0:00:03.810,0:00:07.779 Stealth game heroes always have the best gadgets. 0:00:07.779,0:00:13.770 From Agent 47’s piano wire, to Sam Fisher’s[br]goofy goggles, to Emily Kaldwin’s fistful 0:00:13.770,0:00:20.280 of superpowers - these sneaky boys and girls[br]are often defined by their iconic inventory items. 0:00:20.280,0:00:25.220 Because the truth is: stealth games aren’t[br]just about waiting for guards to move out 0:00:25.220,0:00:27.259 the way before you sneak past. 0:00:27.259,0:00:32.989 Instead, they’re about using gadgets, super[br]powers, and abilities to tip the situation 0:00:32.989,0:00:34.430 to your advantage. 0:00:34.430,0:00:39.840 So welcome back to the School of Stealth - a[br]mini-series about the design of sneaky games. 0:00:39.840,0:00:44.510 For episode two, we’re now deep behind enemy[br]lines, and ready to move on. 0:00:44.510,0:00:50.910 So it’s time to reach into our utility belt[br]and pick out the five types of stealth game gadget. 0:00:50.910,0:00:57.480 So, like I said, most stealth mechanics can[br]be bundled into five key categories. 0:00:57.480,0:01:00.960 Category one covers gadgets that let you gather[br]information. 0:01:00.970,0:01:05.220 Anything that lets you see beyond the limited[br]viewpoint of your character. 0:01:05.220,0:01:10.249 So while a shut door would usually restrict[br]your knowledge of what’s behind it, Sam 0:01:10.249,0:01:14.590 Fisher can slip an optic fibre camera underneath[br]and spy on the room ahead. 0:01:14.590,0:01:17.730 There’s also the motion tracker in Alien[br]Isolation. 0:01:17.730,0:01:20.369 Peeking through keyholes in Invisible Inc. 0:01:20.369,0:01:22.469 Leaning around cover in Dishonored. 0:01:22.469,0:01:25.630 And night vision goggles that highlight enemies[br]in the dark. 0:01:25.630,0:01:30.140 You could even count Snake’s interrogation[br]skills, which force enemies to give up intel 0:01:30.140,0:01:33.310 on guard patrols and ammo caches. 0:01:33.310,0:01:37.079 These gadgets give you an informational advantage[br]over the enemy. 0:01:37.079,0:01:42.159 And as Gunpoint creator Tom Francis says “when[br]you know more about the enemy than they know 0:01:42.159,0:01:45.060 about you, you can factor them into your thinking. 0:01:45.060,0:01:49.460 [And that] information is the raw material[br]plans are made of”. 0:01:49.460,0:01:52.670 These gadgets also dictate the pace of the[br]game. 0:01:52.670,0:01:57.630 The rhythm of a stealth game is defined by[br]a moment of carefully observing the next room 0:01:57.630,0:01:59.520 - and then moving through it. 0:01:59.520,0:02:04.640 It’s a constant, repeating loop of observation[br]and execution. 0:02:04.640,0:02:08.800 Category two covers gadgets that let you manipulate[br]enemies. 0:02:08.810,0:02:14.340 On the previous episode, I talked about how[br]stealth game guards can see and hear the player 0:02:14.340,0:02:17.330 by using simulated eyes and ears. 0:02:17.330,0:02:21.939 These gadgets let us use those sensory systems[br]to our advantage. 0:02:21.940,0:02:28.360 So the Playboy magazine, the decoy, and the[br]dropped weapon can pique a guard’s visual interest. 0:02:28.360,0:02:33.380 The sonic Batarang, the speaker on the sticky[br]camera, and the trusty ol’ rock, meanwhile, 0:02:33.380,0:02:35.480 can trigger a guard’s hearing response. 0:02:35.480,0:02:40.769 Sometimes, the distracting element is actually[br]found within the world itself, like overflowing 0:02:40.769,0:02:42.030 a sink in Hitman. 0:02:42.030,0:02:47.810 All of these allow us to move AI characters[br]off of their patrol path, and into a position 0:02:47.810,0:02:49.390 that works for us. 0:02:49.390,0:02:53.870 For some, that might have you open a tiny[br]window in the guard’s patrol so you can 0:02:53.870,0:02:55.120 slip past unnoticed. 0:02:55.120,0:03:00.189 For others, it’s about luring enemies into[br]traps or guiding them into the dark for an 0:03:00.189,0:03:01.430 easy takedown. 0:03:01.430,0:03:05.709 You can also go further and use gadgets to[br]change the guard’s behaviour. 