Teaching the player

LEARNING IS FUN!

Even if you've never been a great school fan ;) , I'm pretty sure you'll agree with me when I say that in games, learning is fun !

In fact, learning is at the core of any game, and it's definitely the most fun part of it.

• Learning your abilities and how to use them
• Learning the world and how it works.
• Learning your enemies, the challenges and how you can end up victorious.
• Learning new tactics, getting better at what you do.

Level Design is the main artisan of this teaching/learning and it's an important part of any game.

Finally, learning and mastering something is gratifying and you should never miss the opportunity for the player to feel smart from have learned something new.

THE "IDEAL" TEACHING STRUCTURE

Presentation / Learning : show and explain the player.

Present the new mechanic, the new element and how it works

i.e. Grapple Hook example (part 1 /3

The player is chasing an enemy through a military base when he escapes right in front him by using a grapple hook to jump over a chasm.

The HQ tells the player through radio that those grapple hook devices the enemy used are probably compatible with his gear and that he can grab one in the nearby crate and use it for himself. 

Objective = Get a Grapple Hook Device.

• Show : The NPC shows you the device, how it works and what it does.
• No text : UI is pointing at the crate, voice tells you what to do. Clear game objective : grab the grapple hook device.

Training : time for practice.

Provide a setup where the player can safely use his new technic / ability and train as much as he wants.

i.e. Grapple Hook example (part 2 /3)

The crate of Grapple Hooks devices is on a platform a few meters above ground.

The player can climb there with a ladder and once equiped with the device, the HQ voice tells him how to do it (i.e. Aim for a wood surface and press "Right Bumper").
Next objective = try the device.
The UI objective marker is on a nearby platform only reachable with the grapple hook.

There's more than one platform and the player can can easily spots nearby places with bonuses on it (ammo, health, coins, etc) only reachable with the grapple hook.

• Training Ground : Multiple platforms at various distances and height so the player can train and see how his new toy works :)
• Safety : no risk to die there. (platforms might be above water) You can try as long as you want.

Trial : making sure it's understood.

A challenge to make sure the player has learned.

This part is especially important if it's a chore mechanic that you want the player to have understood : you don't want your player to miss a key part of the gamegplay.

i.e. Grapple Hook example (part 3 /3)

After reaching the distant platform, the objective changes to "Use the Grapple Hook to cross the chasm".

The only way to continue is to follow the path of the escaped NPC and jump over the chasm.

This is trial in the sense that if the player has not understood how it works, he won't be able to pass.

If it takes too long for him (i.e. the player has the grapple hook and he has been down on the ground for 30s) you might want a HQ radio msg to remind him what to do + some extra UI pointing at a piece of wood on the other side if he doesn't progress.

GENERAL THOUGHTS

I won't go into tons of details but generally speaking you should pay attention to

• Learning = Playing. You should never give up on fun for the sake of teaching the player.
  Chances are good that something boring to teach will end up being boring to play...
• Make it fit into the universe : as much as possible make the teaching sequences feel natural and logical in the game flow (narrative, action).
• Playtests is your best friend. When dealing with teaching and tutorial, playtests are invaluable. That's where you'll make sure 100% of players understand what they should.
• Don't overdo it. I mean you don't need to teach players that pressing the left mouse button will shoot the weapon in a FPS. The lighter the tutorials, the better.
  Playtests will help you validate the list of what you need to teach, and what is obvious for players.
• Backward Teaching (?) (hehe...not sure how I must call it ^^)
  So, I just said you don't want to overdo it, but at the same time, you must make sure players have understood and get ready for a reminder in case they've not. i.e. The player keeps shooting his grapple hook at everything. After a few bad attempts, have the HQ radio voice remind him that the device only works on wooden structure + highlight a valid hook point with some UI
• No Text : try to use voice and acting NPC and limit the text to the minimum. I know, I know, sometimes budget and timing force you to go the the cheap text tutorial. But try to avoid it ;)
• Having Fun with what you learned : it's super important that the player can spend time playing with what he just learned. It would be a mistake to chain tutorial elements without any "meaty" chunks of gameplay based on it in between.

BUILDING UP COMPLEXITY STEP BY STEP

Teaching is not just about a new abilities or equipment.

To not overwhelm the player, it's usually a good idea to teach him new concepts, make sure he understood what he has to do before adding some challenge on top of it.

i.e. Player's goal is to re activate the Generators of an outpost to power up the defense systeme.

• Left wing is easy and clean.
  The player learns what he must do activate the generator (i.e. Activate fuel pump, fix a broken valve, manually start the generator)
• Right wing adds challenge on top it.
  The player must do the exact same thing but this time, there are enemies attacking.

THE FIRST LEVELS

Although learning is an ongoing process in any game (learning new tactics, new enemies, new environment, new challenges), the first levels are usually pretty heavy on this side.
And to make things even more complicated, on top of acting as "The game school", those first levels need to be super engaging.

Temptation is great to start building the game with those (they are the beginning of the game after all :) ) but although you should definitely prototype them early, you should not rush on raising the quality too much...or expect to loose a lot of time on it.

• Build them early and playtest, again...and again...
• Keep it in a "prototype" phase so it's easy to adjust and react to player feedback.
• Did you train everything needed for the player to enjoy the game ?
• Is the order good ?
• Maybe you teached too much, too fast...or too early...
• Is the pacing engaging and the experience fun ? Does the learning fit with the narative / game experience ? (i.e. Half Life 1 & 2 first minutes)
• Make sure the player can have fun playing with what he just learned before learning something new. (i.e. just got a jetpack? the rest of the level should be built on that)
• Pacing is critical : you want the player to get hooked and want more.
• ...but finish them last.
• You'll probably need to throw them away + rebuild 10 times...the simpler, the faster.
• You'll have learned from building all the other levels, and you'll be able to use this experience to make those early levels better.
• Gameplay will change...what' was thought important at the end of preprod might have shifted to something else, the story might have evolved...
• Keep in mind that those early levels are probably the most complicated to pull out (everyone want to put its best stuff into it!) You'll have learned how to do it from other levels.

About Coop - Part 3

COOP DYNAMIC = PING PONG
As always in level design, pacing is a critical part, and on top of the standard action curve + attention to contrast + following the blueprint, you'll want to pay some special attention to the coop dynamic.

• Ping Pong
  Think of coop missions as a ping-pong game where players are constantly sending the ball to each other. Each player must be the key progression element on a short regular basis.
  i.e. "One pulls the lever to keep the door open, the other steps in, and moves a crate to prevent the door to shut down completely, and so on and so forth..."
  The last thing you want is one player constantly being the centre piece to any action.

• Breaking the team......temporarily ;)
  It can be interesting to setup "one time" single player traps to spice up the action.
  As one player is struggling with the trap, the other can help and save the day >> good for the team emotional bond.
  i.e. first player falls through the floor. The other has to help him while he is being attack + throw down a rope to help him out.
• Track Archetype vs World interactions How each player / archetype can interact with the world and make the mission progress, where are specific ammo/resources placed. Unless intentional, you don't want one player/archetype to get all the fun and attention.

• Player Exchanges
  if your game allows for direct player interaction (sharing ammo, reviving or healing friends, Skills synergy, etc) try to build situations highlighting them. They build up the team feeling.

COOP PATHS = I SEE YOU

• Together
  80% of the time if not more, players should share the same space / action.
  Then, you'll sometimes want to destabilize your players by forcing them away from each other.  If you've created an efficient coop setup this separation should be lived as a moment of stress (remember players should feel that they can't make it alone)

• Parallel

• Playing together in the same space doesn't mean you have to step on each others toes.
  I strongly suggest you open up some space by building parallel paths where each player can see each other.
  i.e. facades/rooftops on each side of a street, cliff paths separated by a torrent, etc.
  This way...
• Players aren't stuck on the same rail
• They still follow each other / see each other
• Clear mapping / good control of "who does what" (if you are on path A, you'll deal with actions related to it)
• Opportunities to provide different view angles on the situation >> reinforcing player communication

OPEN SITUATIONS

Opening the playground in coop action means you must pay some special attention to a few points.
You don't want players to just feel like they are "in the same world", you want them to be part of the same team.

