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======Soft Gate====== {{:patterns:badass_corrosive_skag.png?300}} [[org:citations|Borderlands]] =====Description===== Soft gates are a method of directing the player's movement in a "soft" manner. Rather than relying on environmental walls, invisible barriers, or literal gates, a Soft Gate relies on the leveling system in the games, and estimated player times to reach that level. By placing difficult enemies in end of game areas, you can force the player to follow a somewhat linear path through the game, while also allowing for some agency and sense of freedom for the player. Another purpose for a soft gate may be to slow down the pace of an RPG to flesh out the storyline. These types of blockades often occur within [[patterns:hub|hubs]] or [[patterns:city|cities]] where there are a lot of opportunities to find story-related quests. =====Variables and Affordances===== * Forced Interaction - [Boolean] Can the player run away from the enemies, or is an encounter forced. * Area - [Radius+point or List of locations] what area does the soft gate protect? * Intended Level - [Integer] intended level for a player to journey into this area. =====Examples===== Fallout Series- In all games in the series, areas intended for the end of the game,(such as vault 112) are surrounded by difficult enemies, rather than physical walls. These encounters are not forced, you can run away from enemies in the area, but typically enemies are faster than you, or can shoot projectiles, so trying to force your way through a high level area is extremely difficult, while not impossible. =====Related Patterns===== [[patterns:unwinnable_fight|Unwinnable Fight]] - Instances where you are below the intended level of a soft gate can turn into unwinnable fights. =====Quest-Level Relationship===== * [[patterns:linear_hub_pattern|Linear Hub Pattern]] - Soft gates can turn a diamond superstructure into a linear hub pattern, without ever having to hard code limits on which quests you can complete at any time. Soft gates instead persuade the player with threat of death to follow a linear path in an open world. {{tag>level:PhysicalElement}}