Thread by @jasondeheras

How do you realize the fantasy of being Spider-Man while creating approachable combat for the mass market? The player’s core mechanics need to have a LOW BARRIER of entry AND make you feel like a SUPERHERO. Let’s look at Spider-Man’s combat system. #gamedesign #combatdesign🧵

FANTASY - The EXPECTATION of how Spider-Man should FEEL in combat is ingrained in players' minds before they even play the game. Combat mechanics need to showcase Spider-Man’s LORE of Strength, Speed, Agility, Reflex, Balance, Healing properties.

CONTEXTUAL ACTIONS - The visual BREADTH in Spider-Man’s actions does not increase the player’s technical burden or alter acquired muscle memory. The actions change based on Spidey’s state (wall, ledge, ground, air, timed, close/far range), but the button input remains the SAME.

TARGETING - The game does not heavily rely on the player using the camera to target enemies. Spidey can find targets based on PROXIMITY or Left Stick direction. In the first half of the video, I am ONLY pressing the attack button (no stick input) to “flow” between targets. 1/2

Also, you can even target OFFSCREEN enemies via Web Strike which automatically rotates the camera towards the target. In the last part of the video, I am pressing the Left Stick in my INTENDED direction towards an offscreen enemy. 2/2

POSITIONING - Spidey is always in the OPTIMAL distance to FOLLOW UP with an attack. The player RARELY RELIES on depth perception since attacks have FAR reach. Basic attacks have far translation, but in true Spidey form there are variations in posing based on distance to target.

WEAPONIZATION - One of the biggest ILLUSIONS of danger in this game are incoming enemy projectiles such as grenades and rockets. Spider-Man L1+R1 object throw has ZERO startup frames, meaning the player can catch these objects the frame before they hit the player. 1/3

Ironically, these projectiles make combat less difficult (while making Spidey feel awesome!). Notice how the detonation timer disables instantly even when picking up the grenade at the last moment. The designers made sure the Spider-Man fantasy would not be compromised! 2/3

The designers littered the environment with weaponized objects (“FREEBIES”) that require ZERO resources to use. This gives the player another tool to THIN the herd and not directly FORCE a certain PLAYSTYLE onto the player. Also, the player is invulnerable during the throw! 3/3

FINISHER SYSTEM - Unlike many combat games where the Finishers are enemy stat-based (namely low health), the player can execute a Finisher on ANY nearby enemy they choose (once their Focus gauge has filled to a minimum). Player has complete freedom on encounter strategy. 1/2

Since the game throws a lot of FODDER (“punching bag”) enemies at a fight, the player can use them to FARM Focus gauge to help fight harder enemies. Finisher activation range and invulnerable frames ensures the player always feels like badass Spider-Man from the movies. 2/2

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT - The Focus gauge is a mechanical interpretation of Positive Reinforcement. Similar to fighting game mechanics such as Street Fighter’s Super Combo Gauge, the Focus gauge fills up when you successfully land attacks or evade (among other methods). 1/2

The Focus gauge DOES NOT deplete unless the player makes a choice to use it for Healing or Finishers. This ensures the player has more opportunities to look and feel like Spider-Man regardless of player skill level. 2/2

UNLIMITED RESOURCES - Web shooters have HUGE range and are an unlimited resource (albeit with a negligible cooldown window). The designers made sure to auto select them after you empty a selected Gadget so the player doesn’t have to manage reselecting their infinite web shot. 1/2

Healing is tied to the Focus gauge. But since hitting enemies is relatively easy, you can heal frequently without heavy decision making. Healing also doesn’t interrupt/cancel actions, so you can even heal during Finishers where you’re completely invulnerable. 2/2

SLOW MOTION - Slow motion provides another layer of Positive Reinforcement. It also allows the player time to read the action since there tends to be a large number of enemies in fights. The game also uses slow motion to warn the player of an impending hit when low on health!

FORGIVENESS - Various micro behaviors/properties prevent the player from becoming frustrated. These usually go unnoticed by the player but are vital to preventing UNFAIR hits after the player has performed a satisfying ability. 1/2

The video shows two prime examples of this: 1) A “Timed” evade CANCELS enemy attacks and 2) Once the player evades bullets, the enemy continues to shoot but stops tracking the player. The illusion of danger/action remains intact, but not at the expense of the player. 2/2

MECHANICAL FAIL STATES - There are practically ZERO mechanical fail states that would force the player to take damage. Experimenting with new abilities is usually a matter of depleting resources versus being arbitrarily locked down in an animation unable to move/respond. 1/2

The player can also INSTANT CANCEL attacks with evade. This becomes more powerful once you unlock Timed Evade. The HUGE Timed Evade window plus Instant Canceling increases the player’s chances of seeing awesome Spidey contextual actions while using Defense as Offense. 2/2

CAMERA - The camera pulls back farther depending on the number of enemies in a given radius from the player. This helps prevents cheap offscreen melee attacks. Coupled with Spidey's visual "Spidey sense" and projectile pre-shot visual tell, the player has ample time to react.