How to create a convincing mechanics of death and not screw it up
A game in which you cannot die (or, if you like, lose) lacks depth. If it is impossible to lose, why try to win? In other words, if you are not afraid of defeat, the desire to win loses all meaning. However, after the death of a character, a player does not have to bite his elbows and replay everything new. The mechanics of death can be integrated into the plot or gameplay, but the main thing is to do it right.
In this article we will look at different ways of realizing death and defeat in games. Some developers do it well, some - not very well, and there are those who manage to spoil a barrel of honey with a fly in the ointment.
Best of all, when the death of the character is fully integrated into the plot and gameplay. Therefore, in the first place, we will focus on examples of such mechanics.
')
(It should be noted that further discussion will focus mainly on non-competitive games. For multiplayer games such as Team Fortress 2, there are other laws. Also you should not forget that in some games, defeat or death are not provided at all. A good example is the classic point- and-click quests like Monkey Island.)
Death by plot
Recommended: to distinguish between plot death and death within the gameplay
Caution, spoiler!
In Final Fantasy VII, the main character dies in the middle of the game. This is a bit confusing, because if he or one of his partners dies during the game, they can always be resurrected with a spell.
Final Fantasy VII HD
The difference is that in the first case the hero dies by the scriptwriter’s will, and in the second by the player’s “efforts”. In the game, these deaths are clearly demarcated and never intersect. No one says, “Couldn't you use [the resurrection spell] to save [the character] and not inflate the tragedy?” Because this would destroy the barrier between the plot and the gameplay.
Not recommended: mix plot death and death as part of the gameplay
In Borderlands 2, this mechanic is implemented exactly the opposite.
Around the game world are scattered stations cloning "New-you", which are used to auto-save the game and the resurrection of the character. In case of death, your clone is reborn at the last activated station. In this case, the system releases a malicious remark about your death, and you must pay a certain amount for its use.
The character of Borderlands 2 is reborn at the New-You cloning station.
This system could be as in Final Fantasy VII - separate from the plot of the game. But no: the cloning stations belong to Hyperion, one of the gaming corporations. Therefore, sooner or later the question arises why it is impossible to revive other key characters with their help, and why opponents cannot do the same.
Looking at the same screensaver when you start the game, resurrection and fast moving to Borderlands 2, you get the impression that you are being cloned even for such a trifle as teleportation.
This is most striking when Handsome Jack (the main antagonist in the game) gives you the task of committing suicide. You can do this and resurrect immediately. But then why is he trying to kill you?
Anthony Birch, a leading screenwriter for Borderlands 2, recognizes that this is one of the biggest shortcomings in the plot of the game. Therefore, in order to avoid such misunderstandings, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between plot death and death within the gameplay.
Give the player another chance
Not recommended: magically saving the player at the very last moment
In the game "Prince of Persia" 2008 can not die in principle.
If the Prince falls into the abyss, he will be transferred to the last stable platform. If he is defeated in battle, his health will be restored, and with it the health of his opponents, which in itself is illogical. In any case, you have to start over.
In the game “Prince of Persia” (2008), your partner Elika saves you from death. Teamwork is, of course, good, but in this case removes all the excitement from the game.
Recommended: allow the player to rewind time back.
One of the best features of the game “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” is the ability to use the magical properties of sand to slow down or rewind time. Magic sand is not only featured in the screensavers, but also represents an important aspect of the gameplay! In case of death, instead of loading, you can simply rewind time back without interrupting the gameplay.
In all games of the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time series, the player can rewind time back.
In time travel games, this mechanic is simply not enough. For example, after death in the game Braid, you can rewind time back to any point right up to the very beginning of the level.
Braid
Going back in time is also implemented in the game GRID - perhaps the only racing simulator with such a feature, not counting its sequels. Lose a long race because of a small oversight can be very disappointing, especially since you can not keep progress in the middle of the race. GRID solves this problem - to avoid a crash, you can rewind time back several times per level. However, the number of available rewinds is limited so that players do not use them for good reason.
If you break the car in the GRID game, this window will appear. By clicking the button on the right, you can return to the race and avoid an accident.
