Lets talk about Bleeders.
Methesda
New Zealand Join Date: 2015-05-13 Member: 204441Members
New Zealand Join Date: 2015-05-13 Member: 204441Members
Hi everyone,
Bleeders.
In my humble opinion, they are:
Not fun.
The root cause seems to be a lack of finesse in their implementation... whilst I understand that this is pre-alpha, there is no other 'creature' in the world that feels so like an enemy from an early 2000's 3d game, on my VoodooFX pc.
Whats the problem?
Whats the purpose of a bleeder?
Presumably the core purpose of a bleeder is to:
Options for making the Bleeder mechanic better:
Some ideas and opinions. Best of luck to the devs, and keep up the great work.
Bleeders.
In my humble opinion, they are:
Not fun.
The root cause seems to be a lack of finesse in their implementation... whilst I understand that this is pre-alpha, there is no other 'creature' in the world that feels so like an enemy from an early 2000's 3d game, on my VoodooFX pc.
Whats the problem?
- The are infuriatingly rapid in their approach. There is a sound to warn you of their approach, but they are capable of moving in on you quite quickly, and don't appear to have any approach other than direct. It makes them very hard to detect early enough to fend of reliably.
- They are small in both art and hitbox. This is a problem for two reasons. Firstly, they are very hard to spot from a distance in the colourful world of Subnautica. On paper that sounds great (from an ecological storytelling standpoint), but it's not FUN, to know that you are going to get pounced, and you have to play spot the pixel if you don't wish to get attacked. Secondly, it's not fun that to know the most threatening fish in the world right now, is something the size and shape of a 'personal massager'. By the way, don't mistake my use of the word threatening - I've met 'the beast'... that's the sort of danger i want from the world... not being chip damaged to death by the nautical equivalent of a Rabbit Mk2.
- Worse still, they sometimes appear in packs. Even if you are aware of their approach, it takes a relatively long time, considering that you are on a breath timer. If you don't spot them, it seems to be possible to get into a chain of bleeders attaching themselves to you that you can only break by mashing your attack button and hoping that you hit one in the few frames you have to do so. If I try to do this, and survey my headspace to see how many I have around me, and frequently end up mistiming the attack frames connecting with empty space, and the next one latches on.
- Lastly, the attack is quite jarring. Whilst the sound is impeccable in this game, the lighting fantastic, and environments suitablity mysterious, the attack of a bleeder amounts to a screaming alert siren going off in my headset, coupled with the wrenching (wretching?) visuals usually associated with a mobile phone youtube disaster video. It's jarring, and unpleasant, and whilst I realise that it's intended to be uncomfortable, the actual affect is one of frustration, not pressure and danger.
Whats the purpose of a bleeder?
Presumably the core purpose of a bleeder is to:
- Be a 'health sink'. This causes players to engage in the recovery and health mechanics. Troublesome, since whilst the health mechanics are fine, they aren't great. They're simply 'find these things make something and use it'. An frustrating mechanic, causing the need for a potentially boring mechanic to be overplayed, is not a great combination.
- Disorientation risk. Good idea in the context of the game, but suffers from the rest of the implementation.
- Be a psychological threat of 'ever present danger' in the sub-aqua forests. Not a great implementation either, since in movie terms they would be a jump scare. Too many jump scares and they are abrasive, and stressful. Think ''I want Alien', not 'Paranormal Activity'
Options for making the Bleeder mechanic better:
- Have them attack singley, and tune the attack pattern to give you a somewhat easier chance of not having to engage in the silly 'whack four times, and lose 10 health' minigame. Easy option, but probably a good start.
- Tweak their attack pattern so it becomes more engaging. For example, have them always attack from straight ahead, but have them break off at the last second to one quadrant of your body, giving you a half second to move to that quadrant, and hit the thing. Still manages to play a little disorientation, and potential chip damage, but telegraphs a bit better to the player.
- Fully embrace the pack mechanic, but use it to the players advantage. Have a more visible school of Bleeders. Have it move fairly rapidly at a distance from the player, and if the player lingers to long near the school, a member (lol) breaks off and attacks from the direction of the school. The player has to dissipate the school by using a flare, or swimming away. With good art design and better sounds could be really menacing. Imagine a seething ball of the little worms as they slither over each other in a tight mass, mesmerising their prey, before one breaks off and darts out towards you. Maybe that ball is the critters devouring their last stalker meal, and you have disturbed them...
- Go the other way, and have them attack singley, but much more subtley. A sound, a scratch, and then a disorienting affect that messes with your vertical axis orientation temporarily (so the player controls more like the seamoth for a few seconds). Prolong the attack prelude, and make the disorientation the key threat, not loss of health. The bleeder is hoping to quietly poison you so it and it's scavenger buddies are able to feed on your living paralysed body as your drown on the seafloor...
Some ideas and opinions. Best of luck to the devs, and keep up the great work.
Comments
Bleeders are relentless, annoying alien leeches.
But for those who prefer a non lethal approach just use a stasis rifle.