Introduction: Setting the Stage
Currently, the player-base is split on whether the current fast travel system is adequate or requires further expansion. Initially, I shared the belief that fast travel needed enhancement. However, upon reflection, I’ve concluded that such expansion may not be necessary.
“A game for everyone is a game for no one.” - Arrowhead
If players are requesting fast travel to be further expanded upon, then I don’t believe that these players are actually engaging with all the systems that are at the game’s core. Here, I am not aiming to persuade those who wish for it to be expanded upon, but rather to further explain why the system is the way it is.
Alive System: Developer Insight
Note: For those who haven’t, I recommend watching the Wicked Inside Showcase as this is where I will draw my points from.
Thomas delves into the core purpose of the Alive system, emphasising its role in creating a dynamic and immersive world within Sacra. As he articulates, the aim is to craft a:
“Living, breathing world.”
Furthermore, Thomas elaborates on how this system functions in practice:
“The world of No Rest for The Wicked is constantly changing around you and each time you visit a region you’ll be faced with a drastically different experience.”
Now that you have a fundamental understanding of the system’s purpose, let’s delve into how players can witness its effects first-hand. By examining the in-game map, players will notice a visual indication that the Alive system is in motion. Previously visited areas on the map will gradually fade, signalling dynamic changes within the game world. This evolving landscape ensures that returning to familiar locations presents new challenges and surprises, emphasising the unpredictable nature of the world in NRFTW.
“In NRFTW, you never really know what to expect.”
Fast Travel: Developer Insight
Referring back to the statement:
“A game for everyone is a game for no one”
It’s crucial to remember that while quality of life improvements are often welcomed to enhance the player experience, it’s equally important not to deviate from the core purpose behind the system’s implementation.
To clarify, mounts will not be incorporated into the game.
My interpretation of these tweets suggests that each region will exhibit its own distinct atmosphere, utilising the core principles of exploration and verticality to infuse each area with its own personality. This objective perfectly aligns with Thomas’s statement:
“Our goal is to build the most incredible world that you won’t get tired of because it always presents new things to the player!
”
Level Design: Insights from Other Games
Let’s take a moment before we revisit Sacra and examine where level design has both succeeded and faltered in other games.
Dragon’s Dogma 2: For me, traversing the map, travelling to where I wanted to go became tedious. Enemy encounters were the same due to lack of enemy variety. Enemy placements were always the same and so the world never truly felt ALIVE. Both regions, whilst offering a new colour palette weren’t unique as they both offered the same repetitive nature of endless walking with a constant flow of repetitive enemy encounters. This contrasts what the director initially intended:
"Travel is boring? That’s not true. It’s only an issue because your game is boring. All you have to do is make travel fun.”
Sadly, in the end I had to resort to fast travel as I found myself bored.
Hitman 3: Whilst Hitman 3 doesn’t offer an open-world setting, its level design revolves around scale and player choice. It functions as a sandbox, encouraging players to fully explore each level. Unlike traditional linear paths, Hitman 3 provides numerous options for traversing from one point to another, ensuring players have agency in their approach. The game offers a plethora of paths and methods for eliminating targets, enhancing replayability. Notably, Hitman 3 introduces shortcuts, a feature that rewards exploration by unlocking new routes and making subsequent replays more efficient. This blend of scale, choice, and reward distinguishes Hitman 3’s level design and contributes to its immersive gameplay experience.
The World of Sacra: The Foundation
The level design of No Rest for The Wicked rests upon three pillars: verticality, scale, and height.
“Our goal was to make everything as interactive as possible, if an object looks like you can climb it, then you can actually climb it… and if an object is too thin to walk over it, you might just need to balance your way across”
“We also engineered a very special way of rendering our top down world where you can always see so much further into the distance”
As for the height? It’s unmistakable. When you peer down from high vantage points, you’ll immediately notice unexplored areas waiting to be discovered. What’s unique is that these aren’t mere background scenery—they’re fully accessible, thanks to the intricate rendering of the world.
Navigating Sacra: Player Reward & Immersion
Thanks to the hand-crafted nature of Sacra’s world and the incorporation of its three core pillars for level design, players uncover hidden chests and shortcuts, rewarding them for immersing themselves in the world and exploring its every nook and cranny. This enriches the gameplay experience, offering a sense of discovery and achievement while addressing any potential traversal challenges that may arise with the lack of fast travel.
This immersive approach not only enhances the sense of scale and ensures that Sacra feels truly ALIVE , but also embodies the sentiment that:
“In NRFTW, you never really know what to expect.”
Conclusion: Player Commitment
For those who desire fast travel, a question arises: is it because you find the world of Sacra dull, or simply for the sake of convenience?
The truth lies within Sacra itself. It’s not that the world lacks life; rather, it’s a matter of whether you are willing to fully engage with its many systems on offer.
Opting for fast travel may provide player convenience, but it also means potentially overlooking the depth that Sacra has to offer. By immersing oneself in these very systems, players will uncover the rich nature of the world. In return, they’ll understand why fast travel isn’t necessary, as the experience of travel itself becomes engaging and fulfilling. After all…
“Travel is boring? That’s not true. It’s only an issue because your game is boring. All you have to do is make travel fun.”
Afternote
Thank you for taking the time to read this deep-dive. I hope it provided insight into the systems behind the game and why fast travel might not be deemed necessary. I acknowledge that these are my opinions, so if yours differ, please feel free to share them.
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And if you’re interested, check out my take on the current state of the endgame:
