New Bloodlines Developer Diary at GameSpot
New Bloodlines Developer Diary at GameSpot
Interview - posted by Spazmo on Tue 23 March 2004, 13:00:35
Tags: Troika Games; Vampire: The Masquerade - BloodlinesGamespot PC have another helping of Developer Diary from Leon Boyarsky talking all about Bloodlines and how they're trying to make the game non-linear (probably because they know Saint will rip them a new one if they don't).
Another way we like to give the feel of nonlinearity is through letting players have their own motivations for going on certain quests in the game. Let's say there's a main quest that players need to accomplish in the game. If everyone needs to do it, won't that make the game seem like a linear experience where you have to do the same thing every time? Actually, the way we add variety to this type of scenario is to let players choose their own motivation for performing the quest. Are they doing it to garner favor with someone? To pay off a debt? To betray someone down the line? In dealing with a main story arc, quests like this come up a lot, so we feel it is important for players to have clear-cut choices as to why they are doing something in the game. The worst thing is for players to feel like they're going on a quest simply because the game dictates it. Motivation is extremely important in drawing players into the experience. The reasons that players have for doing things in the game can create a completely different feeling in the gameplay experience.
I hope they don't just use that as an excuse to make every player do the same quest. There's a difference between receiving the same quest in several different ways which can change your objectives and results and just responding to the same NPCs quest offer by going "Hey, this ought to pay pretty well" or "Maybe this'll let me find out what happened to my sister."
Another way we like to give the feel of nonlinearity is through letting players have their own motivations for going on certain quests in the game. Let's say there's a main quest that players need to accomplish in the game. If everyone needs to do it, won't that make the game seem like a linear experience where you have to do the same thing every time? Actually, the way we add variety to this type of scenario is to let players choose their own motivation for performing the quest. Are they doing it to garner favor with someone? To pay off a debt? To betray someone down the line? In dealing with a main story arc, quests like this come up a lot, so we feel it is important for players to have clear-cut choices as to why they are doing something in the game. The worst thing is for players to feel like they're going on a quest simply because the game dictates it. Motivation is extremely important in drawing players into the experience. The reasons that players have for doing things in the game can create a completely different feeling in the gameplay experience.
I hope they don't just use that as an excuse to make every player do the same quest. There's a difference between receiving the same quest in several different ways which can change your objectives and results and just responding to the same NPCs quest offer by going "Hey, this ought to pay pretty well" or "Maybe this'll let me find out what happened to my sister."
There are 2 comments on New Bloodlines Developer Diary at GameSpot