Recommended: Introduce the unreliable narrator into the game.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time beats up the death of a character in another, very interesting way. When your health and sand are completely finished, the main character objects: “Wait, it was not like that at all!”
The fact is that the story in the game is on behalf of the main character, who retells his adventures. The game starts from the very end, and the action takes place in the form of flashbacks.
All events in the game "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" take place in the form of flashbacks.
The impression is that the Prince was really wrong. So the game becomes more interesting, and besides, you do not need to once again boot.
The protagonist of the game Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (Call of Juarez: Shooter) similarly talks about his adventures in the saloon in the Wild West. However, he now and then distorts the facts and is confused in details. Adjusting to the narrator, the game world itself is changing. But, unfortunately, the main character does not die, although it would be very helpful.
It is recommended: to allow the player to avoid death.
In the game “Batman: Arkham Healer” (and its sequels), the most important piece of equipment is a climbing hook, which allows you to quickly move around the world and climb high ledges.
Breaking into the abyss in the game "Batman: The Chronicle of Arkham", do not worry: Batman will get back.
If you fall into the abyss, you will not perish - Batman immediately get out to the place from which you fell. This mechanic allows you to protect the player from the absurd death, but also does not make the game too easy, since there are no other dangers from this.
Before you die in the game EVE Online, you have a chance to save your skin. In the case of the destruction of your vessel, you can eject in a special capsule, get there to the nearest station and purchase a new ship.
However, other players can destroy your capsule, and then you will die and lose your hard-earned implants. After this, you can be reborn as a clone in the nearest port, but without implants.
For the genre, MMORPG is a unique mechanic. Most players disapprove of killing capsules, but in political intrigues and clan wars, this practice is common.
It is recommended: to introduce the player to the death state and give a chance to return to life.
In the Borderlands series, when a player is running out of health, he goes into a "struggle for life" mode.
In this mode, the player falls to the ground and can only move by crawling, and the screen gradually darkens. However, if you succeed in killing the enemy, you will receive a "second wind" - you will be able to rise to your feet and re-engage in battle. In cooperative mode, you can also revive a teammate.
Before you die in the game Borderlands 2, you can fight for your life.
This is just a great mechanic. The player remains involved in the gameplay, and he does not need to immediately boot.
Interestingly, the "second breath" system was already implemented long before the Borderlands in the game Prey. Here you can leave your physical body and move into the world of spirits, which makes you invisible and allows you to overcome the force fields. Some puzzles in the game cannot be solved without leaving your body.
The world of spirits in the game Prey. The plot of the game is closely intertwined with Indian culture.
You can also get into the world of spirits in case of death. Once in this otherworldly analogue of the level in which they died, do not rush to boot. After killing a certain amount of perfume with a bow and arrow, you can continue from the same place.
A similar system is presented in the game Left 4 Dead. Having lost all your health, you go into a death state: you fall to the ground and you can only shoot from an ordinary pistol. Meanwhile, the screen gradually darkens until you die completely. Only one of your partners can bring you back to life, which further increases the importance of working together in the game.
Before dying in Left 4 Dead you can shoot a pistol, if you have one. In the game you can get other injuries that do not allow to shoot.
But best of all, this mechanic is implemented in Star Wars: Republic Commando - the first shooter in which the opportunity to resurrect a comrade appeared long before Battlefield 2, Left 4 Dead and Mass Effect 3. You can restore the fallen fighter with the help of an injection of the “bacta” medical substance and discharge the defibrillator .
The uniqueness of this mechanics is that you have a choice: to order the detachment to continue the fight or hurry to help you.
The deathbed screen in Republic Commando, alas, has never appeared in any other game since.
In the case of death on the screen covered with a bloody veil, this menu appears. When you select Maintain Current Orders, your squad continues to attack the enemy, and the Recall and Revive team orders one of your partners to lift you to your feet as soon as possible. If you were shot down in the midst of a shootout, it may be wiser to allow a detachment to finish off the enemies, and then resurrect you. The last menu item allows you to load the last save, but as long as at least one fighter is alive, this is not necessary.
Thus, when the situation in a battle heats up, the player must carefully weigh his chances of success when choosing this or that order. A bad AI allied bots could reduce this mechanics to nothing, but, fortunately, this game does not sin.
