避免游戏原型设计失败的5项法则编辑本段回目录
如果你想要在游戏开发上获得成功，那么就需要在设计原型时做好准备。你应当为原型定好预算，并且正确地分配资源。当我们在衡量游戏开发的风险时，需要将原型的重要性考虑在内。
在设计游戏原型时记住以下5个法则：
playtests_game_prototype(from mapandcounters.blogspot.com)
1.带着问题进行设计
游戏开发者设计原型的首要原因在于他们想要寻找一个答案，剖析游戏的元素设计和架构。
因而如果你的原型无法回答任何问题（游戏邦注：通常原型需要回答的问题不止一个），那你完全是在浪费时间和资源。
原型可能回答的问题范例如下：
（1）游戏机制是否有趣？是否能够让玩家上瘾？
（2）游戏机制能够在我们的意向平台（游戏邦注：如iPhone、Facebook和Xbox等）上发挥作用？
（3）游戏引擎能否实现游戏中的美术效果？
2.原型失败并不等于你个人的失败
当预想的变成现实，你完成原型之后，你对其进行测试，希望能够得到1或2个能最终帮助你制作出更好游戏的答案。
于是你就会面对最为艰难的部分，这个部分对多数新手来说都很难以接受。你必须抛开原型，但是这并不意味着你是个失败的游戏开发者。
你不断进行设计，创作一个又一个的原型，你将他们完全抛开，这样才能够最终获得成功。这和生活完全相同，只有那些能够在失败之后重新站起来的人才能够获得成功。
3.效率优先，不苟求质量
既然我们需要将原型抛弃，那么还需要考虑原型的质量吗？事实上可以不用考虑。那么为何还有这么多人浪费他们的精力和时间呢？
因为，游戏设计和游戏开发是种艺术形式。我们为自己的技术感到自豪，所以我们想要展现出自己的才能。我们想要在原型设计中体现所有的才能，这样我们就会为自己创造出来的东西感到自豪。
美工会花数天的时间来研发概念艺术和草稿，程序员可能也会花过多的时间来编写某个即将被抛弃的优秀软件。
但是事实在于，除了你以及自己的团队之外，没有人会想要关注你的原型。所以你应当忘却原型的质量，将注意力集中在效率上。
在原型设计之时，应当尽量快速地制成，遗忘其他的东西。
4.牢记资源有限
生命中的所有东西都是有限的。你投入的资源和预算是有限的，我也只有有限的时间来让你阅读这篇文章。所以我们要做的就是切中要害。
你发现了许多可能导致游戏失败的风险，现在是时候从这些风险列表中找出那些真正会损害到最终产品的要素了。
就原型设计而且，如果某个原型能够回答超过一个问题，那么就会显得更为有效。
5.尽量多设计几个原型
你或许会问自己，应当设计多少个原型才能开始进行游戏的开发？这个问题很难回答，因为每个原型设计都会提升游戏获得成功的几率。尽你所能设计更多的游戏原型。
事实上，你的原型设计永远都不够。但是由于资源和预算有限，所以最终的情况是靠原型来解决那些主要的危机即可。
能够决定何时从原型设计转向游戏开发的人只有你自己。只要你相信自己的游戏会让玩家觉得有趣并获得成功，便可以停止原型设计，然后进入下一个步骤。
游戏邦注：本文发稿于2011年8月2日，所涉时间、事件和数据均以此为准。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，作者：Farshid）
How To Fail At Prototype Design
Farshid
If you want to succeed at developing games then you should be prepared to design prototypes on more than one occasion. You should budget for them and allocate your resources properly. The importance of prototype was touched upon when we were covering the risks of game development.
Keep the following 5 tips in mind when designing your prototypes and you will not fail.
Tip # 1: Design with a Question in mind
The number one reason game developers design prototypes is because they seek an answer. An insight into their games’ element design and structure.
Therefore if your prototype does not answer at least one question (more often than not they are designed to answer more than one), then you have completely wasted your time and your resources. Congrats!
Some sample questions your prototype design could provide an answer to:
Is the game mechanics fun? Is it addictive?
Are we able to fully benefit from the game mechanics on our intended platform (iPhone, Facebook, Xbox, etc.)?
Can the game engine handle the artworks?
Tip # 2: You are NOT a failure
After all said is done and you have finished our prototype, you test it out and hopefully you get an answer or two that will help you produce a better game in the end.
Here comes the hard part, the part where most beginners have trouble accepting. You have to throw away your prototype and this, in no way or shape, is your fault. It doesn’t mean you have failed as a game developer.
You design and design, prototype after prototype, and you throw all of them away, so you can SUCCEED in the end. Its same with everything in life, those who succeed are the ones who get back up after falling down.
Tip # 3: Forget Quality
Since we are going to be throwing away our prototypes, does it make sense for us to develop them with quality in mind? Not really. So why do many fall victim into doing this and wasting their resources?
Because, game design and game development is an art form. It is a craft. And we are proud of our skills, we want to showcase it. We can’t help but to put everything into out prototype design so we can be proud of our creation.
Artists will spend days doing concept arts and sketches, programmers will spend too much time on engineering a good software that is going to be thrown away.
Heres the hard truth, nobody is going to see your prototype except you and your team. So forget quality and focus on efficiency.
When it comes to prototype design, make it quick and forget everything else.
Tip # 4: Limited Resources
Everything is limited in life. You are limited by your resources and budget as I am limited by the amount of time you dedicated to reading this post. We got to prioritize and cut out the excess fat.
You made a list of the risks that will stop your game from succeeding and now is the time to sort trough the list and pick the ones that could truly hurt your end product.
Design your prototypes in order of importance and it would be far more efficient if you could answer more than one question with a single prototype.
Tip # 5: It is Not enough
You might be asking your self, how many prototypes should I design before working on the game itself? Well, that is a pretty tough question to answer because in reality, every prototype design will make your game that much more likely at succeeding. Design as many as you can.
In fact you never have made enough prototypes. But given your resources and budget, it will eventually get to the point that you have managed to overcome the major risks.
Only you can give your self the green light and move on from prototype design. Maybe you did enough maybe you didn’t, but if you are confident your game has a chance at being fun and succeeding then by all means, stop. (Source: Farshid Palad)
