[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.84,0:00:07.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hi, this is Mark Brown with Game Maker's Toolkit,\Na series on video game design.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.53,0:00:12.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So there's this bit in Uncharted 3 where Nathan\NDrake is about to jump between two ships,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:12.39,0:00:13.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and he says...
Dialogue: 0,0:00:13.85,0:00:17.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,NATHAN DRAKE: Okay, there's the ladder. Only got one shot at this.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.68,0:00:23.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Which might make you think that you will only get, you know, one shot at this.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.31,0:00:27.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But if you do mess it up and jump to your\Ndeath, then - this being a video game and
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.41,0:00:31.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,everything - you'll respawn right back here\Nand it's about 10 seconds until Drake is back
Dialogue: 0,0:00:31.59,0:00:32.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to saying...
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.99,0:00:34.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,NATHAN DRAKE: Only gonna get one shot at this.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.78,0:00:40.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Video games aren't always that good at raising\Nthe stakes, are they?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.14,0:00:45.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Which is perhaps why there are so few truly\Ngreat heist games, especially in single player.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.86,0:00:49.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because how can you have a game about pulling\Noff a big, high-stakes heist if you know that
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.98,0:00:54.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,getting spotted or killed by a security guard\Nwill just whizz you back to the last checkpoint?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.36,0:00:58.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Enter: The Swindle.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.46,0:01:04.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a game where you genuinely feel the\Npressure. And you know that screwing up will
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.69,0:01:08.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,be a big set back, so the stakes feel pretty\Ndamn high.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.18,0:01:13.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But there's more to a heist than just tension.\NYou also need to make the robber get greedy,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.41,0:01:18.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to take more than they should and put themselves\Nin risky situations. Because that's where
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.18,0:01:22.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the best stories come from. And The Swindle\Nnails this, too.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.03,0:01:27.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So let's break it down and figure out exactly how this game encourages you to become a master thief.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.63,0:01:33.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Swindle is a side-scrolling platformer,\Nwith lightweight stealth mechanics. Which
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.81,0:01:39.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,means whacking enemies in the back of the\Nhead, rewiring mines, sneaking past security cameras,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.76,0:01:41.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and hacking into terminals.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.79,0:01:46.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In each randomly generated stage you'll try\Nto pinch as much cash as possible, before
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.98,0:01:48.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,choosing to exit the level.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.98,0:01:52.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Money earned in\Na successful run will let you buy advanced
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.91,0:01:58.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,abilities like triple jumps, bombs, quieter\Nmovement, and a greater field of vision. Plus,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.42,0:02:03.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you must buy access to later levels - including\Nthe final caper. The swindle.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.54,0:02:07.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are two secret ingredients, though,\Nwhich encourage you to ignore the tiny scraps
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.29,0:02:10.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of cash - and go for the really big scores.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.06,0:02:16.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For starters, there's a 100 day limit. Every\Nburglary, successful or otherwise, is counted
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.45,0:02:21.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as one day. And if you haven't finished the\Nfinal mission in 100 days, it's game over.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.78,0:02:26.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then there are the bonuses. Getting every\Nscrap of cash in the building, without being
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.14,0:02:30.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,seen, gives you a ghost bonus. And making\Noff with most of the money makes your burglar's
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.45,0:02:35.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,experience go up. Keep them alive long enough\Nand you'll earn huge bonuses for every successful
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.73,0:02:36.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,heist.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.47,0:02:41.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These two systems make you feel the pressure,\Nbecause if you mess up and fail a level - which
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.08,0:02:45.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is pretty easy when you get killed in one\Nhit - you'll get zero money, and you'll have
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.21,0:02:48.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to play as a new thief, which means you'll\Nhave to start building up experience points
Dialogue: 0,0:02:48.37,0:02:49.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from scratch.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.21,0:02:55.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But they also pressure you into taking more money, and taking big risks. You'll want to make every day
