level building for stealth gameplay randy smith randy@roningamedeveloper.com (see slide notes)

Level Building for Stealth Gameplay

Randy SmithRandy@RoninGameDeveloper.com

(see slide notes)

Who Am I?

Thief series of games Freelance Designer

Might & Magic: Dark Messiah, Arkane Studios

<edited out>

Roles

Level Builder Designer Project Director

Level Building for Stealth Gameplay Talking about:

Moment to moment gameplay

Sneaking around undetected

NOT: Story /

Objectives Level Editors Game Systems Process

Combat

What Stealth Games?

Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid, Thief Zelda Wind Waker, Deus Ex, Beyond

Good and Evil

What Stealth Games?

Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid, Thief Zelda Wind Waker, Deus Ex, Beyond

Good and Evil Sniper Games

What Stealth Games?

Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid, Thief Zelda Wind Waker, Deus Ex, Beyond

Good and Evil Sniper Games Submarine Games

What Stealth Games?

Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid, Thief Zelda Wind Waker, Deus Ex, Beyond

Good and Evil Sniper Games Submarine Games

(levels tend to be a little boring)

What Stealth Games?

Any game that emphasizes a model of player hiding / discovery

Content Must Match Game Systems

Game Systems = toys Levels = the

playground How do you design a

playground without knowing which toys?

Are the lights extinguishable?

Content Must Support Aesthetic Vision What play experience are you trying

to create? More than genre or fiction How does it feel to play the game? The aesthetic of the interaction

Slow, Thoughtful pacing

Faster pace, Think on your feet

The MDA Framework

Staggered Alcoves,Patrol Paths

Carefully Timed Moving and Waiting

Slow, thoughtful pacing

Common Stealth Game Mechanics Guards Patrol Routes Light / Darkness Sound and hearing Sneaking up on guys

Common Stealth Aesthetic

Create the illusion of a securely guarded area that the player can sneak through by virtue of leveraging their unique abilities and tools to create and exploit security flaws

Common Stealth Aesthetic Success

Stealth makes player powerful Someone less stealthy would get caught Creating/exploiting security flaws

Failure Stealth is unnecessary

Area isn’t well guarded A non-stealthy solution is easier and/or more

fun Stealth doesn’t work

Get caught too often

The Low Threshold The Low Threshold for Failurefor Failure

Challenge of the Aesthetic Goal “Create the illusion of a securely

guarded area that the player can sneak through” Make the player feel like they are

special enough to do the impossible

Combat = High Threshold For Failure You get shot repeatedly but don’t fail

Stealth = Low Threshold for Failure If guards see you, you get caught quickly

Implications for Level Building In a combat game, it’s valid to

create a challenging room and assume all players will experience some degree of failure.

To support stealth gameplay, you can’t assume players will fail.

The Balancing Act

For every stealth encounter, you must… Provide a means for the player to

experience little or no failure

The Balancing Act

For every stealth encounter, you must… Provide a means for the player to

experience little or no failure “zero failure”

The Balancing Act

For every stealth encounter, you must… Provide a means for the player to

experience zero failure Communicate those means

The Balancing Act

For every stealth encounter, you must… Provide a means for the player to

experience zero failure Communicate those means Don’t be too obvious about it

The Balancing Act

Not enough help,

Player feels incapable

Too much help,

Player doesn’t feel stealthy

What’s on the scales?

Challenges vs. Advantages

Guards

Loud Flooring

Dead Ends

Scouting Locations

Connectivity

Shadows

Design ToolsDesign Tools

These are all Design Tools

Guards

Loud Flooring

Dead Ends

Scouting Locations

Connectivity

Shadows

Not…

…player tools Hiding in shadows Radar jammer Lock picks

….level editor / software

Design Tools

Mechanics you add to the level to manage the player’s experience EG - Shadowy Alcove

Dynamics you understand to predict the player’s experience EG - Players are drawn to shadowy

alcoves

Useful for Managing Challenge Level

Guards

Loud Flooring

Dead Ends

Scouting Locations

Connectivity

Shadows

Manage the Experience Towards Other Goals, Too “Players are drawn to shadowy

alcoves” tool for controlling pacing

Environmental ToolsEnvironmental Tools

Build A Combat Encounter

Add Enemies…

Then Add Power-Ups!

But it’s also the level layout Advantages

Hard cover Sniping Locations Low wall for cover

Challenges Blind corners Tight passages Low wall that restricts movement

Environmental Tools!

Advantages Hard cover Sniping Locations Low wall for cover

Challenges Blind corners Tight passages Low wall that restricts movement

Advantages Darkness …more to come…

Disadvantages Light …more to come…

Stealth Environmental Tools

Use Tools To Balance Encounter

Use Tools To Balance Encounter

But obviously there’s more going on here Balancing

Advantages vs. Challenges is over-simplified

Let’s analyze that example

Closer Look at Balancing Act

Imagine you’re the player What can you see

from the scouting spot?

How do you feel? What is your plan?

So what might the player do?

What is the effect of the guard’s patrol?

Some observations

What is meant by Advantage? Anything that makes it easier to succeed at

stealth

What is meant by Disadvantage? Anything that makes it easier to fail at

stealth

Some observations

Some things are both Advantages and Challenges, depending Patrol path Hard cover

Some observations

Player Psychology Understanding the “on-the-ground”

experience Guard out of sight at far end of patrol path

Predicting how player will behave

Environmental Tools

Soft Cover Darkness

Hard Cover L-shaped rooms

Environmental Tool

Loud Surfaces

Environmental Tools are Sneaky

Environmental Tools are Sneaky

Environmental Tools are Sneaky They impact gameplay even if they

weren’t intended to

Common offenders from Thief Doors Staircases Furniture Tile flooring

Over constrained problem

Constraints Beautiful High performance Not too dark on the monitor

Dungeons and Abandoned Places

Dungeons and Abandoned Places

Environmental Tools Soft Cover

Hard Cover

Blind Corners

S shaped curves in Unreal

S shaped curves in Unreal

What’s the solution?

Acknowledge you’ve created gameplay relevance

A good design tool: Stealth Friendly vs Stealth Unfriendly

Stealth Friendly vs. Stealth Friendly vs. Stealth UnfriendlyStealth Unfriendly

Stealth Friendly vs. Stealth Unfriendly Environments only, don’t worry about enemies

for now

Stealth Unfriendly More environmental

challenges

Stealth Friendly More environmental

advantages

Macro vs. Micro Applicationof Stealth Friendly / Unfriendly We’ve already been discussing the

Macro level If stealth unfriendly…

Add environmental advantages Or don’t put guards here Or recognize its impact on player experience

Micro Applicationof Stealth Friendly / Unfriendly Let’s revisit this

example

Micro Applicationof Stealth Friendly / Unfriendly

Micro Applicationof Stealth Friendly / Unfriendly

Micro Applicationof Stealth Friendly / Unfriendly

Micro Applicationof Stealth Friendly / Unfriendly

Predicting Player Path

Players are drawn

Players are repelled

No charge

Predicting Player Path

Overlaying With Guard Data

Predicting Player Path

Players are drawn

Players are repelled

No charge

Players move from island to island of stealth friendly areas.

Using The Tools To Using The Tools To Support Zero FailureSupport Zero Failure

Tools Stealth Friendly / Unfriendly Predict player path Enemy Placement

Changing Domains… Soft Cover

Bushes

Hard Cover Trees

Loud Surfaces Water

Supporting Zero Player Failure

Supporting Zero Player Failure

Supporting Zero Player Failure

Supporting Zero Player Failure

Environmental Tool Scouting Location

Player can observe upcoming challenges from a position of safety

Player Psychology

Scouting Avoiding the pitfall of thinking like

yourself The player doesn’t know if danger is

coming up

Scouting Scouting Locations

Player can observe upcoming challenges from a position of safety

Safety = Stealth Friendly Observe = Good sight lines, things

worth seeing Examples

Dark crossroads / alcoves Balconies / Rafters / Hills

Uses For Scouting Locations Learn

Existence of challenges Location / behavior of challenges Formulate and execute plans

Relax

Turning Blind Corners Into Scouting Locations

Stealth Unfriendly Scouting Area!?!?? Players don’t use

Stealth-Unfriendly scouting spots

Perceived Affordance Does it really do

what it looks like it does?

