Explaining the Effect of Procedural Content Generation on Frustration

Abstract

Procedural Content Generation (PCG) in games is a category of algorithms used to generate different kinds of assets, artifacts and behavior while the game is running, either in a loading screen or in realtime. There is some speculation that PCG can lead to unfair game states, which in turn can be a main cause for frustration in players. Frustration is mainly seen as a negative phenomenon, however, on the other end there is evidence that some frustration in games is necessary to ensure that the player does not feel overconfident and also is focused in the game. In this paper, we present a case that investigates how PCG affects frustration and if it leads to overtly negative frustration (and therefore aggression) or helpful and focus-inducing frustration (and therefore a state of flow). An experiment was conducted, and the participants were asked to play some consecutive Pac-Man games. During the experiment, gameplay data, as well as player behavioral data were collected from the players and were analyzed to determine the significance that PCG plays on the apparent frustration of the players. This data was also supported and enhanced by additional information collected by a questionnaire that the users were asked to fill out, which would gauge their feelings on the gameplay experience and whether they felt frustration or if they thought the game was balanced. The results of the experiment showed an increase in frustration when playing games generated through PCG versus normal Pac-Man games. Frustration was not shown to decrease over time, and the main PCG parameters that affected frustration in players were the movement speed of the player controlled character, the inclusion of dead ends in the maze generation process and the duration of the game's powerups.