There's plenty of better deep dives on YouTube, but basically it's a system in Shadows of Mordor (and moreso in Shadows of War) that would take a random NPC you were fighting and were joined by (or almost killed,) and elevate them thematically. If one knocked you down there's a chance they would pick up your sword and break it, smack talk you, and walk away. That guy, of his name was Doug, became Doug the Sword Breaker. Never time you saw him, he'd get a short introduction and a quip or two to remove you of who he was.

If you died, since you were a spirit they'd just mock that they already best you before. But if you were killing them, they might get a scene where they manage to get away to amplify the story. Or maybe you'll just kill them. It was random and happened with random NPCs, elevating them in the enemy army.

I believe in the second one you could even mind control someone, and take out the people above them, and have a spy in the upper ranks.

Imagine an action game with some Crusader Kings plot drama happening.

Honestly I think there's probably enough prior art to get away with using whatever you wanted from it. But a) I'm no lawyer and b) I'm not risking millions of dollars making a game.

Basically a pseudo random system that'd generate orcs for you to meet-fight-recruit they'd have very fleshed out intros

Link to the mod?

Yeah I guess I am. Just give it to us in a bigger form.

Yeah I do all that myself with ETS2 but wanted to give another example.

I think the last game I played that did it was Smash Bros Ultimate, and that's barely a fighting game imo

mind sharing a few titles?

I stopped looking into much new stuff beyond word of mouth, last I played was Neither, I think, and it was very disappointing that that didn't go anywhere. neat that you can still run a server, though

Future far cry titles did also have the same fire spreading system, just toned down since they're not set in very dry places.

Red Faction was great for that. You could go around, sure. Or just bust through the damn wall.

Check out Wreckfest. It's mostly basically rallycross with plenty of damage. The physics is better than in Burnout, afaik. The sequel game was just recently either released or announced.

My opinion is the exact opposite. Narrative games, even action shooters, need to have high action and low action parts in balance. If high action segments are excessive, it can lead to combat fatigue. If low action parts are excessive, the player gets bored and the pacing dies.

Half-Life 2 E1, the "Low Lives" chapter, has probably the most stressful combat in the game because the player has to balance so many things. Shooting the zombies attacking Gordon versus helping Alyx fight. Helping Alyx versus keeping the flashlight charged. Firearms versus explosive props. All of that in oppressive darkness. Combat fatigue sets in. The short puzzle segments, even as simple as crawling through a vent to flip a switch, are opportunities to take a breath, absorb the environment, and prepare for the next segment -- especially at the end of that particular chapter, when the player escapes the zombies and has a chance to wind down.

At the same time, puzzles, by their slower nature, are excellent for delivering narrative and player training, and to let the player absorb the atmosphere. Alyx's first encounter with the stalkers in "Undue Alarm" wouldn't have had the same emotional impact if the player could just pop them in the head and move on.

In contrast, most of "Highway 17" is just a prolonged vehicle-based puzzle. By the time the player reaches the large railway bridge, they might be sick of driving. I know I was. It's a relief to finally engage in some platforming and long-range combat while traversing the bridge.

So what are the narrative values of my two examples? The cinderblock seesaw in "Route Kanal" is just player training. A show, don't tell method to let the player know that physics puzzles will be a factor. It's also a short break after the on-foot chase, before the encounter with the hunter chopper. In "Water Hazard", the contraptions serve a larger narrative purpose: they're the tools of the rebels' refugee evacuation effort. The player utilizes them like one of the refugees would have.

When I was replaying ‘HL2’ around ten years ago, I ran around the whole map looking for where I can get outside of the plot course, especially in the slower parts of the levels. This culminated in me driving the hoverboat up a three-meter-high wooden platform, falling from that platform myself, and not being able to climb up again to get the boat. After which I had to run from the attack helicopter on foot, and swim by myself later on that level.

I use about the same approach in the original ‘Deus Ex’, which I've been replaying recently: investigating every nook and cranny, being 100% stealthy, trying to go where the game shouldn't allow me to be. I actually found an exit from a scripted part of a level where only one path is normally possible — though there was nothing to do outside of that part. The game also gives experience points for getting into some remote or secret places.

SuperTuxKart is alright, from what I understand. They're also making a new version apparently. Though I'm not into karting arcades, so dunno for sure how it compares.

That is actually part of what I meant by having permanent access to the ability. One of the games I didn't mention in my comment does it like that, where you get the abilities by mastering equipment but then you have to use AP to actually activate it like how abilities were in Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. I've actually been interested in playing Clair Obscure because I've heard that it's one of the best RPGs to exist. The only problem is that, because it's a modern game, I don't know it it'll run on my computer and I don't have another way to play it.

No, assuming I found the game you're referring to, I've never owned a Wii U and while my mom owns a switch, I don't use it. I also don't think I'd be able to emulate it either. It seems interesting but I wont be able to play it right now.

Oh, it's one of Vanillaware games with their distinct art style! Doesn't seems to be released on steam though. Too bad because it seems like a perfect game to play on the steam deck.

Nah, they're different comments