Drive to Work #24 - 玛那系统

我刚把车开出车道。

I'm pulling out of my driveway.

你知道这意味着什么吗？

You know what that means?

又到了开车上班的时间了。

It's time for another drive to work.

好的。

Okay.

两周前，我提到了我开始做我的黄金三部曲播客系列，在那里我谈到了我认为杰伊·理查德·加菲尔德在创造万智牌时所做的三件事。

Two weeks ago, I talked about I started my golden trifecta series of podcasts where I talked about the three things that I believe Jay Richard Garfield did when he created magic.

他组合起来创造万智牌这个天才游戏的三件了不起的事情。

The three awesome things he put together to make the genius that is the game magic.

其中一个是集换式卡牌游戏的概念。

So one was the concept of a trading card game.

我两周前谈过这个。

I talked about that two weeks ago.

第二是色环的概念。

Second was the idea of a color pie.

这个我上周讲过了。

I talked about that last week.

今天我要讲的是法术力系统。

Today, I'm talking about the Mana System.

所以我对这期播客很兴奋，因为大家都懂集换式卡牌游戏的天才之处。

So I'm I'm excited for this podcast because everybody understands the genius of the trading card game.

大家都明白色环的天才设计。

Everybody gets the genius of the color pie.

但法术力系统，就没那么受欢迎了。

But the Mana System, not as much beloved.

所以我们今天就来聊聊这个，因为我希望你们能像我一样尊重法术力系统，因为它真的很棒。

So we're gonna talk about that today because I feel that I want you all to have as much respect for the Mana System as I do because it is awesome.

而且我觉得它被误解得太多了。

And I I think that it is much maligned.

好的。

Okay.

那么首先，我对法力系统有意见的地方是，我觉得人们看它的时候，都是从负面角度去看的。

So for starters, here's my first issue with with with with that is, I think people, when they look at the Mana System, try to their their viewpoint is from the negative.

比如说，假设我要向你推销汽车，我说，好吧。

So for example, let's imagine I was gonna try to pitch you on cars and I said, okay.

嗯，汽车，首先，它们会造成污染。

Well, cars, for starters, they create pollution.

它们很贵。

They're expensive.

你需要保险才能用它们。

You need insurance to use them.

你知道，你死亡的概率会大大增加。

You know, your chance of dying goes way up.

汽车事故很多，还有酒驾，天哪。

Lots of accidents happen in cars and there's drunk driving and oh my god.

它每年都导致死亡和事故，你知道的。

It it causes deaths every year and accidents every year and, you know.

如果你从那个角度看汽车，它们听起来很糟糕。

And if you look at cars from that vantage point, they sound horrible.

听起来确实很糟糕。

They sound horrible.

它们只是污染空气，引发事故，但是，但是，想想没有汽车的社会吧。

They just pollute the air and cause accidents and but but but think about society without cars.

首先，没法开车上班了。

I mean, starters, there's no drive to work.

对吧？

Okay?

马上就能想到。

Right away.

你知道的。

You know.

但说真的，我住的地方离工作地点有半小时车程。

But seriously, I mean, you know, I live half an hour away from where I work.

这要是没车根本不可能，你懂吧。

That that could never happen, you know.

而且如果每个人都得住得离工作地点很近，那事情就难办多了，你知道吗。

And if everybody had to be right where they work, it would make things a lot harder, you know.

或者想象一下，如果没有卡车，那会怎样。

Or imagine just the fact that, you know, right, there's no trucks, you know.

我们现在的生活其实非常依赖汽车。

The the life we know it is very dependent upon cars.

而且人们很容易只看到汽车的缺点，然后觉得那挺糟糕的。

And it's very easy to look at the negative of cars and go, that seems pretty bad.

对吧？

You know?

我觉得这就是人们对玛娜系统的看法。

And I I think that's what people do with Mana System.

也许看看它的缺点。

Maybe look at the negatives.

比如，Mana Screw 是好事吗？

Like, is Mana Screw a great thing?

不是。

No.

那也不是完全不好。

That's not completely bad.

我一会儿再说这个。

I'll get to that in a second.

但我的意思是，那并不是它的卖点，你知道的。

But I mean, that that's not the selling point, you know.

Mana 的卖点不是它最糟糕的时候，你知道的。

The selling point of of of Mana is not Mana at its worst, you know.

而是它最好的时候。

It's Mana at its best.

那我们来聊聊法力系统吧。

So let let's talk about the Mana System.

它具体是做什么的呢？

What what exactly does it do?

