Development Blog_02_Doors Systems

Today we’re talking about a feature that’s as simple as it is essential for accessing the rooms of the Wardheim Museum and more generally, for any modern horror game worth its salt.

That thing that can connect two rooms together and, when needed, can open or close with a simple mechanical movement.

Yes, we’re talking about doors.

Having a good, fully functional door can truly make a difference inside a dangerous place like the Wardheim Museum. Sometimes you wish there were an open door between you and the secret you’re searching for in the next room; other times, you’re very grateful for a firmly closed door standing between you and the horrifying monster that’s decided to eat you.

A door in a free-roaming map, as trivial as it may seem, brings with it a whole set of variables that, if not handled correctly, can generate a surprisingly large number of bugs.

We’re talking about an interactable object that grants access to another section of the level. The first questions are always the same:

• From what distance can I interact with it?

• Which button do I need to press?

• For how long?

• How long does it take to open?

• Which side does it rotate from?

• By how many degrees?

All of these variables must be translated into a scripted, modular, and flexible object, so as not to limit the level designer during scene placement.

One of the biggest issues we ran into was the obstruction caused by doors that only open in one direction. During playtests, we noticed it was fairly easy to get stuck in the door’s collision if Eleanor happened to be on the “wrong” side of the opening.

The result? Sometimes amusing overlaps… but definitely not ideal.

That’s when we decided that the best solution, albeit a slightly unrealistic one, was to equip our doors with a side detector, allowing them to understand from which side the player is interacting and automatically rotate in the opposite direction.

As every developer knows, though, solving one problem often means opening the door (literally) to new complications. The limitation of this system is that it only works the first time: once a door is open, chances are you won’t find it closed when you come back, so the risk of overlapping remains.

The final solution?

From today on, the doors of the Wardheim Museum will be equipped with an automatic closing system. We’re pretty sure they’d pass any fire safety inspection or building code thanks to this new feature.

Of course, simply closing them “silently” wasn’t enough. Audio feedback is fundamental: a creepy creak accompanies a door that won’t wait around for your convenience, but will always return to its original position.

Remember: always oil the doors in your home and try not to get stuck inside them.

[dynamiclink href="https://youtu.be/iAmRbxaZY7c"] A brief video with the system in action.

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next devlog.

Absolute Tenebra Team