What makes the -playability- of a game?

[Im>bE]

Playability, is in my opinion
the core, and adds the most to a game.

As an amateur developer,
I am seriously mega interested
in knowing what exact factors
makes the playability of a game,
because then I can ofcourse use them
in my own games.

Playability and addictiveness
can sometimes be linked,
but is the 'struggle to succede'
the only factor that creates playability?

Maybe it is the right balance, or mix,
of hard and easy gameplay that does it?

Its good when a game has user friendliness
and many options to suit each taste,
but these things will be nothing without
the basic drive to play the game.

It is that drive I am interested in.
What does this drive have?

Maybe one could pack all things
that entails playability
into a list of keywords...?

Exploration...(what is beyond the mountain)
Danger...
Surprises...(unexpected things happen)
Releave... (survived something dangerous)
Growth... (getting a better player/army)
(more?)...

PS: I will steal and use your thoughts
when I develop ofcourse.

[Im>bE]

bloodline, pls elaborate
on what you mean about control.
Is it that the game immediately respond
to your actions,
or is it that you can do alot of different things
with your player?

MikesterBrau, so if a game can always
give the user something new,
it has eternal playability?

Targhan, The push and pull that you explain
is more about the atmospheric plane IMO.
Or has this push and pull statement become
a widespread theory to explain all games
with good playability?
I too played the magnificent ff7,
but few games get me very emotional,
so I didn't run up in sephiroths face
immediately after,
but when I saw that I had to.
 Besides, aerith went to a better place
inside the planet. :DD

>you can't expect people to be too happy when you only give them 1 sec worth of forward information before the event.

I so totally agree,
I hate games that expect the player
to be superhuman with enormous reflexes.
 The only way to enjoy such games
is to memorize where the enemies come from.
An 'incoming' radar with 4-5 second alert
would be a good feature against this.
Another would be to make the character smaller
so that one can see more enemies in the visible world much easier. Cannon Fodder does that.

'breather points' are not only
good to pause your mind,
but the hands too,
tho children seem able to play and play forever.

The same effect can also be accomplished with
a stressless subgame or a shop.

Ilwrath, is your avatar from a game?

Thanks mucho for the info,
I feel more enlightened already.

[Im>bE]

I agree with every single thing you have said.

>If you are going to write a game

I have already written several.

> then I would reccommend that you start with a clone of Cannon Fodder with Online/Network playability.

I would have done that immediately
if I had got the tcp problems sorted.
 If not, then I might make a clone anyway,
with customizable maps and weapons and and...

Im also thinking of making a Liero clone.
Liero is a very fun
'multiplayer at same computer' game.
(like realtime worms)