Pac-Man: World's End gdd

2Gameplay

2.1Design Objectives

The design objectives for Possession include:

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  To design the future of squad-based game-play for next generation console platforms, where the player begins by commanding four and ends commanding hundreds.
  
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  To create a game that imbues the player with a sensation of empowerment through the main character, their actions and the game’s response to their actions.
  
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  To create a controlled, yet non-linear game in which true emergent mechanics exist, that create excitement and observed variation, enabling re-playability.
  
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  To design a large, open-plan city in which the player can create havoc, destruction and chaos.
  
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  The city will react realistically and fairly to the player’s actions – signposting global gameplay elements that will allow the player to make a conscious decision about how to defeat the opposition on a global scale.
  
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  To create enemies that are varied and interesting, that possess strengths and weaknesses, which the player can take advantage of, using the mechanics at their disposal.
  
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  To design an exciting and engaging multiplayer experience that promotes continued online play and the building of online communities.
  
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  To create a game narrative that is compelling, produces strong emotional hooks and premise, yet is not overly ambitious or long. The story must complement the action without overburdening the player with tiresome dialogue.
  

2.2Gameplay Philosophy

The overarching principle behind the Possession concept is one of player empowerment. The player will have an unprecedented array of potential approaches to any given situation, creating an immense virtual toolbox of techniques for players to put into practice. Which of these tools the player chooses to employ will depend on a wide variety of factors, ranging through tactical considerations and often coming down to simple player preference.

In this way the game will provide each player with a means of bringing the overall experience closer to the style of play that they specifically enjoy, whilst remaining challenging and varied enough to retain their interest. In contrast with the prescriptive “puzzle = solution” approach that other, more linear titles take, the range of options available to the player in Possession will allow the player themselves to dictate what their preferred solution is to each barrier within the game.
In this way the gameplay experience will closely mirror each user’s preferred style of experience. If a player enjoys all-out action, they will be able to take the Enslaver directly into the thick of the fighting, battling on the front line alongside their zombie horde, breaking bones and taking names in an exciting series of large scale battles across the city; taking the fight to the enemy, up close and personal.
More tactically minded players will be able to sit back and carefully consider where and when to deploy resources, isolating and overpowering weak sections of the enemy’s defences, creating mismatched fights and then pressing home their advantage as they marshal their troops according to carefully hatched battle plans.
Players who enjoy varied gameplay situations (those who constantly look for new experiences), will want to make use of the possession mechanic and take control of a varied range of zombies as each battle progresses. They will be able to move their influence here and there across the battlefield; influencing individual battles until piece-by-piece they engineer the tide of war to flow their way.
This time they might take command of a small group of Shredders, scuttling along the sides of buildings to outflank the opposition’s snipers. Perhaps instead a Shambler with a rocket launcher is the best tool for removing those troublesome snipers, opening the way for the player to take the Enslaver into combat, hunting and killing the enemy commander and routing his forces. Whichever approach the player chooses to employ, success and failure will always hinge directly upon their actions. It is the skill with which an approach is executed that will make the difference, rather than discovering the pre-determined path to victory in each battle or simply choosing the obvious best strategy.
The sense of empowerment is further enhanced by the tremendous capabilities of the main character. As well as having a massive horde of the undead to command as he sees fit, the Enslaver will be one of the most powerful fighting units in the game, able to hold his own against entire enemy squads single-handedly. The Enslaver is a God-like figure to his zombie armies, and the player will be able to feel that sense of power throughout Possession.
As well as the sense of empowerment on a local scale, Possession will also allow the player to feel that their actions have an impact on a game-wide scale. The player will be able to make choices and then see the impact of those choices not just in their immediate area, but also throughout the game-world. As well as adding an extra level of strategic thinking, this will further amplify the player’s sense of power, as they see their actions make a profound and meaningful difference throughout the rest of the game.
Such an approach will create a unique gameplay experience as players start to consider their actions not just in terms of short-term goals, but also in terms of what it will do to the bigger picture of the city overall.
This degree of response is further emphasised by the enemy morale and emotional state systems. These allow players to both witness and make use of psychological factors such as fear on the battlefield, breaking their enemy’s willpower before administering the final coup de grace. Players will be able to manipulate these factors in a variety of ways. They could try luring their enemies into overconfidence and tempting them into an ambush before revealing the true strength of their horde. Alternatively they may prefer to overwhelm a strong enemy position early by sending multiple threats at once. Spreading panic through the opposing ranks, breaking down unit cohesion and encouraging mistakes will ultimately give their zombies the edge.

