Singleplayer games that were improved by respawning enemies

[rusty_shackleford]

Came up in chat, thought I'd move it here.

The only example I could maybe think of is games like Resident Evil.

[A Chinese opium den]

Dark souls does it well, there's a distinct tradeoff and you are always the one to knowingly respawn the enemies to get the benefits. Cant think of too many others though, and I guess you could argue dark souls isn't single player since you can co-op.

[gerey]

The only example I could maybe think of is games like Resident Evil.

Maybe in the context of crimson heads from the RE1R, where they both act as a nasty surprise for new players, but also a cost/benefit tradeoff for subsequent playthroughs, since you now have to gauge whether it's worth gunning an enemy down and using limited supplies of fuel to burn them. I'm somewhat torn on the hunters, though.

Similar mechanic in Signalis - enemies don't permanently die unless you use a thermite flare to kill them off, so you constantly need to decide if it's worth wasting the bullets on an enemy, or if you can just dodge past them, and if you do gun down an enemy, if you're going to use the flares to permanently keep them down. I don't know if I'd say this mechanic improves the game or not.

It's usually good way to softlock players though, and usually leads to devs getting cold feet and showering players with items, ruining the whole survival aspect.

[J1M]

From a practical standpoint they are probably useful to illustrate how much stronger the player has become. For example, in Metroid or an MMO raid on farm.

An RTS mission where the NPC base (partially?) rebuilds after defending your advances makes sense, but may not be more fun. Sending waves to your base periodically is a form of respawning.

Random encounters (Final Fantasy 1, etc) is a form of respawning. In theory it creates an opportunity cost (mana) for exploring. In practice, you can just carry too many healing potions.

Endless spawning in an FPS mission can force the player to take chances and push forward.

[Vaako]

Resident Evil 1 remake with the Crimson heads. Made the game more tactical to keep zombies alive or burn the corpses than rather kill them and have them stand up again later and be a lot faster.

[Goth-Girl-Supremacy]

I like the endless respawning Medusaheads in old Castlevania games because they're a good reminder that the player should never have fun playing a game.

[Norfleet]

Respawning only works when it's not too obvious and logic-breaking. It makes sense if there actually should be more entities than are immediately directly represented in the visible gameworld, like animals in a large forest and they have a means of logically repopulating the area, entering from the parts of the map not visitable by the player but implied to obviously be there. It makes somewhat less sense when there's an infinite number of orcs that somehow respawn into a sealed environment just so someone can constantly attack you from behind every 30 seconds. It's a technique that has to be used subtly and cautiously, preferrably in ways that don't cause the player to start counting the number of respawning enemies.

[rusty_shackleford]

bump.

[J1M]

Freedom Fighters is a good example of a game that may simply not work without respawning enemies (and allies).

Also singleplayer and anything MOBA-related.

[Tweed]

Enemies don't respawn in Resident Evil.

[Acrux]

Balrum could have used some limited respawning enemies. There ends up being a very limiting cap on skills, plus there's eventually nothing to protect your homestead from.

[J1M]

Enemies don't respawn in Resident Evil.

In Resident Evil (2002 remake) they added zombies getting back up eventually if their head was not destroyed.

[Tweed]

Enemies don't respawn in Resident Evil.

In Resident Evil (2002 remake) they added zombies getting back up eventually if their head was not destroyed.

And to think I almost added "unless you meant the crimson heads from the REmake", but I don't consider that respawning.

[rusty_shackleford]

what games have respawn systems that are different from enemies just repopping eventually?

[Oyster Sauce]

what games have respawn systems that are different from enemies just repopping eventually?

Slain humans turn into spooky ghosts at night time in Two Worlds.

Defeated (and spared, or ransomed, or escaped) lords in M&B have to run around raising forces in towns/villages to rebuild their armies.

The orcs in the Shadow Of games can repop but it's interesting enough to be different.

Zombies you don't use limited fuel to burn in Resident Evil eventually raise into a tougher variant.

There's a game called Echo which has the enemies use your own actions against you

The game's most key facet is consequences for one's actions: whenever a blackout occurs, anything En does during the previous lights-on period will become available to the Echoes prowling the Palace. For example, if sprinting while the lights are on, after the system reboots the enemies will become able to sprint. The same is true for opening doors, crossing water, vaulting, and using weapons or stealth. Conversely, they will not be able to use any unused actions during the previous lights-on period, and will thus unlearn previously learned abilities. Lethal options only give a temporary reprieve: enemies are revived by blackouts. As such, direct combat should be considered a last resort, instead making varied use of tools, stealth, and manipulation. Preceding each "reboot" is a brief lights-out period where the Palace does not register actions.

[fork]

what games have respawn systems that are different from enemies just repopping eventually?

Resident Evil Remake.

[Tweed]

what games have respawn systems that are different from enemies just repopping eventually?

Certain areas in Rain World are flagged as "linage dens" where killing an enemy repeatedly can cause it to be replaced by a more dangerous variant.

Populations of wandering monsters and armies change dramatically depending on who is alive or dead in Kenshi.

Failure to properly memorialize and seal away dead dwarves in fortresses built on cursed ground in Dwarf Fortress has serious consequences and numerous other things have a tendency of getting back up.

[fork]

Rain World, huh?

[Kalarion]

Battle Brothers uses a semi-simulationist system for enemy population. Camps that are left alone (not raided by either you or NPCs) for long enough grow in size and start sending out patrols. Eventually the patrols will spawn new, tiny camps, that can also grow on their own. You can theoretically control monster population by methodically wiping out large camps and working your way down the chain, but I think the game will sometimes spawn camps out of thin air to maintain a certain minimum population for each enemy faction.

During Crises, the relevant factions receive a huge population growth boost, somewhat akin to the effects of a Baby Boom. It's pretty neat, and at intended difficulty it makes certain Crises feel truly existential. Especially if you have permanent settlement destruction turned on.

Very very early in its development Battle Brothers was much closer to being 100% simulationist, which led to amazing and insane emergent play. Things like Goblins and Orcs wiping out Undead with no player interaction, or monster factions permanently destroying every settlement on the map. Then Overhype decided they didn't like it and reined it in. I wish they hadn't, to be honest.

[fork]

Tldr:

Battle Brothers devs are financed by the German state, despite their sucess, and are definitely compromised.
Pirate Battle Bros, never spend a single cent on these ****.

[DemoGraph]

what games have respawn systems that are different from enemies just repopping eventually?

Strategy games.
Crusader Kings.