• Don't break the unity
  One of the risk is to break the team momentum by having 2 players aiming for 2 different goals. i.e. While player A needs player B to solve his current pb, B on his side is waiting for A to progress. Who should move and join the other?
  Try to avoid that ;)
• Strong accessibility needed As soon as people aren't together, you must make sure it's easy for them to catch up, with strong landmarks and clear paths.
  Nothing worse than having 1 player waiting for the other because he lost his way :-/

• Make it a dangerous place
  One way to solve the problem is to have a place too dangerous to be explored alone. Players have the freedom...as a team.

• Coop Gates
  Another solution is to use Coop Gates : player can explore and move around solo, but they'll soon find a "coop gate" requiring the team to be passed.
• i.e. Objective = Find X batteries to power the door system.
  Both player can spread and gather the batteries, but they'll soon have to regroup to 1) grabb some batteries they can't reach alone 2) complete the objective as 1 player protect the other while he links the batteries.
• Game Design needed = Communicate + Interact
  Being physically together is not the only solution :)
  What's important to the coop feeling is player interaction + feeling like you are part of a team.
  With the right systems + rules allowing player to both communicate + Interact, Game Design can help building a strong coop experience fitting in a true open world.
  i.e. Player A in the corridors needs player B in the control room to hack the door so he can progress, while Player C triggers orbital strikes to protect and help his friends.
  Just make sure the roles are clearly defined.

COOP TACTICS

• Win or Loose together
  As much as possible, try to build your levels so understanding tactics and coop actions > pure skill.
  This is to limit the cases where one player would blame the other for inefficiency, or carry the game because he is too strong and the other one feels useless.
  Ultimately, you want the team to figure out the solution together, and to win together, rather than pointing the finger at one particular player.

OUR DEAR STREAMING FRIEND :)

• Careful with streaming : usually, for the sake of simplicity, you'll want both players in the same loaded area. >> Use a simultaneous coop action + cut scene to synch all players
  i.e. Everyone must push the truck...and when the bridge falls under its weight, a short cut scene makes all players stand on the same side of the broken bridge with no way to backtrack.

ROLE SETUP MUST BE SUPER CLEAR

• If there are any key position / role to be filled in your setup, it must be highlighted and super visible to the player that there's conceptually a Seat A and a Seat B.
  It helps organize things naturally between players + everyone has a key role.(I feel special!)
  Use lighting, colors, animated elements, UI, etc. Anything to put emphasis on the key roles / positions.

COMBAT TIPS

• Enemies Facing = front
  I know, one would think that 2 players can easily cover 2 different sides, but it's never easy in a video game (lack of communication, you don't understand what your friend is doing, etc), and this should be reserved to special setups.
  After all, you'll never feel more in a coop game than if you see enemies you haven't shot fall in front of you :)

• Enemies facing = Larger
  If being attacked in the back isn't recommended, enlarging the battle front compared to single player is a good idea so both players aren't shooting the exact same spot.
  Try to make it so each danger zone is visible to the side of the other player field of view.
  Vertical depth is especially good as the result of what happens above can fall down and be naturally visible below.

• Short Delayed Threat = Simple Team Communication Opportunities
  Any situation where a player can warn the other (about some threat or opportunity) is good to strengthen the bond and create a connection between players. i.e. "Grenade!"
  Just make sure that the delay is long enough : it's more a matter of making players communicate than forcing them to react in a millisecond.

• Not everyone doing the same thing (people love being special)
  Think of tactical setups requiring different player roles
• Snipe + Melee
• Above + Down
• 1 player lures the bad guy, the other shoot him in the back.
• One must do something while the other covers him
• Present the setup once without enemy (learning) before introducing enemies.
  i.e. Doors are locked and must be hacked. One player will hack the door, the other will defend.
  The concept of "I must hack the door" should be presented and completed once right before the combat aspect jump into it.

