Pages

Friday, July 3, 2020

some thoughts on Into the Breach and problem solving


This old video-essay from GMTK on puzzle solving x problem solving got me thinking in Into the Breach.

The main point of the video is that, while puzzles usually involve a single solution for an abstract and arbitrary challenge, a problem often means that there are multiple solutions to the challenge, and many times it resembles more a real-life situation (like how to setup a efficient factory, transport system, etc). This distinction in itself warrants many fascinating debates, but it made me think of Into the Breach's design (and other games like it, including FTL).

For me it's clear that ItB approaches things more from a problem perspective than a puzzle one.

Each turn is a problem that can be solved with multiple solutions. There isn't a single right solution, but there are some solutions much better thant others, because in them you don't take as many damage to the grid, or because it puts you in a much better position for the next turn. You can also say that each battle is a problem, made up of smaller problems (the turns), or even that the biggest problem of all is the whole campaign, made of many battles, made of many turns.

And this points to a second important aspect of the game's structure: your solutions, with all its qualities and flaws, carry over to the next problems, be it the next turn or the next battle. ItB is very good in making you deal with the consequences of your strategic decisions, and the success or failure of a campaign is decided by the aggregate of these decisions. You lost too many grid points in this battle? You will have to be cautions from the start in your next battle. You will arrive at the boss fight with weak mechs? Maybe you will have to choose a more risky battle that awards more upgrade points. The game is full of choices like this.

What is awesome is that this dynamic fits perfectly with the game theme of a war campaign. In history, wars were rarely decided by single battles. What happens more often is that the compound effect of many battles and other variables decides the outcome of the war.
In ItB you don't have to play well in every turn, but most certainly you will have to deal with the consequences of your choices later.


No comments:

Post a Comment