Perceived Affordance

Does it appear as Stealth-Unfriendly as you know it to be? Bad = Tile flooring in darkness

Will the Scouting Location draw the player in? Bad = Brightly lit balcony

Supporting Zero Player Failure

Supporting Zero Player Failure

Now Consider Enemy Placement We know the

player’s path, so where do we place enemies?

Enemy PlacementEnemy Placement

Use the Friendly / Unfriendly metric Enemy power is relative to their

environment One guard in a Stealth Unfriendly area

might be too much What territory does the guard control?

Territory

Territory

Territory

Territory plus Path

Territory plus Path

Enemy Behaviors

Static Controls fixed territory

Patrolling / Changing Direction Covers more territory overall, but

doesn’t control it all the time

Enemy Behaviors

Unpredictable behavior Player doesn’t know what

they control when Long patrol paths Branching patrols Scripts

Path Plus Enemy Placement

If path = bush tree water Enemy placement and

behavior provides windows of opportunity to support this movement

Patrol route = works Static guard = does

not

Path Plus Enemy Placement

Path Plus Territory

Path Plus Territory

Path Plus Territory

Open-EndednessOpen-Endedness

Open-Endedness

Open-Endedness

Open-Endedness

Open-Endedness

Open-Endedness

Open-Endedness

Throw on tons of Challenges and Advantages Create a playground, don’t author an

experience But understand the paths and balance

them

Applications of Player Path

Sneaking past enemies Sneaking up behind enemies Sneaking up to treasure Sneaking up to use your tools

Balancing Risk and Balancing Risk and RewardReward

Tuning the Player Path(s)

1. Determine paths2. Compare paths to enemy

placement3. Confirm there is at least one zero

failure path4. Balance paths for risk and reward

Rule of Thumb

Create a rhythm of Stealth Friendly and Stealth Unfriendly Break up consistencies

Creates a cycle of tension and relaxation Significant aesthetic of

stealth games

Approaches to Using These Tools Place tools to encourage a particular

path Figure out which tools are already

present, balance the emergent path(s)

Create a rhythm of Friendly / Unfriendly

Phases of Stealth Phases of Stealth GameplayGameplay

No Enemies Present Undetected by Enemies Being Searched For Been Caught

Phases of Stealth Phases of Stealth GameplayGameplay

No Enemies Present

Undetected by Enemies Being Searched For Been Caught

Phases of Stealth Gameplay Level design must support phase-

specific player goals/needs Adds more constraints to the

environment Requires more player psychology

No Enemies Present

Do players know that? Radar? Other cues? Perceived Affordance

Relevant Design Tools Scouting Locations Treat as Undetected By Enemies phase

Being Searched For

Player Goals Move away from Enemies along a safe

path Remain undetected

Higher pace, not controlled by player

Does the environment support this?

Environmental Tools Connectivity Connected Islands

of Stealth Friendly

Obstructions Furniture

Loud Surfaces

Dead Ends

Dynamic Tool Ring Around The Rosy

Been Caught

Combat See elsewhere

Fleeing

Fleeing

Player Goals Get away Reset the experience

Does the environment support this?

Environmental Tools Connectivity Enemy can’t follow

Balconies Reset Areas

Such as Scouting Locations

Obstructions

Dead Ends

Props for Scouting Locations Learn about challenges Formulate plans Cycle of tension and

relaxation Reset spots

Dynamic Tool Out of the Frying Pan, Into The Fire

Summary

Low Threshold For Failure Create Zero Failure Player Paths Predict Player Paths

Stealth Friendly / Stealth Unfriendly Tune Player Paths

Environmental Tools Enemy Placement and Territory

Phases of Gameplay Player Psychology

Q & AQ & A

Slides and Questions:

Randy@RoninGameDeveloper.com

Design Tools

Soft Cover Scouting

Locations Connectivity Ring Around

The Rosy

Hard Cover Static

Enemies Dynamic

Enemies

Blind Corners

Loud Surfaces

Unpredictable Enemy Behavior

Obstructions

Dead Ends Out of the Frying

Pan, Into The Fire