PUZZLE = STEP BY STEP & SIMPLE

Don't forget that coop puzzle require some intense communication between players (voice, laser pointers, UI, etc) and although 2 brains are better than 1 to solve a problem, there's a serious risk that only one of the players finds the solution and have fun, leaving the other one behind and a bit frustrated.

• Step by Step
  By building a step by step puzzle progression is important. This way, you make sure that both players are working on the same problem at the same time. (part of a team)
• Parrallel paths and Visibility as a coop tool
  Work on visibility to make the solution easier to find for the player on the path not directly related to it.
  Again, it's not as much about personal skill and more about team cooperation.

• Archetypes abilities as Puzzle Keys
  It's always better if players can use their specificities as key to unlock the puzzle gates.
  It naturally organize things and highlight players specificities.

Oops!
I just realize this took much longer than expected, and I only mentioned a few key points and pitfalls to  be avoided. At least I hope it helps starting in the right direction :)

Challenge on demand

Difficulty balancing is never an easy task : too easy and the game gets boring, too hard, and most players won't enjoy it.
Worse than that, everyone is different and some enjoy hard core difficulty while others prefer a smooth ride.

 VS

Who else better than the player himself knows what he is ready to face?
That's where the concept of "Challenge on Demand" comes from.

The idea is to have an average difficulty on the critical path but offer the exciting spikes of extra optional challenges to those who want it :)

BIOSHOCK
One of the best idea of Bioshock is exactly that : Big Daddies are challenge on demand.
You explore a level, work on your objectives, cross the path of the dreadful big daddies, defeat splicers, collect ammo and plasmids...and wait...you cross the path of big daddies, you see them, but you don't have to fight them!

Of course killing big dadies will allow you to reach the little sisters and either harvest their adam or rescue them and there's no advantage to leave them alive.

But they key point here is that big daddies are not initially aggressive + they move around.
What it means is that the player decides WHEN and WHERE he'll attack.
You can wait to have more ammo, or just try to fight the beast in an environment that suits you well.
As a player, the choice is yours.

DO IT!
Adding challenge on demand in your level provides the following benefits

• Extra challenge for players who enjoy it while not breaking the critical path for others
• Extra player motivation : to succeed, you must be prepared. It's a non mandatory goal, but it's teasing the player...especially as you are not forced to do it :)
• A way to put emphasis on some interesting gameplay mechanics that didn't fit on the critical path for technical/creative/narrative reasons. (stealth, platform, puzzle, etc)
  You don't like it as a player? Just don't do it :)

Of course it doesn't have to be a boss, it all depends on your game and its gameplay.

OPEN WORLD

They are the perfect setup for it as the player is usually free to go when and where he wants, hence being able to come back to the challenge when he feels ready for it.

RPG and MMORPGs are good at that : you don't have to do group dungeons to reach max level, and you don't need run raids to play, but they are here at your disposal when you have the time and feel ready for it.

Just make sure that they are easy to spot and reach when the player decides he is ready to go for it. (map icon, special landmark, vfx,etc)

OPEN LEVELS

As long as you can backtrack and there are some large bubbles of gameplay available to the player at once, it will work well. 

But make sure that the points of no return (if any) are obvious so the player doesn't miss the opportunity to do the challenge inadvertently. 

LINEAR MISSIONS

In a linear / scripted mission, it can be more tricky to add challenge on demand, but it's still feasable.

Drop your challenge as a "super obvious" dormant threat on the critical path so the player can't miss it but might think twice before attempting it.

Or just build it on the side of the critical path making sure it's easy to notice.

Of course, It's best if you can replay the mission later on.

As a general conclusion, I'd like to add that as long as the player knows what he has to do and what he can do in the game, it's always better to give him more freedom than not enough :)

General Pacing Guidelines

In any mission or story driven game, pacing plays a big role, and a good level starts with a good pacing structure.
You don't want your level to feel flat and boring and you can't expect the player be at
200% tension level for hours.
More than that, it's contrast in your pacing that will make the powerful moment even more powerful.

