explain and talk about loads of interesting things that are seemingly not even related in some instances. Well done past Mark!
yes i love the way VSauce explains things!
Except VSauce actually teaches you things.
@@blackdragoncyrus And this video too
came here to learn about a simple jump verb in an E-rated game but suddenly became thrust into a series of rather grisly and violent M-rated games for sake of discussion.
If you're saying this video actually taught you something, you're either stupid, or a liar.
My gut reaction was that combo systems in fighting games are fundamentally different from, say, double jumps. At first I had a hard time formulating why, though, at the end of the day they both are finite state machines. I think it comes down to this: Jump and double jump are semantically the same action under different contexts (i.e. the game state). It adds ad-hoc overloading to inputs but you could still guess the resulting behavior from a screenshot.
This doesn't work for fighting games. There is no way to guess that a heavy after two lights is a slow side sweep which is easy to block. That removes a lot of the elegance that versatile verbs can grant since you have to learn every action separately even if they share a button.
Alright, enough rambling. I just wanted to recommend the steam controller to everyone interested in this sort of thing. It is absolutely fascinating how transformative a control scheme can be, and how broad the design space is even though barely any games explore it.
as someone who suffers from hypermobility and dyspraxia, it's nice to see someone advocate physical accessibility in video games, I don't think it's brought up enough, and I really appreciate you doing so
I love this. A lot of it is stuff that seems so simple you'd never notice it until the moment the versatility was taken away. Stuff like that is the key to pitch-perfect design in my eyes.
Nice to see you here. Had nothing else to say....
Zomg it's Wittling on Gems
Brilliantly presented. The button graphics interlaced throughout the video demonstrate the concepts so simply, clearly, and exclusively visually. So perfect.
Thanks! They were super handy for me during writing so decided to put them in the video
So what you're saying is that sometimes players are just verbing nouns and sometimes they're adjective verbing nouns, verb conjunction verbing nouns, uselessly verbing because they're not in the correct position, verbing noun preposition noun, verb INTERJECTION start the level over again, and so on.
This comment is criminally underrated. It manages to accurately distill the point while addressing the concern of some regarding the verbiage (huehue).
Bravo!
Well put
Super Smash Brothers, even more than other fighting games, makes use of versatile verbs. You really only have a few buttons at your command, and attacks only come in 3 main forms: Standard, Special, and Grab.
Standard attacks change form based on directional inputs and are commonly referred to as Tilts. Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, and Jab (no directional input) are all very different actions derived from the same core. Smash attacks use the same concept, albeit with a tapping directional input. Forward Smash, Up Smash, Down Smash, and and Dash Attack will all vary drastically from the Tilts. Aerials add another layer of depth. From a button-pressing standpoint, they're just like Standard moves, yet Aerials allow for even more options with Forward Air, Up Air, Down Air, Back Air, and Neutral Air all performing more unique functions to the rest of a character's options. Special moves function similarly to Standard Attacks, but use a different button. There are still Side Specials, Up Specials, Down Specials, and Neutral Specials. Not to be forgotten, even Grabs function slightly differently depending on if you're standing, dashing, or pivoting. At least 20 different verbs out of a combination of directional inputs and 3 buttons.
Many other fighting games get their multiple interactions out of various forms of button string combos, but Smash's combos are organic, and are created fully from both the game's mechanics and the player's expression. No doubt Nintendo aimed to take the verb-versatility concepts learned from past games and apply them to this series. Its a large reason why the series is so compelling to interact with. It marries the concepts of Sumo Wrestling and competition martial arts immensely well, and no doubt would make an amazing focal point for a future video.
Also Ryu and Ken, their movements change depending on how you press the button
Example: Injustice games
GMT has quickly become my favorite game analysis series on all of RUclips. The concepts you discuss are interesting, you always use several examples from multiple games (typically from multiple genres), and the editing and aesthetic of your videos is relaxing, informative, and intuitive (your graphics and flowcharts are especially well-designed). These are an absolute joy to watch; thank you for your efforts!
Weston Maier you should check out Nakey Jakey. He does content mainly based around video game, but its more comedic and abstract than these.
8:27
That backflip was timed so well, the bricks broke instantly afterwards.