2.2.1.Strategy

Possession’s unique sense of scale, with player actions taking place within a broader picture of the city as a whole, provides a vital element of true strategy to the experience. The player will be able to plot and scheme to their heart’s content and their actions will produce logical and predictable consequences. This means that they will be able to create their own personal plan of attack with which to destroy the city.

By skilfully targeting and eliminating specific structures within the city, the player can start to dismantle the infrastructure and the civil authorities’ response services, immediately seeing the realistic consequences of these actions.

Players who want to make use of the element of surprise will therefore be able to attack police stations, army barracks and other enemy strongholds sooner rather than later, hopefully catching the enemies within unaware. Other players may prefer to target less defended areas rich in civilians first. Stocking up on zombie units ensures that when the time does come to confront the city’s defences, they are as strong as possible.
Other players may take a mixed approach, altering their overall strategy on the fly as a result of good information gathering, preparing the ground for their large scale attacks with a series of smaller skirmishes; eliminating the fire department and power lines first, for example.
This ‘Cause and Effect’ mechanism will operate throughout the game, providing a strong sense of progression as the city slowly descends into chaos - all directly arising from the player’s in-game decisions and actions.
Naturally, the city cannot be attacked and destroyed without it attempting to defend itself, and it has its own strategies and counter-measures that it will employ to this end.
Through the Enemy Response Level (ERL) system, the player will find that every victory comes at a cost. For every target they successfully overwhelm, the others will have had more time to prepare for the horde’s arrival. This will be reflected by an increase in enemy numbers, defences, firepower and equipment levels. Players can expect to experience a much higher level of resistance from opponents who have been given time to really dig themselves in and prepare a full perimeter of defences.
As well as the improvement in static defences, players will find the city taking an increasingly pro-active approach to self-preservation at higher ERL levels. SWAT teams begin to attack the player’s current position with increasing frequency, and secondary barricades are erected along major routes in an effort to further slow the Enslaver’s progress through the city. Further into the game the player can expect to see vigilante Survivor gangs running raids against his horde, trying to whittle down their numbers and generally making life even tougher for the Enslaver. These responses are always triggered by player action, furthering the impression of a genuinely responsive game world. They also provide a further layer of strategy that must be integrated into the player’s well-laid plans.

2.2.2.Tactics

Whilst a clear strategy can assist the player’s efforts to take over the entire city, each battle along the way will require shrewd tactical deployment of resources if the player hopes to prevail. Fortunately, the player has a wide range of tactical elements at their disposal, and an unparalleled range of potential tactics to employ in each confrontation. Perhaps the most important tactical consideration a player must make is the enemy’s mental state. The enemies in Possession will respond realistically to the terrifying situation they find themselves in.

Through careful management of their opponents’ emotional status, players will be able to gain the upper hand even when heavily outnumbered and outgunned. Players may choose to use their most frightening units as shock troops, charging them into combat early in order to induce panic and terror into the enemy lines, leaving the second wave of zombies with the relatively simple task of mopping up the disjointed remnants of a once-powerful force.
Players who prefer to play sneakily may well succeed with an opposite approach, concealing the true extent of their horde, and luring the enemy into a counter-attack against what they perceive to be a minor force. Once the enemy have abandoned the protection of their barricades and over-extended themselves, the ambush can be sprung to devastating effect.
In order to make use of these psychological techniques, the player will have a wide variety of tools to employ in each battle. Through this range of weaponry the player will discover that there are many possible approaches to even relatively simple situations. The player is free to select whichever approach they feel is most appropriate to their current resources, their preferred playing style and, of course, the precise nature of the situation that confronts them.
The first key weapon in the player’s tactical arsenal is the Enslaver himself. A physically imposing presence, the Enslaver is more than capable of overcoming many lesser units in combat. In addition, the Enslaver is a terrifying opponent, capable of breaking limbs with a single blow and dispatching his enemies with ruthless precision. The very presence of the Enslaver will be enough to break the resolve of weaker enemy units.
Naturally, the main body of the horde will also be a vital element of the player’s tactics. The Shamblers and Runners, although lacking the specialisation found in the later zombie units, remain a formidable element on the battlefield throughout the game. Whilst individually they may appear quite weak and easily dispatched, in large numbers they will be amongst the most deadly of the Enslaver’s weapons. The potential fear that such a mob can induce should not be under-estimated by the player, as the psychological impact of watching hundreds of corpses advance steadily and unrelentingly will be immediate and obvious.
An additional level of tactical thinking uses the ability of Shamblers to retain the weapons they had whilst human. A Shambler with a rocket launcher could well make all the difference if used in the right place and at the right time. And even a simple pistol provides a method of eliminating a specific target from range, a capability that is otherwise in short supply for the player. This also means that the players will be encouraged to think tactically about what weapons and equipment their enemies have. Players may even specifically seek out confrontations with certain kinds of enemy in an effort to gain as many zombies with that equipment as possible.
An even more devastating psychological option lies in the Bloaters. Whilst they are the least effective unit under the player’s command in terms of melee combat, their ability to explode on demand makes them ideal shock troops, capable of creating instant large scale panic with a well timed detonation.
If the grotesque sight and sound of these walking bombs exploding doesn’t give the player their desired edge, the infectious gas cloud that they leave behind allows the player to infect large numbers of unprotected individuals. This will often provide the player with a new group of zombies who are already behind enemy lines.
The Shredders introduce further specialisation into the zombie horde. Lacking the resilience of other zombie types, the player must be careful to keep these creatures out of the line of fire if they hope to make good use of them. However, their exceptional mobility, ability to scale sheer surfaces and remarkable speed when attacking all combine to make Shredders one of the most tactically useful units in the Enslaver’s arsenal. Ideal ambushers, a small team of Shredders can make short work of large groups of enemies if hidden properly. Alternatively, the player can use them as flanking units, taking advantage of their wall-climbing abilities to get behind the enemy lines and wreak havoc.
For players who favour the most aggressive approach to tactical thinking, the Monster is perhaps the most useful unit in the Enslaver’s horde. Ten feet tall and awesomely strong, the Monster is best used as a front line troop, slamming into enemy barricades and sending bodies flying in all directions. Alternatively, the player may prefer to keep the Monster back and use it from range, hurling Bloaters at the enemy like oversized hand grenades, or smashing cars into the enemy like giant projectiles.

