FUNDAMENTALS OF GAME DESIGN, SECOND EDITION
The Presentation Layer
Strategy games often have extremely complicated core mechanics. Consequently, the design of the presentation layer is critical, even more so if the game is in real time and the player is under time pressure. The interface must present complicated information in clear, well-organized ways so that the player can grasp it easily. If you don't design the presentation well, the large amount of information available can make the game overwhelming, especially to inexperienced players.
For strategy games, the interaction model tends to be on a large scale. Rarely do you find a strategy game with a single avatar, although the PC version of Battlezone (not to be confused with the original coin-op) is a notable exception. Generally, the player indirectly controls the units under his command while enjoying a godlike view of the game world. The true interaction model, in this instance, is related to the scale of the world. How many units does the player control? Is it a small squad, or is it a large army?
The feel of a small squad is much more personal and intimate than a large army. The player can explore the personalities of the units more and tends to care more about the individual fates of his units. Also, with smaller groups, individual characters may improve their skills and abilities as the game goes along. The X-COM series of games is particularly strong in this area—the player controls several small squads of about 20 soldiers each, small enough so that the player can keep a handle on each individual member. Incidentally, in these games, the player can also build up a team of noncombat units by recruiting one at a time the scientists that research the alien technology.
For larger-scale games, it is too hard for the player to keep track of every single unit in the army, although some games do attempt this. Civilization III, for example, allows units to upgrade from Recruit to Veteran to Elite status, a simple progression that players can easily understand. Others, such as Warcraft III, designate a small number of units as Heroes. A Hero has special abilities and requires personal attention from the player. The player can easily focus his attention on the small number of Heroes while treating the fighters in the other squads in the army as undifferentiated groups.