0:03:05.709,0:03:10.900 In Mark of the Ninja, the Terror Dart causes[br]an enemy to become panicked and paranoid, 0:03:10.900,0:03:15.780 and you can use this to make them accidentally[br]kill their own team mates. 0:03:15.780,0:03:19.799 Category three covers gadgets that let you[br]redefine space. 0:03:19.799,0:03:23.910 And to make sense of them, we need to take[br]a moment to consider how stealth game levels 0:03:23.910,0:03:25.040 are designed. 0:03:25.040,0:03:30.209 Thief’s project lead Greg LoPiccolo talks[br]about “space being the commodity that you 0:03:30.209,0:03:34.540 are trading in”, and points out how a stealth[br]game level is split between areas of 0:03:34.540,0:03:36.520 safety and danger. 0:03:36.530,0:03:42.319 In Thief, that idea operates on two axes:[br]light and shadow on one axis, and loud and 0:03:42.319,0:03:44.040 quiet on the other. 0:03:44.040,0:03:48.286 Other games might have a different split, [br]like high and low in Batman 0:03:48.286,0:03:50.260 or public and private in Hitman, 0:03:50.260,0:03:55.580 but the idea is the same: a stealth[br]game level is like a sea of danger, and you’ve 0:03:55.580,0:03:58.329 got to swim between the islands of safety. 0:03:58.329,0:04:02.109 However, these gadgets let you manipulate[br]this set-up. 0:04:02.109,0:04:08.319 So in Thief, the water arrows can douse candles[br]- turning a brightly-lit area of danger into 0:04:08.319,0:04:10.540 a dark corner of safety. 0:04:10.540,0:04:15.629 On the other axis, the moss arrows can create[br]grassy rugs that you can stand on without 0:04:15.629,0:04:20.170 making noise, changing that zone from loud[br]to quiet. 0:04:20.170,0:04:24.710 Another twist on this, is letting you change[br]your character so that you can exist in a 0:04:24.710,0:04:30.000 dangerous space, but with relative safety[br]- like using the camouflage system to blend 0:04:30.000,0:04:35.610 in with the surroundings in Metal Gear Solid[br]3, or using disguises to upgrade Agent 47’s 0:04:35.610,0:04:37.970 credentials in the Hitman series. 0:04:37.970,0:04:43.010 These gadgets let you see levels as not just[br]a static puzzle to solve, but an opportunity 0:04:43.010,0:04:46.560 to change things so they put you at an advantage. 0:04:46.560,0:04:50.200 Category four covers gadgets that let you[br]alter your movement. 0:04:50.200,0:04:54.949 Typically, these are mechanics that let you[br]reach spots that guards can’t get to. 0:04:54.949,0:04:58.590 So, there’s Batman’s grapnel which lets[br]you shoot up to the gargoyles that are high 0:04:58.590,0:04:59.990 above the room. 0:04:59.990,0:05:05.080 Sam Fisher’s split jump, which - in certain[br]corridors - lets you stand above enemies without 0:05:05.080,0:05:06.240 being seen. 0:05:06.240,0:05:10.870 And there’s Dishonored’s wonderful short-range[br]teleport move: Blink, which lets you clamber 0:05:10.870,0:05:14.650 up to high up places - and also dart between[br]areas of cover. 0:05:14.650,0:05:18.639 We don’t see these audacious moves in every[br]stealth game, though. 0:05:18.639,0:05:23.830 Mostly, these games concentrate on stances[br]- like standing up, crouching down, and laying 0:05:23.830,0:05:30.039 prone - all of which confer different levels[br]of visibility, noise, and speed of movement. 0:05:30.039,0:05:34.950 Finally, category five covers gadgets that[br]let you incapacitate enemies. 0:05:34.950,0:05:40.039 Where would stealth games be without the blackjack,[br]the trip-mine, or the trusty (and admittedly 0:05:40.039,0:05:42.509 unrealistic) silenced pistol? 0:05:42.509,0:05:46.197 The stealth game fantasy doesn’t preclude[br]taking out guards 0:05:46.197,0:05:48.509 as long as you cover up the evidence. 0:05:48.509,0:05:54.410 Importantly, though, stealth games don’t[br]often give you machine guns and rocket launchers. 0:05:54.410,0:05:58.880 Because, if you think about these five types[br]of gadget - they’re about letting you find 0:05:58.880,0:06:04.639 an advantage over the enemy on practically[br]every axis - except sheer brute force. 