_Wahoo!_ I always-a knew I was good at-a jumping! If you want another example of the "cooked grenade" explanation, you should-a take a look at the original ODDWORLD: Abe's Oddysee (no not to be-a confused with Super Mario Odyssey!). In Abe's Oddysee, there are a few-a puzzles where the player must release a grenade just before an explosion to-a destroy a chant suppressor. Throughout the game, the player had been taught to throw granades as soon as they-a held them, but these later puzzles telegraph the alternate way to use grenades very well through the use of auditory cues that allow the player to know exactly when to-a let go of the bomb! Pretty good, huh? Mario thinks so!
Wahoo, Mario, you got some killer video game references! Oddworld is such a fantastic series.
Did you know a blind person finished Abe's Oddysee?
Super Mario i was triggered by the fact he said modern even tho in that game was a pretty important mechanic, rushing to the comment section i find it.
I'm also glad to see that mario lovescharacters from other games, strange since the only times he encounters non mario characters he either throws shells at them or plain punch them in the face
EDIT @Will's wow, i knew about a blind finishing ocarina of time, i guess on abe it's actualy easier since the grid and the kinda trial and error gameplay help a lot in working it only with audio clues
Do you roleplay as Mario when you have sex?
You don't even have to jump that for for an example of cooked grenades. There are several locations in Super Mario Bros 2, where you're encouraged to hold a Bob-omb (or normal bomb) longer to trigger the explosion in mid air, destroying blocks otherwise out of reach for the explosion.
what do you mean "roleplay", that's the real Mario. Do you roleplay as ew275x? Yeah, didn't think so!
It's satisfying to come across a solution to a tricky design problem - how to get a versatile set of options into a narrow input space? - and then have Mark Brown release a video covering the very topic *the next day*. Love ya, Mark.
Nice video Mark. My favourite verb mechanic is applying the planning mode in transistor. Getting a guarantee to put down some damage from 'stopped time' but then having the penalty of not being able to fight for 5-6 seconds and having to run and dodge before any kind of fightback.
A comprehensive rebuttal to the argument that "an a press is an a press. You can't say it's only a half".
Goddamnit man it’s been 6 years, tell us the secret already
These videos, especially the BOSS KEYS playlist, are absolutely brilliant. From content to idea to production; brilliantly executed.
WHAT IS THE SECRET!?
Answer us, Mark!!
verbs 😅
I've been thinking about this a lot ever since I saw your video on Downwell. Glad to have a mini series of yours devoted to the application of this sort of game design.
Awesome content as usual! I really appreciate you addressing the problems for disabled gamers as well - that's an area that is so often completely overlooked by game developers, designers, and reviewers.
In Melee, the A button has a potential to do 12 different moves, and it all depends on what direction you're holding the stick and if you are in the air
Other smash games after melee too, but still it’s great
And this is how you "youtube". A verb not many content producers exploit really well. Great video, as usual.
One day, I hope somebody loves me as much as Mark Brown loves game mechanics.
Really appreciate you touching on accessibility, not enough game designers even bother so it's great to see you explicitly pointing it out in a series about how people should be designing games!
I've never quite been able to put my finger on why some games feel so much better than others, but the idea that linking verbs together to produce a logical outcome of both verbs just seems so obvious now you say it.
It may be basic, but sometimes looking at the basics and explaining them clearly and with examples just makes it all spring into focus. I appreciate it anyway!
this is definitly one of my favorite series, ever.
ive always been interested in game design and this series is done in a very nice way to learn about it. also your voice is perfect for it.
I wish you had talked about how versitile verbs cause problems too. Sonic Team always give Sonic the ability to dash along a trail of rings while in mid air. Press A to jump and press B (when close enough to a trail of rings) to perform this move. However, the games always have issues recognizing when Sonic is near a trail of rings or not. Sometimes you will press A and then B near a trail of rings and you'll see yourself quickly plummeting to the ground because you just caused Sonic to use his version of the ground pound. A situational issue like this could be solved by not making this button (or verb) versitile, but by re-assigning this move to a different button, which is fine since Sonic games typically leave a good chunk of the controller unused.
Super Mario 3D Land / World also have an obscure rolling move which makes it possible for Big Mario to squeeze through tiny gaps, but it's more complicated than it's worth it.
