| machomuu |
March 21st, 2016 10:19 AM |
Giving Sanction to Loss
Permadeath
You've probably heard that term a lot in recent years...I'd say it probably came into vogue with the release of Spelunky and the onslaught of Roguelikes/Roguelites that would come after it. It's in no way a new concept- it existed even in the earlier days of gaming (in such titles as Rogue). So why do I bring this up?
Well, in the post-indie revolution that we exist in, permadeath has been given a lot more power in the public eye, for better or for worse. It's not uncommon that you'll see developers put it in their games because they can or because it will make their game a roguelike (despite the fact that that's not at all how it works). The reason permadeath is such a powerful feature is because it gives life value. Losing in a game and starting back at the beginning of a level can be annoying, but cultivating a character for large expanses of time and losing them can be soul crushing. That in mind, throwing it in as a standard, non-configurable feature that the game isn't all that well (if at all) designed around it can lead to frustration and nothing else. In the business we call mechanics like that "Anti-fun".
---
So, my dear lovelies, for the topic: What mechanics or concepts could be used or have you seen that give weight to loss and motivate you to avoid death/loss at all cost in place of lazily plopping features that do so but don't really fit the game?
|