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We finish off October, with a look at Why Nathan Drake Doesn't Need a Compass (because "structural composition in level design to aid player navigation" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue).

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You'll get a vlog soon, some behind the scenes content, and whatever other cool stuff I can think of. As always, let me know if you have any questions, or suggestions for Patreon stuff!

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Game Maker's Toolkit - Why Nathan Drake Doesn't Need a Compass

How does Naughty Dog let you explore the worlds of Uncharted and The Last of Us without the clunky navigational aids found in other linear games? The answer: Through smart use of composition, eye-catching design, and in-world waypoints. Let's dig in.

Comments

Anonymous

Fantastic video as always! Silent guidance through a game is a huge thing for me. It really shows that the designer knows what they are doing and are willing to take the time to acknowledge we are humans playing their game. Our brains are powerful and if you engage it we will have a better experience. This is actually highly used in food menus and advertisement. The trick is, don't show the entire dish, leave some of it out of the picture. Our subconscious completes the image and we are forced to think about the food: the way it smells, tastes, feels. You wont be able to un-see this the next time you have a corporate menu in your hands. Something will be cut off, usually the plate edge. Some of the earliest usage is in Japanese Kabuki Ukiyo e paintings which were used to advertise up-coming performances. In the image below, part of the actors kimono is left off the picture. It's not enough for our mind think something is missing, but it is enough to engage our subconscious. <a href="http://uploads8.wikiart.org/images/utagawa-toyokuni-ii/the-kabuki-actor-segawa-kikunojo-v-as-okuni-gozen-1825.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://uploads8.wikiart.org/images/utagawa-toyokuni-ii/the-kabuki-actor-segawa-kikunojo-v-as-okuni-gozen-1825.jpg</a> The design of Drake's adventures are very similar. Our mind is active, filling in an entire world even though the path is almost entirely linear.

Anonymous

Wow. There were quite a few great episodes here, but this is probably my favorite so far. A lot of stuff were new for me, like the usage movement or the stepping stone effect as a technique to guide player around the level.