I WANT TO GO TO THERE

Motivating Players in Open Games

Joel Burgess, Senior Designer
Bethesda Game Studios
 Simple Question
• How do you go about making
levels for open-world games?
Define “Open”
Player Agency
Why Are We Fascinated?

Why Are Open

Games Important?
Tandem Authorship
 The Unpredictable Player
• Trained to Defy Direction

• Will always confound you

• Not, actually, a jerk.

 Player-Designer Contract
• The Player is in Control
 Player-Designer Contract
• The Player is in Control
• Stay Backstage
 Player-Designer Contract
• The Player is in Control
• Stay Backstage
• Fulfill Expectations
 Player-Designer Contract
• The Player is in Control
• Stay Backstage
• Fulfill Expectations
• Player Story > Designer Story
Setting Up For Fun
Environmental Techniques
Distant Landmarks
Nearby Landmarks
Point Lookout Video Introduction
Motion in Environment
Prior Knowledge
Don’t Forget Audio
 Goals & Player Motivation
• Aim for the player to always have a goal
 Goal Types
• Explicit Goals
• Player Determined Goals
• Emergent Goals
• Goals of Opportunity
• Out-of-Game Goals
 Components of a Goal
• Perceived Risk/Reward
• Commitment
• Inherent Interest
 Are We Powerless?
• No!
Provide Interesting Goals For the Widest
Possible Range of Player Interests
 Deliberate Distraction
Entertainment

Time
Deliberate Distraction
 Deliberate Distraction
Entertainment

Time
Dealing With Empty Area

“Just for Looks”

The Iconic Rope Bridge
Handling for Open Games
Consolation
Loot
 Same Problem, New Scope

POI Density
 POI Density
• POI Options
• Time per POI
• Your Desired POI Density
• Vertical “Chunk” Estimate
• Extrapolate Against Time in Schedule
Fallout 3 Example: The Wasteland
Thank You