过去几周我稍微提过一点，但这次我要好好讲清楚。

Now I've mentioned this a little bit in the last couple weeks, but let me really nail down.

首先，游戏需要有我们所说的节奏感。

So number one is the the game needs to have what we call flow.

对吧？

Right?

也就是说，我希望有需要做的事情，但游戏也要随着进程不断演变。

Meaning that I wanna have things I need to do, but we need the game to sort of evolve as it goes along.

很多其他游戏没有法力消耗系统，它们的一个问题是，如果什么牌都能随便出，那不同卡牌的价值就很难体现。

Now there are a lot of other games that don't have a Mana Cost system, and one of the problems that they have is, well, if I can play any card, you know, a, it's hard to make different cards of value.

比如法力系统首先让低费卡牌有了价值。

Like the Mana System for starters says, look, lower cheaper cards have value.

它们在游戏中的某个时刻有价值，但它们确实有价值。

Now they value at a certain time in the game, but they have value.

你知道，在你的起手牌里，一张一费卡牌非常棒。

You know, in your opening hand, a one drop is amazing.

你很高兴能有一张一费卡牌。

You're happy to have a one drop.

实际上，你把它们放进牌组，就是希望第一回合就能抽到它们，你懂的。

In fact, you put them in your deck because you're hoping on the first turn you get them, you know.

同样，在游戏后期，六费、七费或八费的卡牌非常厉害，但在开局时却很糟糕。

And in the same sense on, you know, later in the game, a six, seven, or eight drop, those are amazing, but they're horrible in the opening game.

所以首先，法力系统让不同卡牌在不同时间具有不同的价值。

So for starters, the Mana System, you know, makes different cards of different values at different times.

这对集换式卡牌游戏来说非常重要。

And that's very important for a trading card game.

第一，这是一种让更多卡牌有价值的方式；第二，你希望游戏过程中情况会有所变化。

A, it's just a way to make more cards of value, but b, you want things to change over the course of the game.

这里稍微讲一下游戏设计。

So get a little bit into game design here.

一个游戏，如果你想设计一个游戏，你需要让游戏经历不同的阶段。

A game has if you're trying to create a game, what you want to do is the game needs to go through stages.

那为什么呢？

Well, why is that?

其实，让我先补充一点。

Well, actually, let let me give me a little a little parameter to that.

除非你的游戏非常短，非常短的游戏不一定需要这个。

Unless your game is really short, a really short game doesn't necessarily need this.

我说的非常短，是指五分钟左右的游戏。

By really short, I mean, like, a five minute game.

也许那样可以。

Maybe you can get away with it.

但如果你的游戏比这长，基本上，人们的注意力持续时间没那么长。

But if your game is longer than that, you essentially, people's attention span is not that long.

就是不行。

It it just isn't.

要保持他们的注意力，就得不断换花样。

And that the way you keep their attention is you keep changing things up.

你懂吧？

You know?

比如你看电视剧，剧情里的情况会变，故事也在发展。

If you watch a TV show, for example, well, the parameters of what happened, you know, things change in the story.

对吧？

Right?

通常事情会越来越糟，直到问题解决，你懂吧，就是事情变坏，然后你觉得不能再坏了，结果又来一下。

That, you know, things are incrementally get worse usually is is how they tend to work until you resolve the problem, you know, where things get bad, like, well, things can't get worse and bam, the next thing comes along, you know.

做电视的人，像我以前做电视的，每段广告后都会加码。

And the way they design in TV, as someone who does TV or did TV, you know, every commercial, like, you up the ante.

所以广告回来之后，他们会继续推进。

So they'll come back after the commercial break, you know.

那就是，哦，情况很糟。

That, oh, things are bad.

哦，等等。

Oh, wait.

情况更糟了。

Things are worse.

他们是怎么解决这个的？

How did they get rid of this one?

你懂吧？

You know?

游戏也有类似的特点，你不想游戏只是重复同样的事情。

And games have a similar quality in that you don't want the game to just be doing the same thing.

你希望游戏随着发展而有所成长。

You want the you want the game to to grow as the game evolves in some way.

也就是说，玩家必须随着游戏的进行而调整和改变。

Meaning, the players have to shift and change as the game moves along.

这有一部分是为了保持游戏的趣味性。

Part of that is to keep interest in the game.

另一部分是为了增加战略深度。

Part of that is it adds a lot of strategic depth.

对吧？

Right?

