Signposted #2

Currently Playing: Diablo 4

Hey Designer,

Welcome to issue #2 of Signposted! The results from last week’s poll are in! Congratulations are in order for Link and Zelda as Zelda Tears of the Kingdom just beat out Baldur’s Gate 3 for readers choice game of the year (so far 😏). I’ll be doing another poll in a few months to see if it still holds true.

In this issue we’ll be discussing how Gears of War’s active reload mechanic creates exciting risk-reward moments for players. In the best of series we’re exploring how to make an interesting open world using landmarks. Later we’re diving into the sounds of villainy, and analyzing the sinister music which accompanies some of our most feared foes!

In the premium subscription section we’ll be trying to answer the question “What is a you game?”. Followed up by an amazing piece exploring why Tunic’s design is so special. And finally an interview on how to utilize narrative in worldbuilding.

Let’s get started!

Bi-Weekly Analysis

Mini Mechanic Microscope: Gears of War - Reloading

By Scott Fine

I love when systems promote interesting stories for players. If you’ve ever had a clutch moment in PvP games you know exactly what I’m talking about. You just managed to pull something off at the last second to save the day or lose it. The active reload system in Gears of War, while small and often overlooked, creates these kinds of stories.

Quick Takeaway:

• The Gears of War Active Reload system creates a risk-reward minigame out of reloading.

• Basics

  • A player presses reload

  • A bar travels down a track

  • Upon reaching the end of the track the gun reloads

• Perfect Reload

  • In a small section of the track there is a white mark

  • If the player presses the reload button a second time while the bar is in the mark

    • The gun reloads early

    • They receive bonus damage for the next mag

• Active Reload

  • In a larger section of the track there is a gray mark

  • If the player presses the reload button a second time while the bar is in the mark

    • The gun reloads early

• Failed Active Reload

  • The rest of the track is black

  • If the player presses the reload button a second time while the bar is in the black area

    • The gun jams and takes longer than normal to reload

• Systems Create Stories

  • This system fits well into the push and pull of Gears of War’s combat and promotes a more aggressive action packed playstyle

  • i.e. Let’s say the player is out of ammo behind a wall

    • The enemy pushes the player’s position

    • The player attempts an active reload

      • If the succeed they are able to kill the enemy in time

      • If the pressure causes them to fail, they jam their gun and the enemy closes the gap likely killing them

The Best of Game Design

The Best of Written

Deep Dive: Cultivating randomness in the peculiar branching narrative of Astronaut: The Best

By Mike Sennott

Mike dives into Astronaut: The Best and covers how his team pulled off a hybrid branching/structured story. Aside from making me want to try out this indie gem, it explores how players experiment with narrative decisions. But not binary boring ones, messy human decisions. I enjoyed it.

How to make an exciting Open World: the POIs Diversity Rule

By Vasiliy Skobelev

Skobelev has been in the industry for 9 years. Most of that time he’s been in level design developing rules to help govern good levels. In this article he covers his POIs Diversity rule, which helps to keep open worlds interesting for players. It’s also the reason I can’t seem to stay focused in Tears of the Kingdom. 😅

Issue #2 Community Question

The Best of Video

The 3 Types of Detective Games

By Mark Brown

Mark Brown runs a small **COUGH COUGH** youtube channel Game Makers Toolkit. In this beautifully produced video he breaks down 3 styles of gameplay which are typically seen in “detective” games. After finishing this video, you’ll understand how the mechanics are used in various games to fulfil the detective fantasy. Be warned, it’ll also make you want to start working on a detective game.

The Sound of Villainy

By Razbuten

For this one I heavily recommend wearing headphones. Razbuten breaks down the music that gives villains in games that evil feel. And I don’t mean that kinda goofy happy villain (sorry Bowser), I mean really evil. From Sephiroth to Gaunter O’Dimm this is a beautifully put together video.

The Best of Audio

E13: Rank Inflation, Chris' New KPI, and Defending the Indefensible

By Game Economist Cast

In this podcast, 3 video game economists get together and break down some interesting topics. I found the discussion on how Street Fighter 6 handles their ranking system, and the tricks they use to make you feel like you’re improving, to be particularly fascinating.

More of the Best…

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