Video Game Design: Complexity

When we discussed basic game design, one of the topics was complexity.  In general, too much complexity in a game is a bad thing.  Of course, there are always some people who like excessive complexity, but that is generally a fairly small market.  Complexity in video games is a bit different than in tabletop games, so it deserves its own discussion.

In video games, enormous amounts of complexity can be hidden under the hood.  There are still technical limitations, but complexity that players do not have to deal with is more tolerable than complexity that players are directly exposed to.  In tabletop games, a good rule of thumb is to avoid division, because it is harder, more time consuming, and often more intimidating than other math operations (really avoid logarithms and integrals).  In video games, this does not matter, because the players are never exposed to it directly.  In general, video games can handle much higher complexity than tabletop games.

Complexity in video games does not need to be exposed to the players.  If the players don't need to know about it, complexity is fine.  It is wise to keep in mind though, that some players like to understand the algorithms being used in games.  They may just be curious, but they may want to know so they can verify for themselves that the game is fair.  Some players see transparency of this sort as a vital part of fairness in a game.  Transparency is important in making sure that players can make meaningful decisions.  In general, players that want this information can be expected to deal with the complexity in it, but if you are targeting a market that is known for asking for this kind of information, it might be wise to avoid unnecessary complexity.  Also, excessive complexity in a video game can cause performance problems.  This will almost certainly limit your market to people with more powerful computers.  Overall though, the fact that players don't need to be exposed to complexity means that much more complexity is tolerable.

It is important to keep in mind that this is only talking about internal complexity.  This includes things like the math used to calculate combat damage or the algorithm used for the monster AI.  An overly complex crafting system, class system, or even just a complicated user interface are just as bad as making players do division in a tabletop game.  In video games, complexity can be higher, because players are not directly exposed to it.  When the parts of the game players are directly exposed to are too complex, then you have the same problem you have with tabletop games that are too complex.

Higher complexity in video games allows designers to create richer experiences.  It is important to make sure that this richness does not make those experiences bad ones.