All enemies in video games operate according to a very simple rule. Once you know them, you will recognize them everywhere.
Developing a video game is a very long and complex process. There are numerous different systems and seemingly endless details and nuances that need to be considered. But some complex things have a very simple core – for example, the behavior of enemies in video games. They all follow a very simple pattern that all developers reference.
Path of Exile 2 will certainly adhere to these rules:
Who is speaking? Most probably know Jason ‘Thor’ Hall as PirateSoftware. Under this name, you have surely been recommended videos on YouTube in the past – because he is extremely successful. He is a former Blizzard developer who was mainly responsible for exposing bots and ensuring player account security. However, he also has many insights into game development.
What did he say? In one of his latest videos, he explained the fundamental principles for creating all enemies in games:
What you need to think about when you talk about monster design is the ‘Golden Triangle’. The golden triangle consists of damage, resilience, and speed. You are allowed to choose two of them.
The reason we do this is that it creates a weakness in the enemy that players can exploit.
These weaknesses emerge automatically when you follow these rules:
If you have damage and resilience, then the monster is slow. If you have speed and damage, then the monster dies quite quickly. If it has speed and resilience, then it deals little damage.
He then provides a few examples where you can beautifully see the triangle.
One example is the treasure goblin in Diablo. It is very fast and has a lot of health points – but it deals no damage.
Something that has high speed and a lot of damage is a Zergling from StarCraft. A very fast creature that can deal a lot of damage and is dangerous in large groups – however, if focused, a Zergling dies extremely quickly, precisely because of the lack of resilience.
Some enemies get all 3 values – but they are not bosses
PirateSoftware then asks the community when one would give an enemy all three values. Many respond that it must be a boss fight – but that is incorrect. He explains that boss fights can switch between their attributes, but usually possess only two of these values most of the time.
A monster that possesses all three values is an obstacle that players must circumvent. It is a “punishment” for having done something wrong and should be avoided.
A good example of a creature that possesses all 3 values is the “Witch” from Left 4 Dead. Once startled, she is extremely fast, has many health points, and is very deadly – which is why she is feared in the community. She was an enemy that had to be avoided. Only if that didn’t work, did you have to fight her and hope to survive somehow.
Once you internalize this “Golden Triangle”, you will notice it in pretty much all enemies in various games – regardless of how different these games may be in their design. PirateSoftware often also takes stock of questionable content – such as the super expensive mount in World of Warcraft.