0:06:04.639,0:06:09.260 You know more, you can move more freely, and[br]you can manipulate guards into doing what 0:06:09.260,0:06:15.180 you want - all of which puts you in total[br]control, until you get into a straight up firefight. 0:06:15.180,0:06:19.680 But more on that in a future episode. 0:06:19.690,0:06:24.949 The other thing that these gadgets all have[br]in common, though, is that they must be balanced. 0:06:24.949,0:06:29.370 Without careful consideration for how these[br]mechanics should be limited or countered - they 0:06:29.370,0:06:32.509 can cause all sorts of problems in the design. 0:06:32.509,0:06:38.759 So, unrestricted use of gadgets that let you[br]manipulate enemies and space can lead to dominant 0:06:38.759,0:06:44.460 strategies - which are simple and incredibly[br]effective tactics that you can use again and 0:06:44.460,0:06:47.379 again, in place of more interesting solutions. 0:06:47.379,0:06:51.800 Things like using an endless supply of rocks[br]to slip past braindead enemies, or dousing 0:06:51.800,0:06:53.650 every torch you see. 0:06:53.650,0:06:57.729 Gadgets that confer too much information can[br]break the flow of the game. 0:06:57.729,0:07:02.470 So in Assassin’s Creed Origins, you can[br]fly your eagle buddy over a base like a feathered 0:07:02.470,0:07:05.250 drone, and tag every enemy you see. 0:07:05.250,0:07:09.700 This then gives you complete knowledge of[br]where that enemy is, for as long as they’re alive. 0:07:09.700,0:07:15.140 This breaks that wonderful stealth game rhythm,[br]essentially flattening it out into a single, 0:07:15.140,0:07:21.620 effortless observation stage - followed by[br]an unimpeded, and relatively low-stakes, execution phase. 0:07:21.620,0:07:26.660 And using overpowered weapons to kill (or[br]permanently incapacitate) every guard you 0:07:26.669,0:07:31.159 see can actually reduce the complexity of[br]the situation. 0:07:31.159,0:07:35.580 Game design professor Robert Yang says that[br]killing foes in stealth games “depopulates 0:07:35.580,0:07:39.659 a level, severs connections between systems,[br]and makes the game boring”. 0:07:39.659,0:07:45.100 If you’ve ever had to exfiltrate a Dishonored[br]level by simply walking past all the corpses 0:07:45.100,0:07:47.590 you made earlier, you’ll get what he means. 0:07:47.590,0:07:52.759 Oh, and there’s also that problem of x-ray[br]vision modes being so helpful that you never 0:07:52.759,0:07:57.449 want to turn them off - making the entire[br]game look like it’s being played on an airport 0:07:57.449,0:07:59.270 security monitor. 0:07:59.270,0:08:02.700 So how can we balance the power of these gadgets? 0:08:02.700,0:08:06.270 One way is to give systems inherent limitations. 0:08:06.270,0:08:11.590 Look at Ghost Recon Wildlands, which has a[br]very similar system to the eagle in Assassin’s 0:08:11.590,0:08:17.189 Creed, but the bird is replaced with a UAV[br]that has a limited battery, a short range, 0:08:17.189,0:08:19.830 and can be shot down by observant enemies. 0:08:19.830,0:08:23.159 It lets you gather information, but it’s[br]not omnipotent. 0:08:23.160,0:08:26.960 Likewise, The Last Us does let you see enemies[br]through walls - 0:08:26.960,0:08:29.780 but only when the enemy is making noise. 0:08:29.780,0:08:35.320 And Deus Ex lets you tag enemies, but there’s[br]a limit to how many you can track simultaneously. 0:08:35.320,0:08:38.250 Another way is to make your power temporary. 0:08:38.250,0:08:42.959 Sam Fisher can overflow fuses to turn off[br]lights, but they’ll soon flicker back on. 0:08:42.959,0:08:48.150 A smoke bomb creates a tiny and temporary[br]pocket of safety within a danger zone. 0:08:48.150,0:08:52.600 And when you knock out enemies in Invisible[br]Inc, they’ll wake back up after a few turns 0:08:52.600,0:08:56.110 - unless you sacrifice one of your team mates[br]to pin them down. 0:08:56.110,0:09:01.350 A rather obvious way to restrict something’s[br]power is just to limit how many you have. 0:09:01.350,0:09:05.790 In Chaos Theory, you only get a few sticky[br]cameras per level, and in Thief you have to 0:09:05.790,0:09:09.800 pay for water arrows with the money you stole[br]in previous stages. 