There are countless ways to arrange the pacing of a level, and the game blueprint / narrative will of course drive the experience, but unless you are following something special, you can rely on the following structure as a base.

ABOUT OBJECTIVES
In a traditional story driven game, objectives not only guide the player, but they are directly link to gratification and the feeling of accomplishment.

Two simple guidelines here : don't make it too long, and keep it clear and simple.

• LONG TERM OBJECTIVE - 45 mins max
  They are usually key objectives leading to some big adventure progression step.
  They are long enough for the player to feel like they've done something and long enough for the game to deliver a lot of experience.
  i.e. Destroy the nuclear weapon factory (35 mins)
• SUB GOALS - 15 mins max
  Those are the sub steps of the Long Term Objective, delivered in bite size format.
  They are short enough so the player is constantly feeling like "I'm alost done...just a couple more minutes".
  Sub Goals will drive the player AND provide small victories/gratification for the player.
  Note that sub goal should individually follow the same pacing structure : Exposition > Build Up > Climax > Breath!
  i.e. Infiltrate the factory perimeter (5 mins) // Sabotage the power generator (10 mins) // Place explosive Charges x3 (10 mins) // Free the Prisoners (5 mins) // Blow up the factory (5mins)

TYPICAL TENSION TIMELINE

Exposition

• Safe Place to present the next objective
• "Sell" what's coming next

i.e. In our "Destroy the weapon Factory" example, we could find our player gliding from a parachute and landing close from the facility while being briefed about the mission.
The player would then have to deal with patrols, find a breach in the wall, kill sentinels and get in.
In this exposition section, we can build up on the same curve and our climax would be the fight against sentinel while a safe place would be available right after you break in.(--> get inside the perimeter through a building, good for streaming...good for pacing ^^) Notice the sense of accomplishment when you get inside and the sub goal updates itself.

Opposition

• Damn it! Bigger problems than expected...
• ...but wait...there's a solution
• This is where the mission core gameplay begins

i.e. In our example, we would discover that the factory is protected by heavy automated turret, requiring an extra step : cutting the local power generator to ease things a bit.
Player would have to fight it's way to the generator (side building) before destroying it.
Again, build up as you fight to reach the protected generator, and brief moment of calm when you destroy it. (sense of accomplishment upon destruction)

Spice Up / Ramp Up

• Player is now familiar with mission core gameplay, time to shake him up!
• Let's introduce some new challenge / gameplay modifier / more difficult setups

i.e. In our example, we could introduce a new Shield enemy + blockades choke points protecting the bombing sites. --> need to adjust your tactics a bit to defeat the new NPC + sense of accomplishment every time you pass a choke point and place a new explosive.

Climax

• Make the player feel it's spiralling out of control...
• ...you reach a tension plateau
• Should be short and powerful

i.e. In our example, right when the player triggers the last bomb timer, he learns there are friendly hostages being held in the facility.
There are just a few minutes left to free them and protect them against waves of enemies while the bombs you placed detonates one after the other.

Breath!

• Backt to safety : player needs to catch his breath...
• ...and get emotionally ready to face next challenge.
• It's important to get back to the lowest possible tension.

i.e. In our example, you barely made it alive to the extraction chopper...but can relax a bit as you fly away in the dying sunlight over the sea ^^ Mission accomplished!
But wait...what's this red dot blinking on the radar ?

The overall curve would probably look something like that.

Memorable Moments

Every game, and every level needs memorable moment.
They are small nuggets of game goodness and I'm sure those old enough still remember the fight against Psycho Mantis in MGS the ascension of mount Hrothgar in Skyrim, or the first time you went "behind the scene" of Aperture laboratories in Portal.

As always, you should first ask yourself : what's the meaning of it? Does it support the game vision?
Memorable moment, should be considered as a tool to deliver the game experience (narrative or gameplay) and for maximum impact, it's always better if it comes in contrast with the previous game area.
i.e. You are winning the war...when the place is shattered by a nuclear explosion // You were crawling through dark tunnels...and you exit in a majestic valley // You were in total control...you loose contact with friendly NPC and you are forced to flee. etc.

