基于好奇心进行设计：理解开放世界游戏中玩家对宝箱机制的参与度

IF 5.1 2区计算机科学 Q1 COMPUTER SCIENCE, CYBERNETICS

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies Pub Date : 2025-06-19 DOI:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2025.103575

Ziao Tang, Ben Kirman

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引用次数: 0

摘要

开放世界游戏越来越依赖宝箱作为核心玩法机制，但它们对玩家粘性的影响仍未得到充分研究。本文以《刺客信条》系列为例，探讨了宝箱设计如何影响开放世界游戏中玩家的好奇心和参与度。通过对19名经验丰富的成年玩家进行半结构化访谈并采用反身性主题分析，我们确定了4个相互关联的主题：(1)多维动机驱动因素，(2)玩家-宝箱动态互动，(3)宝箱作为游戏进程催化剂，以及(4)宝箱互动的情感共鸣。这些主题反映了玩家好奇心的不同维度，包括感性好奇心（PC）、对复杂性和模糊性的好奇心（CCA）、未来奖励最大化好奇心（FRMC）、认知好奇心（EC）和社交好奇心（SC）。关键发现表明，宝箱设计有效地同时触发了多种类型的玩家好奇心，其影响很大程度上取决于奖励机制中可预测性和惊喜性之间的平衡。玩家对宝箱的投入是动态发展的，从最初的视觉吸引力转变为基于奖励模式和游戏进程的复杂战略优化。宝箱在维持玩家粘性方面的有效性依赖于与游戏进程系统的精心整合以及适应玩家行为的智能奖励分配。此外，玩家对宝箱的情感反应是多方面的，包括成就、控制、归属和潜在疲劳，特别是当宝箱频率超过最佳阈值时。这项研究促进了对游戏设计中好奇心的理论理解和宝箱机制的实际执行。由此产生的设计建议旨在通过平衡刺激不同好奇类型来提高玩家粘性，从而潜在地增加游戏的丰富性和寿命。虽然我们关注的是《刺客信条》系列，但我们的发现对开放世界游戏设计和奖励系统开发具有更广泛的意义。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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Designing for curiosity: Understanding player engagement with treasure chest mechanics in open-world games

Open-world games increasingly rely on treasure chests as core gameplay mechanics, yet their impact on player engagement remains understudied. This research investigates how treasure chest design influences player curiosity and engagement in open-world games, using the Assassin's Creed series as a case study. Through semi-structured interviews with 19 experienced adult players and employing reflexive thematic analysis, we identified four interconnected themes: (1) Multidimensional Motivational Drivers, (2) Player-Chest Dynamic Interactions, (3) Chests as Game Progression Catalysts, and (4) Emotional Resonance of Chest Interactions. These themes reflect various dimensions of player curiosity, including Perceptual Curiosity (PC), Curiosity about Complexity and Ambiguity (CCA), Future Rewards Maximization Curiosity (FRMC), Epistemic Curiosity (EC), and Social Curiosity (SC).

Key findings indicate that treasure chest design effectively triggers multiple types of player curiosity simultaneously, with their impact heavily dependent on the balance between predictability and surprise in reward mechanisms. Player engagement with treasure chests evolves dynamically, transitioning from initial visual attraction to complex strategic optimization based on reward patterns and game progression. The effectiveness of treasure chests in sustaining player engagement relies on careful integration with game progression systems and intelligent reward distribution that adapts to player behavior. Additionally, players' emotional responses to treasure chests are multifaceted, encompassing achievement, control, belonging, and potential fatigue, particularly when chest frequency exceeds optimal thresholds.

This study advances both theoretical understanding of curiosity in game design and practical implementation of treasure chest mechanics. The resulting design recommendations aim to enhance player engagement through balanced stimulation of different curiosity types, potentially increasing game richness and longevity. While focused on the Assassin's Creed series, our findings have broader implications for open-world game design and reward system development.

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来源期刊

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 工程技术-计算机：控制论

CiteScore

11.50

自引率

5.60%

发文量

108

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Human-Computer Studies publishes original research over the whole spectrum of work relevant to the theory and practice of innovative interactive systems. The journal is inherently interdisciplinary, covering research in computing, artificial intelligence, psychology, linguistics, communication, design, engineering, and social organization, which is relevant to the design, analysis, evaluation and application of innovative interactive systems. Papers at the boundaries of these disciplines are especially welcome, as it is our view that interdisciplinary approaches are needed for producing theoretical insights in this complex area and for effective deployment of innovative technologies in concrete user communities. Research areas relevant to the journal include, but are not limited to: • Innovative interaction techniques • Multimodal interaction • Speech interaction • Graphic interaction • Natural language interaction • Interaction in mobile and embedded systems • Interface design and evaluation methodologies • Design and evaluation of innovative interactive systems • User interface prototyping and management systems • Ubiquitous computing • Wearable computers • Pervasive computing • Affective computing • Empirical studies of user behaviour • Empirical studies of programming and software engineering • Computer supported cooperative work • Computer mediated communication • Virtual reality • Mixed and augmented Reality • Intelligent user interfaces • Presence ...