Re: Stealth Mechanics in Audio Games
I've been putting some thought into this, inspired by previous attempts. Here 'ya go:
I like how Papa Sangre made every step a deliberate move. You may not have played Papa Sangre/Nightjar since they're 10 years old and no longer offered. Essentially, you had Left Step and Right Step buttons at the bottom left and right of your screen, and a swipe bar along the top to turn. You only move forward by tapping the left step, the right step, the left, etc.
Likewise, I like TLOU2's invisible-while-prone mechanic, though I do think it should be time-limited to simulate cover being blown and having to dart between hiding spaces. I like the indicator sounds used for investigating/actively hunting/spotting.
I thing some sort of Xcom-like system where these tiles are covered and those aren't would be hard to pull off. I'd probably go for something a bit more organic, preferring the spirit of stealth if not the actual gritty mechanics. I blame the FATE tabletop RPG for this philosophy. FATE does a pretty decent job of simulating gritty mechanics IMO, without requiring less accessible tools like hex maps and such. In FATE, you really feel like you're in sophisticated combat, but only using words. I feel like audio games can do something similar, making you really feel as if you're doing something highly tactical, only with a little less locational specificity and context. (Note Firefox gave me a security warning, but I'm pretty sure the site is legit as they've had that domain for 15 years or so.
Here's how I'd do it based on the above:
Create a stealth movement mode different from normal movement. In stealth movement mode, you don't trigger enemy visibility, subject to certain constraints.
In stealth mode, your character has a visibility meter that rises as they take more actions. Indicate the meter not by number, but by sound or maybe musical tension. Unless you're doing something like a roguelike, a player shouldn't know their next step will break stealth, They can *assume* it, but they don't get to know that a step adds 2 units and that'll bump their meter over 100. The meter drops over time as players don't make noise or take actions.
The visibility meter doesn't cap out at a certain number beyond which the character is visible. It scales based on distance, number of enemies around, etc. Lots of enemies nearby may only give a meter capacity of 20, while trying to evade only one at a distance may give 50-100. I don't think it has to be fully dynamic. Maybe peg it to a few different levels. Enemies within 5 meters give a 20-spot meter, within 20 give a 50-spot, etc. It should probably scale down quickly such that enemies closing in will suddenly give you a much smaller meter to work with.
In stealth mode, switch to a Papa Sangre-style movement system so movement requires more player action. Each step adds a few points to the meter. Swap out the entire control scheme if you have to, to emphasize that you *can* do everything you normally could, but you'll have to break stealth to do it. It doesn't necessarily have to emulate Papa Sangre, but you should have to carefully consider each step, turning (since clothing/equipment may move and give you away), etc. Also, I don't know if Papa Sangre did anything if you, say, took two left steps in a row. But if you do, I think there should be a consequence. Papa Sangre also made you fall loudly if you took too many steps too quickly.
Add a TLOU2-style Hide action that makes you invisible. Hiding should add some non-trivial value to the meter to simulate moving quickly and loudly toward a spot, and also to discourage using it as a last-minute evasion. Hiding should be time-limited, and maybe have a small meter spike on end so a nearby enemy has an increased chance of spotting you. Maybe it should also be unusable against certain enemy types, like the dogs in TLOU2 who can smell out hidden characters. Maybe hiding should also make the meter drop more slowly, or lock it to where it was at point of hiding. It's a powerful mechanic, and you'll need to balance it in testing. Also, it is negated by an enemy stepping on you, so you don't get to hide in a patrol route and evade a guard who gleefully steps over you.
Sorry for going long, but a stealth title is a couple spots down on the list of games I want to make. If you want to take my ideas and work out the balance issues by the time I get to implementing them, more power to us. I obviously haven't organized these thoughts much either, though I haven't had my morning jug of coffee yet so... Speaking of, I should go see to that.
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