Terranigma's battle system is built around three verbs: jumping, dashing and attacking. Using one of these, or two, or all three at a time yields different outcomes of varying effectiveness. For example the dash attack pierces the iron knights defense but if you don't back out during the monster's very short stunned state you risk getting heavy damage. But it's not well implemented, and the one boss battle that needs it (along with magic) despite the technique not being taught earlier in-game, Blood Mary, is a major road block in that game that players just grind to skip with overpowered stats, eliminating much of the challenge from later game parts (many other bosses after her would require these tactics as well).
This isn't a problem with versatile verbs. Verbs are not buttons, they are the actions a player can take.
In this case; the developer stuck 2 different verbs (different actions) onto the same button.
Hence, it's not a versatile verb. It's a cluttered button :)
Stephen Aymond that problem hasn't been much of an issue ever since Sonic evolved into to the Boost formula.
I was just thinking that.
Tittle: Mario Jump
Video: 90% other games and 10% Mario
I love your love for analyzing videogames and tell us about it. Please never stop.
Every new video of you manages to impress me somehow. You just keep getting better with every video. Keep it up :)
This is honestly the best video game-related content on RUclips, and maybe on the internet. You take the intrigue of RadioLab or This American Life and combine it with incredibly insightful and creative analysis which begets whole new paradigms in conceptualizing game design.
I remember playing the old Lego Star Wars in multiplayer as a kid with a friend. We were often just fighting each other pressing repeatedly the attack button to zip zap the lightsaber and defend by holding the block button. If you keep the latter down, nothing can hurt you.
Or so I thought. I remember the revelation when discovering that by pressing the attack button right when the previous attack finished (instead of just spamming it) would lead to a hidden 4-hit combo with a final unstoppable attack that would bypass the block action.
You don't need that attack at all to finish the game, it's Lego Star Wars after all, but that feeling of just winning every fight with my friend was truly great.
Why does this have to be the most underrated channel ever?
Better than being overrated!
Fantastic video. I appreciate the moment you take to talk about the possibility of someone not being able to preform tricks in games due to a disability or likewise.
I know for me personally I love mario because there's a thrilling element of just being able to show off! Side jumps, long jumps, flips and spins allow a seasoned player to feel like an expert.
A perfect video for Dustforce's movement. Directional keys and 4 basic actions when combined with the level geometry, gets you so many options for handling an area
One of my favourite examples of this is in Skate 3 (and probably 1 and 2 as well, although I haven't played them).
Cross and Square controls your left and right foot, R2 and L2 your handgrabs, Left stick controls your direction, and finally the Right stick allows you to do flip-tricks simply by flicking it in numerous ways. And that's pretty much the entire game's control scheme, yet you can combine them into all sorts of crazy tricks - It's all contextual. And most importantly, it just feels good. It's not often I load up a game just to mess about with the controls for a couple of hours.
After having read Game Feel by Steve Swink front to back. There is so much to gain from this video. It's amazing how you can put crucial game making techniques, that might seem confusing to read, into a perfect context that makes it a bazillion more times easier to understand. Amazing work!
I really love that you included the note on the Game Accessibility Guidelines - will definitely check out this resource. Otherwise, another great video that'll make me think about game design in a new way. Great series.
One interesting gesture that comes to mind is using the analog sticks to mimic punches in Fight Night or golf swings in Everybody's Golf. That's always one I've enjoyed. Especially when you execute a flawless swing of the analog stick to satisfying land a KO punch on FN.
Did I already said that YOU'RE GREAT DUDE ! as a futur game designer (or at least i hope so), all of your videos are pure gold and i think you're one of the best talking about game design. You're concise, clear, and just perfect !! damit. keep up the great work mark
10:46 Haunting photos made before disaster
Jane Xemylixa 😂😂
I cri evritim
The word verb is at the same time the most perfectly fitting word to use for this concept, and the most seemingly inappropriate word to use. Very hard to find another word with quite the same meaning, but Verb is so tightly connected with spoken language that it's hard to disassociate it from that context.
Regardless, another great video as always, MB. Love your channel.
what did we do to deserve 2 game maker's toolkit videos in a week?
Well, he said in the end of the video that he is going to take a two weeks break to play Zelda BotW.
Who isn't?
Me ;~;
Pauvre, pauvre kitty!
not getting a GMT for 2 weeks! thats the price! i need my weekly fix!
I may have said this before, but I really love it when you analyze the fundamental building blocks of game design.
luftrausers is such a lovely game. nice to see that shout-out.
