Search Unity

  1. Megacity Metro Demo now available. Download now.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Unity support for visionOS is now available. Learn more in our blog post.
    Dismiss Notice

When should we drop powerups?

Discussion in 'Game Design' started by p1zzaman, Feb 26, 2017.

  1. p1zzaman

    p1zzaman

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2017
    Posts:
    64
    I am struggling a bit with the design of this. It's a shooter game like star fox or those top down forward scrolling shooters in the old school arcades.

    I have a couple of powerups like health, time slow, bomb, etc in the game. But having trouble deciding when to drop powerups.

    I obviously don't want to drop too many and make the game too easy. I also don't want to make it predictable on when it drops. Each level of mine contains multiple waves of enemies spawning at different attack patterns.

    Any suggestions?

    Some ideas I had were

    1. Detect when the player need it the most and increase the chance of that type being dropped
    2. have a set number of powerup drops of each time per level

    Any certain rules I should follow in terms of game design here?

    -Rob
     
  2. RavenOfCode

    RavenOfCode

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2015
    Posts:
    869
    There isn't a specific way that you should go about dropping powerups, many games do it in loads of different ways (stuff you mentioned, randomly, from specific enemies, ect.). I would recommend trying to find out what you want your game to deliver on and basing the mechanic off of that. For example if its a game about making the player loose quickly (like many old school arcade games). I would have the powerups be random or even spawn in an unhelpful fashion. However, if the game was about making the player feel like a hero I would spawn them in a helpful way, so that the player feels really powerful and like their playing on the ragged edge.

    To be honest, basing alot of your mechanics off of the feeling you want to convey to your player is a pretty good strategy. Supporting the fantasy with the mechanics is always a good way to reinforce the core ideas of your game.
     
    theANMATOR2b and p1zzaman like this.
  3. LMan

    LMan

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2013
    Posts:
    493
    Powerups function in a variety of ways, but basically it's a method of giving the player something in a way that requires them to make use of the two main mechanics of the FPS- Moving and Shooting.

    Any powerup that replenishes something the player has in limited capacity has a variable value. The player only wants health pickups when he does not have max health, and his motivation to look for health pickups is proportional to how low his health is perceived to be.

    Required pickups have high value, as they are required to progress in the game. Keys, for example, are required to get through doors in the level, or possibly activate machinery or bypass other "hard checks"

    powerups that have a very high, or infinite capacity have a more stable value- pickups that add points, for instance, or currency. The player's motivation to collect these is more dependent on player goals, rather than player needs. If the player wants to buy a shiny new gun, he will be more motivated to seek out currency pickups.

    Powerups that add to or change game mechanics on a temporary or permanent basis are also very valuable- and when and where they are dropped takes additional consideration based on the behavior you want to encourage in the player. Invulnerability removes the self-preservation aspect of play, and allows the player to "cut loose" for a limited time. This power is best utilized when there is something to "cut loose" on, that grants the feeling of power. Dropping an invincibility powerup in the middle of a gang of enemies creates both a challenge and reward at the same moment- the challenge of getting to the pickup, and then the reward of destroying the enemies in a fury.

    Deferred-use powerups- (ie. Ammo) can be given to the player at any time, to be used later. This allows some room for less linear levels, as the player can explore and not necessarily need you to feed him health/ammo pickups constantly. However it is worth keeping a rough estimate of what supplies the player could likely have at a particular point in a level, so that you can design areas that make the player more desperate to find a particular resource. For instance, if you place a lot of "bullet sponge" enemies in a level with few ammo pickups, you raise the value of each bullet. Placing an ammo cache deep in the level is then like finding an oasis in the desert and is very empowering to the player.

    Recently, DOOM has been lauded for it's "glory kill" mechanic that grants the player health for close-quarters takedowns. This drives the player towards the enemy when he is low on health- creating a more frenzied, exciting experience when health is low.

    [EDIT] Apologies, just now saw that your genre wasn't FPS, but most principles still actually apply- powerups give the player a reason to shoot at something and move to a position. You can use powerups to create risk/reward scenarios where the player must complete a more risky maneuver to be rewarded with the powerup. Keep in mind that powerups that allow you to do something are more exciting that powerups that increase the high score.
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2017
    Gametyme, theANMATOR2b and JoeStrout like this.
  4. BrandyStarbrite

    BrandyStarbrite

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2013
    Posts:
    2,074
  5. RobsonCozendey

    RobsonCozendey

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2013
    Posts:
    69
    I think a power-up at the right time is always a good thing for gameplay. The only variation is that, in early stages, it should happen often when the need arises, and, after the player gets used to it, it becomes more rare, but always in a time of need.

    This is a common thing in games, that I find particularly not enticing: to often receive that message "you're already full of this item/stat".
     
  6. BrandyStarbrite

    BrandyStarbrite

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2013
    Posts:
    2,074
    I'll just add in some more stuff: :)

    How about, when you beat tougher normal enemies, you get a random power up.

