Escort missions

[CarlErikson]

Why do designers include escort missions in their games? Is it because they think they are fun or do they like to be cruel?

[Ejrech]

Perhaps a bit of both.  =P


From a designer's standpoint, I'd definitely say it's to give the player a realistic challenge.  Something to test them, without being overly cheap, like a boss with 1,000,000 HP.

Challenges make life what it is.  Some challenges can be fun.  Others add to the experience.

If we didn't have the realistic things, the sad things, the frustrating things, the things that make us work; if we just lived in pure paradise from birth 'til death, we'd never experience the fullness of joy and beauty in things, because we can only truly appreciate it once we've experienced the full spectrum.

That being said, escort missions are difficult to seamlessly tie in with a 100% exciting (as in, trying to be the most fun/fulfilling game it can be, without as few lackluster faults as possible) style of game.  Not to mention that a game full of them gets old pretty fast.

Designers should be careful with how much and how far and frequent they go in the realism and "downers" in their games, since games are, by nature, an escape from that kind of thing in everyday life.  ;]


(Thanks for making me want to design something, yet again.  >_>)

(I seriously don't want to wait to get through schooling to start making things.  -_-)

[CarlErikson]

My first post was intended to be somewhat ironic, considering there are a few escort missions in Spuds and they are probably some of the most difficult in the game.

When I was a kid, I remember playing a Star Wars game on my PC and one of the missions involved was to protect some transport ships from enemy bombers. It was a brutal mission and I have never forgotten the frustration involved. My brother and I have had other similar experiences with escort missions through the years. Therefore, we felt it only appropriate that we pass along this mild form of torture to others.

Good luck on your designs and thanks for your nice comments.

[Ejrech]

Haha, yeah, I was actually thinking of a Star Wars game while I was writing that post, though the one in particular for me was Rogue Squadron on the N64.  ;]