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Pages Index

1. I Don’t Care How You Do It, Just Get It Done

This is the first section where player agency and intentionality come into play. A pair of hostile sentries are stationed at the end of a corridor that the player must pass.

To deal with the sentries. Players could:

Dart between the rooms on the side to avoid sentry fire.

https://youtu.be/uRTjN1mAN7Q?si=8WTTS_QfqvTj3bcg

Use a physics prop to block sentry fire as they approach it.

https://youtu.be/XPp9hgE5B6E?si=ANIbv5WKNSmnkljN

Use snarks to distract the sentries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANaTH0cJTVY

Simply throw or launch a grenade at the sentries to knock them down or destroy them.

https://youtu.be/0RfwFDuQ-Hw?si=EQOwYW8ILU0ySBHF

Or a combination of any of the methods.

Methods that involve not harming the sentries in any way reward the player with sentries they can use themselves, encouraging players not to simply brute force their way through a problem with explosives or gunfire and instead find alternatives.

2. A Simple Immersive Sim 1

During this section:

Players start in a relatively safe space (shown in this layout below), allowing observation of their surroundings, which include a room full of enemy soldiers with multiple entrances to go into.

Note that the player is in a separate area from where the marines are. The only things separating them are the walls, windows and doors.

Players are told to observe via text, before engaging in any plan.

Players are given 2 tripmines, indicating that they have use in this area to set up traps.

2 simple but voluntary obstacles that should the player solve, give access to sentries they can use.

Sentry on the east side.

Sentry on the west side.

Multiple alien pods that can be broken revealing alien grunts that will attack the soldiers. This turns what is normally seen as a set piece or obstacle in Half Life or Black Mesa, into engaging gameplay.

2 breakable alien pods

Ditto.

https://youtu.be/thN47ErMY-A?si=X7GhffZOgSOl8Zcj

3. A Simple Immersive Sim 2

During this section:

Players will see multiple areas that they can go to but are naturally drawn by the resources near the window to see the challenge they must overcome.

Player starting area.

Window giving the player a view of the obstacle they must overcome.

Below shows an approximate layout of the place.

The Floor Windows allow the player to see the imprisoned aliens, hinting that they can play a part against the soldiers in the area.

An approximate layout of the place in the inner area, where the soldiers are. The pink Door control panels open the prison doors housing the aliens.

Should the player travel through the corridor first, they’ll notice the alien grunts below imprisoned (as indicated by Floor windows previously).

The prison rooms all have a window above them to see the aliens inside.

An orange wire is connected from the prison rooms to a control panel which opens their doors.

Orange wires connect from the prison room…

…to a control panel being guarded by a soldier.

Getting in the way of players easily accessing these control panels however are tripwire obstacle courses.

https://youtu.be/Xwj72qhHskQ?si=dVkw11yDTM4G5KJf

4. A Simple Immersive Sim 3

During this section:

Players start elevated to look down into the challenge they must overcome, and are free to observe how they want to tackle it before they proceed.

Most of the entrances to the combat area are gatekept by tripwire obstacles. The more rewarding the position, the more difficult it is for the player to get to them.

https://youtu.be/TTmEapaJVYQ?si=7IDDavzg66iaxa8u