Tier Markers

September 24, 2015

Examples of Tier Markers in several scenes. Click for a larger image.

Players should have indications that they scenes they're adventuring within are appropriate for their abilities and experience. Many games display the power-level of enemies with a combination of level numbers, icons, and colors. However, Shroud of the Avatar downplays UI indicators and focuses instead on experiences. In other words, players should learn how difficult an enemy is through personal experience and not from a display.

Embracing SotA's experience-based philosophy, Keith created "tier marker" scene decorations. He added a tall spike and five skulls by the entrance of every adventure scene as an in-character solution that hints at the challenge level of each scene. Players could get an understanding of the difficulty of nearby enemies by referring to the tier markers; the more skulls on the spike, the more challenging the enemies. For example, one skull on the spike and four remaining on the ground suggested the area was fairly easy, while all 5 skulls moved to the spike meant it was one of the most dangerous.

Tags: ancillary design, Catnip Games, multiplayer, Portalarium, single-player, worldbuilding