Destined to Fail- A Discussion of Scripted Failure

Patreon: / firesteel
Twitter: / _firesteel_
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A look at forcing players to fail a goal, how it can be done well, and common problems associated with scripted failures.
Check out Extra Credits ideas about agency:
• The Feeling of Agency ...

[@8684LYFE]

Thank you for this video! Great to see some appreciation for the mainly forgotten, but absolutely amazing freespace series! Couldn't agree with your point more. When we faced off against the Shivans in FS1 and especially towards the end of FS2 - I was deeply sucked into the narrative and felt the dread of facing a true cosmic horror. It felt logical that I could do nothing this unstoppable force. I was completely immersed despite facing failure after failure. The ME3 example was just a disaster.

[@mrnickbig1]

The worst scripted failure, that I have seen, was about 25% through Disciples 3. It was so idiotic that I rage quit the game and entire series. Your player character at that point is a human (imperial) knight. You spend a bunch of missions building up his stats and weapons, as well as gathering and equipping followers. In one quest, an allegedly overwhelming demonic force invades and you are supposed to retreat to a safe area. I mounted a fighting retreat, including carefully setting up ambushes, and destroyed the entire demon force! Then, when I get to the final waypoint, on a completely clear map, the game switches to a cutscene where you are swarmed by the NONEXISTENT demon force, all your people forget how to fight, and your HERO IS SLAUGHTERED, with almost no resistance.

[@JustLooking1996]

yah that seems like a situation where having the enemies spawn infinitely would be a good idea.