Bioshock makes use of landmarking, signposting, bread crumbs, lighting and colour to help guide the player through the environment, highlight important items, and create a sense of place and context within the aesthetic of the game. Landmarking Bioshock makes use of environmental landmarking to help orient the player in game, while also helping them navigate through the environment. From the start of the game, light in conjunction with strong landmarks, create easily identifiable objectives or mark dangerous areas. Light in the form of flames give the player an indication of direction and danger right from the start of the game, and is used again and again from there throughout the game to keep the player on track without the game feeling overly linear. The use of landmarks also help the player orient themselves especially during sections of levels where backtracking is involved or something changes in the level that wouldn't be obvious unless its change through a clearly identified landmark. For example, some locked doors are obviously landmarked and standout from an architectural/aesthetic viewpoint. Thus when you backtrack past them, and they have changed or opened, the player immediately recognises this change in the environment. Signposting The above screenshot demonstrates a simple implementation of signposting. At this stage in the game, players are not familiar with Plasmids, nor do they know where exactly to go. This part of the level requires that the player finds the first Plasmid (shock ability) in order to proceed. Therefore this simple neon sign, not only directs the player to where they need to go, but foreshadows the ability they are about to receive which without they couldn't continue the game. Breadcrumbs Lighting Colour
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World design theory (WDT)DevelopersThe goal of this blog is to relate current and past attempts at world design to further improve our understanding. Archives
October 2017
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