Creating Satisfying Combat Experiences - PowerPoint Presentation

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Creating Satisfying Combat Experiences

At

GamesSlide3

The Designer’s Dream

“drop in and play” enemy behavior

Less scripting and environment authoringLess predictability, more procedural surprise moments for the playerSlide4

The Reality

Sadly, “drop in and play” is:Chaotic

IncomprehensibleFrustratingSlide5

Solutions

Establish a Front

Create Layered SetupsUnderstand Combat FocusFunctional Cover PlacementAttack in WavesGood Flanking PracticesKnow When to Re-Direct the FrontUse High Priority TargetsGood Ally UsageSlide6

How did Insomniac Games arrive at these concepts?Slide7

RCF: TOD and Resistance

2Tightly directed by Insomniac veterans

Design staff experienced in the franchisesR2 had very linear spacesSlide8

RCF: A Crack In Time

Departures and promotionsDesign staff noobs

to the franchiseLess linear spacesSlide9

Back to the basics …Slide10

RCF: ACIT and Resistance 3

Immediate and dramatic improvementsSolid core combat means fewer changes

More effort can be put into dramaticsSlide11

Hill 609 by Fletcher MartinSlide12

Establishing a Front

Establish two distinct fronts

Use the architecture to help define frontsUse cover placement to define frontsFront lines determine flanking opportunitiesSlide13

Example of a poorly established front

Player front?

Enemy front?

No Man’s Land?Slide14

A well-established frontSlide15

Layered Setups

= 2 distinct setups both requiring enemies to be present at the start

Keep layers clearly separated (combat distance)Use vertical spaceSlide16

Layered Setups

Player only truly engages the first layer – second layer is spectacleOn the last 1-2 foreground enemies, pull them back, move allies up, then allow second layer to engage

Player rushes the second combat-area = engageSlide17

Needs Layering

Tons of enemies

No separation

All on same levelSlide18

Well LayeredSlide19

Combat Focus

= where the player’s attention is – the anchor of the setup

It’s narrower than you thinkKeep distinct – associate with geometryCan have 2 – keep distinct – separate geographically Slide20

Combat Focus

Keep cover positions pretty tight Intro enemies into a tight “home” and keep them there

Intros route new enemies behind the combat focusPlayer exit/goal behind the combat focusSlide21

Poor Combat Focus

Enemies too spread out

Intros from too far

Player’s FOV

Exit off screenSlide22

Better Combat FocusSlide23

Cover Placement

Defining each setup should BEGIN with your cover placement

Use cover to define the front lines and combat focusBe conscious of facing and shape of cover Use cover to lure the player into their initial combat positionUse multiple cover positions to create player choiceSlide24

Cover Placement

Resist the urge to randomly scatter cover for realism

Ideal Combat Distance between player and enemy coverFlanking cover = 1-2 pieces of good cover (rarely more)2+ cover positions for each shooterSlide25

Poor cover placement

Front lines?

Combat focus?

Initial combat pos?

Player choice?Slide26

Better cover placementSlide27

Waves - Composition

Enemies over time is key – waves are the way to do thisFirst wave is the “

gimmee” – it’s the second and subsequent waves that are the real combatEach wave is *about* a single – and different – class of enemySlide28

Waves - Composition

Filler enemies OK – but NOT a homogenous mixtureKeep melee enemies and projectile enemies in separate waves

Pacing across waves – build up to a crescendoSlide29

Waves - Intros

On last 1-2 enemies in current waveOr on <40% health of single tougher enemy

Intro new waves through the current combat focus – then fan outSlide30

Waves - Intros

Long intro paths, perpendicular to LOSStagger enemy spawns – temporally and spatially

Dropships – intro through combat focus and loop around battlefieldSlide31

Waves – pausing between

ONLY when there is a story reason to do

soExposition should happen hereAs well as your allies repositioning themselvesThis is usually a rare moment, that precedes a new enemy intro or significant story eventSlide32

Poorly done waves

Toughest enemy first?

Waves from afar?

Grunts in every wave?Slide33

Improved wavesSlide34

Flanking

A solid combat focus and front lines allow for a flank

1-2 good pieces of cover and a single path define a flank (more = messy)Let the player get anchored before flanking (8s delay)Slide35

Flanking

Must flank through the combat focusMust call out the flanking maneuver really well

Dialog/foleyFirst shot miss behaviorAdditional wave makes a good flank, BUT this is really Redirecting The FrontSlide36

Bad Flanking

Front lines?

Flank from afar?

Clear flanking pos?Slide37

Better FlankingSlide38

Re-directing a front

You must establish a new front and combat focus

Do on new wave entry Retreat remaining enemies to their new frontSlide39

Re-directing a front

Move allies up into their new frontCall out with dialog or significant event

Use the new combat focus to attract player to setup exitSlide40

Needs redirecting

Now what?Slide41

Front RedirectedSlide42

High Priority Targets

Usually tougher enemiesT

ake prominent positionsUse the geography to highlight themSeparate physical space from filler enemiesWave is “about” this high priority targetSlide43

Muddled priority

Just another in the mixSlide44

Improved PrioritySlide45

Tight environments

Hand script each enemy

Enemies generally take a single position and stick to itSometimes fine to just let the enemies run wildexample: coming upon two easy enemies in a room with no coverthese are usually quick surprise momentsSlide46

Poor tight environment work

Can wander off

Can clump up

Looks dumbSlide47

Good tight environment workSlide48

Allies

hand scriptedgo to specific cover points every time

in small encounters, stick to that cover point indefinitelyin larger encounters, can have a small home areaSlide49

Allies

keep allies and enemies separatedallies will define the front line and the player’s initial position

allies should run ahead of the player to the front lineSlide50

Poor ally usage

Allies muddying the front

Player ahead of allies

Action off-screenSlide51

Better ally usageSlide52

How it all comes together …Slide53
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Finally…

“no surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader”

Do something unexpectedSurprise yourselfSurprise your leadsSurprise the player