Binary Swan

The advancing technology of modern game engines is now allowing gamers to interact with game worlds in ways never seen before. Some recent examples include:

• the somehow beautiful looking fires that burn through vegetation and buildings alike in Far Cry 2
• the weighty, airborne and often hilarious response of a pedestrian to the bonnet of your Infernus in Grand Theft Auto IV (driven whilst ‘drunk’ in the game)
• the collapse of a two-storey office as a result of the detonation of carefully placed remote explosives on the back of a transport truck which was recently driven into the heart of said building: Red Faction Guerilla

These interactions can sometimes fundamentally change the mood and experience of a game environment. Any player of Far Cry 2 who has cleared out a guard post using molotov cocktails can attest to this. Such changes to game environments are much more dramatic these days because of the technology available. However such changes have been occurring in games for much longer. Decals that signal the impact of a rocket in any one a thousand different FPS shooters have been around almost as long as the genre itself. They all function to immerse the player and provide cues to what has happen in the space of the game. They provide a dynamic visual history of a players experience of their game and thus can also dynamically affect mood and experience.

This brings me to the point of this post. Deliberately using such a system to undermine the intended mood of a game.

The game: Thief 3

The means: Moss Arrows

For those unfamiliar with the Thief series, the player reprises the role of Garrett, a master thief and all round sneaky guy. He uses his skills and tools to remain hidden from guards and security forces whilst stealing various valuables from their careless owners. One such tool is the moss arrow which when fired lays down a matt of moss on a horizontal surface, muffling the sounds of footsteps. The arrows have a perfectly suited functional role in the game and are quite useful. However their visual effect on the game world runs contrary to the established style and mood of the Thief world. Garrett’s world is a poorly lit  mash up of dull gothic / pre-industrial / medieval locales which are notable for their stone and timber floors, not for their naturalistic aspects.

I noticed this and thought I’d go about emphasizing this disjunction. Below are some of the results (all before and after shots are taken of paid actors and might not represent actual results for every individual)

As the images can attest, the world is suddenly changed. The previously cold, dull and hostile world is now vibrant, an almost pleasant glade lit only by a small fire or the moon itself, a city reclaimed by nature. The arrows create scenes that calm and relax, a repose from the stressful moments of thieving that previously had occupied my thoughts.

So remember kids, the next time you think about firing a moss arrow, destroying a building, or lighting a fire, consider how it might change your experience. Maybe try shoot a smiley face of bullet holes to lighten up a digital warzone.