Types of Enemy Research
Currently, I have some concepts for some enemies that could be in our games but I'm unsure as to what their function would be.
Because of this, I felt it was necessary to look into the different types of enemies that are commonly found in games. To do so, I read through a section of the book 'Level Up!' by Scott Rogers, as I knew of a section of the book that would be useful for this particular research task.
The first types of enemy listed in the book is a 'patroller'. This types of enemy, as the book states, is an enemy that "moves back and forth or up or down in a mechanical fashion." (Rogers, 2014) Even if these enemies are to encounter the player, they will usually continue to follow their set path.
An example of this type of enemy is the Goomba enemies in the Super Mario games.
The second type of enemy listed in the book is a 'chaser'. This type of enemy "pursues a player if approached" (Rogers, 2014).
An example of this is the Bokoblin enemies from Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The third type of enemy listed in the book is a 'shooter', which is an enemy that fires ranged attacks at the player when spotted.
An example of this is the Guardian Turrets in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as when the player is spotted they prepare to fire a laser at the player.
The fourth type of enemy listed in the book is a 'guard'. This is an enemy "whose AI is to guard an item or location (like a doorway) rather than actively pursuing" the player." (Rogers, 2014)
The fifth type of enemy listed is a 'flyer'. These are enemies that fly. However, although being counted as a separate class of enemy, they can still carry out the tasks of other enemies such as patrolling an area. Additionally, "Flyers can swoop down to attack the player, or they can fire projectiles from a safe distance." (Rogers, 2014).
The sixth type of enemy that is listed is a 'bomber'. These are enemies that attack the player from above by dropping some sort of bomb/exploding projectile.
The seventh type of enemy that is listed in the book is a 'burrower'. This is an enemy "with an invulnerable state that allows him to get into an advantageous position to attack the player." (Rogers, 2014).
An example of this enemy could be Monty Mole from some of the Mario games.
The eighth type of enemy listed in the book is 'teleporter' enemies. This type of enemy "can change position around the playfield". (Rogers, 2014).
An example of this could be the Magikoopa that fires magic at the player and then teleports to a different location to continue attacking.
The ninth type of enemy listed is a 'blocker', which is an enemy that has the purpose of fending off/blocking the player attacks.
The tenth and final type of enemy listed is a 'doppelganger'. This is an enemy that "looks like the player; he moves, attacks, and uses AI that mimics the player's own."
An example of this enemy would be dark/shadow link from the Legend of Zelda series.
My own enemies
After learning of some of the different types of enemies that are commonly included in games, I now have an idea of some of the types that could work with my enemy concepts/within the game.
The main types of enemies that could work would be patrollers and chasers, as this would mean the player would encounter the enemies and often be required to actually fight them, as they
would chase the player (which would make use of the combat mechanic).
However, I also believe that burrower and blocking enemies could work for my enemies. As some levels would have beach/shore or sandy areas, burrower enemies could work rather well. Also, since many of my enemies are creatures such as crabs and turtles (sea creatures), which often burrow in the sand in real life, this could be an effective link. Additionally, blocker enemies could work since we are trying to portray the steampunk/sci-fi theme of our game by making the enemies mechanical, and because of this the steel/metal bodies of some creatures could be stronger/sturdier than others (less weak spots/more plating), allowing them to block the players attacks.
Evaluation of research
After carrying out this section of research, I have been able to associate some behaviors to my current enemy concepts, which will allow them to have a specific role within the game. Many of the enemies that I am planning for won't be in the game, but by carrying out this task I will be able to talk with my level designers/artists, to see what enemies we will be able to make (that are possible to make in the time limit we have).