Improving the pacing - part 1
Last week we started working on fixing the issues observed during the last playtest. On my side I worked designing the new level progression to improve the pacing and the effectiveness of the tutorials in the game. This meant having some levels that don’t teach anything to the player and only reinforce what they already know. This led to the addition of more levels per city than what we originally planned.
The first step was making a new plan of what levels we need. For the simple concepts like moving I kept dedicating one level, but for the more complex concepts I dedicated two levels. Originally we were too scared to bore the player and thought the game only got good once you introduced most of the mechanics. Now we are more confident in what we have made and know we can make the game entertaining, while keeping it easy to understand by introducing the mechanics slowly and in interesting ways.
After the plan was done I started right away working on the new levels. At the moment the 1st level is good and doesn’t need any major changes, I only removed the HP Collectable as these elements will be introduced in a later level.
The 2nd level is entirely new, this time introducing only the concept of the Single Directional Tiles(SDT) and difference in heights, the former being a simple mechanic and the latter being an aesthetical element. The level is short and requires the player to use the mechanics they learnt during the first level alongside the new mechanics. Here the SDTs are used to block the player from taking the more direct and obvious route to finish the level, requiring that they understand the new mechanic to finish the level. As the amount of options the players have are limited and the mechanic simple in nature, there is no danger of the players getting stuck or frustrated. Here the difference in height is used to separate the areas, making it simpler to understand and it also helps the player focus on one area at the time.
On the 3rd level the objective is to reinforce what the player just learnt, thus there is only one door-button interaction at the start and the rest is dedicated to the SDTs and the difference in height. The directional tiles are the main focus of the level, being present all across the level and pointing in all directions. These create a simple maze for the player to solve, it is hard enough to ensure the player will interact with the directional tiles but not so hard as to overwhelm them. Also, these tiles have a bright color that contrasts strongly with the standard movement tiles, calling the player attention. This alongside the fact that the level has few other elements to distract the player, ensures they will be able to focus on the new mechanic. The difference in height is used to guide the player’s view and it is barely intrusive, only being present at the very beginning of the level and at the very end. Also, during this level we give the player the first real freedom on how to tackle the level, which will become more prevalent as the game progresses.
During the 4th level I introduce the Patrolling Enemies and the HP Collectables. These are introduced as a pair because the existence of the enemies makes the HP Collectables relevant. Introducing the HP Collectables earlier just leads to the confusion we saw on the previous play test. Also, introducing them at the same time creates the mental connection between these two mechanics, and may help the players understand that these pieces of clothing are their HP.
To give space to the players to get used to the enemies the level starts with a long and straight corridor and an enemy near the end. The enemy is following a patrol route that doesn’t put the player in danger at any time, this enemy is just there to teach the player how they work. As the player progresses the stairs they call their attention given how tall they are, this was intentional to guide the player. Also, the new tile occlusion system helped me guide the players, as it will make the reveal the stairs as traversable leading the player’s view towards them. Once they go up, they will face their first enemy for real. This one enemy has a long patrol route, making it easy to avoid while keeping it as a threat. Next a short and simple section where the player needs to interact with a SDT. This part is here to give the player space to process what they just did and to remind them of a mechanic they learnt in the past. The final part is an enemy with a shorter route. This works as the final challenge to test all the player has done during the level.
As mentioned before the level is divided into a lower and a higher section, this was done to help with the blocking and to create a unique vista. For the first part of the level I did many iterations as I knew I wanted to create a space where the player could see the first enemy from afar, but I also needed to place the other enemies which proved difficult without making everything visually noisy. This is why I eventually came to this setup which, to start with, allows me to isolate the start area and focus on the first enemy, blocking the rest of the level. And second once you go up, I can take advantage of the perspective of the camera to block anything south to the player. Also, this created a very interesting area that reinforced the concept of the game of being on vacation and visiting unique vistas.
During this week I’ll do some internal tests on these levels and make changes if necessary. Beyond that, I’m going to work on making new levels though I won’t be done with all of them this week.
