Tag Archives: X-Men Legends

The Challenge… errr, Challenge – DTO Part 2

Last time I talked about co-op games and the need to tweak the difficulty in the name of a better experience.  I mentioned that inflating the total number of hit points can work, but it can lead to the trap of The Numbers Game, where your existing health and damage are scaled together, resulting in a constant game challenge that only shifts when you fall outside of what the game deems “fair”.  This can work for RPG’s, but is troublesome when used on shooters.

Bag o' Hit Points
Bag o' Hit Points

This argument isn’t particularly constructive for the FPS designer, the poor soul who is scrambing for anything to keep things balanced and exciting in the wild wooly west of random online pick-up groups. We can’t really blame them for falling back on pure numbers when necessary (full disclosure: X-Men Legends was an unabashed example of the Numbers Game…). Solving this problem through other means is a tough one, but it is worthwhile to pursue avenues other than the venerable Bag of Hit Points.

Challenge Stage

When looking for ways to increase difficulty, game developers often wish the answer was as simple as adding more enemies to each encounter… “No problem! Double the players equals twice the enemies! BAM!” Sadly, very few game technologies give developers the luxury of unlimited enemies onscreen… It’s a yoke that just about all of us constantly struggle with. Back in the sprite days of Doom and Heretic it wasn’t a big deal; those games had extra enemy spawns that were triggered at higher levels or during coop. In these days of high-fidelity characters, however, most technology still keeps the population somewhere in the single digits.

There are tricks to give a feeling of greater foe count… Placing additional enemy encounters in the “dead spots” between the “standard” encounters works, if you never overlap the encounters to keep the maximum enemy count low. It can be tricky to pull off but it can give the player a sense of a relentless onslaught, requiring him to manage ammo and health more carefully even though he never sees more than a few at a time. Unfortunately, by leveraging this method you can ravage any sense of pacing, leveling out those tension peaks and valleys into a steady drone, and changing the game in perhaps unintended ways.

Another population trick is to deliver more enemies to the battlefield through respawning. This allows enemies to repopulate places that were previously cleared out, denying players a safe retreat and keeping the pressure on. This approach can be reviled by players because it denies them a sense of “completion” within a level (it was a contentious feature in Soldier of Fortune, for example), but it can be used to great effect. My first experience with respawning as a gamer was Doom’s Nightmare mode, where all enemies regenerated after 1 minute or so. (Damn that was hard!) More recently it was embraced in Left 4 Dead, where zombies can pour out of just about any opening, inaccessible fences area, rooftop, etc. Careful use of this mechanic can help a game level feel as though it is packed with hundreds of foes, even if your tech can’t handle it (although L4D did a damn good job with the population too)…

Up to 11

In contrast with developers, a majority of gamers wish that higher difficulty was just a matter of making the enemies smarter… perhaps implying the existence of a Jules Verne-era dial with “IQ” scrawled on the side that can be cranked past 10. Unfortunately game AI is never so easy that you’ve got unused slack somewhere that you’re not using. Generally it’s not decision-making that challenges the AI programmer or designer, but rather environment response and navigation. Sure, humans can walk across an obstacle-ridden field without even thinking about it, but an AI that does this naturally requires tremendous work whether the difficulty level is baby-like or insane.

Even if the leap from floor-traversing mouth-breather to devious mastermind were easy, I’ve repeated many times that “smarter enemies” don’t always pave the way to “more fun” anyway. Aside from major boss-level fights, the opponents in many games don’t last long enough for you to really experience their brilliance… showing off would require for the player to see them, which means they’re probably already busy killing them. Sure, you could make the enemies tougher so that you might see their amazing kung-fu, but then you’re back to turning them into HP bags.

pixelshot

Some games emulate enemy “smarts” by simply increasing their shooting accuracy or giving them uncanny perception. Let me be clear, this is not fun. Most games with gun-toting enemies need them to be inaccurate at long ranges. If an enemy pops into a play space a long distance from the player, chances are the player is not aware of their presence immediately… a bit of warning is needed before he gets a bullet in the head. If an enemy’s accuracy is simply dialed up arbitrarily, the player suddenly starts taking significantly more damage from enemies a few pixels in size… you’ve turned the game into a walk through a room full of snipers. Statistically the enemies are just doing more damage to the player each second anyway… so that’s what you want, just crank the bullet damage and be done.

There are some better models out there for bullet inaccuracy that can help remedy the fun, but they are still aren’t used enough (that would be fun to talk about in another post).

Phases of Death

While technically it is a variation on adding health to opponents, but one way of amping difficulty is giving them additional damage states, each of which has to be “killed”. Examples of this are the humans that become “tentacle heads” when headshot in Resident Evil 4, or the aliens in Blacksite: Area 51, that can sever their torso after being “killed”, crawling after the player. These imply non-realistic opponents or a heavy art burden, but it can also be done by having the foe walk with a limp in phase 2, or switching weapons each phase.

This may sound familiar because it is the way that just about every classic boss encounter works… and for good reason. Bosses are “tough” and hence can soak up a lot more damage… without small player victories and new behaviors coming into play, defeating them would be a tiresome exercise in shoveling damage until it goes down (and many action games still use this model).

Cleverly-designed damage stages also have the advantage of not always being used. A 3-stage robot can skip stage 2 and 3 in easy difficulty, last for a second stage in later levels, and die only after all three in harder difficulties. Depending on how an enemy is designed, it might even be possible to regenerate them to a previous state if not killed in time for even more challenge.

A distant relative of the staged model is a mechanic where an enemy must be in a certain state to be killed. For example, a foe may have a “stunned” state which provides you with an opening to slice off their head. By this I don’t mean “Japanese boss-style” where every 15 seconds the monster opens up his eye-dome and can be hurt, but rather a system that gives the player the tools to introduce a vulnerable state. Another example is a robot who must be immobilized with an electric shock, before you step in to disable his control chip. Or a soft-bodied creature that must be frozen first and then shattered (similar to how the freeze-wrench combo works in Bioshock). Games like modern military shooters are more limited in this respect, but if you have the luxury to play with your enemy ecology (that is, their function and response to various stimuli), a large number of additional options open up to you. As above, you can scale difficulty by sprinkling in these new mechanics more aggressively later on (say, early robots don’t have an “overdrive chip”, but all of them do at higher difficulty).

Smarty(er)-Pants

Other tricks aside, there’s still a value in delivering a smarter enemy… or at least one the gamer will recognize as “smarter”. One example of that is to add some coordinated behaviors between multiple foes. A simple trigger that makes several enemies charge at once or synchronize multiple grenade tosses can add difficulty in a hurry. Throw in an audio cue to draw attention to it and suddenly the gamer has a newfound respect for your AI mojo, baby. More complicated relationships like an enemy that lays down covering fire while the other charges can be good also, but the more complex they get, the more likely they are to fail or get lost in the shuffle. Sure, it makes things harder, but look for ways that are going to make the player feel the added pressure.

Left 4 Dead in particular leveraged this synchronization through their “AI Director”. While not technically an issue of “smarts” (the zombies are, well, zombies) when the director decided that the experience needed a massive assault for added danger, the player knew that the game was turning on the heat. The perception of challenge is perhaps as important as the actual difficulty increase.

fallenshamanfallenAdding enemies with interrelated behaviors is also a method to give a feeling that they are “conspiring against you”. A prime enemy that adds challenge to any group is the buffing opponent. The Shaman in Diablo II and the Arch-Vile in Doom II could resurrect fallen opponents, making the whole group for more deadly and interesting to fight. Other, more mild examples of this type of enemy are enemies that have an aura that heals or increases the strength of their nearby friends.

A player must completely change his tactics and adjust when fighting a group that has a buffing foes added. Even one can add considerable challenge, and multiples can be devastating. Beyond just spawning extra ones, their behaviors can be tweaked for difficulty by increasing the buffing effect, casting time, or the radius of their ability.

Looking closer, any type of environmental object that enemies can utilize can add challenge and an extra feeling of intelligence, no matter how simple. Enemy buffs could be provided by emplacements rather than spawned foes. The health stations in BioShock kept you from leaving your nearly-dead foe alone, because he might return fully charged. Emplaced totems such as those in World of Warcraft are similar.

Final Thoughts

Reflecting on what I’ve written above, I see that there is no “magic bullet” for scaling difficulty (although I hoped that writing about it might shake one loose). The techniques that must be used will certainly vary from game to game… My main suggestion is to look beyond the traditional D&D numerical “crutch” when faced with systems that need to scale. I understand why we do it: it’s not just our inner fanboy screaming to get out… numbers are a necessary part of our job and getting results. However, I love designs where the player doesn’t have to be steeped in numbers in order to succeed.

You might also come out of this thinking that I turn my nose up at RPG’s. On the contrary, it’s one of my favorite genres, and Diablo II is still my favorite game of all time.

Finally, I certainly mean no disrespect for what Resistance 2 has accomplished in its multiplayer mode. Along with Call of Duty 4, I think it has laid a foundation for great semi-persistent online experiences for shooters. What others might build upon these concepts in the future makes my mind reel.