And finally, the most important thing ...
Highly recommended: integrate the death of the character into the plot
According to the plot of the game BioShock Infinite, the main character travels between parallel worlds. If you die, then you wake up in your office just as you did during flashback storylines. However, opening the door and going out, you are transported to the place of your death.
Black and white flashbacks in BioShock Infinite often take the hero back to the office.
From this it follows that you really died. But then your customers arrive in another world, where you are alive, to re-hire you. After that, you are transported forward to the place of death of your previous "I" to correct his mistake. There is a hint of this at the very beginning of the game, when you throw a coin and see how many of your “selves” have been here before.
Bioshock Infinite. The dashes on the board show how many times you have already thrown a coin.
This is a great example of how the mechanics of death can diversify the gameplay and make the game world even deeper.
A similar approach is used in the repetition mode of the game Bastion. At the end of the game, you have a choice: leave the shattered world or launch a mysterious mechanism to go back in time to the beginning of the game. If you choose the second option and start the game again, the characters will refer to your decision in the dialogues, thereby forming the link between the two game passages.
Recommended: reduce load times to a minimum
What kind of death mechanics you wouldn’t choose for your game, be sure to make the reloading process as easy as possible. For this it is worth considering two things.
First, it should take a minimum of time to load a save or restart a level. For example, if you crash in a Trials game, just press the restart button, as you will immediately find yourself at the last checkpoint. No animations and no downloads. As a result, the player is absolutely not upset by the defeat, but remains involved in the game.
After the accident in the game Trials 2: Second Edition, a timer starts, and after a few seconds the player is transferred to the last checkpoint. You can do the same at any time by pressing the Backspace key.
Secondly, the points of automatic preservation must be placed not too far apart, so that the player does not have to replay large segments of the game.
For example, after dying in a Gunpoint game, you can continue the game a few seconds before dying. In this case, you can choose exactly how to go back, which resembles a real time travel.
The screen of death in the game Gunpoint. The player has several options for how many seconds to rewind time back.
Conclusion
Competent implementation of the defeat in the game gives depth to its plot and gameplay. The death of a character can be integrated into the plot, for example, using the “unreliable narrator” technique. In addition, to the player to believe in the proposed circumstances, the resurrection system should not be mentioned in the plot dialogs or screensavers.
In this article we will look at different ways of realizing death and defeat in games. Some developers do it well, some - not very well, and there are those who manage to spoil a barrel of honey with a fly in the ointment.
Best of all, when the death of the character is fully integrated into the plot and gameplay. Therefore, in the first place, we will focus on examples of such mechanics.
')
(It should be noted that further discussion will focus mainly on non-competitive games. For multiplayer games such as Team Fortress 2, there are other laws. Also you should not forget that in some games, defeat or death are not provided at all. A good example is the classic point- and-click quests like Monkey Island.)
Death by plot
Recommended: to distinguish between plot death and death within the gameplay
Caution, spoiler!
In Final Fantasy VII, the main character dies in the middle of the game. This is a bit confusing, because if he or one of his partners dies during the game, they can always be resurrected with a spell.
Final Fantasy VII HD
The difference is that in the first case the hero dies by the scriptwriter’s will, and in the second by the player’s “efforts”. In the game, these deaths are clearly demarcated and never intersect. No one says, “Couldn't you use [the resurrection spell] to save [the character] and not inflate the tragedy?” Because this would destroy the barrier between the plot and the gameplay.
Not recommended: mix plot death and death as part of the gameplay
In Borderlands 2, this mechanic is implemented exactly the opposite.
Around the game world are scattered stations cloning "New-you", which are used to auto-save the game and the resurrection of the character. In case of death, your clone is reborn at the last activated station. In this case, the system releases a malicious remark about your death, and you must pay a certain amount for its use.
The character of Borderlands 2 is reborn at the New-You cloning station.
This system could be as in Final Fantasy VII - separate from the plot of the game. But no: the cloning stations belong to Hyperion, one of the gaming corporations. Therefore, sooner or later the question arises why it is impossible to revive other key characters with their help, and why opponents cannot do the same.
Looking at the same screensaver when you start the game, resurrection and fast moving to Borderlands 2, you get the impression that you are being cloned even for such a trifle as teleportation.
