Bobo The Cat (2022): Placing Enemies

Bobo the cat on enemy arrangement

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Introduction

-Hi, I'm Bobo the cat.

I like to play and scratch furniture.

But when I've calmed down a bit I get a little more constructive.

I'd like to write to you about a Mario inspired Metroidvania game that I developed and named after myself.

I also want to write about enemy placement.

Cats don't really like to stick to fixed rules, so I created my own rules.

An important rule always was to do what I would personally want from a game and not to be too influenced by conventions or market strategies.

That's one thing I expect from every artist, be it a musician or a filmmaker.

The work has to be honest and come from the heart. 

I think one thing that defines my game is that everything in it is self-made and authentic.

That makes it personal and real.

Some people like that and others don't.

-Another goal was to challenge the player to be constantly focused and try things out for themselves. Of course I knew that this would be a test of patience for some players, but for me it's more of a test of patience when a game gives me loop routine and lots of tutorials.

-In addition, I wanted a game that doesn't immediately exhaust its full potential, but remains adventurous until the end. The player has to work out new gameplay-mechanics room by room. So the game gets better instead of repetitive. To take this to the extreme, I made a risky and almost satirical decision. I designed the game to feel a bit like a mobile game at the beginning. But without being undemanding or lacking creativity.

Enough of my general rules.

This post is about the rules for placing enemies, which I set up for myself and mostly stuck to.

What are enemies?

Some games just lock you inside rooms with randomly placed enemies until they are defeated room after room.

Some simple games get away with this, but it's not an approach I would recommend for every room.

There are some areas in Bobo The Cat which you have to clear of foes too but only a few and often they are used for puzzles or to familiarize the player with certain enemy traits.

So how do we avoid uninspired enemy placement?

To find the answer to this we should ask ourselves 'What is the purpose of enemies in games?

First of all, placing enemies makes environments feel more alive. This is an advantage that enemies basically bring all by themselves. You just shouldn't overdo it , to prevent producing a giant mess.

One of the main purposes of enemies is to add a challenge to the game, but it should always remain fair. It’s also better to allow more than one approach for beating the challenge to accommodate different play styles and allow for freedom and variety.

Enemies usually bring action elements with them, which enriches the gameplay. But foes should be more than just an opportunity to hammer on the attack button.

That’s why different enemies should not just be reskins they should have a unique behavior that rewards a strategic approach.

Ideally, your enemies should collectively require all the abilities available in the game.

For example, an enemy that you have to jump on, one that can be defeated by melee attacks, one that requires ranged attacks, one that has a specific movement, etc.

This makes your skills meaningful and adds variety to the game.

The flamingo:  Can adjust its height to the players position, but you are able to lock it in place with a well-aimed scratch attack. This is one of my favorite enemy types maybe because I've never seen an enemy like this before. Probably most AAA developers would argue that it's too complicated for a platformer. 

-Now you can promote more complex strategies by combining different opponents. Either use them in such a way that you have to fight them at the same time or one after the other.

For example, an annoying enemy that constantly fires at the player would make a useful first target. Unless he is protected by another enemy.

To do this you could link them with a spell that connects them.

But you can also stack the enemies or you might  use a completely new method of combining them. This way you can even mix their abilities. For example, you can place a stationary enemy who can shoot projectiles on a jumping or flying opponent and transport him that way. Or in a platformer you can stack the enemies on top of each other to create a higher obstacle. 

Examples from Bobo The Cat

Lastly, a few enemy-related situations from my game.

Here we have a platformer typical enemy arrangement. The player can decide whether to avoid the foes, jump on their heads or, in the case of my game, neutralize them with a melee attack.

In this picture we see 4 enemies trapped in bubbles. The player has to free them one by one with the right timing to stack them and use the stack as a trampoline.

In the next example, the player has to switch red and blue platforms and move black blocks to pave the way for the toad-enemy migration in order to get the upgrade.

One room further on, the enemies have to be turned into balls of fur and moved to the center of the room to help the player up.

Finally, we have the famous example where all the enemies in a room have to be eliminated. But the interesting thing is the fact that you have to use a tank to do so.

Some players have trouble getting to grips with tank control mechanics, but I personally love such extreme interruptions to the main gameplay.

As you can see, enemies are more than just randomly placed objects on which the player can vent his frustration. They can help prevent boredom and utilize the full potential/repertoire of the game. 

I enjoyed coming up with unusual situations for my game and I hope you have just as much fun playing it.   :3

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2232950/Bobo_The_Cat/

My Bounty

I have lots of ideas for great unique games, but even though I'll probably never be able to develop many of them, I'd rather keep them secret for now. 

Instead, I want to encourage you to develop the game of your dreams.

Make a game that would impress yourself despite the flooded games market. 

It doesn't need AAA polish but has to be honest.

Take the time you need but remember that everything will take twice as long as you might expect.

However, if you really want it, it's easier than you think and will come naturally.

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