Mechanics deep dive: Map Exploration
[h3]Hello prospective Runners.
Today, we’d like to share some insights about our design process regarding the map exploration system in Into The Grid.
So, let’s get to it![/h3]
Thematically, the map represents the Grid in which you are conducting your incursion as a hacker. In the Grid, you are an intruder, so the defense systems are constantly trying to locate you, putting obstacles in your way in their attempt to disconnect you before you reach the Mainframe.
The map is our way of incorporating board game and dungeon crawling mechanics into the game, things we believe have not been explored enough in the Deckbuilder genre. With this, we want to achieve a clear differentiation from the classic model of choosing a pre-made path at the beginning of the run.
The map exploration is an essential aspect of the experience we are creating in Into The Grid and, therefore, you will spend a lot of time on it.
Learning how to navigate the Grid will be a skill you’ll have to hone, as well as deck-building and Command selection, to play the game successfully.
The Grid will test your strategic thinking and tactical execution capabilities. From a strategic point of view, you will need to consider your short-term objectives (such as obtaining a specific item or upgrade) and how this interacts with your long-term objective, which is to find and breach the Mainframe.
Procedural generation of a Grid.
We created a system that reflects the tension of being somewhere you aren't supposed to be. We want the players to feel like the Grid doesn't want them there and that they won't know how it will react to their presence.
We came up with a procedurally generated labyrinth in which, unlike most games in the same genre, the player must find their way to the Mainframe (the final goal of every run) instead of simply climbing to it in one of a few predetermined ways.
Additionally, this mechanic serves an important purpose being the ideal scenario to gradually introduce the rich lore of our universe, increasing the level of immersion of the experience.
[h2]Beginning and objective[/h2]
A Grid is made up of Clusters, which are groups of Nodes. The Runner’s Console represents Nodes as hexagons that they can interact with. Clusters can vary in shape and function as rooms, divided by “Gates” that impede moving freely from one to the next. This is what we mean when we say ITG has a strong “Cyberdungeon crawling” element to it.
The Runner begins their incursion into a Grid from an Entry Node, with information about the current Cluster only, the rest is total darkness. From there, they must make their way by unlocking gates and clearing their path in search of the most special Node of all, the Mainframe.
[h2]The Trace System[/h2]
During their incursion into a Grid, the Runner is constantly tracked by surveillance systems that could eventually find them and expel them from the system... or worse.
In the game, this is represented through the Trace system, which indicates to what extent the Grid is aware of the Runner's presence.
Mechanically, the Trace system allows us to reactively adjust the difficulty of the run to the actions that the player takes. As the Trace increases, the Grid becomes more dangerous. The more greedy, noisy, or careless the player is, the more difficult the game becomes.
[h2]Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics: ICE (aka The Bad Guys)[/h2]
ICEs are the classic enemies of the cyberpunk genre, advanced defense programs deployed by server administrators to prevent Runners from achieving their goals.
For Into The Grid, and in our narrative universe, we have created three distinct types of ICE: the Watchers, the Bouncers, and the Sentinels, each with a very specific objective. For each type of ICE, there can be infinite varieties, each with its own set of abilities, strengths and weaknesses.
[h2]Watcher ICEs and Trace[/h2]
Watcher ICEs are the constant observers of the Grid, analyzing everything that happens in the clusters and sending information to the Trace system.
Mechanically, each Cluster has a specific assigned Watcher that defines which Runner’s actions will increase the Trace level. Some will react to engaging in combat, others to opening gates, and others to specific interactions with the Nodes, among many others.
[h2]Bouncer ICEs and Gates[/h2]
Bouncer ICEs are literally the gatekeepers of the Clusters.
As we have mentioned, to navigate the Grid the Runner must move from Cluster to Cluster in search of the Mainframe. The passage from one Cluster to another is done through Gates, and each Gate is protected by a Bouncer.
The Bouncer determines the conditions the Runner must meet to open the Gate it protects. Some of these conditions may be having to disable the Watcher, defeat all the Sentinels, or interact with the Nodes in a specific way, among others.
[h2]Sentinel ICE and Combat[/h2]
Not all Nodes are created equal, and some are particularly better protected than others. This is where Sentinel ICEs come into play.
Sentinels are the main enemies of a Runner during an incursion. In the game, these are the enemies you will face in card combat. Fighting against Sentinels is dangerous but sometimes also necessary to obtain useful items, improve your deck, and continue delving into the depths of the server.
[h2]Runner’s interaction with the Nodes[/h2]
There are different types of Nodes in the grid and which type they belong to defines what effect the Runner’s actions will have when interacting with them.
Except for a few exceptions, the Runner can always perform one of three different actions on any given Node:
Generally, after interacting with a Node, it becomes exhausted and cannot be interacted with again.
What does each Node do? We will dive deep into that in a future article, so stay tuned!
Don't forget to join our Discord to stay up to date with the news and have direct contact with the team!
Today, we’d like to share some insights about our design process regarding the map exploration system in Into The Grid.
So, let’s get to it![/h3]
The Basics
Thematically, the map represents the Grid in which you are conducting your incursion as a hacker. In the Grid, you are an intruder, so the defense systems are constantly trying to locate you, putting obstacles in your way in their attempt to disconnect you before you reach the Mainframe.
