Achieving Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment in a Physics-Based Shooter Game

Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA) is the process of adjusting the difficulty of a video game in real-time in response to player skill, attempting to create an enjoyable player experience for many types of players. This study aimed to achieve DDA on a custom-made shooter game heavily based on physics. A DDA system is developed that allows for the modification of two aspects: physics-based movement mechanics, and more traditionally, effectiveness of in-game opponents. Testing both approaches with a sample of participants possessing several levels of skill, a difference was observed in statistical player performance, but participants observed little difference between the two modes in terms of shaping their player experience.