你知道，如果某个东西总是好的，那就不如说，它在特定时间好，你得知道什么时候、在哪里用它。

You know, if thing a is always good, you know, that's not as good as well, thing a is good at a certain time and you have to know when and where to use a.

而且后来，它可能就不那么好了，这确实增加了战略深度。

And later on, maybe a is not so good, you know, and that adds a lot of strategic depth.

所以法力系统也做了件很棒的事，它让游戏产生了变化。

So the Mana System also does this beautiful thing where it creates change in the game.

它做的第二件事是制造不稳定性，意思是——让我解释一下——以后某天我会讲讲沟通理论。

The second thing it does is it creates inconsistency, which means and let me explain this, is so when I one of these days, I'll talk about communication theory.

沟通理论说，人类最喜欢的事情之一就是惊喜。

One of the things that communication theory says one of the things humans love is surprise.

这意味着你有点喜欢未知的感觉。

And what that means is you kinda you like not knowing things.

而万智牌中的法术力系统带来的一个效果就是，你无法预知游戏会如何发展。

And one of the things that the Mana System does for Magic is you don't know how the game's going to play out.

它在创造游戏多样性方面做得非常好。

It does a very good job of creating variety in gameplay.

因为，比如说，如果我早期就抽到了我需要的牌，那么，我是否有足够的法术力呢？

Because, for example, if I draw exactly what I need early on, you know, well, do I have the mana that I that I need?

当然，从牌库抽牌本身也增加了多样性，这非常重要。

Now given, drawing off the deck also creates variety, is very important.

那是游戏的另一个重要部分。

That's another big part the game.

但关键在于，我不知道什么时候能施放我的咒语，我的法术力增长的速度也是未知的。

But the fact that I don't know when I'll be able to cast my spells, that my the the rate my mana grows.

不过，对于一费、二费和三费的咒语，我倒是更有把握一些。

Now, I mean, I have a little more certainty of my one, two, and three spells.

你知道，我可以重新调度。

You know, I can mulligan.

我的意思是，我几乎可以保证，如果我有第一回合的牌，我应该能在第一回合打出。

I mean, I I pretty much guarantee that I if I have the one drop, I should be able to do it in turn one.

但一旦你开始需要三点或更多法力值，你就不太确定什么时候能打出。

But once you start getting to three more mana cost, you you don't quite know when that's going to happen.

你懂吗？

You know?

而且有些对局，你的第三回合牌在第三回合就来了，有些对局却要到第六回合，这在几个方面都很重要。

And the fact that some games, your third drop happens on turn three, and some games, it happens on turn six is important in the in a couple ways.

一是玩法多样性。

One is variety of play.

这非常重要。

That's very important.

第二是，好的策略性玩法的一部分就是能够随机应变。

The second is that part of what makes a good strategic gameplay is the ability to adapt on the fly.

所以，这里让我解释一下，就是说，如果你有一个游戏，它的技能是固定的，也就是说我只需要知道怎么做某件事，那么这些游戏往往不会那么有趣，因为如果我能做到那件事，那我就能做到。

So here, let me explain that for a second, which is if you have a game that has a static skill set, which means I just need to know how to do thing x, the games tend not to play out as interestingly because if I can do the thing, then I can do it.

不过有时候会有一些变化。

Now sometimes there's some variants.

比如就拿挑圆片来说吧。

So let let's take Tiddlywinks as it.

挑圆片这个游戏，可能有些人不知道，它是一个儿童游戏，你有一个小圆塑料片，还有另一个小塑料片，你用压力把它弹到空中，试图让它掉进杯子里。

So Tiddlywinks is a game, for those who don't know it, it's a kid's game where you have a little round piece of plastic and you have another little piece of plastic and you're using pressure to pop it in the air to try to get into a cup.

那这是一个基于技巧的游戏。

Now that's a skill based game.

对吧？

Okay?

那么，基于技巧的游戏的想法是，嗯，会有一些变化，也许我会失误，你知道的。

Now the idea on a skill based game is, well, there's some variants, maybe I mess up, you know.

但问题是，这是一种你可以练习并且能变得相当稳定的技巧。

But the problem is, it's a skill that you can practice and get pretty consistent at.

而且最终的问题是，到了某个时候，你就能直接做到了。

And the problem eventually is, at one point, like, you can just do it.

当你能直接做到的时候，就没有太多惊喜了。

Well, there's not a lot of surprise when you can just do it.

你懂吧？

You know?

但如果你加入一点变化，比如想象一下，突然杯子动了。

But what happens is, by adding a little variance in, then you, like, imagine for example, all of a sudden the cup moves.

