Common RPG game logic and the game design behind them

The game logic meme has always been popular on the internet since video games violate most of laws of physics. In game, they may seem normal, but in reality it can be most bizarre. Still, they are the result of game development and players call them “game logic”. 

Health

Health system related Skyrim game logic meme 

In RPGs like Maple Story, Skyrim, Runescape, GTA V… you name it, the health regeneration system is definitely different from reality. When the player is heavily wounded and only has 1 hitpoint left, it means the player is dying. While that happens, the player can just eat a big meal and be fully recovered! At the same time, players still can fight, run, eat/drink (heal) like they are totally healthy. In game design, the hero may need an extra hitpoint to finish their level and move on with the healing mechanic. 

In reality, the player could be bleed to death, become infected in wounded areas, faint, or suffer fatigue during bloody fights in RPGs. Eating food would not help at survival at all! But then, do players really want to play a game in which:

• Healing in fight is not an option?
• Equipment is damageable? 
• Blood loss, fatigue, and infection are health factors which need to be considered?
• When wounded, it takes months to recover or you possibly never fully recover? 

Do these options (especially number four) sound less fun to you? “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” How many players are willing to watch their character recover from their last fight? These are the reasons why the game can go faster from point to point.

There are RPGs like Mount and Blade that have options for players to turn on realistic modifications like fatigue, blood loss and heavy wounds that can affect ability if the player doesn’t treat them within five days. Players usually only faint in battles rather than dying. A player also can recover their health by resting in a city for a day. These options can make the game more challenging without slowing down the process too much.

Sexualized Female Armor 

This has always been a hot topic for RPG games. Why does female armor cover so much less than male armor but have the same stats? Does the metal on female armor have a higher density than male armor, or do the game developers just want to see the female characters’ cosplay? One of the factors that contributed to this phenomenon is the players’ preference. Game developers try to offer gamers better gaming experiences and this can be one of the ways they retain players. When there is a large “demand” for these features, there will be more “supply” for it. Some players do prefer this despite it being inaccurate on many levels.

Of course, female armor in history looks nothing like the picture above, though there are some historically realistic style RPG games that don’t have “sexualized female armor”.

Screenshot of Mount and Blade: Warband’s female unit, camp defender

Medieval painting of Juan de Arc in her armor

Resizable Armor 

In many RPG games, monsters with higher levels drop better armor. However, some giant sized monsters drop human size armor. They are not human armor but armors made for giants! How is this possible? Well, if the armor is unwearable, no player would even bother to fight them and this makes them pointless in the game–especially if they are unrelated to quests. Only the promise of risk and reward can attract players to fight them.

Runescape player fighting General Graardor and its Bando armor is equipabble by a human-size player 

Weight

This applies to games with weight mechanics. In the Legend of Zelda Series, there is equipment that can add weight to Link. In Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Link can barely walk while holding the weapon “Ball and Chain,” but can run like normal when he puts it in backpack with other items. In FPS games like the Call of Duty series, players run faster while holding a knife with a heavy rifle in their backpack versus carrying the heavy rifle and keeping the knife in the backpack. In game design, the purpose of this was to balance the weapons. The game would be a lot less fun without it.

Iron Boots is a design for players to walk under water by adding weight, but the effect can be taken away by changing shoes.

Advance technology found in Ancient Tombs

In RPGs that require you to enter an ancient tomb, players can find items that don’t belong to that age, even if they’re the first one to enter the tomb in centuries! For example, In Tomb Raider, a player can find modern weapons within ancient tombs. Here’s a list of items players can get within the tombs. Perhaps one of the tomb builders is a time traveler and willing to aid grave diggers to survive in the tomb? In game design, they are there to help a player to pass levels. 

In Tomb Raider, a player can find items to upgrade their modern weapons.

There are definitely more game logic fails such as “puzzles that haven’t been solved for ages” in truth being simple tile puzzles that can be solved within minutes. However, the player demographic is not made up of sophisticated detectives.  After all, game logic draws a thick line between reality and the fictional world for the benefit of the player. As realistic as games may feel today, game logic keeps games from fully mimicking reality. 

What are some of your favorite game logic discrepancies? Share in the comments below. 

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