As mentioned in my previous post, player invasion is a concept that exists both within Elden Ring and Deathloop, but sees little use elsewhere. For those unaware, player invasion is a multiplayer mechanic where one player (the invader) enters the world of another player (the host) as an enemy without explicit host permission. The invader is tasked with a goal, typically killing the host, and is rewarded upon completing it.
While the concept has certainly been refined across FromSoftware's previous titles, starting with Demon's Souls, both of its most recent implementations have differing strengths and weaknesses, and neither are perfect.
Integrated vs Discrete Invasions
In Elden Ring and previous FromSoftware titles, the invader uses an item within their own single-player experience to invade a host's world. As part of this invasion, the invader receives a reduced quantity of healing items but otherwise has access to the full array of stats, equipment, and abilities they acquired within their own single player experience. In addition, any rewards gained from a successful invasion contribute to the invader's future single-player endeavors. Because invasions exist as an extension of the invader's single-player experience, I will call these Integrated Invasions.
In Deathloop, players must choose to invade another player's world via the main menu as the character Julianna. Rather than. In addition, successful invasions only grant rewards for further play as Julianna, rather than granting the invader rewards for use in their own single-player experience. Because these invasions do not connect the invader's single-player and multiplayer experiences, I will call these Discrete Invasions.
Both Integrated and Discrete Invasions provide different reasons for players to engage with them and both have unique experiences only they can deliver. Giving players increased power to use in their own single-player experience is a significantly stronger incentive to entice players into becoming invaders. Discrete Invasions, on the other hand, allow developers to tailor invader capabilities separately from host capabilities to provide a more compelling asymmetry than resource quantity.
Invasion and World Design
In FromSoftware titles, invaders choose where they wish to invade a potential host by being in the desired location when they initiate the invasion. This means that you can only invade players in areas you have access to in your own single-player experience and whether an invasion will even occur requires there to be a potential invasion candidate within the area you initiate the invasion from. This drastically lowers the potential host population at any given moment, especially in low-traffic areas of the game. However, this method does have the benefit of preventing invaders from accidentally stumbling upon locations they haven't found in single-player, keeping the integrity of the single-player experience intact. This fits the explorative nature of FromSoftware world design, where the player is expected to be moving forward to areas they've yet to uncover.
Contrast this with Deathloop, where you can invade any player in any location. This allows invaders to not worry about finding a potential host, as there is no need to worry about a lack of players in a given area. This works in Deathloop as the world is more of a sandbox in nature, with single-player progression being focused more on quest developments and gear progression than area progression.
Each approach fits the game that its in, but I believe it is possible to improve upon FromSoftware's method by allowing invaders to invade hosts who are in a wider array of areas. For example, certain checkpoints could grant invaders invasion permission in a given area regardless of their location in-game. Then, when an invader chooses to invade, the game looks for potential hosts who are in all areas that the invader has invasion permissions for. Players could possibly even tweak their own invasion permissions if they wish to not invade in a given region.
Hosting Requirements
While there are many players in these games, not all players can be hosts for invaders at any given time. In FromSoftware titles, invasions only occur when the host is in a state that would allow them to summon allied companions. For instance, you can only summon others and be invaded in Dark Souls while you are human, not hollowed. In Elden Ring, which has no such "human mode" equivalent, you can only be invaded when you have actively summoned others or used an item that explicitly lures invaders to your world. As such, invasions can be seen as a punishment for engaging in cooperative multiplayer. NPC Invasions, however, may or may not operate on these rules, depending on the game in question.
Deathloop, in comparison, allows players to be invaded at nearly any time, though there is a limit to how many times you can be invaded per day cycle. Should a given host not wish to be invaded by other players, they may opt out of it in the pause menu. Furthermore, instead of removing invasions altogether, it merely replaces player invaders with an NPC invader who follows similar rules.
These method appears to serve a different intent, though I believe that Deathloop's approach to invasions is ultimately more engaging. Invasions as an expectation of gameplay encourages hosts to be excited about invaders, rather than fearful. However, this approach also necessitates additional design decisions to ensure invasions are both rewarding and, most importantly, fun for both parties.
Next, in Part Two...
I will cover specific ways to improve the invasion experience as both a host and an invader by examining the reward structure of each game as well as potential new mechanics to further drive player engagement.
Comments