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Design: Loot & Mob Design

November 15, 2025​

  • @Divides By Zero
  • @Galactic_15
  • @maloki
  • @MooMarMouse
  • @Nid (MulliganAway/Nidhogg131)
  • @rachaelrose1212
  • @Rev
  • @Sp3cialK
  • @WarrenGore
  • @WolfsWeb

Visual Working Board PDF​

Focus​

  • Define loot categories and sources for pitch prep
  • Brainstorm mob archetypes and design principles for varied combat experiences.

Loot Pitch Prep​

Current Problems (0.2.1)​

  • Everything drops from every chest
  • No identity, player agency, or planning
  • No meaningful POI differences
  • Long-term balancing impossible
  • No pattern recognition or player mastery

Design Goals​

Intuitive Design:​

  • Players understand loot sources without guides
  • Clarity, targetability, intuitive rules
  • Support emergent gameplay

Examples of Intuitive Loot:​

  • Guild Wars 2: Tiered loot through areas, map reward system
  • Elden Ring: Specific loot in specific spots
  • Slay the Spire: Cards/potions from combat, relics from mini-bosses/shops
  • Diablo 2: Mobs with specific loot pools, tiered by difficulty

Bad Example:​

  • Warframe: New players rely on wikis due to poor initial design

Player Experience Priorities​

Core Principles​

  • Empower discovery
  • Reward curiosity
  • Quality of life features
  • Support various playstyles
  • Meaningful progression
  • Evolution: Basic concept → iterate → more advanced/involved
  • Player learns and becomes more powerful (game mechanics + knowledge application)

Reinforcement Loop​

  • Combat activities reward combat effectiveness
  • Example: Health regen instant-use item from Rift trial spawner
  • "Potions come out of end of combat because after combat you probably need potions"
  • Doing things for combat makes player better at combat

Pitch Requirements​

Bare Minimum Components​

  • Category: Type: Gear, items, etc.
  • Definition: What is gear? (Weapons, armor, equippable utility items)
  • Acquisition:
    • Suggest 1-2 places or activities
    • Acquisition rule: Where loot found 95% of time
  • Targetibility: Player control over finding item
  • Purpose: Reinforcing combat or exploration

Focus Areas​

  • NOT about item creation or balancing
  • About clarity, targetability, intuitive rules
  • Categorizing loot to fill chests
  • Loot can come from different sources

Mob Design Principles​

Current Issues​

  • Many skins exist but no behavioral differences
  • Mob variants are just reskins with different stats
  • All share same AI

Design Philosophy​

Core Questions:

  • What makes it unique?
  • How does it react to player?
  • How does player react to it?
  • What makes it memorable?
  • What does it challenge player on?
  • How can player counter it?

Key Concept:​

  • Mob variants shouldn't just be reskins
  • Offer different player experiences
  • Player learns core mob type behaviors to react accordingly
  • Identity hook essential

Mob Archetypes​

Basic Types​

  • Ranged: Skeletons
  • Horde: Zombies
  • Mobility/Surprise: Endermen
  • Mobility Limiter: Spiders

Advanced Archetypes​

  • Hunter: Always pursues player
  • Ambusher: Doesn't engage until player passes
    • Example: Reverse Enderman teleports behind player when line of sight breaks
    • Forces awareness of surroundings
    • Counterplay: Keep wall to back, learn audio cues
  • Guardian: Area denial
  • Summoner/Leader: References Evoker and Vex, Creates additional threats
  • Tank:
    • Guards other mobs
    • Always faces player
    • Gets between player and squishier mobs
    • Shield from front, requires side/back attacks
  • Ranged Counter:
    • Forces different approach without completely countering ranged
    • Example: Breeze breaks blocks for terrain control
  • Buffer/Healer:
    • Buffs or heals other mobs
    • Forces priority targeting
    • Example: Ethereal modifier (Vault Hunters)
    • Healers prioritize specific mobs
  • Assassin:
    • Uses invisibility to sneak behind player
    • Physics box gone when invisible (can walk past players)
  • Wild Card: General zombie using random player ability

Mob Interactions & Complexity​

Emergent Gameplay​

  • Five core mob types create many combat experiences through interactions
  • Elite mobs: Special rules create different interactions
  • Randomizing elite/special mobs in groups leads to emergent decisions and interesting combos
  • Mechanical differentiation between mobs essential

Brain Patterns & AI​

  • Different variants follow different brain patterns
  • Example: Healer prioritizing healing specific mobs
  • Consider challenge interaction and synergy

Counterplay​

  • Should emerge naturally with player-mob interaction
  • Always exceptions (especially elites/bosses)
  • Goal: Make players feel smart by figuring out solutions
  • Don't lock into single approach

Boss Design​

Approach​

  • Use same mechanics as normal mobs but extreme
  • Player encountering themselves or former version suggested

Mechanic Introduction​

Bad Example:

  • Mechanic never taught until final boss (forces critical learning moment)

Best Practice:

  • Iterate mechanics gradually through normal mobs
  • Teach before critical encounters
  • Mechanics should echo in other game parts

Additional Topics​

Emerged organically through discussion

Special Rooms​

Concepts Moat Room:

  • Splits spawns, artillery from distance

Circular Tapering Room:

  • Entrance at bottom
  • Everything rains fire from above

Integration

  • Fit ideas to mob purpose template
  • Consider interactions with elite packs, special mobs, boss mobs

Multiplayer Considerations​

Current Gaps

  • Vault Hunters group play: Everyone splits up (not true group play)
  • Major topic for future multiplayer design (~0.4.0?)

Goals

  • Everyone able to loot chests
  • Instance-based loot possibility (similar to Lootr)
  • Discourage toxic play (eg. breaking chests)

Connection to Other Systems​

Inventory Management

  • Separate post planned
  • Connection between small parts important when working on them
  • Need to revisit previous conversations

Mob Variants & Evolution

  • Mechanics should evolve with player, not just increase HP
  • Consistent ways for variants to apply different pressures

Next Actions

  • Anyone can start mob suggestions/designs post
  • Pitch Votes on Loot
  • Start drafting mob pitches around same time

Timeline

  • Pitch prep on mobs
  • Rooms brainstorming