POST CARD

One of the easiest MM (memorable moment) to set up is probably a post card, a place where the player will stop a few seconds to stare at a beautiful vista. (can be reinforced with a small cut scene)
I imagine the artists frown at reading the word "easiest" :) but I consider them "easy" in the sense that they usually only involve the Art dept and as long as you don't go crazy on tech constraints, it's not something you'll come back ten times on and you'll still be debugging a week before the gold master ;)
You should check with your art team (or work yourself to find some nice composition) but there are a few easy rules to remember to make it work

• Must be in a quiet place : you'll less likely enjoy the scenery while fighting for your life ^^ + no gameplay = more freedom for artists.
• It's a big reveal : not a vista that slowly reveals itself.
  Typically, you'll want it where : a door opens, you turn a corner, you reach the top of a climbing, etc.
• Send the player in the post card : you've presented a "big tasty cake" and chances are good that the player will want to touch it, visit it.
  The effect will always be stronger if later in game you can reach this beautiful vista you were shown earlier, even if it's just about playing in small chunk of it :)

MEMORABLE GAMEPLAY MOMENT

• Boss Fights First thing that comes in mind when talking about gameplay MM are boss fights.
  They are the best example of something memorable you'll remember and talk with your friends.
  But boss fights represent A LOT of work and they should not be treated lightly.
• Game ModifiersThis being said, you can create memorable gameplay moments with much cheaper ideas.
  Usually, the best is to twist normal setups by adding a momentary special rule (game modifier)
  i.e. You are in the middle of a fight, and when suddenly the lights go OFF. Now you can only count on your flashlight to orient yourself, and check the muzzle flashes of your enemies to spot them. This unexpected "dark level" could be a memorable experience for your player.
• Introduction of New NPC or new Player tools
  When you want to bring in a new NPC, it's always a good idea to give it a special treatment, highlighting its strength.
  Note : New enemies can often (should ?) be presented as Mini Boss the first time they appear, especially if the player doesn't have the proper tool to defeat it yet :)
  It can create a MM, and it will make the player feel even better when he finally masters the way to defeat them.

SPECIAL SETUPS

It's usually about going extreme, and at the opposite of what the "regular" action is in a section.
Note : be especially careful with that and as always, make sure it highlights and serves the game experience, as there's nothing worse than being forced to do the opposite of what the game you bought is supposed to deliver. (i.e. not sure anyone would like a stealth section on Serious Sam critical path, or some frantic shooting range gameplay in Thief ^^)

• Think of extreme layouts : you were racing at 300kph for the 1st position on a highway...you are temporarily forced to cross a small village with narrow twisty roads and chickens on the streets. (think Contrasts!)
• Think of interactive objects : you are used to fire your machine gun at hordes of enemies...when you enter a building full of highly explosive canisters. (again, think contrasts)
  You were used to take cover at walls corners, but you find yourself in an open space where walls are made of glass...
• Think of dynamic Layouts : you were running in ancient underground ruins to escape danger when a big explosion (an earthquake, or a powerful enemy, etc) shakes the area, tearing the walls and floors down, leaving you only with a narrow path and a few small islands of floors to move forward.
  A note about the previous example : it's must easier/cheaper to just "flip" the level in one big event (use a cut scene to make it more powerful) compared to building a full scripted escape scenes with triggered collapsing and dynamic path changes every 2 steps. (tip : keep the triggered scripted elements for visual event not affecting gameplay ;) )

NARRATIVE

Story twists and introduction of new characters are obviously memorable moments and should be treated accordingly.

And don't forget that passive narrative (when the setup itself let the player imagine what happened here) can be as strong as a cut scene.

MERGE IT ALL !

Of course, you can merge some or all of those categories and try to build super powerful moments but this will raise the complexity and difficulty level exponentially.
In fact, those incredible memorable moments are very complicated to build and they usually end up being the work of specialized multi talented strike teams spending months just to build a few minutes of those exceptional moments. Know your limits ;)