I like your use of terminology when you talk about the player "expressing" themselves through their inputs. I feel like the recognition of that one word could have a great effect on how a designer develops their control scheme.
Great video. I think a big part of the fun factor that Mario games have had since their first 3D platformer with Super Mario 64 to the present are very directly linked to Nintendo giving Mario so much of that complexity with Mario's jump from the beginning. It's interesting that they implemented just about all of Mario's 3D jump capabilities on their very first iteration, from jump, double jump, triple jump, the change in direction jump, the crouch+backflip jump, running crouch+long jump, and jump+ground pound. All of those staples came on their first attempt at this, when nobody was even familiar with a 3D platformer.
Giving that much versatility right out of the gate is really what made Mario 64 such a fun game, that gave the player so much more they could do as they mastered the game.
I think Metal Gear Solid 3 is a really great example of The Versatile verb Concept in this video. Specifically, CQC. you can press the button to punch, press it repeatedly for a combo, hold the button while moving to throw an enemy to the ground, hold the button while standing still to grab them, press it firmly while grabbing an enemy to slice their throat, press it lightly while moving the stick and holding an enemy to throw the held enemy to the ground, and probably one or two more that I'm missing. great video!
Super Mario Oddysey was famous for being the first Strand-Type movie
I love it when games make "to press X or not to press X" an engaging choice. Luftrausers is a great example I never thought of. Playdead's Inside spends its first ten or so minutes asking the player to decide no more than whether or not to move forward, and it was an incredibly tense and engaging ten minutes, despite (because of?) the mechanical simplicity.
PBS Gameshow did a video on the importance of Mario's jump mechanic. I am really glad you took an entirely different direction. You are always great.
Another great video that makes you think more about the possibilities of controls.
Also, thanks for bringing up accessibility as a consideration. It's easy to forget about that as your designing.
such a cool video. what's funny is I never think about these jumps. they all eventually come naturally. it's part of the fun of learning a new Mario game. it's always similar, but different enough that it's fun to learn.
Always great to see a new Mark Brown video in my notification😊
Another good example is how movement works in the first Super Mario Bros, it's not just a matter of " pressing run modifies jump height and distance" but how the momentum of the character also affects the distance and speed of the jump so it becomes "for how long do you press the run button/how much momentum Mario has before jumping" and then you also have that pressing or releasing a directional button also modifies Mario's momentum both while running and while jumping. At the end of the day every single one of these mechanics and button presses modify the way the other mechanics work.
Loving this channel so much!
I'm not planning on making a video game or getting into the industry in any way
But these videos are so much fun and just make me feel smart lol
You should take a look at the Trials games. Their use of buttons is amazing. Leaning the bike, knowing when to let go of gas, knowing how to bunny hop... there's a massive array of different techniques to master from just the analogue stick and accelerator.
"Press X to Jason"!
JAAAAASOOOOOOONNN
Василий Калинкин JAAY-SUN
SHAAAAUUUUN
JASON!
JAYSUN
Kirby games are a great example of this, because 'Attack' can mean so many different things and still be just one button. Multiple taps, directional inputs, dashing, being in midair and so many other factors can affect what moves are used, and so every ability can have a multitude of different attacks without ever being difficult to learn. Compare this to so many action and fighting games where players need to memorize a series of different inputs for numerous different attacks.
your editing and visual diagrams are on fire. i wish you the best
I wish he made a video about Metal Gear Solid
So do I
Lucas Celistre a stealth video would be amazing
One day
Where to start? Sequel bloat? Plot fatigue? How to transpose a 2.5D game in to a 3D one? Looking forward to seeing what you come up with - MGS is ripe for constructive criticism!
I didn't think bad opinions were possible -- until now.
TMNT 4: Turtles in Time on SNES let you do 9 different attacks with just 1 attack button and without combos (idk if its the same on arcade). Here's the list:
1. standing triple hit (combo)
2. Jump+attack to do a special that costs health
3. running shoulder bash
4. a sliding tackle (attack after jumping while running)
5. Divekick if you attack while going up during a jump
6. repeatable weapon attack if you attack at the height of your jump
7. air-dashing leg sweep when attack while coming down during a jump
8. enemy swing attack, performed by attacking an enemy, moving in very close during his hitstun, stopping and attacking again
9. Throw an enemy at the screen (literally), performed by attacking an enemy, and then attacking while moving in very close during his hitstun
It helps make the game feel cool to look at and non-repetitive even though what's too bad about the game is that all those attacks have no differences in kind in terms of output (except for those last 2). Still a very impressive amount of stuff to put on one button without combos (and yes im disregarding the first triple hit because it takes no mastery to learn, its the first attack any player does in the game)
Games that few buttons but allow so much variety and nuance with a set amount of mechanics is the pinnacle of excellent gameplay.
