Fun or annoying? - Temptations mechanic.

Hi everyone,

Currently I'm working on a ''trials'' section, where the player is being offered free stuff, permanent stat improvements, money etc.

The trick is that every time you take something, the demons take a chunk of your health and you don't know how much, you're only told ''slightly weaker'', ''significantly weaker'' etc.

The trick is that you cannot open the menu while in that room, so you don't know how much health you have left and you don't know how much you've actually gained.

The player can also just walk through the whole room ignoring everyone and this will more or less guarantee success.

I wanted to represent temptation as a game section and this seemed like the best option - take some and walk away, take too much and die.

What do you think?

The punishment can't be death unless it's clearly explained to the player (and even then I wouldn't do it). Getting a game over for this could frustrate the player. Perhaps reset the entire "trial" back to the beginning if they fail.

Maybe the representation of  temptation can be done by rewarding the player for NOT taking the items instead of punishing him for taking them. Something like, if you succumb to temptation, you'll get 1500 gold for free from the trial, but if you resisted, the game rewards you with 5000 gold instead. I try to avoid punishing the player and shifting it to a reward scheme instead.

I agree with Harmill.I hate games when you get punished for taking stuff.You can replace the health loss with stat loss.I think that'll be good.

Actually, Demons would have their obsessions and temptations could fall under that.  If you fall for their temptations, you could slowly fall and become a demon, yourself.  If you have a demon obsessed with looks, she or he is vain, doesn't care for anything else... yes, you look better, but you lose a bit of your intelligence. If you fall for a demon with strength, you lose... your ability to defend yourself, plus your compassion.  You'd have to have gains, but what you lose is a lot greater than what you've gained.  It's all about the easy way over other ways.  I think if consistant it could work.

I like your suggestion Caitlin ! I'll do that in my project !