Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast! Combat Design (with Timothy Staton-Davis)
Oct 17, 2024
Timothy Staton-Davis, Lead Encounter Designer at Brass Lion Entertainment and Creative Director of Melanated Game Kitchen, dives into the art of combat design. He explores the importance of player agency and skill development, likening it to rock, paper, scissors. The conversation highlights how 'juice' enhances gameplay through visual effects and animations. Staton-Davis stresses the iterative process of balancing mechanics with player experience, using examples from beloved titles like 'Monster Hunter' and 'Hades' to illustrate his points.
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Transcript
Episode notes
Player Expression in Combat Design
- Give players tools and varied movesets to personalize their combat experience.
- Design for player agency and expression, letting players choose their preferred playstyle.
Balancing Player Choice and System Design
- Game designers often accommodate varied playstyles.
- They set up systems and mechanics with enough flexibility for diverse builds and approaches, encouraging experimentation.
Encouraging Playstyle Exploration
- Motivate players to explore different playstyles.
- Offer in-game rewards, skill paths tied to specific weapons, and systems that discourage spamming.