Sunday, November 08, 2009
Game Design: Quest For the SideQuest
Hmmm - so does Frayed Knights get a free pass or not?
In general, I think the question game designers should ask themselves is: Is the thing you're asking the player character to do the most obvious, straightforward, or fastest way to solve the given problem? Asking the player to go downstairs and get a key for a shoddy wooden door is not unreasonable. I certainly wouldn't smash a door if the key was just downstairs. Asking the player to climb to the top of Mt. Evil and fight the Soul-Devouring Dragon-Wraith of Pestilence to get the same key is completely ridiculous, because at that point it's less trouble to just kick the door down or call a locksmith or something. (Exception: All comedy games get a free pass for plot doors because the stupidity of the side-quest is part of the joke.)Shamus Young addresses the issue of ridiculous side-quests and "find the key" type puzzles / plot progressions in games. A great rant:
The Escapist Magazine: Quest for the Side Quest!
Okay, I worry about my own guilt with some of these things - but at least on a theoretical level, Shamus is my kind of gamer. I often feel myself wanting to shout "Amen!" with his rants. This is no exception.
Labels: Game Design
- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 8:46 PM (Permalink)
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Basically, if you're going to rub a locked plot door in our faces then make it as big and menacing as possible. Or maybe, possibly, sort of avoid using plot doors altogether... ya know, just sayin'
Well, taken to an extreme - you get the situation where you've got a beeline to the big bad. And then players will just be pissed off and confused when they go and repeatedly get their butts kicked. That doesn't work so well either.
But I like Shamus' explanation here - to make sure that the quest to overcome the obstacle isn't worse than the obstacle itself. I've got some magical barriers and so forth with explanations as to why they can't be easily bypassed. Along with whinging on the part of the PCs.
But I like Shamus' explanation here - to make sure that the quest to overcome the obstacle isn't worse than the obstacle itself. I've got some magical barriers and so forth with explanations as to why they can't be easily bypassed. Along with whinging on the part of the PCs.
Aeges Road has a locked door as part of it's plot, but the key is semi unique and there is no physical mechanism. There is also an alternative to the door, but either way your going to get dirty.
C'mon, locked doors are fun if done right. LOZ and Alundra were very creative with locked doors and gave purpose to exploring old areas again to see if you now had the equipment to get through.
And at the same time I feel the pain. If I have rogue who gets to a door latch he can't handle or a powerful mage who can't nail the ward then it does get frustrating. But when I finally find a way through it really shouldn't be a key, but maybe an ancient skill that is not only going to get me through this door, but a dozen other optional doors I have passed earlier in the game as well.
C'mon, locked doors are fun if done right. LOZ and Alundra were very creative with locked doors and gave purpose to exploring old areas again to see if you now had the equipment to get through.
And at the same time I feel the pain. If I have rogue who gets to a door latch he can't handle or a powerful mage who can't nail the ward then it does get frustrating. But when I finally find a way through it really shouldn't be a key, but maybe an ancient skill that is not only going to get me through this door, but a dozen other optional doors I have passed earlier in the game as well.
Treasure hunts are good if they are localised, if your zigzagging across the world to me you REALLY have to tie the story in and weave it well otherwise it falls down really quickly.
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