Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Monster Design

    Uploaded by

    gimmethebuk
    28 views2 pages
    This Twitter thread discusses strategies for designing effective game monsters. It recommends first determining the desired player-monster behaviors and how monsters will appear and be defeated. Second, it suggests establishing surprising rules for monster structures, behaviors, and ecologies to thrill the player, such as making certain foods or environments dangerous. Finally, it advises deciding when monsters can be safely fought and when fleeing is necessary to build tension, such as avoiding zombies in dense groups or making noise to evade blind monsters. The thread provides tips for crafting engaging and memorable monsters through establishing coherent rules and surprises.

    Original Description:

    Original Title

    Monster design

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    This Twitter thread discusses strategies for designing effective game monsters. It recommends first determining the desired player-monster behaviors and how monsters will appear and be defeated. Second, it suggests establishing surprising rules for monster structures, behaviors, and ecologies to thrill the player, such as making certain foods or environments dangerous. Finally, it advises deciding when monsters can be safely fought and when fleeing is necessary to build tension, such as avoiding zombies in dense groups or making noise to evade blind monsters. The thread provides tips for crafting engaging and memorable monsters through establishing coherent rules and surprises.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    28 views2 pages

    Monster Design

    Uploaded by

    gimmethebuk
    This Twitter thread discusses strategies for designing effective game monsters. It recommends first determining the desired player-monster behaviors and how monsters will appear and be defeated. Second, it suggests establishing surprising rules for monster structures, behaviors, and ecologies to thrill the player, such as making certain foods or environments dangerous. Finally, it advises deciding when monsters can be safely fought and when fleeing is necessary to build tension, such as avoiding zombies in dense groups or making noise to evade blind monsters. The thread provides tips for crafting engaging and memorable monsters through establishing coherent rules and surprises.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 2

    https://twitter.

    com/kurtruslfanclub

    HOW I DESIGN GAME MONSTERS: a twitter thread or, No More Zombies, a TED Talk Work

    out: Desired Player Behaviour Appearance Rule Surprise

    Structure Defeat Requirements Alert Rules When to fight / to


    take flight

    The goal of designing good monsters for me is building a cohesive experience that thrills the
    player and teaches them how to cope with this new threat. We're killing off zombies because
    they're tired, but we love zombies (those fuckers persist) and they fit this structure

    Desired Player v Monster Behaviour How should the player act? shoot?

    flee? fight? sneak? solo? or backup?


    Build a base? Tear down the environment? Hunt and exterminate? Pretend to be one? Distrust
    strangers? Plan these first; they'll guide your ideas

    Monster Appearance Rule When do they appear, and where? Are they fast? What
    size are they? Are they limited e.g. to water or unlit areas or soft soil or trees, etc? If they hide &
    appear suddenly in some places, consider the reward/risks to the player entering those areas

    Monster Surprise Structure 1 What rules for behaviour or ecology will surprise the
    player? Every great monster has rules that it follows. Zombie bite? You're a goner. Werewolf
    and full moon. Vampires look like us, but can be detected through certain rituals.
    Monster Surprise Structure 2 Pick something and find a way for the player to distrust
    it or fear it. Food that can contaminate you. Direct light? Wind? Open spaces? Make rules for
    monster times/zones Invisible monsters only detectable by footprints that the rain will mask.

    Monster Defeat Requirements Good monsters come with rules for defeat. You can
    make them unstoppable with a small set of weaknesses, then wrench-in an in-universe
    explanation for being unstoppable. (They regenerate! They don't feel pain! They're sentient
    slime! Supernatural!)

    Monster Alert Rules Fear works really well when there are signs that danger is
    nearby or lurking. Do they make a mess of corpses they've attacked? Moan? Cause electrical
    devices to malfunction? Be careful of choosing something 100% reliable, though - it evaporates
    tension

    When to fight / to take flight Decide when it's a safe time to be around a monster,
    and when you should definitely leg it. Zombies are okay if slow and spread-out. Some blind
    monsters can't hear you if there's noise nearby. Safer zones/places/densities/environments

    You might also like