In Video Games, the developer needs to do many things to keep the game fresh so that the player doesn’t feel the game is getting repetitive; RNG is one of those mechanics.
So, What Exactly Does RNG Mean in Gaming?
RNG simply means Random Number Generator. It’s an algorithm that produces random numbers. These numbers are used to determine something in the game, making sure certain things are kept as random as possible.
They can be the determining factor in many modern games today; they are the reason each item you see in a battle royale map is different in each game, why items in Mario Kart are different each time you pick them up, games like Minecraft, Call of Duty, DOTA 2 can heavily depend on RNG, the entire point is to try as much as possible to make sure events in the game happens at random and nothing is very predictable.
How Does RNG Affect Gamers?
The entire goal of RNG is to ensure that events happen randomly, which keeps the game fresh.
For example, a very simple game allows the color generation of candy to happen randomly so that each game can have different methods of sliding and winning, hence keeping the game unpredictable and fresh for gamers.
But that’s the good side; let’s work with another scenario in an RNG-heavy game like Minecraft; since almost every aspect happens at random, a novice can beat a pro in the game, so when you bring that randomness to hyper-competitive games like DOTA 2 and CS: GO professional don’t get to win games based on skills anymore.
The randomness in CS: GO determines how bullets hit targets, which means no matter how good a player is, your hits happen at random, and this can piss a lot of gamers off since it’s more luck and less skill that makes the game operate.
What Can You Do About RNG?
In some situations, gamers do not want the inclusion of randomness in their games and want it to be determined by pure skill.
So, what can you do about it? Well, if the game you enjoy is a small game where developer and player relations are good, the player base can make a series of complaints until the developer listens.
RNG manipulation is also possible, except it can be very complex; an experienced gamer might be able to predict many things that seem random in a game and count their way to getting a perfect Pokémon of their choice.
Bad Feature or Helpful?
RNG can be a wonderful feature in games as it helps keep most games fresh and unpredictable.
It allows users to log on to the game every day and have a somewhat different and unique experience.
However, it can be quite the opposite for professionals or regular gamers. As mentioned earlier, when randomness is implemented into skill-heavy games, it renders the element of skill useless. It implements just luck to win games, which not many gamers like.
For example, chess is a cognitive skill-based game. When you add randomness, it renders the game useless in some sense, and players will always complain if they lose.
So, ultimately, it will all depend on the game; in card games, puzzle games, or even RPGs, RNG is actually a crucial part of the experience, while skill-based and competitive games aren’t a good fit, especially if they are played for esports.
