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GDA | Analysis | Borderlands 1
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Disassembling
BBBOOORRRDDDEEERRRLLL A A A NNNDDDSSS
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CONTENTS Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Borderlands the Game ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
This Document ....................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Formal Elements ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Player – Number, interaction patterns, roles, etc ............................................................................................................. 5
Interaction Patterns ........................................................................................................................................................... 5
Objectives .............................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Procedures ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Rules......................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Resources ............................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Health ............................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Shield ................................................................................................................................................................................ 11
Money .............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Gear .................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Inventory Slots.................................................................................................................................................................. 13Ammunition ..................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Conflict ................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
Obstacles ......................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Opponents ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Boundaries ........................................................................................................................................................................... 15
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Outcome ............................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Dramatic Elements................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Challenges .......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Premise ................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Character ............................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Story ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................................... 19
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INTRODUCTION
BORDERLANDS THE GAME
Borderlands is a science-fiction role-playing shooter (a first-
person shooter with RPG elements) that was developed by
Gearbox Software for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and
PlayStation 3.
Genre FPS, RPG (Role Playing Shooter)
Modes Single player, co-op & multiplayer
Developer Gearbox Software
Publisher 2K GamesRating Mature
Engine Unreal Engine 3
Platforms Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3
Release Year 2009
- Wikipedia
THIS DOCUMENT
This is an analysis of the game in terms of it’s formal and
dramatic elements. Because the scope of this game is very
large, this document will only give examples instead of listing
every single item.
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FORMAL ELEMENTS
PLAYER – NUMBER, INTERACTION PATTERNS, ROLES, ETC
As the genre suggests, this game is played in first-person view
(except while driving, which is in third person). This game is
tailor-made for co-operative multiplayer. I have personally
only tried out this mode, having played the single player
mode more. From reviews, comments by players on forums
and my own experience, the PvP in the game seems lacking.
Interaction Patterns
Single Player vs Game
Player vs Player
Free-for-All2 Player Co-operative (Split
Screen)
Multiplayer Co-operative
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OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the game is to find a secret place called The Vault , which contains alien
technology of high militaristic and monetary value, and can be accessed only once every 200
years.
There are a chain of core quests that players must complete in order to proceed further. Players
also need to gain levels by collecting experience, allocate their skill points into their class-based
specialization trees and finally, they need to continually upgrade their gear in order to make
themselves strong enough to tackle higher level areas.
When players complete the core quest chain, they finish the game and can either continue
roaming the world, or start another playthrough, with harder enemies, who give more experience,
loot and money.
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PROCEDURES
At the outset, players get to pick from 4 character classes. Each class has it’s strengths and weaknesses,
as well as one unique ability. All classes use guns, but certain weapons are more suited to particular
classes because of synergy with their skills.
Borderlands is a pretty linear game in terms of what you have to do, but as you unlock more areas, it
becomes increasingly free-roaming. Players complete the game when they finish the core quest chain,
culminating in their finding the vault. Other quests are optional.
One of the most important things that a player needs to collect is experience. It can be gained by
completing quests or by ‘grinding’ (repetitively killing enemies). Gaining experience increase s the
character’s level, which in turn increases damage and survivability while also providing skill points, which
can be spent in the character’s skill tree so that the character can specialize in certain areas over others,
depending on their class.
Most quests are missions given to the player by friendly NPCs. They usually involve killing enemies, finding
or collecting objects, pressing buttons located in hard-to-reach areas, etc. Completing a quest usually
results in a reward of experience, money or an item.
There are two other useful by-products of questing and grinding – money and equipment. Better
equipment helps you kill things faster and helps you take down harder opponents. Money gets you better
equipment.
When players kill an enemy, the enemy has a (pretty good) chance of dropping money or items.
Enemies killed in higher level areas drop better quality items and more money.
Borderlands has a huge number of different types of guns, shields, class mods, grenades and artifacts,
and optimizing the gear on your character is a big part of gameplay.
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Combat in Borderlands is like most FPS
games, except you aim down your
weapon’s sights instead of having the
usual crosshairs. You can also throw
different types of grenades. Headshots
cause critical hits that do a lot more
damage than normal. You can also
do melee attacks, but these are
usually a lot less effective and too
risky, except in the case of the
berserker class. The player loses shield
strength and then health when they
take damage. Shield strength can be
regained by avoiding damage (by taking cover) for some time, whereupon the shields start recharging.
Most classes have some form of self-healing or shield recharge skills, and some can even heal other team
members.
Players can also man vehicles, sitting in the driver or gunner’s seat. In single player mode, drivers can still
position and shoot their main gun while driving, or stop the vehicle and get into the gunner’s seat.
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RULES
Players have two vital attributes that they need to monitor – shield strength and health. Player’s shields
absorb damage and player health only starts getting depleted when the shields have run out.
