Resident Evil 4 does something really clever.

《惡靈古堡4》實在使人驚嘆!

I mean, that's an understatement: the game's a masterpiece. But I'm talking specifically

不只如此，它根本是曠世巨作！現在我要細說

about the way the game dynamically shifts its level of difficulty to meet your skill

這部遊戲設定中的「自動難度調整」，以符合你的能力和技巧

level.

程度。

Perform well at the game, by avoiding attacks and shooting accurately, and the game will

闖關口訣主要是「閃避攻擊」還有「精準射擊」。但隨著

get harder as enemies do more damage and become more aggressive. But if you suck, and keep

遊戲難度增加，敵人攻擊的殺傷力與頻率也會增強。但如果你真的輸到快吐血，血量條老是

dying or just keep getting hurt, the game will ease off and the Ganados will go down

出現紅色閃爍，或是成為「挨打王」(女主諧音)；遊戲會自動調簡單一點，這樣Ganados(殭屍村民，Ganados在西班牙與中代表「家畜」)

more easily, and wait around longer to get shot before rushing at you.

血量與攻擊速度就會降低很多。

Also, the contents of the crates and barrels shift from being generous to being stingy

遊戲中隨處出現的木箱與木桶，也會因為難易度改變，影響

as you become more skilled. And, sometimes, enemies will completely disappear from existence

掉寶機率。甚至，有些敵人會直接從遊戲關卡中消失，

if you're really struggling.

假如你很難撐住的話。

Here I've been playing really well...

比方說:目前這裡的敵人都是專門當砲灰的，

...and I enter the notorious 'water room', and get set upon by nine cultists - seven

一旦我進入這間該死的水之聖堂時，會遇上9個邪教徒----7個

on the ground, and two crossbow snipers up high. But then I die a few times and

在前方，2個弩弓在後方的左右看臺。但當我掛點一次後，

suddenly, the snipers are gone, making this room slightly easier to tackle.

那兩個弩弓手竟然不見了，所以剩下的小婁婁我根本不看在眼裡。

Because the game keeps pace with your own skill as a player, Resident Evil 4 helps you

因為《惡靈古堡4》會配合你的程度，讓你快速進入

slip into a zone that psychologists and game designers call "flow", which is the fabled

心理學家和遊戲開發者所謂的「心流」(持續關注和享受的狀態)，是一個假想的

middle ground between a game being so easy it leaves you bored, and so hard it makes

中間區域，區域之外的右下代表遊戲越簡單越無聊，左上則代表越困難

you anxious or frustrated.

越受挫。

While the gradually rising difficulty curve of most linear video games will try and keep

雖然漸升的難度曲線會盡量

players in that flow state, it can't account for every type of gamer. And if the player

保持在心流區域內，但這並非適用於每一位玩家。而且如果玩家

picks the wrong difficulty option at the start, they may instantly rob themselves of a satisfying

一開始就選錯難度，他們很快就會玩到崩潰。

experience.

That's the advantage of a dynamic difficulty setting, which constantly corrects itself

所以這就是自動調整難度的好處，持續更改挑戰模式

to provide an experience that challenges the player, without overwhelming them. And it

讓玩家可以享受破關的過程，而不是玩到半死不活。遊戲不會

stops them from getting stuck in a rut, but it doesn't let them waltz through the game

讓玩家狂卡關，也不會讓玩家殺殭屍像在拍蚊子。

either.

This is, however, not the most clever thing about Resident Evil 4's dynamic difficulty.

但難易度自動設定本身，並不是《惡靈古堡4》真正讓人驚奇的。

The smartest thing is that many gamers watching this video right now are saying to themselves

最屌的是，現在在看這部影片的多數玩家，會驚覺:「

"Wow! I didn't even know the game did that!"

啥咪@@有這檔事?」

And that may be the point. Capcom never officially stated that the game altered its own difficulty.