2.2.3.Emergent Gameplay

Possession will offer the player many valid routes to success and this is vital to the player’s sense of empowerment. In order to ensure that players can revel in this freedom and never feel that a logical solution to a problem has been unfairly prevented by the game, Possession will derive most of its core gameplay elements from universal rules. It will not use pre-scripted or predetermined outcomes to player actions, instead creating emergent gameplay situations in which the player’s choices always feel like their own, rather than finding the one correct option as laid down by the designer.

These emergent rules can be further broken down into ‘Physical’ and ‘Emotional’ rules. Possession makes use of a complex real-time physics system, creating a believable physical world in which objects will respond to game events in a realistic, unscripted fashion. This can lead to both surprising solutions and unexpected complications for the player. Likewise, the AI systems within Possession will realistically track the psychological states of each enemy, altering their behaviours as they become frightened or over-confident. The player can take advantage of these factors in creating their own solutions to the various obstacles that stand in their way.
For example, any flammable object in the game will begin to burn if it is brought into prolonged contact with fire. Naturally flammable objects include the player’s own zombies and enemies, as well as the more obvious wooden barricades, cars and so forth. The next rule is that if an object burns for long enough it can be destroyed. The final example rule is that proximity to a fire will cause enemies to become afraid.
A substantial number of gameplay elements can arise from these few simple rules. A player may encourage a fire to spread, using it to destroy wooden barricades and removing the opposing force’s defences. Alternatively, players may decide that they are willing to sacrifice a number of zombies in order to break a particularly resilient group of enemies, and so may set them alight before charging them, ablaze, towards the enemy.

Since the zombies are carrying fire with them, they will each raise enemy fear levels around them. This may be the final straw that sends their opponents over the edge, triggering an infectious panic throughout the enemy ranks.

Alternatively, a ‘player controlled’ shambler’s misjudged rocket could cause a nearby car to ignite, forcing a temporary retreat to avoid the inevitable fireball when the car finally explodes. In the same situation another player may be fortunate enough to have a Monster nearby, so they can use the Monster to slam the car into the air, using it as a makeshift bomb.

2.2.4.Difficulty

As a result of Possession’s non-linear game structure and use of emergent mechanics, additional systems need to be introduced in order to maintain a steadily increasing difficulty curve. As the player is free to choose the order in which they attempt the objectives in each district, it becomes impossible to be certain of the resources available to a player at any given moment. To ensure that Possession provides the player with a challenge that matches their current capabilities without overwhelming them, key objectives will be balanced for the player’s initial resources for the current district.

As each objective is completed, the accompanying rise in ERL will have the effect of raising all remaining objectives to a new difficulty level, thus matching the Enslaver’s newly increased resource levels. The entrance to each new district will create a natural bottleneck, ensuring that a minimum level of progression has been met before allowing the player to move on. This will create a new base level of ability that all new objectives can be balanced toward. The combined effect of these bottlenecks and the ERL system will ensure that the player is consistently challenged without ever finding themselves completely overpowered by enemies.