Last week in class, we played/watched Fortnite and discussed the game’s design choices and system dynamics.  It was especially interesting to note how the dynamics of the game changed as time went on. In the beginning, the zone was very big, and we didn’t see as many opponents.  However, as time went on, the zone would get smaller and smaller, bringing enemies closer and closer. We witnessed this firsthand during the playthrough. Many battle royale games choose to use this mechanic, including H1Z1, Warzone (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare), and a lot more, which I found to be very interesting.  This helps limit the amount of time per game, which had me wondering: what other methods are even out there to ensure the match doesn’t last forever yet still only have one winner? Making the map get smaller is the most obvious mechanic, which was interesting to think about. However, there were also other game mechanics that were very interesting.  People can be toxic by throwing downed players around before they are revived; however, the further you get into the game, the less time and space you have to do that. Additionally, building is a key feature in Fortnite that separates the game from other battle royales. You can build stairs, walls, floors, and ramps in the game. Some players have mastered building to the point where they can do it incredibly fast, and by the end of the game, you see huge build fights between players attempting to reach high ground.  However, enemies from a distance can simply shoot down the builds in order to knock out the players when they fall down – although this may be hard to do when there are so many builds holding everything together. 

Overall, the game has many interesting mechanics.  They have added movement by adding helicopters and launch pads into the game (which at one point were taken out to decrease methods of movement).  This helps when the zone is closing in fast, and is especially important in the middle of the game when you need to travel the farthest distances. As time goes on, the distance you need to travel gets smaller, but the danger gets a lot larger!

Fortnite. Battle Royale Mode, PC, 2020.