0:09:09.800,0:09:13.899 While some games let you throw infinite stones[br]with a touch of the button, Dishonored makes 0:09:13.899,0:09:16.529 you find physical objects in the world. 0:09:16.529,0:09:20.980 And in Hitman, you can only stuff two enemies[br]in a cupboard before it’s full up. 0:09:20.980,0:09:25.089 You can also give AI the ability to counter[br]your best moves. 0:09:25.089,0:09:30.339 Enforcers in Hitman are characters who can[br]see through disguises, so private areas keep 0:09:30.339,0:09:31.680 some of their danger. 0:09:31.680,0:09:36.970 And in Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun,[br]enemies who wear straw hats simply aren’t 0:09:36.970,0:09:37.970 distracted by rocks. 0:09:37.970,0:09:39.740 I don’t know the logic behind that decision. 0:09:39.740,0:09:41.779 But, hey, video games. 0:09:41.779,0:09:46.150 This can also be handled adaptively, like[br]in Metal Gear Solid V where guards will start 0:09:46.150,0:09:49.040 wearing helmets if you’re too handy with[br]the headshot. 0:09:49.040,0:09:54.149 An even bolder take on this idea is the game[br]ECHO, where enemies learn and then copy your 0:09:54.149,0:09:58.630 tactics, which means if you stick to one powerful[br]technique, you shouldn’t be surprised if 0:09:58.630,0:10:01.269 your opponents start using it against you. 0:10:01.269,0:10:06.420 There’s also an opportunity to provide unique[br]set-ups for certain levels or areas, which 0:10:06.420,0:10:08.820 temporarily thwart your favourite plans. 0:10:08.820,0:10:12.620 In Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, for example,[br]there’s a level on a ship where the engine 0:10:12.620,0:10:17.269 room is filled with gas - which means you[br]can’t use your weapons or everything will 0:10:17.269,0:10:18.269 go boom. 0:10:18.269,0:10:21.639 Then there’s the layout of the level and[br]the guard patrol patterns. 0:10:21.639,0:10:26.399 One guard on their own can be easily dispatched,[br]but two guards who are looking at each other 0:10:26.399,0:10:29.570 will require a much more complex plan to overcome. 0:10:29.570,0:10:35.410 And, finally, there are abstract systems that[br]exist outside of the current situation. 0:10:35.410,0:10:40.540 So killing a guard in Invisible Inc causes[br]the alarm system to ratchet up one level, 0:10:40.540,0:10:45.120 and using lethal takedowns in the Dishonored[br]games makes you miss out on certain grades 0:10:45.120,0:10:50.050 on the end-of-level score system, and can[br]cause changes in the narrative. 0:10:50.050,0:10:54.930 The idea is to make players more thoughtful[br]about the tactics they use, and try to stop 0:10:54.930,0:10:58.650 the game from veering into a more simplistic[br]experience. 0:10:58.650,0:11:02.680 So using weapons should be risky, not effortless. 0:11:02.680,0:11:06.800 Information should be carefully gathered and[br]imperfect, not handed to you. 0:11:06.800,0:11:10.550 And strategies should be mixed up, not endlessly[br]repeated. 0:11:10.550,0:11:12.529 That’s it for lesson two. 0:11:12.529,0:11:16.510 Come back next time for more deep dives into[br]sneak ‘em up design. 0:11:16.510,0:11:20.840 For now, let me know your favourite stealth[br]game mechanic in the comments down below. 0:11:22.260,0:11:24.000 Hey. Thanks for watching! 0:11:24.000,0:11:30.279 GMTK recently hit 800,000 subscribers here[br]on YouTube, which is just amazing. 0:11:30.279,0:11:34.959 If you hit the bell icon next to the subscribe[br]button, you will also get a notification your 0:11:34.959,0:11:37.330 phone when I release a new episode. 0:11:37.330,0:11:41.100 According to my analytics, 10 percent of you[br]have already done that. 0:11:41.100,0:11:42.270 So hey! Thanks!