Late 1998 design meetings

October design meetings

September 30, 1998

(Okay, so I know this is a September date, but it's the end of the month, so gimme a beak...)

Menus

The first thing we discussed was the Prey game menu. Matt put together a sample menu flow in html. We want to do the menus in the engine (makes sense), so we discussed the best way to do that. Speed of use is absolutely essential. Also, a menu is the first place that a player gets a "long look" at the feel and tone of the game.

Control configuration should be based on the "dvorak" approach--most used stuff first. Matt suggested groupings, like movement, weapons, etc.

We discussed three main ways of doing a menu, visually, within the engine: 3D version of a Q2 type menu, something with much more movement and geometry and a menu that's actually like a room. The look of the menu is up in the air--should it represent 1 species, all species, change during play?, etc. Matt's going to work on putting together a first pass menu based on the humanoids, and the approach will be a highbred of the normal menu approach (in 3D) and something with more movement and action in it.

Check out Matt's menu mock-up here.

Pushing the player on

One of the most important things that we can do is to provide the player with a sense of purpose and pressure. He needs some reason to move forward beyond the standard player expectation of "I've got to finish this level."

Scott suggested that we check out the Abe's Exodus demo for a good example of small sub missions within a larger mission.

David brought up the idea of a "most dangerous game" type of sub-plot. We weren't sure if that would fit into the game flow, but if it would anywhere, it would fit as a certain type of arena struggle.

In the Library, Matt would like to spur the player on by "pressure from behind"--at all times, creatures are advancing on the player, making him move on. Essentially, when the player hits a trigger, it "activates" a spawn location behind the player (that he can't see) that will spit forth creatures to drive the player forward.

We all agreed that it's a good thing to create multiple events when a player invokes some action (like throwing a switch)--beasts coming from one direction, a door opening up behind them, another door opening up to the side, etc. Creating a moment when the player must make rapid decisions is a great way to immerse them into the play experience.

We again discussed John's idea of "replay secrets"--of learning something or observing something during the first play that can be remembered as an "aha!" during subsequent plays, and the player then has additional knowledge to access some cool things or secrets (one example is the small shuttle onboard the big shuttle in CH2L1).

Let's make use of the Doom approach of "visual teasers"--you can see places that you can't get to by "normal" means. But once you get there (via a round-about path), you discover that you are indeed in the area you saw before, and you go "cool!"

The less you know the better. We discussed this a bit--while we do want to unfold a story for the player, we NEVER want to give them the whole picture, even at the end of the game. Leaving some gray areas only makes the story world seem more real and larger than the player's experience.

Some ideas for CH3L1 & 2:

• Early in the level, you see some transmission on a monitor, like a "most wanted" piece. It shows a Cvamp from a surveillance camera.
• Later in the level, you might get stopped by a security droid who check you out (to see if you're a cvamp)--it lets you go. It might do one of those visual "facial compare" sort of things.
• Before you get to the Cvamp area, you hit upon some sort of mission or "quest" that will get you towards your goal--freeing Mary. On your way towards that goal, something happens, and the floor gives way or something (very cool)--you fall down "into the cracks" and can't get back out. It's here that you catch your first glimpse of a cvamp and enter their world.
• At the end of CH3L1(prison), you have the tram that takes you to the library. It'd be cool if you got onto that under some other pretenses, like you're chased and it's the only escape, or you think that it will take you back to where Mary is in the prison. In actuality, it takes you off in the "wrong" direction towards the library.

Half-life

Half-life had the cool feature of a lot of rooms that you can look into, but can't easily get to--but there is always a way to get in there, if you look hard enough.

The monsters where just too easy to kill and delivered too little damage to be much of a threat.

The auto-save was far too frequent--there was no real penalty for losing your life.

Ruling on NPCs

We talked about the NPCs in the game, and certain player's compulsions to shoot them (Scott, are you listening?). With the old man, it's a no-brainer, since he's a spirit--stuff just goes through him. The Staleene Keeper is a total bad-ass with plenty of shields and other protection (like the SS). The Hegemon has guards to rule you. The only problematic one was Hataa Skeen. We decided that the best way to handle her was agility--she can dodge nearly everything, and after you try for her the first time, she knocks the gun from your hands and give you a warning. Do it again, and she'll rule you with her spear ("She'll suck you dry, man!").