Making the Rules: Pillars and Razors

A Pillar, obviouslyWith all the good reasons to keep your game design lean and mean, anything you can do to streamline the feature filtering process is worth it. Continuously asking yourself “Is this for the good of the game?” is difficult, and the answers are hard to trust when you get caught up in the details. A system of high-level priorities must be applied in all but the smallest of games.

The Power of Verbs
A lot of game designers like to talk about Verbs… They are a good tool for stripping down a game to its basic components, unfettered by a particular fiction or context. While some designers define their verbs at a fairly micro level such as “move”, “turn right”, “push”, or “draw weapon”, for the purposes of scope it is much more useful to keep those verbs big and chunky that describe objectives or major game states… These are words like “Fight”, “Explore”, “Customize”, “Build”, “Cook”, “Expand”, and “Destroy”.

While a game can have many verbs overall, it is also important to identify, very early in the design process, which ones are the Pillar Verbs… These are the core activities that the player will engage in 90% of the time… it’s really what your game is about. It is important to keep the list of these verbs as tight as possible, hopefully three or less. Here is where you are going to lavish the most love and attention, along with the most art and technology. These activities have the most depth and polish applied to them… even to the point of having the most buttons assigned to them on a console controller.

A great game has a tight list of Pillar Verbs that read loud and clear, even to a player:

  • God of War: Fight
  • Super Mario: Traverse
  • Halo: Shoot
  • Diablo: Fight, Acquire
  • Oblivion: Fight, Explore, Customize
  • GTA: Drive, Fight

Horadric Cube from Diablo IIThe above list may sound a bit simplistic… Halo had driving, right? So did Half-Life 2, but by far the greatest depth is placed in combat. A game may technically have many Secondary Verbs that provide an experience beyond the Pillar Verbs, but generally they add breadth (note I didn’t say “depth”) to the game experience or a sense of added value. Diablo II provided a secondary verb of “craft” via the Horadric Cube, but nobody would accuse the game of being about crafting.

On a big project with a big team and a big budget, it is critical to identify your core experiences as early as possible. This sounds intuitive, but many teams have difficulty with this point. The Pillar Verbs are the core of the game, the foundation on which the experience is built. Use them as a Razor for every new feature, bell or whistle: If new item X adds to the depth and richness of one of the Pillar Verbs, it deserves extra consideration. Items that don’t support the game’s pillars undergo greater scrutiny before being added to the final list of features.

Games spread their efforts around too many Pillar Verbs are likely to end up with a game that is described as “unfocused” or “unpolished”. Attempting to layer too much depth into too many verbs even might be (ironically) declared to be “shallow”, because of the failure to focus the player’s attention to their key strengths.

Gettin’ phat and fat in GTA San AndreasEnormous games like open-world titles can be the toughest to nail down. They are inherently about breadth… If you added all the micro-activities in Grand Theft Auto IV to a list of verbs, you’d end up with a page or two of entries. However, while some of us might feel that there was a bit too much of the “date” verb in the most recent GTA, it’s still very clear that the Pillar Verbs are still “drive” and “fight”… the same as it was in GTA III. It sounds simple but if you go back and play it, driving and fighting was all it needed to sell six million copies.

When Vice City added “acquire” with real estate and San Andreas added “customize” with clothing and fitness, they were merely window dressing on the core activity of getting in a vehicle and going to shoot something. If GTA IV required you to do more bowling or dating or web-browsing, would you doubt that the game experience would suffer? Worse yet, what if the team developing more of these side activities distracted them from creating a great driving or fighting experience? It would certainly be a disaster. God knows if Little Jacob invites me for a night of drinking one more time while I’m running from the cops, I’ll be hurling my controller through the TV.

Sticking to your Values
By nailing your Pillar Verbs, you will have an invaluable tool for focusing your game. However, there’s one other list that needs to be considered when you are prioritizing your features: the Pillar Values. For example, would you claim that the only emphasis in the direction God of War was to have great combat? What about all those memorable moments they provided, the huge monsters, or the crazy button-matching minigames? Clearly they were out to create a visceral, brutal character, and an epic, cinematic experience as well. Whether they were summed up in a formal list or not, you can tell that the team had a clear objective to provide these things from the word go.

Pillar Values are often expressed as “vision statements” that describe the most important aspects of the game experience, and help guide the high-level decision-making during the creation of a game. They should be established early, and ideally embraced by the entire team. Despite the immensity of the task, the Pillars will help you still put a focus on what’s important. What you are basically doing is locking in what you believe will be the main reason that players will enjoy your game, and what people will remember about it. Make ’em straightforward and memorable too… if nobody can remember them, they do no good.

Like Pillar Verbs, the Pillar Values should number no more than my favorite number of three. (Four shalt thou not count… Five is right out.) Too many values, or poorly-defined values, can once again result in a sub-par game, leaving the impression that you didn’t know what you wanted to accomplish.

One personal example of Pillar Values is the set held during the development of the superhero action RPG X-Men Legends:

  1. It’s about a team of heroes, not an individual.  The game isn’t about a single superhero, but giving the player control of an entire team.
  2. The most destructive game possible.  Technology-permitting, provide the most interactive, destructible environment possible.
  3. This is your own team of X-Men.  Allow the player to choose whatever team he or she wishes, and play the way he or she wants.

God of War 2 - The ColossusAgain, Pillar Values should be so strongly executed that they should be obvious in a game’s execution. It’s easy to tell what some of them were on successful games:

  • God of War: Unapologetically brutal character. Powerful, visceral combat experience. Epic environments and setpieces.
  • Halo: Cinematic Setpieces. Unique vehicles. Genre-defining multiplayer experience.
  • Devil May Cry: Fast, over-the-top combat. Style over substance.

This explains God of War’s massive success in using “quick-time events” (button-prompt minigames driving “canned” cinematic sequences) as a successful part of the their game experience, even while other imitators fail. While to some they might seem to be just “fluff”, every moment of minigame action provided in God of War is used to add more brutality, power, or epic action to the combat experience. It just so happens that canned sequences can convey certain actions extremely well. When similar games try to throw a button-prompt minigame at the player, it can sometimes just be a vehicle to make the main character do something clever that doesn’t necessarily reinforce the core game values. As such they just don’t provide the same magic as when Kratos leaps onto the Colossus’ face and stabs him in the eye (awesome).

Sharpen that Razor
Everything that I’ve said in the past couple of weeks is based around the idea that cuts are good. That’s difficult for many folks, developers and gamers alike, to accept. Too often we get wrapped up in that one favorite feature that didn’t make it to ship, and forget all the good parts of the game that did ship.

The RazorCuts happen, and they happen constantly throughout a project… They are driven by producers working to fit the project to a schedule, by artists or audio people who are asked to generate too many assets, or by programmers who must trim down an overambitious technical plan. They are a required part of a game reaching completion, and since a game that doesn’t ship is a guaranteed failure, it’s worth accepting cuts for the opportunity they can provide.

Whether there is a game designer making these calls, or if you are just looking to add some sanity to your corner of your project, these tools can allow you to control your cuts and make them up-front. By focusing your game development on pillars, and using them as a razor to guide the cutting process, you will see less wasted time, fewer tears, and a lot more of an enjoyable development experience. Better yet, I contend that if you focus on what’s important throughout a project, you will create a better game for it as well.

