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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 physical [[patterns:blockade|blockade]]s or [[patterns:abstract_wall|abstract wall]]s such as the environment, invisible barriers, or literal gates, a soft gate exploits the player's expected statistics or abilities. Soft gates often take the form of areas guarded by impossibly difficult monsters for a low-level character. By placing such difficult enemies at end of game areas, the player can be forced to follow a more controlled path through the game. Another purpose for a soft gate may be to slow down the pace of an RPG to flesh out the storyline. These types of gates 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 vs. Non-forced Interaction**: can the player run away from the enemies, or is the encounter forced * **Protecting Area**: the area protected by the soft gate * **Criteria**: what ability or level the player must attain before defeating the soft gate =====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}}