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Control Point Perks

April 28, 2016

In Shroud of the Avatar, Control Points mark contested locations where players are pitted against waves of non-player enemies. Each wave of enemies is more powerful than the last, and waves come with ever-increasing frequency. It's a high-level activity intended for a seasoned group, although these locations also draw highly-skilled players who enjoy taking one-person "endurance tests."

Entry Highlights

  • Scene creation (includes level design accomodations for limited-access "perk rooms")
  • Puzzle design (includes physical puzzles [e.g. move through a trapped corridor], mental puzzles [e.g. match 3 symbols], conversational puzzles [e.g. solve an NPC's riddle], Easter eggs, etc.)
  • Propping (includes creation and placement of interactables, breakables, secret panels, readable books, player-placeable decorations, debris, flora, rocks, etc.)
  • Rewards and collectables design (includes creation and placement of harvestable resource nodes, incidental gear and treasure, quest collectables, Easter eggs, etc.)

When Keith inherited this system, he noted that surviving against difficult enemies is satisfying, while defending a Control Point against waves and waves of enemies was a monumental achievement that deserved additional rewards. Working with the programming team, he added "perks" to this system. Perks would be activated during certain waves and would include access to locked rooms that included special treasure chests. Where once surviving against the Control Point waves meant bragging rights and normal loot, now it also meant access to better and better treasure perks. Perks allowed Control Points to become more solidified as a true end-game option in SotA.

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