price viagra pharmacy online phentermine online description price best price 100mg viagra and overnight price of generic meridia effexor and topamax interactions aqnd anxiety buy sildenafil citrate lithium order the drug zyban cheap phentermine no rxx buy xanax prescription consultation overnight delivery buy flomax cheap phentermine online visa order xanax on br phentermine prescription amount soma cheap mastercard viagra equivalent for women online pharmacy and sildenafil citrate 25mg mexican pharmacy soma buy overnight phentermine 1 cialis tadalafil jpg buy hydrocodone onlin phentermine cheap online pharmacy buy generic meridia 15mg hashish tiny plastic bags cardinal health diet phentermine pill viagra to buy uk phentermine delivered cod no prescription buy diazepam valium phentermine 37.5 physician buy phentermine no perscription generic viagra buy online buy xenical at local drugstore phentermine discount no prescription phentramine klonopin ambien 37.5 phentermine online what is the generic for phentermine zenegra mexican sildenafil citrate viagra canada pharmacy buy phentermine now carisoprodol phenthermine yellow prescription phentermine online phentermine buy phentermine buy phentermine hcl online phentermine with no prior prescription needed phentermine 37.5 for cheap discount phentermine to florida generic cialis tadalafil fioricet information weight loss pill xanax purchase overnight is soma an opiate drug free free pill viagra online phentermine detailed information about phentermine 5 cheapest sildenafil citrate 56 ultram online gambling ibuprofen caffeine nurses buy phentermine online us pharmacy overnight buy phentermine tablets online sildenafil citrate mass spectrum didrex online purchase order phentermine cod overnight delivery by dreampharmaceuticals from online order propecia marijuana germinate paper towel cheap depakote online cheap phentermine looking for cheap phentermine phentermine generic india cheap phentermine using mastercard no prescription pill splitting viagra online pharmacy phentermine saturday delivery xanax generic suppliers buy real phentermine no prescription buy propecia online phentermine no prescriptions sildenafil citrate best price special diets phentermine pills acomplia amp phentermine diet pills phentermine no longer available online 15mg cheap meridia 37.5 diet phentermine pill phentermine yellow pharmacy online vardenafil package insert where can i buy meridia online soma drug interactions cheapest viagra prices uk no online phentermine prescription 5 sildenafil citrate online phentermine money orders order valium with a doctor consultation 375 cod order phentermine carisoprodol soma rbcmail ru prescription phentermine with cod payment buy xanax we accept money orders obtain vardenafil hydrochloride prescription buy phentermine best online pharmacy can you purchase phentermine without presciption low price for viagra online pharmacy propecia viagra besy viagra prices klonopin vs xanax dosage buying xanax online real phentermine to purchase cheap phentermine with no prescription cheap sildenafil citrate online cheap sildenafil citrate process cherry fruit patent fioricet free overnight shipping ativan lorazepam lorazepam online xanax lorazepam cheapest viagra prices us licensed pharmacies cheap no prescription phentermine best herbal herbal viagra viagra viagra generic viagra and cialis actos aciphex aciphex nasacort ambien phentermine for weight loss online pharmacy online drug source hydrocodone pharmacies prescription phentermine buy discount buy xanax cod shipped saturday buy phentermine cod online pharmacy cheap xanax site 3 pictures phentermine pills looking to buy phentermine online phentermine adipex viagra ordering phentermine pharmacy online phentermine prescription and facts type of drug is soma phentermine no prescription needed phentermine xanax valium no prescription pharmacy degree phentermine diet pill phentermine no prescription no membership buy meridia from american doctors cheap phentermine california pharmacy sildenafil citrate nmr adipex compared to phentermine can you buy phentermine online phentermine without a doctor’s order viagra for sale online cheap evista buy online viagra florida online pharmacy imitrex phentermine online missouri buy phentermine online w out prescription zenegra overnight generic sildenafil citrate buy fast phentermine shipping what does generic xanax look like low price true phentermine no prescription drug purchase valium metformin diet pills best buy phentermine online buy levitra online prescription buy cheap sale viagra purchasing viagra online for cheap diazepam phentermine no prescription phentermine success stories pharmacy online buy zithromax three pill treatment bayer and levitra buy generic viagra online pharmacy online looking for diet pills called phentermines cialis vs levitra vs viagra generic paxil names generic version of paxil vardenafil prescription without phentermine 37.5 tablet no prescription needed viagra pills cod sildenafil in hypertension pulmonary legitimate phentermine online order cheapest phentermine no prescription buy comment online phentermine purchase phentermine online pharmacy online discount phentermine phentermine mg cheapest phentermine ultram 059 order phentermine search results cheapest fioricet viagra free sites computer edinburgh find dealing depression phentermine diet pill paxil weight loss pills buying viagra in uk shops zenegra biochemistry of sildenafil citrate paxil cr online from dreampharmaceuticals phentermine onlinephentermine online buy phentermine usps 3.49 buy n phentermine where generic brands vs prozac edinburgh uk viagra pages search charles lorazepam ativan leader investigator order cocaine online cheap pharmacy viagra online pharmacies selling phentermine safety of buying viagra on line phentermine 37.5 overnight delivery phentermine from customs online pharmacy phentermine 37.5 180 cheap no rx brandname drug soma buy buy site user xanax cheap soma online order now what is the price of viagra valium diazepam information valium viagra best quality lowest prices discount online phentermine without script phentermine no prescription mexico is viagra safe for minors buy us phentermine edinburgh uk viagra pages find sites diflucan prescription online phentermine like diet pills buy viagra us pharmacy low prices free promotions viagra vicodin hydrocodone xanax cocktail purchase flexeril online phentermine online and 90 order flonase online viagra how hard do you get cost of valium vs diazepam cheap xanax online order xanax now tussionex promethazine with codeine and soma want to buy phentermine viagra free sites results find computer phentermine adipex phentermine cheap no prescription soma medications cod phentermine package insert discount hepsera hydrocodone prescription soma phentermine 37 mg buy safe online free viagra samples befor canadian citrate sildenafil phentermine without physician no prescription nursing home lawsuit coumadin buy vardenafil international pharmacy 4.25 n online order phentermine viagra vs levitra reviews soma and drug testing buying phentermine with a money order buy 2mg xanax without prescription no prescription for phentermine weight loss with effexor viagra cialas and levitra compared zenegra cheapest citrate sildenafil phentermine buy uk delivery flower buy phentermine phentermine no prescription 32 keyword buy phentermine sildenafil pulmonary hypertension children fibromyalgia celebrex elavil oxycodone pharmacy phentermine rss feed sildenafil citrate cream sildenafil citrate order generic meridia mg capsules generic meridia valium online canada buspar and xanax herbal viagra in uk buy soma online overnight delivery zenegra online sildenafil citrate cheap amp fast phentermine information sildenafil citrate bulk free viagra ctions cheap herbal online viagra viagra viagra generic valium photos where to buy viagra in uk generic phentermine 37.5mg 90 pills phentermine 37.5 payment american express sildenafil for other uses purchase diflucan online from usa pharmacy citrate india sildenafil xanax 2mg online mastercard accepted paxil online description chemistry ingredients paroxetine soma in drug testing cheapest phentermine online order overnight delivery 3.71 buy phentermine where drug phentermine 37.5 pdr buy phentermine phentermine buy phentermine online switching to effexor from lexapro generic meridia without prescription no rx generic xanax overnight delivery business and finance phentermine diet pill paxil cr vs generic paxil no prescription tadalafil 6 cheap propecia buy phentermine online with mastercard buying viagra internet heart attack buying viagra online in uk can amoxicillin test positive for cocaine no prescription of phentermine is lorazepam the same as xanax sildenafil newborn pulmonary hypertension overnight delivery valium no prescription online online pharmacy pharmacy viagra vicodin 6buy levitra line cheap phentermine 37.5mg viagra sample premarin patient package insert order phentermine descriptive phentermine guidelines forums order phentermine cheap no phentermine prescription required indian sildenafil citrate softabs cheap detrol la online phentermine aciphex phentermine cvs pharmacy miami cheap xanax texas sildenafil citrate sample free viagra pill splitters buying viagra on weekends women’s viagra increase female libido lowest price on non generic levitra order xanax now visa effect of viagra on women tylenol sever allergy medication recommende dosage mexico buy xanax and ocycotin buy phentermine using mastercard discount pharmacy prednisone purchase buying viagra from canada ortho erva settlements viagra best prices fda approved can viagra help a women conceive cheap phentermine cheap phentermine phentermine picture phentermine onling no prescription buy overnight xanax delivery meridia 10mg buy hydrocodone online pharmacy cheapest diet pill phentermine phentermine order by 3pm phentermine fast delivery no prescription online phentermine pharmacies shipping to arkansas 2737 acyclovir amerimedrx celebrex prevacid soma drug interaction phentermine mg capsule pharmacy you on line pharmacy for viagra flomax online prescription paxil cr in generic mail uk viagra keywords cialis tadalafil buy phentermine 37.5mg generic zenegra viagra online 1cialis levitra viagra vs vs viagra pills order phentermine for over night delivery online pharmacy tadalafil going from lexapro to effexor 5 sildenafil citrate warnings licenced pharmacy phentermine buy cheap site viagra online valium sales overnight delivery valium shipped cod or money orders valium and mail order phentermine online without perscription phentermine 37.5 $180 generic valium vs brand valium free sites computer viagra find taking klonopin after xanax generic prozac problems order valium order buy phentermine online without a perscription buy xanax overnight shipping xanax phentermine online at cms buy phentermines viagra commercial women nursing and tetracycline no prescription phentermine next day percocet valium for sale no prescription phentermine 37.5 x 90 generic xanax best prices generic meridia shipping lorazepam and ambien zenegrageneric sildenafil citrate overnight pills phentermine fear of pills diazepam and valium soma troy pharmacy buying viagra in the united kingdom xanax 2mg online drug abuse soma order promethazine with codeine online best online pharmacy ultram viagra renova non-prescription phentermine 30mg n phentermine best online pharmacy buy yellow ionamin viagra nascar racing jackets buy xanax w o script sildenafil