你知道，杯子在旋转移动，而且它的移动方式不是每次都一样的。

You know, the cup is on a moving rotating basis, and how it moves is not always the same.

那么，你弹射的技巧仍然重要，但现在实际上有更多的技巧了。

Well, your skill at flicking is still important, but now there's actually more skills.

我得判断它大概会往哪去。

I gotta gauge where I think it's going.

如果它朝某个方向移动，我就得瞄准那个方向。

You know, if it's going in certain direction, I gotta aim in that direction.

这样一来，游戏就变得更有动感了。

All of a sudden, it makes it more dynamic game.

所以在游戏中，当操作者具备合适的技能时，他们需要根据情况调整自己的技能，这非常考验技能，并且给游戏增加了许多战略复杂性。

And so in in a in a game, when the person who's doing it has the right skill set, having to adapt their skill set to the situation is very skill testing and has a lot of strategic complexity to a game.

现在再快速说一下，我们讨论过三种复杂性。

Now once again, real quickly, I there's three kinds of complexity we talk about.

理解复杂性，就是当我读卡片时，我能理解它吗？

Comprehension complexity, which is when I read the card, can I understand it?

我知道它有什么作用吗？

Do I know what it does?

还有棋盘复杂性，就是看棋盘时，我能理解可能发生什么吗？

There's board complexity, which is can I understand looking at the board what is capable of happening?

然后还有战略复杂性。

And then there's strategic complexity.

我理解大局吗？

Do I understand the big picture?

到底是怎么回事？

What is really going on?

不是可能发生什么，而是战略上什么重要。

Not what can happen, but what strategically matters.

前两种复杂度是我们会非常小心的。

The first two complexities are something we'd be very careful about.

我知道总有一天我会做一个《新世界秩序》的播客。

I know I'll do a New World Order podcast one of these days.

但第三种，战略复杂度，新手看不到，所以这是我们喜欢有的。

But the third one, strategic complexity, beginners can't see it, so it's something that we like to have.

你的游戏有很多战略复杂度会让有经验的玩家高兴。

Your game having a lot of strategic complexity makes your experienced players happy.

而法力系统增加了许多战略复杂度。

And the Mana System adds a lot of strategic complexity.

这是它的另一个重要部分。

That's another important part of it.

因为你不太清楚自己在做什么，所以你必须随机应变。

Because you don't quite know what you're doing, you have to adapt on the fly.

而且，如果我一直都知道的话，比如，看没有法力系统或者没有万智牌法力系统的游戏，一个方法就是看其他游戏。

And if I always knew so for example, one of the ways to look at games without a Mana System or without Magic's Mana System is to look at other games.

我现在不会点名具体游戏，但你们可以自己脑补。

Now I'm not gonna name games by name, but you guys can fill in the blanks.

比如，想象一个游戏，我知道我每回合都有法力。

So for example, imagine a game where I know I have my my turn I always have my mana.

我确定。

I know it.

第一回合一点，第二回合两点，第三回合三点。

Turn one l one, turn two l two, turn three l three.

其实，我会点名一个，因为那是威世智的游戏。

Actually, I'll name a name because it's it's it's wizards game.

《决斗大师》就是这样，那是我们为日本市场做的游戏。

Duel Masters does this, which is the game we made for the Japanese market.

而且我们，像很多人一样，也掉进了那个陷阱，觉得哎呀，这个魔法系统，也许问题就出在这儿。

And we, like many others, fell into the trap of going, oh, man, this magic system, maybe that's the problem.

你知道，就是被魔法卡住了。

You know, you get man screwed.

所以《决斗大师》的做法是，你可以把任何牌变成地牌，就是这个思路。

So Dual Masters uses you can turn any card into into a land is the idea.

所以，对，基本上，你可以把任何红色牌当成山脉，如果你想这么理解的话。

So, yeah, essentially, think of it like any red card could become a mountain, if wanna think of it that way.

而我们学到的，或者说我学到的是，当你确定第三回合一定能下三费牌时，游戏就少了很多动态变化。

And what we learned was what I learned was when you know your turn three drop is always on turn three, that takes a lot of the dynamic element of the game.

你的策略复杂度就下降了。

Your strategic complexity goes down.

因为我就知道。

Because I just know.

我知道第三回合，我肯定能下第三张三费牌。

I know turn three, I'm gonna have my third three drop.

对吧？

Okay?

所以这和那种情况很不一样，那种我知道有时候我必须在第三回合出牌，但可能要到第六或第七回合才出得了。

And so that's a very different animal than why I know sometimes I have to turn three, but it might be as late as turn six or seven.

