Even if you're not the biggest fan of video games, don't play them on a regular basis, or don't even care about them at all, you can probably imagine that there are loads of things that game developers have to consider when creating one. Some things they do sound pretty commonsensical (well, at least at first sight): they have to plan, design, code, and test. But there are also hundreds of specific things game developers do that you've probably never thought about before. Let's discuss some of them.
A TikTok user, who is also a game developer himself, has shared a few interesting tricks that game developers use on players to make games more enjoyable.
So, here it is—5 dirty little secrets that game developers use to trick us
1. Sneaky loading
Image credits: Remedy Entertainment
Here's how game developers get out of using a loading screen whenever a character goes to a new surrounding. "Games are big and need a lot of memory," the developer begins explaining. "So, any time you're making a new squeeze through something or shutting a door behind you, it's so we can dump the last section from memory and then load the next section without having to use a loading screen."
2. Some help when you're playing your first games
Image credits: Iceberg Interactive
Turns out, on the first runs of you playing a multiplayer game, game developers help you out a bit in advance. "We know that if the first time you play a multiplayer game, you don't get a couple of kills, you're likely not to come back because you didn't have a good experience. So we actually give you a damage boost the first few times you play to make your experience good," the TikTok user explains.
3. The last portion of health is a lie
Image credits: Epic Games
Apparently, when your health bar gets teeny-tiny, it's sort of a lie. "We lie to you about how much health you have. That last portion of health, whether it's a number or a bar, is actually much bigger than it seems. And that sort of feels like you're constantly on the edge of death, and it makes the game more exciting as a result," the game developer reveals.
4. The AI misses the first few shots on purpose
Image credits: Bethesda
"We make the AI miss you. The first time you step out of a cover, we code it so that the first couple of shots the AI takes always miss. This way the game isn't too hard," the TikTok user explains.
5. The "Coyote time"
Image credits: Activision
In games, you can kind of walk on air. "In platforms, we actually give you a second once you step off the edge to still be able to jump. And that's so you don't get frustrated by falling off the edge all the time and missing jumps you should have made. We call it 'coyote time,'" the guy reveals.
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