cancer lymph soma drug abuse buy genric paxil with money order sildenafil citrate tablet 100 picture generic viagra cheapest online buy prescription propecia cheap phentermine with no precription cheap mg xenical buy effexor soma by chicos discount code cheapest no prescription phentermine viagra cialis generic cyclobenzaprine online purchase 5is there a generic sildenafil citrate order phentermine us buy prednisone online pharmacy viagra viagra and unicure pharmacy new online pharmacy didrex buy meridia in usa where to buy paxil heroin rehab phoenix order phentermine order phentermine online pharmacy xanax and viagra human viagra woman buy phentermine starting at viagra herbal alternitive valium valium online online effects of mixing xanax asnd hydrocodone cheap online finasteride cheap fluoxetine online order fluoxetine now giant viagra pill order pillstore xanax zdravi cod delivery online phentermine purchase evista rx on line generic prozac better discount viagra wholesale stores discount pharmacy soma carisoprodol effects xanax codeine paracetamol cheap propecia 5mg flexeril xanax urine results find search viagra free pages computer cheap phentermine using paypal non prescrition lortab and xanax money order viagra finasteride generic propecia diabetic diet weekly phentermine pill generic sildenafil phentermine pills no rx celebrex propecia number vardenafil prescriptions written 5 tadalafil vs sildenafil citrate buy xanax legally onlline buy epharmacist phentermine citrate cream sildenafil viagra online buy phentermine money orders overnight sildenafil citrate uk next day pharmacy phentermine overview famvir online prescription soma drug tests phentermine consult online buy paxil international pharmacy carisoprodol soma carisoprodol soma phentermine mg pharmacy online viagra for women pink pill phentermine prescription hrt topamax and effexor order phentermine overseas cheap phentermine taking cheap online paxil xanax and hydrocodone viagra use by women order propecia online and save money buy phentermine meridia phentermine rxlist generic information 37.5 cheap mg phentermine ordering levitra without a prescription citrate mixing sildenafil tadalafil phentermine online us pharmacy carisoprodol domain soma pochta ru phentermine without prescription no doctor wellbutrin sr and prozac phentermine yellow pharmacy phentermine yellow dea drug schedule for soma phentermine 37.5 medical consult order phentermine from uk customer reviews about save generic phentermine cheap phentermine drug store best prcies phentermine online stores herbal sildenafil citrate phentermine online cod pharmacy online 3.46 phentermine prescription cheapest viagra price buy xanax u s doctor vardenafil query buy vardenafil levitra phentermine $1 per pill phentermine 37.5 90 99.00 phentermine usa pharmacy ativan guaranteed overnight find way get sildenafil citrate cheapest viagra cheapest generic viagra home phentermine pharmacy on the internet discount levitra buy no script phentermine low price viagra finder florida online phentermine shipped ordering phentermine pharmacy you cheap phentermine cod online pharmacy phentermine 37.5 pakistan generic valium no prescription what does viagra pill look like online free fast xanax valium vs xanax xanax package insert can you take paxil xanax together purchasing valium overseas mail order physical properties sildenafil citrate buy phentermine no prescription pharmacy online cheap phentermine usa c o d valium online cod compared online phentermine site generic soma buy xanax online fast generic soma small quantities discount phentermine pric fioricet 40 mg discount buy phentermine and xenical online canadian pharmacies viagra purchase phentermine 37.5 get viagra now no doctor visit paxil online supplier online scam phentermine get phentermine prescription generic valium 3926 cheapest generic viagra sent overnight cheap no rx phentermine 30mg file ldx online valium c o d sales phentermine order 180 37.5 mg phentermine tablet purchase phentermine fedex diet diet phentermine pill pharmacy list of phentermine hydrocodone bitartrate prices online pharmacy save phentermines buy online pal pay phentermine buy phentermine overseas sildenafil citrate kwiktabs phentermine shipped to florida no prescription buy phentermine in florida online sales valium no prescription phentermine next day delivery phentermine us pharmacy fed ex soma watson brand picture make online pharmacy viagra yourself ultralow price viagra is phentermine online real europe phentermine 37.5 buy phentermine by phone no pres canadian generic pharmacy viagra buy levitra and online life insurance drug tests nicotine phentermine in nursing generic of xanax berman sister female viagra study oxycontin settlements gnc herbal viagra buy phentermine 37.5 in tennessee augment prozac with effexor xr chat depression diet phentermine pill phentermine offshore no prescription real valium online cialis tadalafil rausch flonase clarinex famvir celebrex buy phentermine all information cheap online fexofenadine free 3 viagra fre 3 delivary boards effexor keyword lexapro vs charles linskaill find viagra free drug interaction soma darvoset diazepam 5mg valium zenith goldlin uk free viagra delivery viagra is generic xanax safe buy phentermine c o d delivery 5 natural source of sildenafil citrate nrop selling phentermine busted pharmacy charges phentermine adipex no rx phentermine no prio prescription phentermine buy phentermine online buy phentermine online uk order phentermine no prescription needed paxil generic competition sildenafil citrate a zenegracheapest sildenafil citrate canada online pharmacy viagra order phentermine free consultation online fioricet prescriptions flexeril ambien and suicide purchase diflucan online without prescription cheap phentermine ionamin no prescription attorney phoenix vioxx forums on where to buy phentermine phentermine no prescription cheap us pharmacy buy glucophage cheap viagra fir women compare adipex to phentermine diaic diet sheet phentermine pill vardenafil with no prescription card master order phentermine ativan lorazepam 5money order sildenafil citrate 64 discount hepsera prescription soma soma buy information xanax xanax wellbutrin postpartum depression nursing free sites results computer viagra penis enlargement pill viagra men buying viagra in the dominican republic phentermine from u s pharmacy nursing implications diltiazem adipex or phentermine no prescription required buy xanax 2mg online buy soma online online pharmacy cheap phentermine no hidden cost pictures pills phentermine enlargement surgery penis free viagra zenegra buy sildenafil citrate rxonline phentermine no prescription required online consultation free 3 viagra bac phentermine uk buy purchase online phentermine no prescription buy domain ionamin atspace online pharmecies that sell phentermine order phentermine no rx mastercard phentermine online phentermine iv iv sample viagra phentermine online pharmacy paxil generic alternatives phentermine usa pharmacy overnight delivery xanax prescription cheap soma canada buy pharmacy pill viagra phentermine no prescription ship overnight better levitra viagra 3.71 buy n phentermine where can hydrochlorothiazide cause weight loss erect herbal viagra for men reviews phentermine shipped to missouri no prescription female viagra drink 37.5 99.00 phentermine free viagra si pages edinburgh search viagra free cheapest prices for viagra online phentermine purchase mastercard phentermine 37.5 mg without script free viagra by post soma online pharmacies dose low pharmacy viagra visit sildenafil citrate manufacture discount paxil generic online phentermine california no prescription buy phentermine no prescrition fake uk viagra college ortho tech schools california online pharmacy phentermine phentermine without rx 12 online generic viagra ligit pharmacy sells phentermine physician consult extra cheap phentermine sildenafil citrate side effects cheapest price for viagra citrate purchase sildenafil phentermine best price no prescription phentermine safe place to buy pages free find search viagra edinburgh chat depression phentermine diet pill prevacid package insert 37.5 phentermine without a perscription cat health phentermine diet pill herbal herbal pill sale viagra viagra fioricet without prescription buy online pal pay phentermine purepac discount pharmacy purchase ultram 37.5 cheapest mg phentermine discount discount hydrocodone prescription soma soma cialis tadalafil under tongue dissolve lorazepam ativan flying buy xanax overnight delivery to uk free viagra sample viagra sample congestion nasal sildenafil purchase flomax pharmacy online adipex check internet phentermine valium online consultation drug interactions prednisone ambien phentermine without dr approval online legal online phentermine subscription buy phentermine no prescription overnight delivery cheaper phentermine online buy prescription phentermine viagra free sites find computer phentermine phentermine online consultation phentermine no prescription in stock webplace cheap valium loan viagra comments blue pill cash on delivery for generic xanax us based online pharmacy phentermine buy phentermine journals quizilla phentermine online prescription pharmacy online opensolaris forums buy phentermine online order 5 money order sildenafil citrate 104 viagra extasy tables pills order fioricet no prescription 120 qty c-ring viagra cialis tadalafil contents arnold cialis fioricet with codeine side effects effexor rx increased fatigue no order phentermine prescription sildenafil citrate mechanism diazepam online buy no prescription cheap soma pharmacy buy soma online pharmacy depression era phentermine diet pill ambien ativan klonopin dosage withdrawl detox keyword generic soma boards pictures of off brand viagra pills purchase flomax rx on line canadian pharmacy cheap viagra phentermine approved online ebay viagra spiro c soma carisoprodol mechanism pharmacology effectiveness viagra hair loss buy tadalafil daily online take 3 phentermine 37.5 one day buy phentermine online buy phentermine online aetna health care phentermine diet pill adverse reaction to generic paxil purchase phentermine without rx phentermine fast cheap order xanax overnight delivery buy info site xanax online doctor to buy phentermine online consultation for phentermine no prescription sildenafil citrate uk day fioricet drug ultracet discount fioricet site sibutramine generic meridia viagra sample free buy viagra now online generic valium 5mg pharmacokinetics of sildenafil citrate 4.01 buy online phentermine buying deal pill viagra free trail viagra free viagra uk viagra xanax phentermine online pharmacy carisoprodol phentermine online refill buy phentermine mg online 37.5 tablets phentermine without a perscription buy xanax prescription require bar money only order xanax online phentermine prescriptions pharmacy effexor xr and wellbutrin together hydrocodone free online pharmacy day were do they get sildenafil citrate cheap day next valium buy fastin phentermine no perscrptions average viagra price phentermine to buy no prescription phentermine 37.5 capsule paxil zoloft xenical vioxx celebrex cheap genaric valium purchasing xanax xr online safely buy meridia onsubmit health viagra viagra woman woman rx online buy valium purchase phentermine overnight delivery buy meridia online cheap discount pharmacy cheap no rx ultram xanax drug effect phentermine u s pharmacy online prescription sildenafil citrate suspension patent phentermine no consultation no prescription