你懂吗？

You know?

我觉得很多有趣的万智牌对局并不是一切顺利的那种。

And I think a lot of fun magic games are not where everything goes perfectly.

而是那些有点小意外的对局，顺便说，这挺有意思的。

It's the ones where things go a little awry, which is funny, by the way.

我喜欢把游戏比作娱乐。

I like to compare games to entertainment.

最好的故事往往是事情不顺利的那种。

The best stories are ones where things don't go right.

比如说，很少有劫盗电影里一切都进行得完美无缺的。

You know, for example, there's not a lot of heist films where, like, everything just goes perfectly.

什么都没出问题。

Nothing goes wrong.

比如，不是的。

Like, no.

不。

No.

不。

No.

最好的劫盗电影是那种，他们计划得很周密，但然后，哦，但然后这个那个出了岔子，或者有人没来，或者不该在场的人出现了，你懂的。

The best heist films are, like, they had it carefully plotted, but then, oh, but then such and such breaks or someone doesn't show or some person who's not supposed to be there is there, you know.

游戏也是一样。

And the game is the same way.

我觉得如果你回想一下你玩万智牌时最棒的对局，那些并不是一切都很顺利的对局。

I think if you think back to the most awesome games you ever played in Magic, they were not games in which everything went perfectly.

比如，不是那种，哦，我第一回合下了个一费生物，第二回合下了个二费生物，第三回合下了个三费生物，然后我就赢了。

Like, it's not like, oh, I made my turn one drop, then made my turn two drop, and made my turn three drop, and I just beat them.

那并不是最令人难忘的对局。

That that's not that's not the most memorable game.

最难忘的对局是我第一回合出了牌，但第二回合没出，或者第三回合才出第二张，但第三张直到第七回合才抽到。

Most memorable game is I got my first drop, then I didn't get my second drop, you know, or I got my second drop, you know, on turn three, but then I didn't get my third drop till turn seven.

我不得不用两点法力撑七个回合。

I had to last for seven turns with two mana.

那你输了吗？

So did you lose?

没有。

No.

我赢了。

I won.

那些才是精彩的对局，或者像你只剩一点生命，对方还有二十点，但你赢了。

Those are the amazing games, you know, or the other games were like, you're at one and they're at 20 and you win.

你懂吗？

You know?

而且法力系统很重要，因为你需要事情出错。

And the Mana System is important because you need things to go wrong.

你需要事情，你知道，我知道人们看法力卡手总是坏事，但你知道，有时候事情不太顺利，但你得拼命想办法解决。

You need things you know, I know people look at Mana Screw as always being a bad thing, but, know, the times in which it doesn't quite work out, but you have to scramble to make it work.

那种拼命想办法的过程其实有很多乐趣。

That's there's a lot of fun in the scrambling.

我的意思是，我讲的一个故事，我想我在专栏里讲过，但可能还没在播客里讲过，就是我在大学的时候，大概大二那年，我住在宿舍里，波士顿大学的校友可能知道，叫迈尔斯·斯坦迪什，然后有个返校节，要造花车。

I mean, one of stories I tell I think I've told this in my column, but don't think I've told my podcast yet is when I was in college, I I think my sophomore year, I was in a dorm, Miles Standish for my BU alums, and we there was a homecoming where you build a float.

然后我们宿舍内部花的钱，你知道，宿舍会花一些钱，但他们就是觉得这不重要。

And our the the the money that, you know, internally, your dorm spends some amount of money, and they just decided it wasn't important.

所以我们宿舍造花车的钱很少，你知道。

So we got very little money to build the float with, you know, for our dorm.

然后我们这些人，我在学生会还是什么的，所以我被自愿去帮忙，但大概就我们六个人。

And so those of us I was on the the student council or whatever, And so I was volunteered to be there, but there was, like, I don't know, six of us.

很多花车都有，你知道，五十个人。

Like, a lot of floats had, like, you know, 50 people.

我们当时只有六个人。

We had, like, six people.

我们没钱，真的没钱。

We had no, you know, we we had no money.

他们只给了我们一点点钱。

I mean, they they gave us a little tiny bit of money.

你能想象的最少的物资。

We the the the the the least amount of supplies you can imagine.

然后我们就想，好吧。

And we're like, okay.

我们得做个花车。

We gotta make a float.

我玩得很开心。

And I had a blast.

我们做到了。

I mean, we did it.

我们做到了。

We did.

