New Series of Posts - Bioshock and guiding the player
Hey all!
Prepare for this blog to finally be updated regularly (and I mean it this time, Uni says I have to :D)! This is my third year at university studying at MDS (Media Design School) in New Zealand and one of the papers I am doing requires that we keep a regular update of a blog. Now the content of this series will largely include experiences, knowledge testing and images of tasks assigned to me during my World Building paper, so expect to see a lot of analysis of games in regards that and maybe even a few things I design myself later down the track.
To kick it off we were given the task of playing through the first Bioshock Demo (2K Games, 2007) and analyzing it regards to player navigation i.e, how well the developers guide the player through the level; what tricks they use in UI, on screen prompts, passage blockage, lighting etc, you get the idea. Now let me reiterate, this analysis only covers the demo, not the entire game, so there may be some things that I miss that come up later. However, in saying that, I feel that the demo shows a lot of what 2K Games has to offer when guiding the player through their game.
To the analysis!
First off the creators of Bioshock guide the player through using singular paths to follow without it seeming obviously so. For example, in the opening scene the player is surrounded by fire and can go only one direction, this path then opens up and it looks as though the player can go where they wish only to find that 2K Games throw some flaming debris down to block the players path and guide them to the area they wish them to go.
This brings me to my next point, in Bioshock 2K Games use landmarks to lure the player where they need to go like when after the flaming debris hits the ocean and lights it afire, the player turns to the right to see a massive tower like structure lit by large lamps along the only stairway. If the player looks around they will see that this is the only place not covered in darkness and soon learns to follow the lights.
Once inside things become a little more cluttered so 2K Games needed guide the player in different ways. Lights are still used but other things are thrown in as well. In some areas the lights will only turn on at the players approach, thus telling the player where they need to go. Other times lights will flicker over objects or be highlighted in some way to give the player clues as to obtainable items or switches that may need to be pulled or buttons pressed. Alongside this lighting, 2K Games uses framing to furether announce the importance of an area or item. By making something framed by symmetrical and identical objects with a singular light-source shining over it, Bioshock almost seems to scream at the player to come and check it out.
A goodie but a classic is how 2K Games uses obstructions to guide the player. Early on the player will discover that some obstructions are destructible (like the railings after the player emerges from the sub can be pushed over or destroyed by hitting them). This could lead to potential shortcuts or different paths to take if the player so desires. Other examples are of completely obstructing all of a large rooms exits but one with debris or large items, while after completing an objective, an obstructed are may become cleared.
2K Games also uses threats to guide the player. By letting the player see a threat in the distance, the player is faced with a choice: to engage the threat or try to avoid it. This allows 2K to guide the player into an area they want the player to go, if the threat is too strong the player must find another way, or if defeated, will likely be able to continue on.
Another way that 2K Games guides the player is by signposting. Signposting is the placement of signs (or sign like models) that literally show where the player needs to go. One such example is when the player enters a room that took me a little while to figure out. I was searching all over for a way to exit then I turned and saw a giant hand with a finger pointing up some stairs. Later I found another glowing sign that said "Downstairs" which led me to some nifty items and a power up.
Sound cues are also a great way to guide the player around. In some cases in Bioshock the player will here an enemy (this may be footsteps, talking or something else entirely) that lets the player know of a threat nearby. By this stage the player has learnt that nearly everything here wants to kill them and so becomes mistrustful of those kinds of noises (I know I did) and either tries to avoid them and seek another path or prepares for a fight accordingly. In other cases some more pleasant sounds will be used to draw the player down the path they need to go.
If navigation becomes a little difficult for the player, 2K Games created a little compass that is set to off by default but can be turned on. This won't tell the player explicitly where to go, but will point them in the right direction.
Overall I think 2K Games did an awesome job with Bioshock and helping the player navigate the game without it seeming obvious or making the player aware that they are being funneled into places they might not normally go.
Prepare for this blog to finally be updated regularly (and I mean it this time, Uni says I have to :D)! This is my third year at university studying at MDS (Media Design School) in New Zealand and one of the papers I am doing requires that we keep a regular update of a blog. Now the content of this series will largely include experiences, knowledge testing and images of tasks assigned to me during my World Building paper, so expect to see a lot of analysis of games in regards that and maybe even a few things I design myself later down the track.