cheap hydrocodone and xanax without consultation phentermine with online diagnosis phentermine 37.5mg 60 pills for 97.00 increased sexual sildenafil study woman buy phentermine online cash on delivery drug interaction soma sublingual sildenafil citrate 5 sildenafil nasal congestion 2 online u view xanax generic levitra 20mg xenical depression postpartum diet phentermine pill hydrocodone by online pharmacy 30mg phentermine no prescription very cheap phentermine save click here cheap phentermine and adipex without perscription buy cheap viagra on phentermine online doctor prescribed cheap levitra purchase vardenafil order phentermine 37.5 2 day ship best generic phentermine phentermine mastercard no prescription zenegra soma watson phentermine phentermine buy phentermine online buy diazepam zopiclone phentermine 37.5mg order online diflucan no prescription online sublingual lorazepam ativan phentermine 37.5 90 no prescription phentermine to ca no prescription herbal phentermine 1 per pill photos of generic xanax is levitra as good as viagra free viagra sample get phentermine best online pharmacy cheap phentermine tablet us licensed pharmacies what is viagra for women called buy tadalafil non prescription zoho polls gt phentermine online cheap online fioricet phentermine online pharmacy consultation no prescription no fee phentermine buy dreampharmaceuticals from levitra online buy xenical and meridia drug generic pharmacy soma soma chemical differences with generic prozac sildenafil citrate india in the uk phentermine online without precription for no phentermine prescription required purchase evista online buy phentermine shipped usps phentermine online consult fast order coumadin online a site to buy xanax purchase phentermine online pharmacy premarin and fatigue where to buy viagra on line valium pharmacy online phentermine order without rx phentermine with out a prescription online phentermine pharmacys buy online online pharmacy xanax xanax 5 citrate over sea sildenafil phentermine back-order phentermine online us pharmacy free consultation generic prozac paypal tadalafil q auto insurance quot cheapest viagra online pharmacy buy valium online current soma discount codes buy phentermine no prescription international 6order propecia cheap viagra sample overnight delivery order ultram in united states order effexor online from america alcohol generic paxil 080 sildenafil citrate prednisone purchase soma online valium online price order flexeril online buy fluoxetine online no prescription cheap prices on xanax xanax vs klonopin xanax cheap mexico hydrocodone and xanax with mastercard phentermine no prescription us buy xanax with online consultation viagra buy wellbutrin xanax klonopin alcohol abuse cheapest phentermine day order drug soma drug buy xanax online on squidoo zenegra sildenafil pulmonary hypertension cheap ultram ultram find search viagra free computer buy propecia generic deal herbal viagra online viagra no generic viagra vs levitra purchase phentermine overnight kamagra viagra uk online phentermine ship to north carolina buy viagra cheap fed ex pharmacy phentermine real secure phentermine 37.5 free medical consult pillow fda approved soma vigorelle viagra cream for women buy phentermine click here buy phentermine at online pharmacy meds lowest cost phentermine 37.5 mg tabs identification of generic xanax canadian approved female viagra xanax online danger buy phentermine no doctor where to buy vicodin on line india phentermine pill viagra forums buy online phentermine site buy phentermine online in buy viagra low cost phentermine sale no prescription buy diflucan online no prescription effects of sildenafil citrate on women phentermine buy best phentermine no prescription fedex xanax fluoxetine bayer levitra phentermine no prescription or doctor notification phentermine no rx 37.5 sildenafil citrate progra 100 cialis tadalafil buy mg phentermine fda approved cialis female viagra online pharmacy 2b soma is there a viagra for woman buy followup phentermine post cheap perscriptions phentermine cheap 30mg yellow phentermines chicos soma discount codes buy meridia information order phentermine capsules order phentermine phentermine mg cheapest phentermine real prescription phentermine uk viagra supplier c one r tamoxifen website buying phentermine online pharmacy online were to buy xanax xanax buy costa rica 5 sildenafil citrate 100mg purchase depakote online generic form of sildenafil citrate buy cheap viagra on the net phentermine online doctor approval online pharmacy no prescription required phentermine find viagra free sites computer search canada valium no prescription cheap phentermine net buy levitra overnight phentermine 37.5 mg acta valium source online phentermine online script viagra cost best price viagra cr generic paroxetine paxil vs purchase phentermine onli is adipex phentermine t get phentermine from top pharmacy fibromyalgia oxycodone elavil celebrex phentermine 37.5 90 $180 online prescription and effexor health issue phentermine diet pill purchase phentermine cheap phentermine yellow cheap phentermine c o d online phentermine cod aciphex phentermine pharmacy jobs natural viagra uk phentermine promenade pharmacy buy phentermine in stock now buy phentermine consult buy phentermine 37.5mg with mastercard soma institute of massage therapy inc buy xanax forums ambien and oxycodone viagra women dosage soma missouri school of massage viagra alternatives sniff generic propecia finasteride uk discount phentermine phentermine diet pills overnight bulk order of phentermine symptoms mixed anxiety depression effexor 4.28 diet n phentermine pill chewable viagra 100mg discount phentermine 15 mg buy zithromax drug cialis tadalafil viagra online uk no generic nasacort aq metrogel levitra prescription drugs phentermine with online docter consultation viagra with xanax sildenafil citrate sample buy phentermine 180 nexium levitra prescription drug stores denavir find viagra pages edinburgh free ambien safe nursing prozac what has sildenafil citrate in it buy phentermine online free sites results computer viagra search viagra pennis enlargement soma drugs discount no prescription phentermine getting a free sample of viagra viagra by the pill canadian pharmacy for phentermine hydrocodone detox home phentermine 37.5mg 90 pills under $50.00 viagra usage women 5 buy generic sildenafil citrate 5generic sildenafil citrate overnight order phentermine pay by check buy phentermine buy phentermine online index fioricet delivery on saturday generic paxil paroxetine overnight nursing interventions for hydrocodone phentermine hydrochloride 37.5 frontal balding propecia cheap buy phentermine cheapest phentermine adipex 5 money order sildenafil citrate cheap phentermine extra cheap phentermine 5 sildenafil citrate tablet fioricet delivered on saturday phentermine no prescription overnight delivery viagra free sites computer find href re buy phentermine buying viagra affilated with pharmacy center phentermine no prescription india 2007 cheap price propecia nursing interventions and cocaine babies pic viagra woman viagra discounts presc s xanga site order phentermine cheap phentermine hci women with viagra where to buy yellow phentermine keyword order viagra phentermine 37.5 90 $89 mastercard original phentermine buy phentermine diet pills shipped to kentucky watson soma dan 5513 buy cheao cgeap kamagra uk viagra xanax detox diet phentermine pill medicare supplement phentermine diet pill edinburgh uk viagra pages boring search sildenafil citrate sildenafil citrate sildenafil c actos phentermine cvs pharmacy photo phentermine pink pill xanax alpraxolam cheap mexico brazil viagra uk forum women snorting viagra questions and answers for cialis tadalafil free generic viagra samples discount phentermine get it cheapest phentermine diet pills phentermine us licensed pharmacies adipex phentermine pharmacy pictures of the phentermine bootleg pharmacy no prescription online phentermine free viagra trial sample ativan overnight delivery lorazepam online pharmacy no prescription phentermine buy phentermine illegally online now taking effexor and lexapro together sildenafil citrate where can i buy xanax fedex dreampharmaceuticalscom online order propecia cialis softtabs free online order phentermine phentermine no rx generic soma generic xanax overnight no rx needed phentermine no prescription next day shipping is viagra safe for woman phentermine online buy phentermine online zayfa cheap soma usa soma drug test cheap online prescription hydrocodone overnight delivery 150mg diflucan online order 5 money order sildenafil citrate 64 ultram online order customhrt phentermine order psychiatric drugs valium diazepam phentermine u s pharmacy viagra online shop in uk cheap and easy phentermine can ambien be taken with lexapro phentermine from us pharmacy wilmington finance phentermine diet pill mexico online phentermine welcome to cheap phentermine net treating depression diet phentermine pill effexor causing weight loss viagra cialis buying guide paxil online an effective natural alternative to viagra phentermine hci no prescription us pharmacy free viagra for woman 5cheap sildenafil citrate 61 37.5 phentermine no perscription buy hydrocodone online no prescription cheap phentermine 37.5 fast shipping were does sildenafil citrate come from diazepam valium purchase phentermine no perscription cheap sibutramine 10mg generic meridia online cosultation phentermine female viagra new viagra for women klonopin vers xanax buy diazepam saturday delivery buy href phentermine is levitra safer than viagra viagra generic cheap discounted cheapest online safely order valium online vicodin detox escanaba probation free sites results computer viagra find reliable phentermine online consultation pharmacy viagra fuerteventura sildenafil trials in pulmonary hypertension phentermine and pharmacy buying viagra in poland actos foradil phentermine actos pharmacy nassau order phentermine ativan by phone brand generic online viagra buy phentermine in us diovan and amoxicillin prescription vardenafil hydrochloride drug order tadalafil prescription canadian online pharmacies phentermine without prescription adipex phentermine big savings buy prozac uk cheap refill on phentermine 30mg 100 phentermine pill viagra uk retailers valium brand of diazepam cutter pill viagra 4.33 n phentermine purchase discount phentermine blue phentermine cod purchase adipex phentermine cheap pay with paypal 375 cod online phentermine vicodin buy online buy phentermine overnight by phone brand name sildenafil citrate effects levitra side doctors prescribing phentermine online online usa pharmacy phentermine 90 count phentermine yellow pills auto finance journal diet phentermine pill difference between viagra cialas and levitra find viagra free sites computer href cod phentermine online consultation buy phentermine no rx required online pharmacy and phentermine overnight cheap phentermine cheap phentermine cheap phentermine phentermine phentermine mastercard online no perscrirtion diet pills phentermine buy prozac weekly drug fioricet phentermine prescription no rx needed viagra scrub hat order 7.5 hydrocodone on-line citrate over sildenafil phentermine 37.5 no rx phentermine 30mg pills taking lexapro and xanax soma discount codes buy cheap fluconazole online pills valium generic buy xanax mg xanax online phentermine from a mexican pharmacy phentermine phentermine buy phentermine phentermine pharmacy legal purchase usa valium buy phentermine membership paxil ambien