I haven't been on this channel in a while. I really missed it. Time for another binge in the near future!
Your insightful videos always make me think about video games at a deeper level.
Really good video! 4:38 Fun fact: That mechanic was invented in a Star Wars pod racing game for the Nintendo 64.
Kirby air rid is a prim example u just press B for wich is for everything
A, actually. Plus, L and R are tied to the exact same actions. And of course, there's the C stick and pause button, right?
But yeah, I was seriously impressed with that game's controls from Day 1.
Verbs =/= pressing a button.
Kirby's Air Ride does not have versatile verbs per se, but good context sensitivity on button presses.
One button (B) can trigger a number of different verbs (actions) depending on the context (player position, speed, turning radius etc).
So Kirby's Air Ride is actually not a great example for versatile verbs.
+Rick Sorgdrager ... Huh? The action button in Kirby Air Ride is really only context sensitive to whether you have a copy ability and what Air Ride you're riding, and only sort-of in the latter regard. It always functions as a brake button via touching your Air Ride with the ground ( which means it also allows you to interact with ground objects like switchs and boost panels ) that amps up your turning rate and allows you to charge up a boost ( unless you're riding the *_PUSSY WAGON_* ), which can "overcharge" and expire if you hold it down too long, and usually launches you forward though ... two? Air Rides can only move forward through boosting and consume the boost much more slowly, so it operates more like battery charging with them. It also lets you quickly descend from an airborne state ( though again, it works via touching the ground, so that's pretty intuitive ) and allows to to inch forward by pressing upwards ( ... again, you're touching the ground, so your tiny little Kirby feet can actually touch the ground like that ), with the City Trial-exclusive detail of pressing back while braking to hop off of your Air Ride to grab another ( yadda yadda, you're on the ground and also still, so it makes sense that you would hop off during it ).
That's pretty damn versatile, all from the verb "brake."
We can start with a trailer that doesn't turn out to be an entrance to Smash for Rosalina, after seeming to have settled for an entrance to Mario Kart for Kirby.
It's cool how a game like braid takes its one verb- rewinding time- and without adding any other input, creates an entire game about the implications. Those types of puzzle games are like the ultimate version of this.
If only Mark released this after Odyssey!
That game is the epiphany of simple-yet-versatile movement options.
Love this video and I'd like to personally thank you for including the bit about accessability. It's been a real obstacle for me lately.
I've seen this one already. But I was heavily clouded in considerations for my input design, so I came back to this video again hurriedly.
Without trying to ape it entirely, I'm trying to think of a way to utilize the same mechanic essentially used by the A does all Action Button in Zelda: OoT.
Only conceptualizing it, personifying it to mean something to the player.
Thanks, Mark. This definitely helps as always.
I think it's worth mentioning alternative combos scored by making a little pause between certain moves, like in DMC. It allows for more variety and requires focus
Mechanics (or verbs, as per your vernacular) are the most important part of video games, yet they seem to be overlooked in so many games. They are your means for interacting with the game's world and systems, but so many are under-developed and have such little interactive potential.
I've always found Mega Man's primary functions to be a great example. The game is an action platformer where you jump and shoot, but Mega Man can't aim up or down, so you have to combine these two functions to hit higher targets. In this way, these two functions support one another in a natural way. And if that weren't enough, the various abilities gained from robot masters can then be designed in ways to cover the functional blind-spots of the Mega Buster to add wrinkles to the gameplay and give the player different options for tackling each challenge. I've always had great appreciation for Mega Man's design.
I think a good note to keep while making versatile verbs is not making them unnecessarily complex, where one button does multiple things that are unrelated mechanics wise, like the same button for picking up stuff or getting in a car. If i want to pick up something next to a car how does it prioritise that over getting into it, and the other way around.
