Game Design: Cooperative Multiplayer

The game I'm working out is intended explicitly as a single-player experience. It's designed to replicate the degree of team variety seen cooperative online games, but without the hassle or randomness of other players. Working with others is fundamental to our species, so it's only natural we enjoy playing cooperatively.

I've always enjoyed the idea of playing multiplayer cooperative games. It's a shared experience that requires communication and codependence to succeed. At it's worst though, it's a frustrating time that leads to arguments. However, I have more good memories of playing with my family and friends. 

Local Multiplayer

I have an idealized image of arcade cabinets, since it represents the physical gathering of people to play together simultaneously. When arcades were the only way to play the latest games, so communities were formed around enjoying games and having a good time. While the convenience of playing online games from home is undeniable, it was an environment for forming actual friendships. Although, the idea of playing a game and then having a stranger suddenly join in does sound a bit strange. 

A 4-player arcade cabinet I designed back in 2013. The cabinet design is derived from the Vewlix cabinet common in Japan. The space below the screen contains a computer running MAME and Steam games. I greatly enjoy the aesthetics of the joystick and buttons, as well as the sleek colors denoting each player against the black. Someday I'll build it for real.

The four-player arcade setups look the best visually, since it epitomizes the gathering of friends together to enjoy a game. The arcade games designed for that many players were the simple beat-'em-up games, but they were absolute classics (Turtles in Time, X-Men, Simpsons, Gauntlet, etc.). The games were designed to eat as many quarters as possible, so having more players available was intentional. There wasn't too much skill involved, but if you had enough quarters you'd eventually beat the game. 

I remember back in middle school, I brought a USB stick containing several MAME games to a friend's house. We didn't have any PC controllers, so our novel idea was to plug in two keyboards into the computer, so we didn't have to crowd over a single one. We played through the some beat 'em ups (Knights of the Round, The King of Dragons, Battletoads) and had a blast.

King of Dragons; a classic fantasy beat 'em up, Elements of these 

With internet access now assumed, the "local couch co-op" has become a novelty for recent games, such as Castle Crashers or Dragon's Crown. Local four-player cooperative games are difficult to design because of the limited screen space for four other players. It's difficult to balance interesting game mechanics with these constraints. It's also a more specific demographic to target: players that can play locally together, rather than those playing solo or online. It also more sense from a business perspective since online games sell a copy for each player, rather than multiple players sharing a single copy. 

From my childhood, the only way to play with everyone was on a Nintendo console or Playstation 2 (with a multitap). It was quite an operation getting all the friends together and making sure they brought their controllers so we could all play together. My neighborhood friends played evenings of Gauntlet Dark Legacy and Nightfire (against bots). We also spent many evenings afterschool playing Smash Bros and Mario Party (which weren't necessarily cooperative games).

Although from an adult's show, the image of the South Park boys indulging in playing games at a slumber party has stuck with me

After we all grow up and go our separate ways, it becomes improbable just local multiplayer games happen again. And if it were to happen, then it wouldn't be a hardcore game since we could only play a few hours at best. But that's not to say availability is the issue; with online games we can play with anyone from our past at a moment's notice. But we simply do not, through lack of interest or preference to do anything else. As people get older, they find their time more precious and learn to change their  priorities. 

Online Games 

Online there is a near endless supply of players and teammates you can find. However, the anonymity can still make the experience feel lonely. The golden age of MMOs were defined by their difficulty, and the need to form long-term relationships with other players through parties or guilds. In the attempt to widen their player base, some developers chose to add more shortcuts and quality of life changes which removed the need for actual human interaction.

The other type of online team games are the strictly PvP games, such as FPS and MOBAs. There is the need for teamwork and cooperation with your online teammates, but it's often marred with frustration and contempt. Through the shield of anonymity, many players reveal their ugly side and let their ego get the better of them. And the toxicity applies to both teammates and opponents alike. 

Conclusion

So in conclusion, multiplayer games are great, but often come with some compromises to appease all players. The games designed too simple to be very accessible to everyone. Alternatively, they can be designed with much higher skill requirements, such that it attracts only competitive players. The ideal is a team playing together in harmony, however it is entirely dependent on the right game for the right people. Almost all types of media (games, anime, movies) are defined by the cast of characters and how they interact with each other. 

Thus, my strategy is to simulate that experience by giving a single player the freedom to create their own party as they please. With some simple changes to the controls, my game could be adjusted as a local cooperative experience. With emphasis on managing multiple units, the gameplay required a "pause" button to allow a solo player tactical planning. However by removing that option, the game would feel more dynamic as a multiplayer, ARPG-type game.