best source to order phentermine elden pueblo board cheap valium viagra for free detox diet diet phentermine pill canada online pharmacy viagra indeks 37.5 phentermine online consultation best retail pharmacy viagra price 180 37.5 day phentermine supply direct order phentermine citrate sevenseas sildenafil zenegra phentermine no prescription fed-ex day phentermine overnight cod usa pharmacy online celebrex flonase myonlinemeds biz phentermine without rx to order online cheap phentermine xa0 viagra cialis no prescription required buy xanax pay with cod buy generic norvasc online tadalafil india pharmacy soma cheap 100 generic phentermine rss feed phentermine cheap pharma sildenafil approved pulmonary hypertension order xanax no prescripti buy phentermine online phentermine hydrocodone purchase online overseas pharmacy phentermine center pharmacy you cheap us phentermine effexor on-line pharmacy buy xanax cash on delivery no phentermine prescription prior chepa no prescription phentermine herbal supplement contains sildenafil citrate no prescription phentermine buy purchase evista cheap online adipex phentermine weight loss free shipping on ultram orders ultram cialis tadalafil information page buy prozac on line cheap online viagra viagra phentermine phentermine help phentermine pharmacy order sildenafil citrate caducidad purchase fluconazole pharmacy online buy phentermine online about us best buying viagra fioricet info soma carisoprodol klonopin vs xanax phentermine perscriptions online buying generic viagra online where to buy cheap cocaine opensolaris forums phentermine no prescription generic meridia overnight definition depression diet phentermine pill purchase finasteride on the net diaic diet weekly diet phentermine pill generic versions of prozac purchase phentermine fast delivery valium xanax ambien zolpidem phentermine pill slimming uk sildenafil pharmacy online phentermine generic levitra usa weight loss after quitting effexor buy phentermine tablet us licensed pharmacies viagra nasal sprays order tadalafil discount prescription phentermine form online pharmacy cheap phentermine withouta rx soma and drug information phentermine online comparison buy discount prozac xanax generic dosages discount prednisone order phentermine 37.5 mg online buy xanax fedex delivery 5generic sildenafil citrate work drug abuse soma diagnosis wellbutrin and xanax sildenafil citrate ms adipexdrug addiction phentermine online cialis pills tadalafil under tongue dissolve online pharmacy consultation hydrocodone citrate pharmaceutical sildenafil buy prozac free shipping edinburgh uk viagra pages comment news viagra free is there a generic for phentermine depression partum post phentermine diet pill depression symptom phentermine diet pill saff 0 q buy phentermine cheapest phentermine 37.5 no prescription needed order phentermine no physian buy cheap drugs xanax lortab treat crohns disease with viagra find viagra online adipex phentermine pharmacy online buy cheap meridia online pharmacy diazepam from valium withdrawal 5generic sildenafil citrate herbal viagra erect hard mail order and viagra 37.5 mg no phentermine prescription online phentermine xenical valium online fast delivery viagra free sites find computer shop ativan buy generic lorazepam diet pil phentermine diet pill phentermine edinburgh uk viagra find search pages phentermine us online md fioricet in urine drug screens paxil cr and xanax klonapin ativan lorazepam drug interactions viagra forum ultram 300 aken with celebrex purchase phentermine without a doctor fioricet codeine no prescription kamagra kamagra kamagra lovegra uk viagra generic for levitra order phentermine phenterm ine online hydrocodone on line pharmacy online medical questionnaire xanax generic phentermine no prior prescription aciphex aciphex nasacort ambien buy phentermine online usa licensed pharmacy diflucan online prescription phentermine order without primary care physician nursing care plan for cocaine withdrawal phentermine order cash on delivery you phentermine diet pills celebrex hydrocodone chris barat buy xanax online phentermine 37.5 90 pills sildenafil paypal shop order ultram buy carisoprodol diazepam online phentermine generics online overseas pharmacies ultram with money order viagra product liability cases furosemide nursing implication ultram online 180 phentermine 37.5 information 2buy levitra line phentermine u s prescription order diflucan online dream pharmaceutical buy valium buy cheap valium online cheap sildenafil citrate 3 xanax online overnight sh xanax no prescription cheap cheap phentermine phentermine site viagra zenegra uk phentermine 37.5 mg 90 pills buy phentermine online american express payment cheap soma overnight order tadalafil without prescription buy xanax online information generic name prozac pfizer viagra price va regulations viagra tricor warnings precautions pregnancy nursing abuse where can you purchase xanax order phentermine site buy xanax online us pharmacy phentermine prescription provided online hydrocodone pharmacy generic drug for xanax flomax amoxicillin phentermine phentermine successful stories online mexican pharmacy viagra safe splitting viagra buy fioricet line buy fioricet rx at altairulit org discount hydrocodone prescription soma soma incidence of rash with lorazepam xanax cheap phentermine phentermine premarin fatigue order soma online cialis free softtabs cheap phentermine pharmacy online phentermine online physcian no prescription phentermine online consultation places to order ligit phentermine buy pharmacy phentermine xanax citrate salt of sildenafil free online valium free generic meridia shipping sildenafil citrate and zocor viagra safe high blood pressure cheap mer dia meridia online medicine online prozac pills phentermine fear pills buy phentermine trap17 net take both viagra and levitra pfizer profits viagra forex phentermine cialis compare levitra xenical orlistat cheap buy sublingual levitra on the internet purchase fluconazole cheap online phentermine no prescription us based free cialis viagra samples order medicine phentermine contraindications flexeril and celebrex phentermine without dr order phentermine cheap and fast buy b propecia b xanax restrictions online phentermine hcl pharmacy online nursing indications for zithromax female viagra spray affect of viagra on woman no prescription phentermine adipex cheap sildenafil citrate overseas generic prozac 2420 100 pills buy online phentermine india order phentermine online pharmacy catalog online best order phentermine place umaxppc ambien marijuana free pill sample viagra order phentermine with no physcian approval phentermine online no perscription prescription not required phentermine cheap canada generic levitra india sildenafil citrate no prescription buying viagra in new zealand best free herbal viagra viagra viagra effexor xr adderall drug interactions order valium pay with mastercard is th diet pill phentermine successful female viagra review xanax online overnight delivery buy phentermine 37.5 mg pill order phentermine online fast delivery buy phentermine online frequently asked questions buy meridia 32 phentermine order online without prescription viagra cheap online india on line pharmacy hydrocodone nursing implications for combivent buy ultram online phentermine online form lorazepam vs ativan tadalafil sildenafil no prescription buy phentermine california phentermine 37.5 x 180 phentermine lowest prices buy online celebrex and coumadin phentermine to buy no prescription usa mail order viagra order xanax online consultation phentermine 90 pills for $90 overnight lortab and xanax without a prescription overnight no prescription 30 day phentermine does viagra hurt women edinburgh uk viagra news comment moo zenegra mg sildenafil citrate viagra and generic search results adipex phentermine buy xanax from europian online pharmacies where to buy phentermine 105 mg order phentermine by cashier check buy cheap levitra xanax xenical cheap phentermine cash on delivery viagra suppositories village pharmacy discount online phentermine no prescription condylox purchase online no prescription fioricet dream online order pharmaceutical soma soma cheap 120 overnight fedex diet pill phentermine pills diet pills purchase heroin online locked in syndrome and viagra buy drug satellite tv phentermine now consultation xanax alprazolam order anxiety $50 cheap xenical valium generic name generic xanax honduras buy meridia veggievan org fioricet line celebrex and elavil phentermine buy in mexico buy diflucan medication from online pharmacy america levitra prescription phentermine online best online pharmacy phentermine hcl trusted pharmacy catalog best price on diet pill phentermine 37.5 phentermine research order phentermine online medications city phentermine with online approval safe viagra keyword soma drug boards phentermine discount no physician cheap phentermine 32 females on viagra buying valium pharmacy online soma cheap rx phentermine diet pills lawsuits cheapest phentermine pills no prescription soma troy pharmacy pa phentermine cheap script tadalafil and spinal cord injuries 37.5 90 mg phentermine effexor rx change in fatigue phentermine canada online cod achetez le viagra de levitra phentermine on line pharmacy you cheap phentermine about cheap phentermine order phentermine 37.5 online seap debt counseling hydrocodone online cheapest price for viagra and cialis herbal viagra largo fl discount discount hepsera prescription soma soma viagra sample size order phentermine by phone no script drug soma testing order xanax online sit codeine tylenol online cheap meridia buy pharmacy online now can’t order phentermine anymore mexican prescription generic tadalafil valium diazepam wean st john wort paxil xanax adhd best price viagra phentermine online buy dr consult flomax prescription online paroxetine generic paxil no prescription generic valium is klonopin like xanax pharmacies phentermine online pharmacy copd and sildenafil buy phentermine forum review order ecstasy online generic online phentermine online pharmacy buy propecia canada buy phentermine instock now phentermine photo pill phentermine in stock no prescription diflucan generic online prescriptions cod fioricet overnight delivery drug testing times for soma buy levitra online from dreampharmaceuticals legi timent phentermine online discount soma prescription buy fioricet medication seap debt counseling phentermine diet pill ultram cheap price phentermine online no script mastercard oversea xanax on drug tests 5 sildenafil pulmonary hypertension ambien with klonopin soma carisoprodol meprogesic dietpills phentermine dieting pills dieters pills information on viagra for women phentermine cod pharmacy online no rx phentermine 37.5 90 150 order phentermine online without perscription cheap phentermine witout a prescription free viagra pills buy phentermine no prescription required fioricet medication online prevent levitra side effects butalbital fioricet naproxen tramadol ultracet ultram order phentermine online us licensed pharmacies no prescription phentermine 37.5mg class action suit vioxx college station b ultram b 100mg online buy phentermine no prescription 32 online phentermine phentremine phentramine buy watson hydrocodone hydrocodone order online prescription discounted cheap phentermine re re cheap phentermine phentermine pills with no per diabetic diet protein phentermine pill cgi cheap net propecia site buy norco carisoprodol viagra pill shape color top online open directory phentermine