    Eg. A brown goomba/normal enemy, you might get a powerup, if you defeat him.
    But,...if you defeat a blue goomba/special enemy, who is way tougher, has
    more life, does more damage etc. you are guarenteed to get a power up,
    if you defeat him. Moreso, a life power up.

    Or, when your health is low, the game could like once in a while, automatically
    throw in a life power up, that gives you back about 30% health.
     
    Last edited: Oct 3, 2018
  7. kdgalla

    kdgalla

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2013
    Posts:
    4,615
    I don't think predictable placement is a bad thing necessarily. If you add predictability or semi-predictability, then a player budgeting their resources can become more of a game play element.
     
    Joe-Censored and eatsleepindie like this.
  8. newjerseyrunner

    newjerseyrunner

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2017
    Posts:
    966
    I usually prefer predictable locations in games where I’m expected to die and retry. It allows me to plan my route and know to maybe just push through some parts because a health pack is in the other side. In cases like that, they should be both in predicative locations and be able to reach by only going forwards, to keep from halting the game progress.

    For non deterministic games, I think health and power ups should be a reward for doing something. Decide what your main mechanic focus is and figure out a way to make that restore your health and how to can manipulate how the player plays by doing it right. Doom was a great example, they want you to be constantly moving and pushing towards the enemies, so they made the enemies drop health. In Mario, jumping is your main mechanic so powerups tend to be up high. Zelda wants you to explore, so resources are hidden in books and crannies.
     
  9. DungeonBrickStudios

    DungeonBrickStudios

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2015
    Posts:
    69
    Sometimes the method of dropping a powerup can depend on the game. What I did in one of my games was to play through levels and add powerups when I felt I needed them. Then I peppered some more in between those powerups to compensate for the fact that I'm the developer of the game and hence pretty darn good at it where most average players (at least the first time through) will need more help with the game.
     
  10. eatsleepindie

    eatsleepindie

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2012
    Posts:
    355
    I really enjoy it when a game that has been fairly hectic for the last few minutes suddenly gets quiet and then offers up several power-ups, often with a bit of ominous music. This creates tension and while I know there is either a big boss battle about to occur, or my screen will be full-up with enemies, the not-knowing exactly what I'm going to need these power-ups for makes for some great moments in gaming.

    I think the new Doom did this very well; so many times I approached a power-up knowing that in past levels, doing so spawned a myriad of enemies all around me. In later levels there would be times in which I would anticipate that picking up the item would result in a huge battle but nothing happened, which throws a curve into things and makes it all a bit less predictable.

    I think that giving the player a few lonely power-ups in strategic areas leading up to event I mentioned above would familiarize them with how they work, what works against what, etc. so that when you offer up 4 or 5 in an area of space that feels way too quiet and way too empty, they'd be somewhat familiar with how they worked but there's also a good chance that they are nowhere near familiar with them enough to get through on the first try.

    Those moments where I'm standing in front of a power-up and my inner voice is saying, "are you sure you're ready for this?" can become incredibly immersive, and it wouldn't take too much effort to put them in place.
     
  11. Joe-Censored

    Joe-Censored

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2013
    Posts:
    11,847
    This reminded me of how I would play original early 90's Doom. After I knew the level I would budget ammo, armor, and health, and would take actions that would increase or decrease my risk of damage, often based on where I knew ammo or armor/health power ups would be. Knowing where they all were became a central component of the gameplay.

    I'd often wipe out all the demons in a level, and then run back halfway through the level just to pick up some ammo I had avoided until needing it, just to top myself off before going through the exit door.

    I don't see any problem with this style of power up placement in a game. In Doom it also was central to the secret areas feature of the game, where often you could see a power up high on a ledge or across some open area, but can't see how to get there. Or it became a fun thing friends would share, some secret knowledge of where a hidden door was to get the chainsaw on the 2nd level instead of the later one where it is just in the center of a common room.
     
  12. kdgalla

    kdgalla

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2013
    Posts:
    4,615
    Also in Doom, I always took ammo placement as a type of hint. Like if you see three boxes of shotgun shells, you think "maybe the shotgun will be most effective in the next section." On the other hand, if you have full shot gun ammo already, you think "Maybe I should try using the other guns more."

    Since the items are not random, you assume that they are where they are for some designed reason.
     
  13. Joe-Censored

    Joe-Censored

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2013
    Posts:
    11,847
    And when you encountered piles of various ammo and health it meant you're about to be thrown in the grinder.
     
    bart_the_13th likes this.
  14. newjerseyrunner

    newjerseyrunner

    Joined:
    Jul 20, 2017
    Posts:
    966
    Doom also had levels that looped back on themselves or had a spoke system so backtracking for ammo and health wasn’t a major chore. You could usually reach any part of the map from any other part of the map in thirty seconds. Doomguy also ran like a bat out of hell so if you’re relying on players going back for ammo, make sure it’s not tedious. In Halo sometimes it takes like five minutes to get back to a health pack after being brought to one bar.