Continuing with our process or recompiling interesting twitter threads and in this case checking on an interesting tutorial on HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS via @kurtruslfanclub
ORIGINAL TWITTER THREAD: HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS via @kurtruslfanclub
EDiteD TWITTER THREAD: HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS via @kurtruslfanclub
HOW I DESIGN GAME MONSTERS: a twitter thread or, No More Zombies, a TED Talk Work out: Desired Player Behaviour Appearance Rule Surprise Structure Defeat Requirements Alert Rules When to fight / to take flight
The goal of designing good monsters for me is building a cohesive experience that thrills the player and teaches them how to cope with this new threat. We’re killing off zombies because they’re tired, but we love zombies (those fuckers persist) and they fit this structure
Desired Player Behaviour
Desired Player v Monster Behaviour How should the player act? shoot? flee? fight? sneak? solo? or backup? Build a base? Tear down the environment? Hunt and exterminate? Pretend to be one? Distrust strangers?
Plan these first; they’ll guide your ideas
Appearance Rule
Monster Appearance Rule When do they appear, and where? Are they fast? What size are they? Are they limited e.g. to water or unlit areas or soft soil or trees, etc?
If they hide & appear suddenly in some places, consider the reward/risks to the player entering those areas
Surprise Structure
Monster Surprise Structure 1 What rules for behaviour or ecology will surprise the player? Every great monster has rules that it follows. Zombie bite? You’re a goner. Werewolf and full moon. Vampires look like us, but can be detected through certain rituals.
Monster Surprise Structure 2 Pick something and find a way for the player to distrust it or fear it. Food that can contaminate you. Direct light? Wind? Open spaces? Make rules for monster times/zones Invisible monsters only detectable by footprints that the rain will mask.
Defeat Requirements
Monster Defeat Requirements Good monsters come with rules for defeat. You can make them unstoppable with a small set of weaknesses, then wrench-in an in-universe explanation for being unstoppable. (They regenerate! They don’t feel pain! They’re sentient slime! Supernatural!)
Alert Rules
Monster Alert Rules Fear works really well when there are signs that danger is nearby or lurking. Do they make a mess of corpses they’ve attacked? Moan? Cause electrical devices to malfunction? Be careful of choosing something 100% reliable, though – it evaporates tension
When to fight / to take flight
When to fight / to take flight Decide when it’s a safe time to be around a monster, and when you should definitely leg it. Zombies are okay if slow and spread-out. Some blind monsters can’t hear you if there’s noise nearby. Safer zones/places/densities/environments