Verbs ≠ buttons, though. A button that does many unrelated things, especially to the point of confusion, isn't a versatile verb - just an awkwardly cluttered button.
I swear to god everytime I see one of your videos in my subbox it makes my entire week
Oh man, I can't wait for part 2. If your past video on controllers is any indication, I'm excited to see the potential uses of VR controls!
I think a great example of a combination verb is Classic Sonic's Spin Dash.
(A (hold) + B> maybe B again & again with timing > release A with timing = C with varying speeds)
It simply combines the verbs of crouch and jump.
When standing still, crouching and pressing jump revs a spin dash. Releasing crouch fires off Sonic, returning the jump verb to normal.
Spin Dashing requires two separate inputs to work: crouch to act as the release, and jump to rev. Mashing jump more times results in a faster spin dash by adding charge that decays over time, meaning you need to mash and release as fast as possible for an optimal spin dash.
A lot of classic Sonic games tend to have jump mapped to multiple buttons as well, meaning that players can mash any number of buttons in any way they prefer.
When moving, crouching becomes rolling, so it forces it to be done from a standing position causing a trade-off: Should I keep running forwards at my current speed, or stop to spin dash and potentially generate more speed?
3-D Sonic, especially Adventure 1 & 2 showcase why single button spin dashing isn't as interesting. Simply holding a button removes a lot of the skill expression and kinetic feeling of the action. Now it's mostly about holding the button for the precise amount of time for a maximum charge. Even if you hold too long, you still get a optimal spin dash.
Adventure had roll (tap) and spin dash (hold) as verbs on the same button, and while aesthetically it makes sense, i think separate verbs like in the classic titles to preserve the spin dash would have been better.
This is something I feel I knew and understood, but never really thought about. I guess that kind of transparency makes for good game design.
Kick & Fennick is another great example of versatile verbs, It is worth cheking out
Movement in general is the most versatile mechanic in games. Where you are determines what you can do and what can be done to you. I think this is why having strong movement mechanics is a crucial part of great games.
Monster Hunter also has a very versatile B button the dodge evade button, which sure allows you to still be alive but it also important to use for optimal positioning and optimal play with weapons like the Gunner Weapons, Greatsword, Lance, and Glaive. It also helps users play with the mounting system since you can roll into an aerial attack and with canceling moves. Also attacking after rolling with some weapons wives it new attacks.
Another big difference in how Mario jumps from classic arcade games like Donkey Kong to Super Mario Brothers, is the introduction of sub-pixel position and velocity in the physics calculations. The code for this actually first appeared in Balloon Fight, and made it into SMB. This made jumping much more fluid than in old arcade games because Mario could smoothly decelerate at the height of each jump instead of his speed snapping to integer values. This is a big part of why Super Mario Brothers (and future games), felt so nice to control compared to other titles at the time.
All that talk of games where you must attack to keep enemies away but also not attack so you don't die yourself reminds me of the MechWarrior games. While they are certainly very complicated games with a dizzying amount of buttons to press, they all have a very simple element: heat. When you fire your weapons, use your jump jets or anything like that, your robot heats up. If your robot heats up too much, it will shut down, take damage or even explode (depending on the title). Because of this, you have to be careful not to shoot too much, but also to keep shooting so that your enemy doesn't kill you. Then we add on top of that weapons that can inflict heat on the enemy, and you have a very interesting system.
Excellent video, you are fun to watch! I liked the idea of these "Versatile Verbs." It's quite gratifying to know that one mechanic could have various results depending on the implementation of that action, hence different meanings and solutions to a multitude of problems. The more interesting example was the button hold, it makes any shooter game boring if the player can just retain the shooting button down throughout the level. So, a round of applause to these games that make performing this action more satisfying and entertaining.
Fantastic video. It really helps me to realize why certain games feel so limited
A good example of different verbs being mapped to the same button can be found in Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 with the fire button. Preceding the over-homogenization of most tactical shooters, these games chose to map aiming your gun to the same button as firing by relying on button sensitivity capabilities of the PS2. A soft press readied your firearm, finger on the trigger, allowing you to aim down the sights (with a tedious press of an extra button to initiate first person mode- it wasn't perfect). Pressing your finger down the rest of the way caused you to fire. This made it imperative that you remain calm when using your weapon- a hasty release of the button after aiming might cause you to fire, too, if you're heavy handed. I haven't felt controls-related tension like it in any other game.