This is most striking when Handsome Jack (the main antagonist in the game) gives you the task of committing suicide. You can do this and resurrect immediately. But then why is he trying to kill you?
Anthony Birch, a leading screenwriter for Borderlands 2, recognizes that this is one of the biggest shortcomings in the plot of the game. Therefore, in order to avoid such misunderstandings, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between plot death and death within the gameplay.
Give the player another chance
Not recommended: magically saving the player at the very last moment
In the game "Prince of Persia" 2008 can not die in principle.
If the Prince falls into the abyss, he will be transferred to the last stable platform. If he is defeated in battle, his health will be restored, and with it the health of his opponents, which in itself is illogical. In any case, you have to start over.
In the game “Prince of Persia” (2008), your partner Elika saves you from death. Teamwork is, of course, good, but in this case removes all the excitement from the game.
Recommended: allow the player to rewind time back.
One of the best features of the game “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” is the ability to use the magical properties of sand to slow down or rewind time. Magic sand is not only featured in the screensavers, but also represents an important aspect of the gameplay! In case of death, instead of loading, you can simply rewind time back without interrupting the gameplay.
In all games of the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time series, the player can rewind time back.
In time travel games, this mechanic is simply not enough. For example, after death in the game Braid, you can rewind time back to any point right up to the very beginning of the level.
Braid
Going back in time is also implemented in the game GRID - perhaps the only racing simulator with such a feature, not counting its sequels. Lose a long race because of a small oversight can be very disappointing, especially since you can not keep progress in the middle of the race. GRID solves this problem - to avoid a crash, you can rewind time back several times per level. However, the number of available rewinds is limited so that players do not use them for good reason.
If you break the car in the GRID game, this window will appear. By clicking the button on the right, you can return to the race and avoid an accident.
Recommended: Introduce the unreliable narrator into the game.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time beats up the death of a character in another, very interesting way. When your health and sand are completely finished, the main character objects: “Wait, it was not like that at all!”
The fact is that the story in the game is on behalf of the main character, who retells his adventures. The game starts from the very end, and the action takes place in the form of flashbacks.
All events in the game "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" take place in the form of flashbacks.
The impression is that the Prince was really wrong. So the game becomes more interesting, and besides, you do not need to once again boot.
The protagonist of the game Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (Call of Juarez: Shooter) similarly talks about his adventures in the saloon in the Wild West. However, he now and then distorts the facts and is confused in details. Adjusting to the narrator, the game world itself is changing. But, unfortunately, the main character does not die, although it would be very helpful.
It is recommended: to allow the player to avoid death.
In the game “Batman: Arkham Healer” (and its sequels), the most important piece of equipment is a climbing hook, which allows you to quickly move around the world and climb high ledges.
Breaking into the abyss in the game "Batman: The Chronicle of Arkham", do not worry: Batman will get back.
If you fall into the abyss, you will not perish - Batman immediately get out to the place from which you fell. This mechanic allows you to protect the player from the absurd death, but also does not make the game too easy, since there are no other dangers from this.
Before you die in the game EVE Online, you have a chance to save your skin. In the case of the destruction of your vessel, you can eject in a special capsule, get there to the nearest station and purchase a new ship.
However, other players can destroy your capsule, and then you will die and lose your hard-earned implants. After this, you can be reborn as a clone in the nearest port, but without implants.
For the genre, MMORPG is a unique mechanic. Most players disapprove of killing capsules, but in political intrigues and clan wars, this practice is common.
It is recommended: to introduce the player to the death state and give a chance to return to life.
In the Borderlands series, when a player is running out of health, he goes into a "struggle for life" mode.
In this mode, the player falls to the ground and can only move by crawling, and the screen gradually darkens. However, if you succeed in killing the enemy, you will receive a "second wind" - you will be able to rise to your feet and re-engage in battle. In cooperative mode, you can also revive a teammate.
Before you die in the game Borderlands 2, you can fight for your life.
This is just a great mechanic. The player remains involved in the gameplay, and he does not need to immediately boot.
