Second
Term Paper: Analysis of the Action Reaction Principle of Physics in Video Games
Part of the appeal of video games is the
ability to do things we can’t ordinarily do in the real world. Things like
defying gravity or leaping into danger with the assurance of comfort and safety
upon your arrival. Sure these things sound nice but just like the rules of a
game we are bound by the laws of physics, and in this case rules aren’t
necessarily made to be broken. One of these unbreakable rules, or principles of
physics states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
This is true of any and all actions in the physical world. There is no such
thing as a stand-alone action, it must have a counterpart. Video games violate
this principle quite frequently and in ways so clever and exciting, most people
don’t even realize it is happening. Video games incorporate broken physics into
the basic functions of the games to further immerse their audience into the
world of the game.
Double
jumping is a very important game mechanic. Not only does it help you reach
platforms you ordinarily cannot with just one jump. In most games double
jumping allows for the player to recover from a hit or dodge an incoming
attack. When playing a game no one stops to question the usefulness of this
handy ability. But in reality it’s needless to say that double jumping makes no
fundamental sense. Let’s apply a principle of Physics to help illustrate how
completely impossible the task of double-jumping is. The Action/Reaction
principle states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
In other words a balance of forces acting on the same object or character. In
the case of jumping the force that the character exerts on the ground in
anticipation of the jump is equal to the force that the ground exerts on the
character. That force is what propels the character into the air. From the
point where the character reaches the apex of their jump, the only other force
working on them is the force of gravity. If this is the case then in order to
propel oneself even further into the air or into a different direction, one
would need a force equal to gravity to stop the free-fall and one greater to moving
the opposite direction of the g force acting on you the character. In Super
Smash Bros almost every character is capable of performing not only a double
jump but a triple jump or recovery move. This is sort of an internal propulsion
is an essential part of the game. The entire play style of the game revolves
around staying on the stage, and to do so these jumps are a necessity. If the
game was reliant on the principles of real world physics, players would not be
able to play the game for very long without getting frustrated and ultimately
rage quitting
Another form of Action reaction is
demonstrated when you fire a gun. This particular reaction is called a recoil.
In other words an equal force that works in opposition of the action of the projectile
being fired from the gun. In the video game Ratchet
and Clank, you play as Ratchet, a little dog creature that runs around
firing off heavy artillery weapons without stopping to brace himself for the
recoil and often times firing these heavy hitters while in midair and
maintaining a constant forward momentum. This would not work in real life
because in order to properly fire a standard At4 rocket launcher, for example, one
must take a knee in order to widen their base of support and increase the force
they exert on the projectile being fired so the force of the projectile doesn’t
knock them back.
In the popular gaming franchise, Assassin’s Creed one of the most icon
maneuvers is the leap of faith. Which involves scaling a massive piece of
historical architecture, doing a swan dive from the very top, and landing
miraculously unharmed at ground zero in a lofty bale of hay. I don’t need to
point out how immensely impossible this maneuver is in reality. It is common
knowledge that anyone who attempt to jump from such a height would meet there
end when they reached the ground. This can also be explained with the principle
of Action/Reaction. In this video clip
from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate the
character makes a leap of faith from the clock tower of the Palace of
Westminster in London. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T8T_MgfImM According to Parliament.uk the clock tower which
contains Big Ben is 320 feet (97.5 meters) high. A fall from this distance
would most certainly kill the character because the force required to stop them
would be equal to the force they exert on the hay pile. Although it is to that
the impact of a fall would be cushioned by the hay do to the displacement of
energy, in this instance there would have to be an amount of hay proportionate
to the distance fallen in order to successfully slow and cushion the fall. Since
this is clearly not the case the forces are unbalanced and there is little to
no reaction for the action of the great impact that would naturally occur. But
once again the character is spared the logic of physics in favor of game
mechanics. In the simulated world of Assassin’s Creed scaling buildings is a
good way to expand your map and hay piles serve as prime hiding spots for an
assassin on the run. Also it is really fun to watch your character dive from
ridiculous heights into the heart of the city unnoticed. This is probably why,
even though it makes sense, the leap of faith has been kept throughout the
games. Leap of Faith in real life
So
there you have it. Broken physics is a staple of blockbuster gaming. It is seen
time and time again that the physics of our world would ruin a lot of great
games and that a separation from reality is needed to a certain degree in order
to fully immerse ourselves in the gaming experience.
