Resurrecting an episode (Patreon)

A quick behind the scenes look at GMT. I had planned to make a video about treasure maps as my second or third episode. I really love these, and wanted to talk about them.

I wrote the script, grabbed the footage, and recorded some vocals. But man, it was just so short and light. It needed more meat. I shelved it, and didn't come back to it for ages...

Until I played the witcher and fallout and started thinking about hand holding in open world games and all that stuff, and decided - aha - that's how I can talk about treasure maps. 

Here's the script for the original episode, if you fancy reading it. I wrote it months and months ago

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Hi, this is Mark brown with game makers toolkit, a series on video game design. And this is a short bonus episode I've put together, just so I can say a massive thank you for helping me get to 5,000 youtube subscribers. I really appreciate your support.

So, I want to tell you about one of my favourite things in video games. Something I like more than grappling hooks, rocket jumps, punching sharks, and when you get to see what all the enemies are called in the credits.

It's the treasure map. The ones where some booty has been hidden in a big open world, and your only lead is a scrap of paper that features a sketch of some tree or building or outcrop of land.

So you've got to get on your horse or jump in your boat and look around until you find a landmark in the world that matches your map. And then, find the X that marks the spot and dig up the treasure.

I've seen these in a few games. You get them in Assassins creed Black flag, red dead redemption, Skyrim, and the wind waker. And I love chasing down the treasure every single time. Now, I want to explain why I like them so much.

For starters, the developer doesn't hold your hand and find the treasure for you or bombard you with hints. You don't get a marker on your map or a big compass pointing you towards the booty. You simply have to figure it out, or go home empty handed. And that makes it much more rewarding when you find the bounty.

Two - it closes the gap between what you're doing, and what your character is doing. Video games are all about abstraction. Hitting a plastic button, for example, doesn't have much to do with this... *kratos murdering a god or something*

characters in games are almost always smarter, faster, stronger, and more skilled than you, but these maps put you on a level playing field. You are literally doing what john marston is doing - wandering around, looking at trees.

Third, the treasure maps delay the gratification of getting something new, in a way that builds up excitement. I mean, Link could simply open the chest and get the heart piece or rupees or magic pogo stick or whatever right them and there. But instead, he gets a map that he has to decipher and follow, before he gets the loot.

By having to work for it, you build up anticipation for what's to come, and that's a fun feeling. Other games do this, without maps. In skyward sword you hit these cubes to make chests appear up in the clouds. And in yakuza, you find these keys which you have to take to a big row of lockers to get your prize. That simple extra step makes the bonus item just a tiny bit sweeter.

And finally, these treasure maps encourage you to really look at the world. To consider these environments as actual places with history and landmarks. So often we speed by these beautifully crafted worlds in cars and we fast travel all over the place. It's nice to have an excuse to slow down and take the world in at a different pace.

There we go. Glad I waited!