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I& #39;m going to shut up about Hades very soon, but BEFORE I DO, I just want to quickly talk about what a masterclass it is in the power of narrative motivators !!
I regularly quote Todd Howard& #39;s DICE keynote where he says the feeling games provide that non-interactive media cannot is pride; This is a tasty soundbite, but ofc agency (+the resulting responsibility & ownership) actually opens the door to a whole cocktail of possible emotions
One example: Gratitude. Another thing I say a lot: if you want players to like/care about an NPC, make them useful in gameplay. Even the most ludo-brained player will learn to love the sight of NPCs they associate with items, healing, combat help- or checkpoints and safe zones
Most of the characters in Hades act as a literal support system, they believe in you & want you to succeed- each offering vital gameplay benefits, you& #39;re always happy to see them. Personally, I start to feel thankful/loyal to them, and will take any opportunity to reciprocate
I absolutely love the "Nectar" mechanic in Hades; a built-in way for the player to show clear appreciation to any character they meet - it& #39;s the closest thing to a "do a nice thing" button I& #39;ve seen in a game
Characters problems are oft the framework for quests etc but in Hades, with endearing characters acting as an oasis of support & help for you in the midst of your gameplay challenges, all the while struggling with their own problems, it develops the desire to help them back
I don& #39;t think there& #39;s a specific name for the warm feeling of doing nice things for other people (isn& #39;t that weird?) but you definitely can& #39;t get it from watching a TV show. You can maybe get it from letting Dusa know she& #39;s seen and appreciated though
Another feeling you can& #39;t get from watching something is SPITE - while most characters cheer you on, making you want to win so as not to waste their support or let them down, the others who tell you it& #39;s impossible: they make you want to prove them wrong!
PS: While this thread was brewing in my head I read this comic, which was bam; right on topic https://twitter.com/WritNelson/status/1310977931334823941?s=20">https://twitter.com/WritNelso...
Hades knows that to get players to re-enter the gameplay loop it needs super effective retention strategies: it already has multiple unlock systems working in parallel to ensure constant ludo-prizes, but it isn& #39;t just a case of unveiling "more" story as a reward