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.60,0:02:59.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,count by getting as much money as possible, and you'll want to get the XP and ghost bonuses.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.46,0:03:01.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that's smart, because the game
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.50,0:03:05.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is at its best when it puts you in those dangerous\Nsituations.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.76,0:03:10.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are essentially three potential outcomes\Nwhen you take a big risk. You could pull off
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.79,0:03:15.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the impossible, and make off with the cash\Nlike a ninja thief. Which is a pretty good experience.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.45,0:03:19.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You could mess it up and trip an alarm, but\Nstill make it out the level - sirens wailing
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.33,0:03:22.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the background. That's also a good experience.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:22.31,0:03:25.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or you could fail completely, and lose the\Nmoney. Which isn't so great, but it might
Dialogue: 0,0:03:25.92,0:03:28.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,actually work out in the long run.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.16,0:03:32.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Each failure makes puts you further and further\Nbehind the 100 day deadline, which raises
Dialogue: 0,0:03:32.90,0:03:36.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the tension even higher, which encourages\Nyou to get even more greedy, and take even
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.96,0:03:41.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,more risks - which could lead to more failure,\Nor it could lead to one of those epic heist
Dialogue: 0,0:03:41.31,0:03:42.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,stories.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.72,0:03:47.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's also important that failure isn't too\Npunitive. There are other games that are about
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.29,0:03:52.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,preparing for one final mission, like space\Nsurvival game FTL, and cyberpunk spy thriller
Dialogue: 0,0:03:52.77,0:03:57.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Invisible Inc. but screwing up in those games\Nis either game over, or it really puts you on
Dialogue: 0,0:03:57.61,0:03:58.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the back foot.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.64,0:04:02.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Swindle is purposefully a little more\Nlenient, I think, which gives you the encouragement
Dialogue: 0,0:04:02.95,0:04:07.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to take those risks. You can even retry the\Nfinal caper if you mess it up, though you
Dialogue: 0,0:04:07.45,0:04:13.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,must quickly raise the £400,00 fee to retry\Nthe level. Which, yes, you guessed it, leads
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.23,0:04:15.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to you taking on more risky heists.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:17.28,0:04:21.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Basically, The Swindle is a brilliant example\Nof using game design to encourage a certain
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.28,0:04:23.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,type of behavior in a player.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.42,0:04:27.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because without that 100 day deadline, and\Nthe other systems, you'd have a very different
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.68,0:04:30.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,relationship with the game. And we know this\Nfor a fact.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:30.74,0:04:35.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I spoke to The Swindle's designer, Dan Marshall\Nwho told me that at one point in development
Dialogue: 0,0:04:35.09,0:04:39.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there was no 100 day limit. But he showed\Nthis early build to a journalist who figured
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.39,0:04:43.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,out that it was much safer to steal a few\Nquid, exit the level, and repeat this process
Dialogue: 0,0:04:43.71,0:04:47.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,thousands of times, than risk the big scores.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:47.00,0:04:50.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I don't blame the journalist - this is\Na well documented phenomenon in game design
Dialogue: 0,0:04:50.42,0:04:54.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called the dominant strategy. If a player\Nfinds a loophole in a system that they can
Dialogue: 0,0:04:54.81,0:04:59.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,exploit for an easy win, they will almost\Nalways opt to use it, over and over again,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.31,0:05:01.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,regardless of how tedious it is.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:02.12,0:05:06.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So it's not enough to just hope that your\Nplayers will do what would be most fun - in
Dialogue: 0,0:05:06.40,0:05:11.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this case, risk everything for a big score.\NWithout proper motivation or reward, players
Dialogue: 0,0:05:11.33,0:05:14.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,might never see your game in the way you intend\Nit.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:14.12,0:05:18.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As a designer, it's your job to put in the\Nright pressure points and manufacture the
Dialogue: 0,0:05:18.39,0:05:23.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,right systems to encourage the player behave\Nin a certain way. In The Swindle that's the
Dialogue: 0,0:05:23.43,0:05:27.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,difference between feeling like you're nicking\Na chocolate bar, and feeling like you're pulling
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.00,0:05:29.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,off the heist of the century.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:41.23,0:05:45.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed the episode,\Nplease give it a like, subscribe to my channel
Dialogue: 0,0:05:45.42,0:05:49.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on YouTube, or consider supporting me, and\Nmy ad-free videos, over on Patreon.