Interestingly, the "second breath" system was already implemented long before the Borderlands in the game Prey. Here you can leave your physical body and move into the world of spirits, which makes you invisible and allows you to overcome the force fields. Some puzzles in the game cannot be solved without leaving your body.
The world of spirits in the game Prey. The plot of the game is closely intertwined with Indian culture.
You can also get into the world of spirits in case of death. Once in this otherworldly analogue of the level in which they died, do not rush to boot. After killing a certain amount of perfume with a bow and arrow, you can continue from the same place.
A similar system is presented in the game Left 4 Dead. Having lost all your health, you go into a death state: you fall to the ground and you can only shoot from an ordinary pistol. Meanwhile, the screen gradually darkens until you die completely. Only one of your partners can bring you back to life, which further increases the importance of working together in the game.
Before dying in Left 4 Dead you can shoot a pistol, if you have one. In the game you can get other injuries that do not allow to shoot.
But best of all, this mechanic is implemented in Star Wars: Republic Commando - the first shooter in which the opportunity to resurrect a comrade appeared long before Battlefield 2, Left 4 Dead and Mass Effect 3. You can restore the fallen fighter with the help of an injection of the “bacta” medical substance and discharge the defibrillator .
The uniqueness of this mechanics is that you have a choice: to order the detachment to continue the fight or hurry to help you.
The deathbed screen in Republic Commando, alas, has never appeared in any other game since.
In the case of death on the screen covered with a bloody veil, this menu appears. When you select Maintain Current Orders, your squad continues to attack the enemy, and the Recall and Revive team orders one of your partners to lift you to your feet as soon as possible. If you were shot down in the midst of a shootout, it may be wiser to allow a detachment to finish off the enemies, and then resurrect you. The last menu item allows you to load the last save, but as long as at least one fighter is alive, this is not necessary.
Thus, when the situation in a battle heats up, the player must carefully weigh his chances of success when choosing this or that order. A bad AI allied bots could reduce this mechanics to nothing, but, fortunately, this game does not sin.
And finally, the most important thing ...
Highly recommended: integrate the death of the character into the plot
According to the plot of the game BioShock Infinite, the main character travels between parallel worlds. If you die, then you wake up in your office just as you did during flashback storylines. However, opening the door and going out, you are transported to the place of your death.
Black and white flashbacks in BioShock Infinite often take the hero back to the office.
From this it follows that you really died. But then your customers arrive in another world, where you are alive, to re-hire you. After that, you are transported forward to the place of death of your previous "I" to correct his mistake. There is a hint of this at the very beginning of the game, when you throw a coin and see how many of your “selves” have been here before.
Bioshock Infinite. The dashes on the board show how many times you have already thrown a coin.
This is a great example of how the mechanics of death can diversify the gameplay and make the game world even deeper.
A similar approach is used in the repetition mode of the game Bastion. At the end of the game, you have a choice: leave the shattered world or launch a mysterious mechanism to go back in time to the beginning of the game. If you choose the second option and start the game again, the characters will refer to your decision in the dialogues, thereby forming the link between the two game passages.
Recommended: reduce load times to a minimum
What kind of death mechanics you wouldn’t choose for your game, be sure to make the reloading process as easy as possible. For this it is worth considering two things.
First, it should take a minimum of time to load a save or restart a level. For example, if you crash in a Trials game, just press the restart button, as you will immediately find yourself at the last checkpoint. No animations and no downloads. As a result, the player is absolutely not upset by the defeat, but remains involved in the game.
After the accident in the game Trials 2: Second Edition, a timer starts, and after a few seconds the player is transferred to the last checkpoint. You can do the same at any time by pressing the Backspace key.
Secondly, the points of automatic preservation must be placed not too far apart, so that the player does not have to replay large segments of the game.
For example, after dying in a Gunpoint game, you can continue the game a few seconds before dying. In this case, you can choose exactly how to go back, which resembles a real time travel.
The screen of death in the game Gunpoint. The player has several options for how many seconds to rewind time back.
Conclusion
Competent implementation of the defeat in the game gives depth to its plot and gameplay. The death of a character can be integrated into the plot, for example, using the “unreliable narrator” technique. In addition, to the player to believe in the proposed circumstances, the resurrection system should not be mentioned in the plot dialogs or screensavers.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/274333/
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