I feel really bad, I consume these videos like peanuts and forget to like. Please forgive and keep making great content!
Thanks for bringing up accessibility. I love complex combinations myself but my Dad doesn't have as much fine control with his hands due to years of working with them, so even using the l-stick to sprint is tough for him.
Professor Mark Brown. Excellent out of the box video.
love how you created your own logic gates just for this video
@2:45 - Speaking of the Mega Man's charged shot, NES era Megaman was actually the more interesting version here because if you took a hit you lost the charge and had to start over. Also, the invulnerability frames on bosses (from MM4 through MM8 and entire X series) was about the same as the time required to charge your shot, so there actually wasn't as much motivation to shoot normal shots over charging them.
@4:30 - Azure Striker Gunvolt is a good example of pressing / not pressing your attack being interesting. By default you are equipped with an item that causes incoming damage to be deducted from your Energy instead of your HP -- but it's only active when you're not attacking (which also uses that Energy). So by attacking, you're making yourself more vulnerable to incoming attacks yourself.
10:18 A very important point that I often feel game developers overlook during design and apply only as half-hearted after thought. One that *every* game should have is Key/Button rebinding. It is impossible to design a complex control scheme for *every* user, and key rebinding/mapping is a proven way to allow end users (players) to manage final comfort. Much like being able to set Field of View, Depth of Field, Motion Blur, and other visual options (that can negatively impact Simulation Sickness prone players).
While designing UI and other visual elements I frequently use tools like CVSimulator to check myself against the more common forms of color-blindness, as a *first pass*. The follow up is with a tester who has that condition. I feel keeping such accessibility in mind from the start has made me a better designer. It certainly has made me more aware of color (pattern) and *shape* use.
i knew you had downwell too in mind while making this video, that's a great example of making a versatile yet simple verb
Example that came to mind: In the Enter the Matrix game, Neo would break the opponent's guard with on button (throw button, basically), then during the guard break animation, you had 4+ throws you could do by hitting one of the face buttons, including the throw button itself. Pretty great part of the game play, imo.
Boy, I hope you can read this. I was glad that towards the end of this video, you said that this is sort of a part 1 of this topic. Because as great as you managed to explain the concept of "verbs" in video games, you forgot to reference a particular genre where all of this is applicable.
Fighting games
Everything you just said about simple button press, hold, repeated press, simultaneous press with other buttons (or direction buttons), timing, combination, chains, etc is the complex foundation on how you control a character in fighting games.
I would want to try to explain and expound on this in this comment section but it would feel like I would just be borrowing ideas you presented on this excellent video. Besides, you hinted that there might be a part 2 on this topic, I hope you can insert fighting games as one of the best examples on video game verbs. For all glorious moves (super moves) happening onscreen are choreographed by a joystick and a set of 2 to 6 buttons.
Don't forget about toggles, buttons which keeps their effects until pressed again. The most common practice is pressing a button to stay crouched, however most games have an option to change it to where you can just hold the crouch button again.
Another classic example though is pressing a button to turn on your flashlight.
Switching weapons is also a toggle button-press. Some change your weapon visually on screen, although it's not always necessary, like switch between plasma and frag grenades in halo.
That said, combos in video games are basically toggle-button with a limited duration of effect. For instance, to do a double jump, you have to press (A) a second time before your character touches the ground.
(I suppose holding a button is also another form of button toggles as well, in which the effect stays active until the button is released)
I love the reload mechanic of Insurgency: Sandstorm. Push R - Normal reload, the half-empty magazine is put back into your mag rotation, all the way to the back. Hold R, and you see how many bullets you have left in the mag, and how many mags you still have. Double-tap R and you reload faster, but you discard the magazine currently in your weapon. Genius.
There is also button pressure is several games. Like Mario sunshine and whether you run and spray or stand still and spray the water where you want (of course most games with vehicles have this with determining the amount of acceleration). Also, some MGS games had something I don't remember seeing in any other game, probably because it is quite a hassle. You would hold down square to ready your gun and release to fire, but if you didn't want to fire you slowly released the button to go back to holster position.
I've been waiting for a video like this for a while. Thanks!
One of my favorite sequenced/combined verbs is Mario’s pounce in SM Odyssey. Though I’m not sure if that meets your criteria for good design - interrupt a ground pound with the hat button.