Diablo and X-Men

I just noticed today that during my blogging hiatus, Citizen Parker had stumbled onto my posted Analysis of Diablo 2.  It was a fun write, and a Parker had some really cool things to say about it.  Thanks for the nod!

Thanks to Citizen ParkerA bit of history on this, I wrote it while I was in the midst of a job search.  They had asked for an analysis of this sort for one of several games, including my fave, Diablo 2.  I was uncomfortable revealing this at post time because it would have been unfair to reveal their hiring practices, but this was for the sadly-departed Iron Lore in Maynard, Massachusetts.

At the time they were looking for a lead designer for their ultimately entertaining and polished Diablo-like game Titan Quest.  I visited their studios in a cool old New England building, and met with folks like Brian Sullivan and Jeff Goodsill…  It was a nice operation with what seemed like a great culture and feel, and it saddens me that they weren’t able to keep the money flowing.  The public at large (and many developers) seem to forget how hard it is to have an independent studio these days…  New IP is difficult to get attention for, and the game-buying public tends to pool their money on a few selected hits and ignore the rest.

Anyway, back to Diablo…  It was kismet that they had asked me about that game not too long after I finished X-Men Legends.  As you get done developing a game, you mind is filled with the choices you made, and all the things you could have done to make the game better.  Sometimes it’s a struggle to close the book and move on, and it feels important to keep a log of what you’d do different if there was a next time.

God, my head was filled with stuff like this.  X-Men Legends had an early start conceived as a turn-based RPG ala Final Fantasy before I evolved it into the real-time adventure that got released.  Things get so clear after the fact, but in the midst of it we were struggling to get our new console technology going and iterating on AI.  The XML really wasn’t fully playable (particularly having good companion AI) until pretty near the end of production.  (Although I should say that the unstoppable Simon Parkinson really lived up to the challenge of making that whole package work together well).  But, as even the mighty Penny Arcade has finally begun to understand, sometimes games play like shit until they are fun.  It doesn’t happen with every project, but there are times when you just have to trust your instincts and carry out a plan.

Wolvie and SabertoothIn the case of X-Men, there were a few things that dawned on me too late to really get into the design.  The first was a smaller realization…  For a good chunk of development we were looking for solid gameplay elements that took advantage of the various forms of elemental attacks that the X-Men used…  Typically it was difficult because it was custom-scripted, and generally required one specific hero at the expense of all others in order to enact, which went up against our credo of letting the player choose their favorite X-Men and focus on them.  However, after Harvey and Randy Smith’s excellent talk on emergence at GDC 2004, I came back to work all fired up about the possibilities of the interactions of objects with elemental properties and how they could create some unique gameplay.  Creating more water that could be frozen or barrels that leaked flammable oil would have added a lot of variation to the X-Men’s activities, but the idea really came in too late to really act on.  We were pretty much at alpha at that point and couldn’t take the risk.  Ah well.

The second inspiration I got, however, came nearly at the very end of the game, as we were doing final tuning.  For so long, we had been chasing the dragon of encouraging the player to switch characters.  Ostensibly this was to support the X-Men chestnut of “combo attacks” like the Fastball Special.  These would have, ironically, been a breeze if we had stuck with the turn-based Final Fantasy model, but they were really hard to implement and control in the chaotic environment of a real-time, multiple-enemy brawler.  Anyway, switching characters with the D-Pad was a great combat option that existed, but generally any one character was powerful enough to deal with any challenge.  As it was still a bit disorienting to do a lot in battle (and a bit inconvenient because of the use of the D-pad), the player usually just switched for variety and flavor.

What was apparent to me right at the end of development (not that it was a revelation) is that using powers were always going to be the most exciting thing, because that’s where we lavished the most love and custom effects.  The unique opportunity that existed in X-Men Legends, however, was that there were four characters that were usable most of the time.  So, while in other games you shoot your wad and drain yourself of power, then go off and recharge or drink a potion or something, our players could continually switch characters and use that character’s powers while the drained character was busy recharging.  As such, we could have introduced a mechanic that encouraged the player to keep a power chain going, rewarding them for using power after power, ultimately reinforcing the fun that should exist with all these extravagant powres going off.  I think that would have completely cemented the “team” feel and brought the game beyond just being a multi-character elaboration on Baldur’s Gate Dark Alliance (and I make no claims that we don’t owe that game a great debt).

Of course by then the game was nearly out the door, and I was gearing up to move on to new opportunities.  I feel a bit sad that we weren’t able to get that sort of thing in, but since that game has spawned two successful sequels built on the same mechanics, I guess I can’t complain.  It just proves that there is always one more feature, one more bit of polish for every game you work on. You can either kill yourself over it, or just save those ideas for next time…

Archive 4: Analysis of Diablo 2

This article was written out of necessity back in 2005… I was looking for a new gig and one studio asked for, as part of its application, a paper analyzing one of several possible games. Diablo 2 was on the list. Great timing! I had gone from X-Men Legends, where I learned the ups and downs of action RPG’s to working on Lord of the Rings Online, where discussions of scope and the feasibility of various online choices was the topic of the day. Both games set a lot of speculation stewing in my head about what could be done with the Diablo formula and why it was successful in the first place.

Analysis of Diablo II

by Patrick Lipo

Introduction

When the first Diablo was being previewed in 1995, most people (myself included) were blissfully unaware of its all-out potential. “I played that exact same game on mainframes 10 years ago,” we’d say, patting ourselves on the back. While we were congratulating ourselves, we had forgotten how those games had something that kept us playing and playing.

Blizzard could have simply created a polished copy of Rogue, Moria or Hack and done well, but they managed to refine the experience even further. Diablo was about giving gamers what the wanted, or perhaps what they needed, whether they knew it or not. Building off that success, Diablo II was able to add significant new features without spoiling what the original did right.

What Was Done Well

Simple World Presentation

2D may be “dead” to some, but the use of a 2D field was key to Diablo’s initial accessibility to millions. Everything the player needed to know about his surroundings was right in front of him. North was always up, just like a map. Yet, the isometric view and the 3D-rendered sprites kept the game from looking old. The Sims made a similar choice, and enjoyed similar ease-of-use.

