Idea Info Name: Plague Index: Primary Category: Adventure Submitted: 7/13/2003 5:23:19 PM Written By: Chilypeppas Game Architecture and Design: A New Edition Book Highly Recommended !

Gameplay

The controls in Plague are as follows:

In game controls:

Left analog stick: move

Right analog stick: rotate cam

R1: sword attack / holster bow and arrow

R2: shoot bow and arrow / arm bow and arrow

L1: block / holster bow and arrow

L2: follow me / command mode

T: jump

C: crouch

S: taunt

X: view stats

Command mode controls:

Left analog stick: move command reticule

Right analog stick: rotate cam

R1: engage

R2: snipe

L2: leave command mode

T: Select ally T

C: Select ally C

S: Select ally S

X: Select ally X

Command

Commanding your allies is simple in Plague. By holding L2, you can command all your allies to follow you. By tapping L2, you enter command mode. While in command mode, the game is paused and each of your allies is marked with a face button (X, T, C, S)—you can have no more than four allies in Plague. Also, a command reticule, which can be moved around the screen with the left analog stick, will appear on the screen. To select the allies you want to issue commands to, tap their associated face button and they will be highlighted. Then, move the command reticule to wherever you want your henchmen to go and press R1 or R2 to command them to “engage” or “snipe.” When your allies “engage,” they will hold their ground and take on enemy troops, usually with their sword. When they “snipe,” they will use their bow and arrow to take out far off enemies, while staying on the move to avoid being surrounded and forced to “engage” enemies in melee combat. Fear not, sniping allies will not run too far away form you: therefore, after a while, they will be surrounded and forced to “engage.”

Level Design

Levels in Plague are open and nonlinear, although certain paths are implied by the level design. Players are given a map of the level they are playing which they can consult at any time—during this consultation, the game will pause. The map designates the locations of you and your allies, but not of enemies. Use the level design to your strategic advantage. Certain cliffs are so high that your enemies’ arrows will not reach you. By mounting such a cliff, you can rain down bow and arrow punishment on your helpless foes and go unscathed—until some of those seemingly helpless enemies find a way up that cliff. Another strategic element in the level design is the bridge. Shooting enemies on a bridge is like shooting fish in a bucket. But again, with the number of enemies you will be facing in any given level, don’t hope to subdue your enemies for long: soon they will make their way off the bridge, and you will have to fend them off with your sword once they close in.

Melee combat

Each character in Plague is equipped with an all-purpose block. As long as you press the block button (L1) around the same time that an enemy attacks, your character will receive no damage, whether the attack be in sword/axe or arrow form—yes, enemies will be equipped with a similar variety of weapons. However, a better-timed block will temporarily stun an enemy, making him vulnerable to a kill. Another way to achieve more powerful blocks that will longer stun an enemy is to hold down the block button and press the left analog stick in the direction of an enemy. This maneuver is swifter in addition to being more powerful. Also, it will even stun an enemy that is not attacking. The longer the analog stick is held in the direction of the enemy, the longer the enemy will be stunned. However, the benefits of this maneuver—called the “power block”—come at the price of mobility: while executing the power block, your character cannot move. You can also execute a “power attack” by holding R1, the sword attack button, and pressing the left analog stick in the direction of an enemy, power attacks are swifter and more powerful, like the power block, but also come at the price of mobility. Another good strategy is to vary your attacks by crouching and jumping while fighting. By pressing C while holding R1, you will execute a low attack. By jumping while holding R1, you will execute an attack from the air. Jumping can also be used to get behind an enemy. Jump over an enemy’s head, press R1 when you land behind him, and send your sword through his back, an instant kill.

Health

In Plague, you play the role of a super-soldier/warrior type character. Hence you can take quite a few hits before going down. However, your enemies will bite the dust after one or two sword/arrow hits. This will prevent you from getting too badly swarmed—hopefully your enemies will be dropping like flies.

Stealth

Your enemies have preset patrols and positions; they are not expecting you and their numbers are finite. Sneak around them by pressing C to crouch You probably won’t want to run up on your enemies, guns blazing. Carefully position your men before striking. Isolate your enemies before the assault. Find an advantageous position to attack from. Don’t blow your cover immediately. However, even if sneaking around may play a role in Plague, evasion is not an option. You cannot finish a level until every enemy is dead.

Ally A.I.

Your allies are pretty smart, if you order them to go somewhere while they are being attacked, they won’t ignore their attackers and plow doggedly on. Your allies will fight all the way to the place you ordered them to. Hence, it is not very smart to order your allies to go right through a large group of enemies, if you want them to get somewhere quickly. Their health and the speed and strength of their attacks and blocks equal yours. Your allies are good fighters, but they will be killed if you abandon them. When you crouch, your allies will also crouch and avoid detection.

Money

All your enemies drop money. With money you can buy charms, special attacks, and upgrades. You can buy a charm that gives you temporary invincibility, a charm that gives you temporary invisibility, and a charm that restores health (these can also be used on your allies). Special attacks are pricier, but they can always be used. They may require you to tap R1 in a certain rhythm, or perhaps rotate the analog stick in power attack mode in a certain pattern. The advantage of power attacks is that enemies cannot block them and that they are a one hit kill. As far as upgrades go, you can improve your running speed, the swiftness and the strength of your attacks and blocks, your maximum health, your probability of not being block by an enemy, and your probability of blocking an enemy’s attack. Recruiting men is free—I guess they join you because of ideological conviction. However, all their upgrades cost money, and an ally without upgrades is little use.

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I would explain the story of Plague—its very cool and plot driven—but I don’t want to write a book for this game idea. I guess everyone will have to find out the plot when they buy Plague for PS3.