這就是重點----卡普空公司從未宣布過這件事。

It's not an option in the menu, and it's not in the manual. It wasn't in a trailer or a

自動調整難度沒有出現在遊戲選單，也無法由玩家手控。這個功能不曾發布在任何遊戲介紹，或

bullet point in a press release, and designer Shinji Mikami - who would later turn this

官方報導中。《惡靈古堡4》開發者三上真司最近要將一款

system into an entire game in the brilliant PS2 brawler God Hand - didn't gab about it

出色的PS2格鬥遊戲《神手》設計成相同的功能，但也從未在任何訪談中透露

in interviews.

半點消息。

The only real source for the feature's existence, other than the experiences of Resident Evil

除了惡靈迷自己發覺外，唯一正式指出:敵人可能會隨死亡次數改變的設定，

obsessives, is from an official strategy guide that came out almost a year after the game.

是在遊戲上市將近一年後，才問世的官方攻略。

You see, a number of games offer to help out if you're struggling, like the Super Kong

看吧!許多遊戲在玩家堅持下，還是會佛心大發，就像《大金剛再起》的

in Donkey Kong Country Returns, which clears a tricky level for you if you fail too many

超級金剛(指導模式的白色的金剛)，在連續GG太多次(八次)，就會出現直接幫玩家闖關。

times.

But many hardcore players are too proud to accept the helping hand, and would rather

但是許多硬派玩家(樂於挑戰困難、對遊戲標準嚴苛的玩家)，實在不甘心接受這個功能。

beat their head against the wall in frustration than suffer the indignity of getting a free

他們寧可挫敗，也不要這種開外掛式的勝利。

pass.

Especially when the game actually mocks you for reducing the difficulty. If you die too

尤其是當遊戲還白目的給玩家角色一些明顯標記。例如:即將上市的

often in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5, you'll be given the option to wear a goofy

《潛龍諜影5：幻痛》玩家在死太多次的時候，遊戲會問:要不要戴一頂腦殘味十足的「雞冠帽」

chicken hat, which reduces the challenge but makes Snake look like a complete burk.

(Chicken在英文裡面也代表弱者)，這樣可以降低難度。但可想而知戴上那頂蠢帽的Snake，就跟喜憨兒沒兩樣。

However, by making the effects subtle and not advertising them to the world like it

然而，讓難度調整功能不被玩家發現，也不想像《惡靈古堡：黑暗編年史》跟外界

did with Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles, Resident Evil 4 gives players all the advantages

宣布這件事，《惡靈古堡4》希望讓玩家

of dynamic difficulty adjustment without making them feel patronised.

享受這個功能，卻又不傷他們的自尊。

Plus, if they don't know about it, players can't game the system by intentionally killing

除此之外，就算玩家不知道這個功能，也無法鑽遊戲漏洞，透過故意自殺

or injuring themselves to drop the difficulty setting, which is exactly what speed runners

或受傷來降低難度。就像有些追求秒速破關的玩家會做的事。

do.

Here's a top Resi 4 speed runner, Robert 'Sunblade' Brandl, getting hit on the ski lift and purposefully

這三位是《惡靈古堡4》頂尖的秒破玩家:Robert、Sunblade、Brandl，正嘗試在滑雪覽車上被攻擊，

failing QTEs, to reduce the difficulty and therefore make certain sections easier to

還有故意在快速反應關卡(Quick time Events)中失敗，讓遊戲難度降低，所以最後還是有某些地方比較

dash through.

容易通關。

Resident Evil 4 did not invent the idea of a sliding difficulty scale, of course. NES

不過《惡靈古堡4》並不是「難度滑尺量度」功能的設計者。在80年代紅白機

and arcade shmups like Zanac and Xevious were doing it back in the eighties, and Remedy

和一些太空射擊遊戲，像:《銀河號》和 《鐵板陣》就已經把這個功能放在遊戲中。芬蘭的Remedy

applied the idea to a third person shooter in Max Payne, a few years before Capcom had

公司也把這個功能用在《江湖本色》第三人稱射擊中。他們都比卡普空早了好幾年。

the chance.

