Games have long since moved from the usual fun in the gaming halls to a serious global industry. According to Newzoo, in 2018 the total market volume reached $ 134.9 billion. Industry leaders are fighting with all their might for the attention of the players. Someone is trying to stand out with realistic graphics, someone with an open world, and others with cool technical features. But beyond that, the developers are very fond of the “hidden” mechanics that help you get involved in the game.
Last straw
How often did it happen that after a tense fight with a strong opponent you somehow emerged victorious from it, having a minimum amount of health? As if fate itself played into the hands and you don’t have to go through the level again. Most likely, it was not fate that played into your hands, but the developers. The creators of games like Assasins Creed, Far Cry, and Doom make a disproportionate health bar. In it, the last health cells have significantly more life than the rest.
As soon as the player realizes that he is about to die, he tries with all his might to survive, not even suspecting that he has more health than it seems. If the player survives, he gets the feeling that his skills saved his life, and nothing else.
In Bioshock, at minimum health, the player is given invulnerability for two seconds. This leaves more enchanting sensations from the game, as if “here’s a little more and the end.”
This effect can be applied not only to health, but also to cartridges. This is what the developers of System Shock and Gears of War did. There, the last bullet in the store does double damage. This creates a “last gasp” effect. Imagine a situation when you are about to die, and the cartridges run out at the wrong time, but “luck” is again on your side, and the last bullet finishes off the enemy.
Slowing down opponents
One of the basic optimization techniques in games is to hide objects that are out of the player’s line of sight. This simple solution is very good for performance. But what if you do the same with opponents, but don’t turn them off, but just slow them down? This applies to 3D games, both from the third person and from the first. It is unlikely that such a solution will somehow affect performance, but it will give more effect.