To kick it off we were given the task of playing through the first Bioshock Demo (2K Games, 2007) and analyzing it regards to player navigation i.e, how well the developers guide the player through the level; what tricks they use in UI, on screen prompts, passage blockage, lighting etc, you get the idea. Now let me reiterate, this analysis only covers the demo, not the entire game, so there may be some things that I miss that come up later. However, in saying that, I feel that the demo shows a lot of what 2K Games has to offer when guiding the player through their game.
image retrieved from https://downloads.2kgames.com/2kblog/bioshock_collection_hero.jpg
First off the creators of Bioshock guide the player through using singular paths to follow without it seeming obviously so. For example, in the opening scene the player is surrounded by fire and can go only one direction, this path then opens up and it looks as though the player can go where they wish only to find that 2K Games throw some flaming debris down to block the players path and guide them to the area they wish them to go.
image retrieved from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42K9Ha1Y7LgpKbYEjLy4K9a8SwYaEjKNMnXNaSnyoCcr5DxHV2UNIS5p9BRcxewvpqP4jnCaIhjo949grRJFKOw7pdIxoDtw8ylzyoFIdtLqnS0mnoO3zg6ws5LgTLIXb2HG-Ldlpiv4/s1600/Bioshock_%2528PC%2529_005.jpg
This brings me to my next point, in Bioshock 2K Games use landmarks to lure the player where they need to go like when after the flaming debris hits the ocean and lights it afire, the player turns to the right to see a massive tower like structure lit by large lamps along the only stairway. If the player looks around they will see that this is the only place not covered in darkness and soon learns to follow the lights.
image retrieved from https://novagamer.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/entrance_tower.jpg
Once inside things become a little more cluttered so 2K Games needed guide the player in different ways. Lights are still used but other things are thrown in as well. In some areas the lights will only turn on at the players approach, thus telling the player where they need to go. Other times lights will flicker over objects or be highlighted in some way to give the player clues as to obtainable items or switches that may need to be pulled or buttons pressed. Alongside this lighting, 2K Games uses framing to furether announce the importance of an area or item. By making something framed by symmetrical and identical objects with a singular light-source shining over it, Bioshock almost seems to scream at the player to come and check it out.
A goodie but a classic is how 2K Games uses obstructions to guide the player. Early on the player will discover that some obstructions are destructible (like the railings after the player emerges from the sub can be pushed over or destroyed by hitting them). This could lead to potential shortcuts or different paths to take if the player so desires. Other examples are of completely obstructing all of a large rooms exits but one with debris or large items, while after completing an objective, an obstructed are may become cleared.
2K Games also uses threats to guide the player. By letting the player see a threat in the distance, the player is faced with a choice: to engage the threat or try to avoid it. This allows 2K to guide the player into an area they want the player to go, if the threat is too strong the player must find another way, or if defeated, will likely be able to continue on.
image retrieved from http://platoscavern2.talkspot.com/uploads/46872/bioshock5.jpg
Another way that 2K Games guides the player is by signposting. Signposting is the placement of signs (or sign like models) that literally show where the player needs to go. One such example is when the player enters a room that took me a little while to figure out. I was searching all over for a way to exit then I turned and saw a giant hand with a finger pointing up some stairs. Later I found another glowing sign that said "Downstairs" which led me to some nifty items and a power up.
image retrieved from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b0/f0/7b/b0f07bda85d8edbaaca271049178c020.jpg
Sound cues are also a great way to guide the player around. In some cases in Bioshock the player will here an enemy (this may be footsteps, talking or something else entirely) that lets the player know of a threat nearby. By this stage the player has learnt that nearly everything here wants to kill them and so becomes mistrustful of those kinds of noises (I know I did) and either tries to avoid them and seek another path or prepares for a fight accordingly. In other cases some more pleasant sounds will be used to draw the player down the path they need to go.
If navigation becomes a little difficult for the player, 2K Games created a little compass that is set to off by default but can be turned on. This won't tell the player explicitly where to go, but will point them in the right direction.
Overall I think 2K Games did an awesome job with Bioshock and helping the player navigate the game without it seeming obvious or making the player aware that they are being funneled into places they might not normally go.
Comments
Post a Comment