我们熬了一整夜。

We stayed up all night.

你们熬夜做花车。

You stayed up all night making the float.

我们到处借材料、偷材料，想尽一切办法把它做出来。

And, like, we were, like, borrowing supplies and stealing supplies and, like, we were doing everything we could to make it work.

在那么多限制条件下，我们想出了一个我觉得非常巧妙的花车方案。

And we came up with what I thought was a very clever float given our constraints, which we had a lot of constraints.

好。

Okay.

转眼过了一年。

Flash forward a year.

第二年，我们和另一个宿舍楼合作了。

The next year, we teamed up with another dorm.

所以我们俩都投了很多钱进去，就为了搞个超棒的东西。

And so we both put a lot of money into it, so we'd have an awesome thing.

那一年，我们人又多，钱又多，物资也充足，但我就是觉得……我是去了，也做了。

So that year, we had tons of people and tons of money and lots of supplies and I it just wasn't I mean, I was there.

做了。

Did it.

但就是不如前一年好玩。

It just wasn't the year before was so much more fun.

我觉得很大程度上是因为，那种把事办成的感觉特别有成就感。

And I think a lot of it is a sense of there is great joy in making it work.

而且，你知道，作为一个喜欢挑战的人，玩游戏的一大乐趣就是享受挑战。

And and, you know, and as someone who likes the challenge, I mean, one of the reasons you play games is enjoy the challenge.

你知道，游戏都是关于脑力挑战的，有时候事情不按你的预期发展也挺有意思的。

You know, the games are all about mental challenge is, you know, it it is fun time to time to have things not quite go your way.

我觉得玛娜系统就很好地体现了这一点。

And I think the Mana System does a lot of that.

对吧？

Right?

等一下。

Hold a second.

我喝口水，因为我在这儿咳嗽了。

Will take a a sip of water in my podcast because as I cough here.

好了。

Okay.

你看，我的播客都不剪辑的。

See, no editing in my podcast.

关于法力系统，还有一点很重要，我觉得大家喜欢批评法力系统，但有些地方其实挺好的。

So the other thing that's important about the Mana System is I think people love to to rail on Mana's crew, but there there's a few things that are good.

我知道理查德·加菲尔德说过，你希望游戏能做到这样：玩家可以把输归咎于运气，把赢归功于技术。

So one of the things I know Richard Garfield talked about this, is that you want a game to do the following where players can blame their losses on luck and their wins on skill.

我来解释一下为什么这很重要。

And let me explain why that's important.

人类，人的心理是很脆弱的。

Humans the human psyche is fragile.

人类，归根结底，很难承认自己犯了错。

Humans when you get down to the core, have problems admitting that they made a mistake.

人类不擅长这个。

Humans are not good at it.

顺便说一句，如果你想在魔法上有所提高，承认失败是自己的错是很重要的技能。

Now it is an important skill, by way, if you wanna get better at magic.

认识到输是因为自己，这一点非常重要。

Recognizing that you losing is your own fault is very important.

这是个小副作用。

Little side effect.

但不管怎样，玩家的自尊心需要一点保护。

But anyway, players their egos need a little protecting.

所以，如果一个游戏没有内在的随机性和运气成分，问题就在于，比如你和别人下棋，他们赢了你，那你就是输了。

And so the problem with the game that has no variance built in and no luck built into it is, like, if you play someone in chess and they beat you, well, you just lost.

你输不是因为运气不好。

You didn't lose because you got unlucky.

国际象棋里运气成分不多。

There's not a lot of luck in chess.

有一点，但我不细说了。

There's a little bit, but I won't get into that.

我写了篇小文章发出去，惹了一堆事。

I I wrote a little sub article that went in, caused all sorts of stuff.

总之，你就是输了。

Anyway, I mean, you lost.

对吧？

Right?

你输了。

You lost.

他们比你强。

They were better than you.

你输了。

You lost.

这很难接受，因为如果你想让人们玩你的游戏，绝大多数玩你游戏的人水平都不高。

And that's hard because if you want people to play your game, the vast majority of people playing your game aren't gonna be good.

你知道，不管怎样，总会有人更厉害，更强的玩家会赢，更弱的玩家会输。

You know, and no matter what, somebody's gonna be better and the better players are gonna win and the worst players are gonna lose.

所以如果你做了一款游戏，其中更强的玩家总是赢，那就有问题了，因为你不会吸引到新玩家。

So if you make a game in which the better players always win, that's a problem because you're not gonna get new players.

