About Me

(The thesis and walkthrough were made in german)

My bachelor's thesis aimed to design a modular combat system using my own definition of modularity in Game Design and illustrate the created system in the form of a playable prototype.

To achieve this, the definition of a combat and movement system as an interplay of rules and design decisions was first explained, and examples of possible combat system mechanics were provided. To further add to this, the relationship between mechanics, player skill, and feedback was explained.

To gain an overview of the various facets of a combat system, several games were analyzed for each of these facets, focusing on their implementation of these mechanics and identifying potential problems with these systems regarding player autonomy. For the facet of movement systems, the games Ghostrunner and Fortnite were analyzed, and their mechanics were compared. This revealed a direct dependency of the movement mechanics on the type of combat system and the enemies in the game. While movement in Ghostrunner is an integral part of the combat loop, in Fortnite it is merely a means of transportation between different battles with other players. To obtain examples of weapons in different combat systems, the games DOOM Eternal, Fortnite, Control, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus were analyzed. Each of these systems is tailored to the combat system of the respective game in its own unique way. DOOM Eternal provided insight into the weapon selection of an FPS shooter, which, however, imposes a predetermined arsenal order on the player instead of allowing them to choose it themselves. Fortnite, Horizon: Forbidden West, Control, and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus each included special mechanics that could serve the concept of a modular combat system, which would be later used for the conception of my own system. For the final facet, player evolution, the games Ghostrunner, DOOM Eternal, and Fortnite's Demon Rush mode were compared. Each of these systems functions differently; however, Demon Rush's system, due to its reliance on a single, shared resource, was the most readily adaptable to the modular combat system.

After analyizing the different systems, the concept of modularity in relation to combat systems was defined. This definition refers to a combat system that grants the player as much autonomy and decision-making power as possible across all facets of the combat system, be it weapons, movement systems, or player evolution. With this definition in mind, the research goals were established: the design and visualization of a modular combat system in the form of a prototype.

In the following section, the modular combat system for the game Shards of Renaissance was designed using the previously analyzed games. This approach allowed for the deliberate avoidance of bugs from games like Fortnite and Ghostrunner, as well as design choices that were not well-received by players of those games. First, movement systems were designed using data from Fortnite and Ghostrunner. Subsequently, the data from the other analyzed games was adapted to the concept of modularity, resulting in the design of a single-resource weapon system with six standard weapons and two weapons from the "superweapon" category adopted from the analysis of DOOM Eternal. To control the player's strength within this system, skill trees and the durability system were developed and expanded. Ultimately, 11 enemies and two boss enemies were designed to confront the player in the developed combat system. Each enemy was intended to serve a specific purpose and offer a unique challenge.

In the final part of the bachelor's thesis, the previously designed combat system was put into practice in the form of five encounter designs. Each encounter was intended to represent a different gameplay situation and demonstrate how the modular combat system handles such situations. 

The first encounter was designed to show what happens when the player has limited resources and must rely on the movement systems. This concept was supported by enemies such as the Adjudicator. 

The second encounter was designed to showcase the Alchemist and demonstrate how enemies could use the player's crafting resources against them. 

In the third encounter, the boss fight against the Monarch, the player is presented with an opponent who is a mirror image of him in combat strength and intelligence, forcing him to draw upon all his learned knowledge to defeat the Monarch. 

The fourth encounter introduced the "Superweapons" category. In this confined level, the player has access to the most powerful weapons in the game, but is still vulnerable thanks to the chosen enemies and the player's skillful use of the weapon.

The final encounter involved the boss fight against Atlas. This encounter was designed to challenge the player's movement capabilities, as the arena itself could change due to the boss's abilities. The combat skills the player had relied on throughout the rest of the game became less important here compared to their movement abilities. This forced the player to rethink their playstyle, while still emphasizing player autonomy.

In summary, the concept of a fully modular combat system presents many design challenges for the game designer. Giving the player total control makes it nearly impossible to adequately balance the game. However, through established design philosophies, such as the Illusion of Choice or inciting Completionism in players, it is still possible to offer the player an authentic sense of modular autonomy.

In conclusion, developing a modular combat system opens up new possibilities for the game designer to provide the player with a sense of autonomy and self-determination. This can lead to new gameplay experiences that would not be possible in conventional combat systems. Therefore, the thesis not only provides an analysis of existing combat systems but also offers a new avenue for future approaches in game design and game engineering.