The map is our way of incorporating board game and dungeon crawling mechanics into the game, things we believe have not been explored enough in the Deckbuilder genre. With this, we want to achieve a clear differentiation from the classic model of choosing a pre-made path at the beginning of the run.
The map exploration is an essential aspect of the experience we are creating in Into The Grid and, therefore, you will spend a lot of time on it.
Learning how to navigate the Grid will be a skill you’ll have to hone, as well as deck-building and Command selection, to play the game successfully.
The Grid will test your strategic thinking and tactical execution capabilities. From a strategic point of view, you will need to consider your short-term objectives (such as obtaining a specific item or upgrade) and how this interacts with your long-term objective, which is to find and breach the Mainframe.
Every decision and every action you take at every stage of the game will have consequences, and it will be up to you and your tactical skills to make sure those align with your main goal.
Procedural generation of a Grid.
Our approach
We created a system that reflects the tension of being somewhere you aren't supposed to be. We want the players to feel like the Grid doesn't want them there and that they won't know how it will react to their presence.
We came up with a procedurally generated labyrinth in which, unlike most games in the same genre, the player must find their way to the Mainframe (the final goal of every run) instead of simply climbing to it in one of a few predetermined ways.
This system allows players to decide whether to explore the map and take risks to gain advantages, upgrades, and resources or go straight for their objectives as directly as possible and finish their mission.
Additionally, this mechanic serves an important purpose being the ideal scenario to gradually introduce the rich lore of our universe, increasing the level of immersion of the experience.
From theory to practice
[h2]Beginning and objective[/h2]
A Grid is made up of Clusters, which are groups of Nodes. The Runner’s Console represents Nodes as hexagons that they can interact with. Clusters can vary in shape and function as rooms, divided by “Gates” that impede moving freely from one to the next. This is what we mean when we say ITG has a strong “Cyberdungeon crawling” element to it.
The Runner begins their incursion into a Grid from an Entry Node, with information about the current Cluster only, the rest is total darkness. From there, they must make their way by unlocking gates and clearing their path in search of the most special Node of all, the Mainframe.
[h2]The Trace System[/h2]
During their incursion into a Grid, the Runner is constantly tracked by surveillance systems that could eventually find them and expel them from the system... or worse.
In the game, this is represented through the Trace system, which indicates to what extent the Grid is aware of the Runner's presence.
Mechanically, the Trace system allows us to reactively adjust the difficulty of the run to the actions that the player takes. As the Trace increases, the Grid becomes more dangerous. The more greedy, noisy, or careless the player is, the more difficult the game becomes.
[h2]Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics: ICE (aka The Bad Guys)[/h2]
ICEs are the classic enemies of the cyberpunk genre, advanced defense programs deployed by server administrators to prevent Runners from achieving their goals.
For Into The Grid, and in our narrative universe, we have created three distinct types of ICE: the Watchers, the Bouncers, and the Sentinels, each with a very specific objective. For each type of ICE, there can be infinite varieties, each with its own set of abilities, strengths and weaknesses.
[h2]Watcher ICEs and Trace[/h2]
Watcher ICEs are the constant observers of the Grid, analyzing everything that happens in the clusters and sending information to the Trace system.
Mechanically, each Cluster has a specific assigned Watcher that defines which Runner’s actions will increase the Trace level. Some will react to engaging in combat, others to opening gates, and others to specific interactions with the Nodes, among many others.
The Runner must always be mindful of the Watcher that is observing them and plan their actions accordingly.
[h2]Bouncer ICEs and Gates[/h2]
Bouncer ICEs are literally the gatekeepers of the Clusters.
As we have mentioned, to navigate the Grid the Runner must move from Cluster to Cluster in search of the Mainframe. The passage from one Cluster to another is done through Gates, and each Gate is protected by a Bouncer.
The Bouncer determines the conditions the Runner must meet to open the Gate it protects. Some of these conditions may be having to disable the Watcher, defeat all the Sentinels, or interact with the Nodes in a specific way, among others.
Sometimes, the condition of the Bouncer to unlock a Gate will be aligned with that of the Watcher to raise the Trace, putting the Runner in a tight situation.
[h2]Sentinel ICE and Combat[/h2]
Not all Nodes are created equal, and some are particularly better protected than others. This is where Sentinel ICEs come into play.
Sentinels are the main enemies of a Runner during an incursion. In the game, these are the enemies you will face in card combat. Fighting against Sentinels is dangerous but sometimes also necessary to obtain useful items, improve your deck, and continue delving into the depths of the server.
[h2]Runner’s interaction with the Nodes[/h2]
There are different types of Nodes in the grid and which type they belong to defines what effect the Runner’s actions will have when interacting with them.
Except for a few exceptions, the Runner can always perform one of three different actions on any given Node:
- Extract: By extracting a Node, the Runner obtains valuable Shards from it, which are used as currency throughout the Run. Each type of Node yields a different amount of Shards.
- Exploit: By exploiting a Node, the Runner takes advantage of a weakness in it, to obtain a benefit. The effect of the exploit is different for each type of Node.
- Rehash: By rehashing a Node, the Runner spends resources to gain powerful and unique advantages to continue their run.
Generally, after interacting with a Node, it becomes exhausted and cannot be interacted with again.
What does each Node do? We will dive deep into that in a future article, so stay tuned!
Don't forget to join our Discord to stay up to date with the news and have direct contact with the team!