这是另一种常见的情况，当人们说‘我要做一款更好的游戏’时。

That's another very common thing that happens when people go, I'm gonna make a better game.

我要去掉法力系统。

I'm getting rid of the Mana System.

他们发现的是，哦，好吧，没有法力系统，但最强的玩家总是赢。

What they find is, oh, well, you don't have Mana's group, but then the best players always win.

这对最强的玩家来说可能很棒，也许那一小部分人真的很开心，但作为游戏设计师，你不仅要为赢家设计游戏，还要为所有玩的人设计。

And that might be great for the best players and maybe that small subset's really happy, but you are as a game designer, you have to make the game not just for your winners, but for everybody who plays.

如果你的游戏输了不好玩，那你就有麻烦了，因为人们会停止玩。

If losing your game is not fun, you are in trouble because people will stop playing.

然后那些喜欢赢的人就没有对手了，你的游戏就失败了。

And then the people who like to win don't have anybody to play and then your game fails.

明白吗？

Okay?

你需要让每个人都有机会赢，这很重要。

You need it is important that everybody have a chance to win.

当然，高手赢得多没问题，而且正如我所说，不仅菜鸟应该偶尔赢，而且当他们输的时候，他们需要某种心理安慰，如果你愿意这么说的话。

Now it's fine that the better players win more, you know, and also as I'm explaining, it's not only should your bad players win some of the time, but when your bad players lose, they need to have some sort of ego cushioning if you will.

而法力系统的妙处在于，它是一个绝佳的替罪羊。

And the nice thing about the Mana System is the Mana System is an awesome scapegoat.

它是一个很棒的替罪羊。

It's a wonderful it's a great scapegoat.

事实上，它最好的作用之一就是，如果你想怪你的法力系统，你可以这么做。

In fact, one of its one of its best best devices and best roles that it serves is if you wanna blame your game on your Mana, you can.

即使跟你的法力值一点关系都没有。

Even if it has nothing to do with your Mana.

我喜欢观察别人。

I love watching people.

比如，我以前是焦点赛区的首席裁判，我会看比赛。

Like, I I used to be the head judge of the feature match area, and I'd watch matches.

然后时不时地，有人会在比赛结束后走到选手面前问：打得怎么样？

And then from time to time, someone would come up to a player after they're done and go, how'd it go?

我会听到选手解释发生了什么。

And I'd hear the player explain what happened.

很多时候，他们只会说：哦，你知道，我抽牌抽得不好，或者起手不好。

And so much of the time, they they would just say, oh, you know, I got a bad manas or bad draws.

然后其他选手就会说：好吧。

And the other players would go, okay.

然后他们就走了。

And they walk away.

但我看了那场比赛。

But I watched the match.

他们并没有卡地或卡手。

They didn't have bad mana or they didn't have bad draws.

他们就是输了。

They just lost.

他们做了错误的决定之类的。

They made bad decisions or whatever.

但这是一个很好的借口，谁都可以用，而且这很重要。

But it's a nice excuse that anybody can give, and it is important.

你知道吗？

You know?

你的游戏需要内置一些自我安慰的机制，因为你想让玩家在还没准备好承认错误时，能有个台阶下。玩家必须学会承认自己的错误。

You want ego cushioning built in your game because you want players to feel like when they're not ready to admit, players have to you have to learn to admit your mistakes.

这是随着经验增长而逐渐学会的，要明白我要为自己的行为负责，但在他们达到那个阶段之前，你的游戏需要给他们一点自我安慰的空间，这样如果玩家想找东西怪罪，他们可以找到。

That's something that comes with begin coming more experience in the game of learning that I'm responsible for what I do, but until they get there, your game needs to give a little bit of ego cushioning so that if the player wants something to blame, they can.

因为如果他们输了怪游戏，他们就不想玩了。

Because if they blame the game for their losses, it makes them not wanna play the game.

你懂吗？

You know?

随着他们成熟，他们会明白，比如，好吧。

And as they mature, they'll learn, like, okay.

嘿。

Hey.

我，我该为我的失败负责，不是游戏，但这很重要。

I'm I'm responsible for my losses, not the game, but it is important.

而且，我解释那个的时候有点插进来了。

And also, I sort of jumped in in the middle of explaining that one.

重要的是，你的差玩家，你的新手玩家，不管怎样，能赢。

It is important that your bad players, your beginning players, whatever, can win.

你懂吗？

You know?

比如说，如果我要跟世界上最好的棋手下棋，我也不知道是谁。

I mean, for example, if I'm gonna play against the best chess player in the world, don't know that is.

