Another aspect of co-operative games which can help add to the teamwork aspects is the use of co-operative elements. This is basically commands or abilities the player is given to directly influence the ability of other players on the same team. A good example is the 'downed' mechanic in Gears of War 2. Basically, a downed player can not compete anymore, and can only move about the field by crawling slowly. They are incredibly vulnerable to the opposing team at these times. The only way to be revived is by being touched by a teammate (I think a timer is a second way to be revived actually). Its a simple mechanic that adds a boost of teamwork - by staying close together, multiple players can have a great impact by reviving each other. They should perform better than two single players, simply because being 'downed' by the enemy is not necessarily the end of their game.
There's lots of games out there that use these mechanics successfully and I've been trying to find one that uses them but fails. I haven't really struck one of these, but I think its more because when these mechanics fail, then players simply play as individuals - the game doesn't fail, just the teamwork aspects. So, I've been playing Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising co-op with my friends, and so far there's lots of aspects where teamwork is not happening. There's a waypoint mechanic, a mechanic to give orders, or to spot enemies for each other but we never use any of these. The only mechanics we use are the health and resupply abilities, and even those aren't used a lot.
Now, to contrast - two successful co-op games with co-operative elements: right now I can't get enough of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light or Battlefield Bad Company 2 (online). Lara GOL has some nice co-op elements: players can revive each other and they can use unique items to each character to help their teammate reach different points on the map which are otherwise inaccessible. Since this is a puzzle game, its great to play through with a friend and solve the puzzles together by each working out how their character contributes to the ultimate solution. The puzzles are often layered too - requiring one player to utilize the other to reach some mid point, and then a reversal or some new mechanic to get to the ultimate goal. Having a single player campaign as well, its easy to see how the addition of a 2nd player, and these elements brings out a much more entertaining and exciting experience.
In Battlefield (online), players take on different classes, each of which can support the other through unique and shared abilities. Unique abilities include healing, resupplying and repairing and shared abilities include respawning on teammates, spotting enemies and giving some very general tactical commands to other teammates. After playing loads of online time in BF, its easy to see how well balanced teams which make use of these elements are elevating the shared experience. Playing online with my friends, with some teamwork and good communication we've often turned the tide on a stronger opposing team. Playing alone, I've often found that these mechanics lead to teamwork even among online strangers. This is a pretty impressive feat to pull off.
So, overall, co-operative elements can really take a typical co-op experience and bring out some impressive teamwork. When they fail, the games don't become unplayable, they just remain as largely co-playing experiences.
What are the keys to successful co-operative element design. Seems like ease of use has to be one of them, all the mechanics in Battlefield and Lara Croft are one button, instant selections. For BF, this is key, because the online games are typically faced paced and so complex commands would not be utilized. For Lara, the trial and error nature of some of the puzzles can easily lead to frustration if the commands are not quick and easy to use. Also the levels are designed such a way that early failure typically does not lead to the team being wiped out, but just a slight setback. This encourages players to continue working together.
Secondly, there must be something that these elements grants the team over individuals working alone. Scores can be boosted by working together (BF), but also individual success in terms of accessing new areas of the map (Lara) can be a motivator.
I think a good example to end with is again from Battlefield, but I think Halo also works. In BF, there's the option to command vehicles. Many of these have slots for multiple players. Additionally, BF uses vehicles which are all sort of like mini co-op elements in one. A helicopter is an excellent example. They require pilots, gunners and mechanics all working together to be truly successful. When they fail, they just end of being co-playing elements. You might use a helicopter to get from A to B, but if the pilot isn't sharp enough, or no one's repairing, defending etc. then the whole experience ends rather quickly and usually violently. In the end, vehicles become a kind of high level reward for teams who invest the time in learning how to use them properly.
