Game Design Document
The mechanical pitch
A futuristic, movement shooter which combines the monsters and weapon-philosophy of Monster Hunter and the tactics of hero shooters, with a heavy focus on frenetic movement mechanics and player-driven emergent interactions.
The narrative pitch
A story of an elite group of monster hunters. Heroes in their own time, celebrities in their own city, but a close-knit family nonetheless. A power grab from a rival capital forces them into exile, from where they continue to protect their beloved city as they try and prove their innocence.
The pillars
But this one is mine
The weapon chosen by a player fundamentally changes the experience with the game. As in Monster Hunter some weapons demand quick reflexes or precise aim, while others reward slower playstyles over aggression, or a team mentality over solo plays. Many also dictate the ways in which players move around the map, for example using rocket jumps or storing the kinetic energy from damage taken for use in a super-jump. The point of each weapon is to reward a mastery of its mechanics while still feeling engaging in the hands of a new player. However a player would never be punished for only using one weapon for the playthrough.
I like to move it
Movement is a key consideration for every weapon, accessory, level and interaction. Players have use of a grappling hook to launch themselves (and enemies) around levels from the start of the game. In addition, every weapon, and many pieces of optional equipment and (in the PvP modes) interactive items give players different and interesting ways to move around, e.g. flying, gliding, launching, even building new routes.
Everything is something else
(or Systems not interactions)
Regardless of the equipment or weapon used, it can be used in ways other than its obvious, first intention. This could be through bespoke interactions we generate but, hopefully, through emergent interactions between players and the deep systems each accessory relies on. For example, using the Swarm and Shield to block a monster’s escape and then using the slow-charging Melter to knock it out.
Ways to play
Lawless unfolds in two modes of play: a cooperative story with up to 4 players (PvE) and competitive multiplayer with up to 20 players (PvP).
PvE
The four protagonists of the linear PvE campaign tackle the critters, flora and megafauna of the wilds in an effort to protect their city, their continent and, ultimately the whole planet. When entering a lobby, with friends or strangers, one can choose which protagonist to pilot, similarly to Left 4 Dead, but this has no mechanical effects beyond different animations and voice lines.
Completing story missions earns the greatest rewards but these missions are sometimes gated behind other non-story “bounties”.
Fulfilling these bounties placed on creatures out in the wilderness rewards players with materials to upgrade their weapons (aesthetically and mechanically) and builds the player’s Acclaim (both a narrative and mechanical element).
Any aesthetic upgrades can be carried over into PvP, while mechanical upgrades are only usable in PvE.
Tonally, think Firefly meets Jurassic Park, meets Pokemon’s walking in the tall grass.
PvP
PvP simulates the in-lore Noble Games, with players pitted against one another in solo and team-based modes. Player avatars are customizable and distinct from the PvE characters, allowing everything to be tweaked from size, to voice, to hair and even to posture.
The weapons available here are high-level versions of the PvE arsenal but tuned specifically for balance.
Modes range from small battle-royale modes, to deathmatch, to objective modes such as King of the Jungle or Hot Potato.
In tone, think Hunger Games meets Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, meets Quake.
Location, location, location
An untamed world dotted with isolated metropolises which battle endlessly with the surrounding wilds. The cities are in uneasy alliances and secret wars with one another.
They all display unique traditions, aesthetics and political struggles but all participate in the Noble Games, perhaps one of the few things staying all out intraurban war.
Part blood-sport, part death sentence, the Noble Games are a place for unknowns to be made known, for disputes to be settled and criminals to be punished. Though most condemn it for its barbarism, none can look away.
Burden of beasts
After the weapons of Lawless, perhaps the most important aspect is populating the forests and jungles. The monsters and plant-life seem intent on killing, or at least testing, the human populous and every encounter should pose a problem.
Just as playstyles will vary so will the monsters and their habits. Some will run, some will climb, others will burrow or leap from branch to branch.
Monsters met early on may be exploited with simplistic tactics but the more advanced and dangerous late-game monsters will have ways of dealing with players of every ilk. This may be with area-of-effect attacks, ranged projectiles or unexpected leaps.
The pillars of Lawless monster design are as follows:
Power
There is a great strength mismatch. Every encounter is potentially lethal
Fairness
Nothing the monsters do is unmotivated and players never feel cheated. This requires best-in-class attack telegraphing animations, as well as the heft and speed of these animations being reflected in the damage they do.
Punishment
Simultaneously, any clear misplays by players are punished. This could be mistiming an attack or standing still for too long etc.
Progress
Players should be able to tell simply from the monster’s movements how close they are to a kill and how they should approach it. There is a huge animation set for each creature encompassing the five levels of injury (healthy, grazed, bloodied, severe and dying), the 4 levels of attitude (idle, alert, angry, fleeing) and the procedural effect of severing limbs.
Phases
All monsters have at least 2 phases in which they slightly change their habits and all have a chance of attempting an escape (potentially appearing later as a more difficult “Scarred” version). However, the biggest monsters (e.g. big story-beat encounters, or legendary creatures) will have several phases which may drastically change their behaviour and tactics. This not only challenges the players but shows that they have made progress.
johannes 