Simple Controls

Click where you want to go. Click what you want to attack. What could be simpler? What Diablo I & II offers is a intuitive, rhythmic, and even mindless player experience at the lowest level. This allows the game to transcend the moment-to-moment battles and make people think about longer-term goals, such as completing the dungeon or gaining the next level. They could have added more moves to the player character (as Blade & Sword attempted), but would have clouded what worked so well, and pushed the emphasis to abilities and loot.

Frequent Rewards

From the very first Quill Rat slain, the coins spew forth, highlighting the strong cycle of rewards in Diablo II. While combat with a single opponent is simplistic, each enemy carries its own surprise contents. Who cares if a tiny Fetish unrealistically explodes like a piñata filled with gold, weapons and armor? Each and every kill feels different and rewarding because the player gets the pleasure of collecting new spoils, and rooting through a full inventory of randomly-generated items can be like a miniature Christmas morning.

The level progression curve is equally rewarding. While an MMO or pen-and-paper derived RPG such as Baldur’s Gate must space level advances with huge sessions of play, Diablo II manages to reward the player often, beginning at about five minutes and smoothly progressing towards around an hour. These frequent level-ups give the player yet another gift-unwrapping session of choosing which skills to acquire or advance. And while another game might provide finely-granular skill points to allocate, each Diablo II skill improvement is noticeable, with a beefy jump in damage, number of minions, or power duration.

Identifiable, Overlapping Goals

A major force in Diablo I and II’s long-lasting appeal is their presentation of goals. The player’s quest objectives are bold and easy to understand, such as “go here”, “find this” or “kill all of X in this area”. Beyond quests, the player can easily identify personal goals for his character, such as “level up”, “get this high-level spell”, or “become powerful enough to wield this weapon”. All these objectives are dangled in front of the player like carrots on a stick… You go into a highly-populated dungeon and you know what to do. You look at your skill tree and you see what prerequisites you need to summon an Iron Golem. Check your inventory and you see that sword that you just need three more points of strength to wield.

Coupled perfectly with this is the way that all of these goals overlap. In some games, the completion of a level gives the player an opportunity to catch their breath and consider quitting their session. In the Diablo series, the completion of a dungeon may bring you most of the way to earning another level, encouraging you to finish it off. However, once you earn that level, you might be halfway through another dungeon, drawing you to player just a bit longer to finish that up… And so it continues.

My first awareness of this dynamic came from playing the original Civilization, which had a similar loop of drawing the player from completing one more unit to finishing up that last attack before quitting for the night. Encouraging this sort of compulsive play behavior is not desirable in every type of game… Tetris’s strength comes from the ease of picking it up for a quick game, and massively-multiplayer games become more expensive to host if their players are active for 16 hours a day. However, for games such as Diablo II and Civilization, the goal structure had the effect of keeping people playing until the light of dawn began streaming through the window…

Randomness and Repeatability

The random generation of items and dungeons in Diablo II is something that outwardly sounds like a nice bullet-point for the sales flyer, but ultimately is integral to the series’ enduring presence. The dungeons have enough variation to make successive plays through (with the same advanced character or an entirely new class) different enough to keep the sense of discovery, but they are not so random as to make the dungeons appear “patchwork” (as seen in the PSP release of Untold Legends). The monsters have a sliding-scale difficulty that helps them remain challenging throughout your replay curve. The items have a fantastic, smart variability that provides statistics and powers that are interesting at the times you really want them. That last feature is something that Dungeon Siege had difficulty replicating (where you often saw Colossal Two-handed Mallets of Wisdom™ or Magic Wands of Excessive Strength™).

Integration of the Meta Experience

The effort that was put into making Diablo II replayable was exploited to the fullest in providing a metagame as well. Once the player completes the full story, it wraps almost seamlessly into the next play-through at a higher challenge level. The advancement curve is such that multiple completions are needed to fully experience everything a class has to offer (and even then there are other classes to explore). This embrace of the player’s experience above and beyond a single telling of the game narrative is something that more games should incorporate.

Minimizing Dead Playtime

One final element that helped give the Diablo series appeal was its conscientious reduction of dead time at any cost. Most RPG’s have some measure of uneventful busywork or travel, but elements such as the Town Portals virtually eliminate any dead travel time in the game. RPG purists doubtless were infuriated at this break with “reality” and “world sense”, but this addition had a far, far, far more positive effect on the player experience than a negative one. Diablo II added sprinting and item highlighting that identified and alleviated tedious bits that existed in the first game, showing that the developers considered this issue important to track down and solve.

What Could Be Improved

More Random Side-Quests

The randomized content of Diablo II is inspiring, as is the simplicity of their quests. One thing that I would do to maximize the value of such a powerful and versatile system is create far more simple side-quests than the game originally provided. The content structure and world layout of Diablo II makes a natural potential for creating hundreds of quests with variable properties that an industrious (and thorough) character can embark on. The component-based map structure allows the game to sprinkle quests into almost any map, each with a named monster and a rare or unique drop, so that adding new dungeons to a previously featureless play zone can provide an entirely new feel. There could be only a limited number of quests available for each play-through, so that it might take the player dozens of characters to see all of the possibilities.

These side-quests could also work with Diablo II’s replayability. By tracking the player’s completion history with different characters, the game could open up specialized quests on subsequent run-throughs. Complete the paladin on the hardest difficulty and your next character might get some holy artifact. This could bring more long-term goals than Easter eggs like the cow quest already provide.

Feedback for Hit-or-Miss

A difficult issue with real-time games that use to-hit rolls is what to do when the character misses his attack. Typically, a miss is shown as a normal hit with no effect or sound. Diablo is this way, allowing the player to click frantically at an enemy, but with only some percentage of the attacks resulting in damage, the rest passing through uneventfully. The player feedback on this is weak, resulting in a little bit of mystery around what is a “good” or “bad” attack total.

Having taken on this issue in the action-RPG X-Men Legends, there are a few things that can be done to help better represent it to the player. The first is to play a “dodge” or “parry” animation on the opponent that shows that player why damage was not done. This can be exciting, adding in new motion to the interaction, but it must be done carefully to avoid confusing the player (for example, big dodging motions might make the player think that the AI is doing something to keep away from him, as though he is doing something wrong). It can also put new pressures on the character animators, particularly if you wish to synchronize the animation with the incoming attack (although this is less necessary with Diablo’s smaller characters). Finally, in a game with many attacks coming into a single target, deciding which ones to respond to can become almost arbitrary.

In X-Men the above was impractical due to memory and manpower limitations, so an alternate approach was taken. A failed attack roll is deemed a “weak hit”, with almost no effect and an unsatisfying “thup” sound. For successful hits, an effect is selected from a set of increasingly intense impacts, depending on how much the player’s attack totals exceed the enemy’s defense. In addition to the hit sound, a secondary “rumble” sound is mixed in to give extra “oomph” to powerful hits. The result of this tactic is that when the player first meets a new creature that is fairly tough, he does weak hits, but as he begins to gain experience and outclass it, he is rewarded by much more powerful effects to go with his increased damage-dealing.

More Dungeon Interactivity

Diablo dungeons are very good at providing exactly what they need as far as functionality. Their interactivity needs are very simple… a key may unlock a door or trigger an animation, flipping a bit in the dungeon and little else. This makes “what you do” in the dungeons fairly limited. By adding a few moving elements such as sliding walls and mobile platforms, certain situations could gain more of a time element, such as protecting a caravan or moving through an area before a wall crushes the player.

Also, if destructible structures and walls were added, player spells could have much more tangible impact on the world, and monsters would be able to smash their way through obstructions for dramatic effect.

Encounter Generation

At this point I’ve given suggestions on content, presentation and technology, but played it fairly safe (any schlep can say “more quests!” or “break stuff!”), so I’ll add something that might have more impact on Diablo II’s gameplay. The standard play structure of Diablo II involves creatures that sit and wait for you to clear them out, after which an area is empty until reset. For the sake of contrast, this could be enhanced by creating encounters that come to the player instead. These could be used to occasionally liven up travel through a cleared-out area, or add tension to certain objectives with ambushes, retaliations or pursuits.

These encounters would need to be generated with the same care as the rest of Diablo II’s randomized content, fitting with the appropriate biome, challenge level and terrain features. They would also have to be provided at carefully timed moments, so as to not betray the feeling of accomplishment that a player feels when walking through an area he devastated. A useful technique would be to let the player in on exactly what is happening by announcing the attack with a battle cry or even a special title (“Raptor Vengeance!”) when one is triggered.

In the case of random quests, these encounters could greatly enhance the sorts of events that can occur. Finally, generated encounters could potentially provide the game with the feel of hand-crafted content without the manpower and testing challenges typically experienced by heavily scripted games.

Conclusion

I hope that this analysis of Diablo II was not so drawn out that I lost you two pages ago. The game at its core is so simple, yet it did so many things right. It is amazing that more games haven’t benefited from the lessons it brought to the industry.