我就说是鲍比·菲舍尔吧。

I'm gonna say Bobby Fischer.

对吧？

Right?

他肯定已经去世了，或者年纪很大了。

He's pretty sure he's dead or very, old.

所以我知道他不是现在最强的，但我看过一部电影，里面提到过他。

And so I know he's not the current best, but I saw a movie and they mentioned him.

所以如果我要跟鲍比·菲舍尔下棋，我肯定知道自己会输。

So if I'm gonna play Bobby Fischer, I have no I know I'm not gonna lose.

就是，哎呀，我能输给鲍比·菲舍尔。

It's just, oh, I get to lose to Bobby Fischer.

你知道，我是说，我赢不了。

You know, I mean, I can't win.

我赢不了鲍比·菲舍尔。

I can't beat Bobby Fischer.

哦，我不觉得是鲍比·菲舍尔。

Oh, I I don't think Bobby Fischer.

我可能输给鲍比·菲舍尔会挺兴奋的，但我知道我赢不了他。

I'm maybe excited to lose to Bobby Fischer, but I know I'm not gonna beat him.

但假设我坐下来跟约翰·芬克尔下棋。

But let's say I sit down against John Finkel.

大概率我会输给约翰·芬克尔，但我可以做梦。

Odds are odds are I'm losing to John Finkel, but I can dream.

我可以梦想我这个水平低的棋手能赢约翰·芬克尔，因为他可能状态很差，而我抽到好签，也许也许有机会。

I can dream that I, lowly player, that I could beat John Finkel because maybe he gets really bad as crude and I get a perfect draw and maybe maybe there's a chance.

这很重要。

And that's important.

希望是非常重要的工具。

Hope is a very important tool.

你知道吗？

You know?

你的游戏必须有希望。

Your game has to have hope.

玩家必须有梦想。

Players have to have a dream.

你知道吗？

You know?

所以这就是为什么要有随机性，为什么要在游戏里加入让新手玩家看到希望的元素，这非常重要。

And so that is why variance and that is why having stuff built in your game where the beginning player has hope is very important.

法力系统的另一个作用是制造戏剧性，因为我之前说过，最好的游戏往往涉及逆风翻盘。

Another thing the Mana System does is it creates drama because I I talked about how the best games have to do with coming from behind.

但还有一件很酷的事，我大概两周前讲过，就是悬念和惊讶的区别，这是阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克的理论，惊讶就像炸弹在桌上，砰的一声爆炸了。

But other thing that's neat is so I talked about two weeks ago, I think, the difference between suspense and surprise is the Alfred Hitchcock thing, where surprise is bomb on your table, bama blows up.

悬念则是你看到了炸弹，然后看着人们交谈，但你不确定炸弹什么时候会爆炸。

Suspense is you see the bomb, and then you watch the people talking to you, but you don't quite know when's the bomb gonna blow up.

而且法力系统有很多这样的东西，就是游戏里有一种专注。

And and a lot of the Mana System has that which is there's this focus in the game.

比如，你看着自己的手牌，你会想，好吧。

Like, you look at your hand, you're like, okay.

嗯，如果我……你知道，会发生什么？

Well, if I if I you know, what's gonna happen?

好吧，如果我拿到法力，我就这么做。

Well, if I get my Mana, I'm doing this.

如果我拿不到法力，我想我就这么做。

If I don't get my man, I guess I'll do this.

你知道，你无论如何都在计划。

You know, you're planning either way.

但它创造了游戏里那种巨大的悬念，因为，你知道，地牌创造了那种，就像，我需要这个东西。

But it creates this this great suspense in the game because, you know, the land creates this very, like, I need this thing.

是这个东西吗？

Is it this thing?

你懂吗？

You know?

在游戏中，你希望有明确的时刻，让玩家想要某些东西，并且他们明白自己想要什么。

And what you want to have happen in the game is you want clear moments where your players want things and they understand what they want.

因为很多悬念的产生方式是，你会想：我知道我需要什么。

Because a lot of the ways that suspense gets created is you go, I understand what I need.

对吧？

You know?

而一些更高级的游戏的问题是，新手玩家不知道他需要什么。

And the problem with some more advanced games is the beginner player doesn't know what he needs.

也许高级玩家知道，哦，你需要这个，但新手玩家不知道。

Maybe the advanced player knows, oh, you need this right here, but the beginner player doesn't know that.

而《Land》非常清晰明了。

And land is crystal clear.

我需要打出我的三费牌。

I need to cast my three drop.