The Construction Of Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Model In Digital Education Game

Digital Game is not only used for entertainment, but also for education. More and moreresearches about digital game emerged recently. No matter for entertainment or education, thegame designer should face a very serious problem-how to set the game difficulty properly.However, there is no solid theory to support those designers. Because of this, there are a lot ofgames now which their difficulty cannot fit into the player’s ability, and this problem willdamage the optimal experience of the player.Based on the study of the domestic and foreign dynamic difficulty adjustment theory,according to the learning development character of the player and the difficulty adjustmentmethod of item response theory, we proposed a difficulty adjustment model for digital game. Thestudy includes those aspects:(1) Fundamental research for the theory of the game difficulty adjustment. Based on theanalysis to the documents related to the difficulty adjustment, we will define and explain therelative concepts; moreover, under the analysis of the elements of the difficulty adjustment, wewill propose a theory support for game designer. Finally, we will conclude and classify differentmethods of game difficulty adjustment.(2) The construction of the Game Difficulty Setting Curve. With the help of the “Flow”theory, the optimal development theory and the skill learning theory, we will propose the generaldifficulty setting curve model. Dynamic difficulty adjustment model will build upon this.(3) The construction of the process model for the dynamic difficulty adjustment. Inspired bythe way of evaluation to the learners ability in Item Response Theory, we develop it into themethod for the players skill evaluation for the game dynamic difficulty adjustment model so asto realize the function of evaluating the player sill in the game. Built upon this, a processmodel for the dynamic difficulty adjustment will be put forward.(4) The construction of the initial game difficulty adjustment model. Our research willreconstruct the process model, and divide it into different model sections in order to propose the initial game difficulty adjustment model. We hope this will provide model section designingthought for game designers.(5) The development of the game application imbedded with Dynamic Game DifficultyAdjustment Model. Our research will develop a game application including all the modelsections, which will demonstrate the core thought of our way of difficulty adjustment.After a series of studies, our research achieved the following goals.(1) Constructed the “Wave-slope Difficulty Setting Model”. This model provided the theorysupport for the game designers in the aspect of setting game difficulty. Under the guidance ofthis model, game difficulty setting will match with the learners’ skill changing whiling playingthe game, so as to get the optimal game experience.(2) Put forward the “Ability-challenge Balancing Process Model”. Our research refered tothe learners’ ability evaluation method in the Item Response Theory and developed it into theplayers skill evaluation method. Moreover, built upon this method, we transformed the static“Wave-slope Difficulty Setting Model” into dynamic “Ability-challenge Balancing ProcessModel”, which added the difficulty adjustment function into the game.(3) Divide “Ability-challenge Balancing Process Model” into different sections and formedinto “Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Model”. Three sections were included in the model:players’ initial ability evaluation section, players’ performance evaluation section and skill anddifficulty matching model.(4) Our research develop an adaptive game application which imbedded with “DynamicDifficulty Adjustment Model”, and also test the efficacy of the model. In the paper, we built a2Dgame named “The Space War” and test it with players. The result showed that “DynamicDifficulty Adjustment Model” to a certain extent functioned in the adjustment of the gamedifficulty.