Left 4 Dead made particularly good use of dynamic difficulty, to modulate dramatic tension.

《惡靈勢利》也非常善用這個功能，讓整個遊戲不至於太過緊湊。

Here's Valve's Gautam Babbar on the subject:

維爾福軟體公司的遊戲開發者 Gautam Babbar描述:「

"We created a system that tracks each survivor's stress level by watching for events like 'how

我們會追蹤每位玩家的壓力等級，藉由參考他們的

much damage are you taking?', 'how many zombies have you killed near you?', and so on."

『受傷程度』，還有『殺戮殭屍的數量』...等等。」

"If a survivor's stress level gets too high, the system will step in and forcibly throttle

「如果玩家的壓力等級太高，系統就會介入，並強制讓

back the zombie population system to make sure the team gets a break every now and then".

殭屍數量減少，使玩家三不五時可以休息一下。」

Kid Icarus Uprising and Super Smash Bros have an interesting system where you essentially

《新‧光神話 帕爾提娜之鏡》與《任天堂明星大亂鬥》都有一個有趣的設定，

place a bet on the difficulty level you think you'll finish the stage at. If you succeed

闖關前，玩家必須先選擇自己認為可以贏的等級。倘若真的獲勝，

- you get a big payout. But if you fail - you lose a bunch of your stuff and get knocked

就會得到獎勵；但如果不幸落敗，就會失去一些寶物，而且會被踢到

down to an easier difficulty level, until you can beat the game.

比較簡單的關卡，直到玩家有辦法獲勝。

And Flow, which is named after that psychological zone, lets you manually moderate your level

而以心流理論(flow)命名的《浮游世界》(Flow) ，可以讓你自己決定難易度，

of difficulty, by choosing when to delve into deeper waters - by chomping on a red organism

藉由吃掉紅色微生物，潛入深處(難度提高)；

- and when to retreat to safety by munching on a blue one. It's a bit like deciding whether

或是吃掉藍色微生物，回到安全的淺水區。整款遊戲似乎就在

or not to grind for a while in a RPG.

吃與不吃之間。

But the number of games with dynamic difficulty adjustment is pretty small, and most of them

其實擁有「自動調整難度」功能的遊戲寥寥無幾，而且大多數

advertise it to the world, like SiN Episodes, which made a big song and dance of its 'Personal

都有向外界透露這個功能，像是:《原罪：首部曲》，就大篇幅在Steam官網中

Challenge System' right there on the Steam description.

宣傳他們的「個人挑戰系統」。

But I think this is something that game designers should keep on the down low. Don't make it

但我覺得其實這些遊戲開發者應該低調一點，不要將這個功能

a press release or a blog post. Keep it a secret.

公諸於世，而是應該讓它成為秘密。

You want to let players reap the benefits of a sliding difficulty scale, that keeps

你希望讓玩家因為「難度滑尺量度」，而樂在其中----因為

perfect pace with their skill level and helps remove areas of boredom or frustration. But

它可以讓玩家不會有無聊或受挫的狀況。但同時

you also want to avoid the drawbacks, of hardcore gamers getting cranky, and others spoiling

又希望可以避免它帶來的缺點----硬派玩家的暴怒，或是某些玩家

their own experience by cheating the system.

鑽這個遊戲漏洞來刷經驗值。

And yes, I do realise that there may be many games that use this system but have done it

沒錯!我非常清楚有很多遊戲都在使用這個系統，但他們

*so* subtly that no one has actually noticed. In which case, bravo mysterious game developers.

是「偷偷來」，所以根本不會被抓包。真是如此的話，遊戲開發的大大們，接受我的膜拜吧!

Thanks for watching! Think you've spotted a game with a secret sliding difficulty scale?

感謝收看!你覺得自己也找到其他遊戲有「難度滑尺量度」嗎?

Whack it in the comments below. Plus, please like the episode, subscribe to the channel,

那就盡情在底下留言。如果你喜歡這集，請訂閱我的頻道

and consider supporting me on Patreon.

並在Patreon上繼續支持我。