When their health is fully depleted, they must either wait to be revived by another player,
attempt to kill an enemy to achieve a "second wind", or otherwise be regenerated back at
the last "New-U" station (checkpoint) that they passed, losing some of their money in the
process.
- Wikipedia
When a player loses health, it can be regained through medical supplies (via drops or purchase) or
healing abilities gained through skill specializations.
Players use weapons such as guns and grenades. The different types of
guns are shotgun, sniper rifle, rocket launcher, pistol, revolver, combat
rifle and SMG. Each type uses its own ammunition and the player can
only carry a certain amount of each type in their backpacks. Spreading
ammo consumption by using different guns is another aspect that the
player has to manage.
Littered all over the game world are barrels that explode when damaged, causing different types ofdamage to everything within a short radius, like grenades. Players also suffer fall damage depending on
the height of the fall, which can be absorbed by the shield before it affects player health.
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The types of damage in this game are shown below. This applies to damage done by guns, grenades,
barrels and even enemies:
TYPE GOOD FOR
Bullet/Melee Overall
Fire Flesh (Unshielded enemies)
Corrosive Armoured enemies
Electric Shielded enemies
Explosive Area of effect
There are strategically placed checkpoint markers throughout the game world, where the player can
resurrect upon death and that saves the player’s progress. Some of these, usually found in towns and
other safe locations, let the player teleport to all other such markers that the player has discovered.
Players can also reset their skill points here.
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RESOURCES
Health
The primary resource, health steadily increases with the player’s level and can be boosted via certainclass skills and certain shields which boost max health %. When players lose all health, they become
crippled (rooted to one spot with severely blacked out vision, wobbliness, etc) and have a short amount
of time to kill an enemy, which will give the player a second wind that restores full shield strength and a
small amount of health. The time available to try and kill an enemy is lower with each successive time the
player is crippled.
Shield
Forms a protective barrier around the player that absorbs a set amount of damage – although electrical
damage melts down shields like there’s no tomorrow. Shield ‘hit points’ can surpass player health and
can also be boosted by class skills.
Shields are very useful in that they start recharging, rather sluggishly overall, after x seconds. X is about 10
seconds (estimate) and can – you guessed it – be boosted by certain class skills.
This ability reduces player downtime between fights and is a very nice mechanic, seen in games like Halo
as well. Also, when your shields get low in a fight, you can always take cover and wait for them to
recharge before re-engaging.
Money
Money is primarily useful to buy equipment from shops. The game word contains shops that sell randomly
generated guns, shields, grenades, class mods and health packs. Shop inventories are on a universal 20
min reset timer.
Also, a percentage of player money is deducted every time the player dies and is resurrected at the last
checkpoint.
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Gear
As in most RPGs and, indeed, FPSs, gear directly affects player
damage output and survivability, among other things. So,
maintaining a good set of gear is of high priority throughout the
game.
Players start the game with the ability to use two
weapons, but later gain up to four weapon slots, as well
as slots for an energy shield, a grenade modification, and
a class modification.
One of the key features of Borderlands is the randomly-
generated weapons and items created either as
dropped by foes, found in storage chests about the
game, sold at vendors in the game, or as quest reward
items. The game uses a "Procedural Content Creation
System" to create these weapons and items, which can
alter their firepower, rate of fire, and accuracy, add in
elemental effects such as a chance to set foes on fire,
and at rare times other special bonuses such as regenerating the player's ammo. A color-
coded scale is used to indicate the rarity of the weapon or item. It is estimated that the
random system can generate over 17 million variations of weapons.
Items collected but not used can be sold back at vendors for money that then can be used
to buy better items. Used items can also be sold.
- Wikipedia
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A funky characteristic of weapons is that
the player has to look down their sights to
get the best aim, and different guns have
totally different styles of sights that really
give guns a varied feel. For example,
sniper scopes come in different shapes,
colour schemes and decals. Other guns can either have normal sights or scopes. Also, the sway, reload
speeds and other subtle characteristics (together with the more obvious ones like different gun models)
all contribute to an ever changing experience when using different guns –
after all, in a game like this, you gun is what you are always looking
at/through.
Class mods are a sort of equippable item that can only be used by a certainclass and provide additional points in certain sets of skills, as well as special
bonuses.
Inventory Slots
Players start off with a set amount of inventory slots, which
restricts how many items they can carry at any given time.
Inventory slots can be increased by completing a type of quest
available in most regions, where you have to repair and rescue
a claptrap robot.
Ammunition
Each type uses its own ammunition and the player can only
carry a certain amount of each type in their backpacks.
Spreading ammo consumption by using different guns is another
aspect that the player has to manage.
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CONFLICT
Obstacles
Since a large chunk of the gameplay consists of completing quests, locating quest objectives and
neutralizing threats along the way and at the destination is the main challenge. Although there is a very
efficient map, quest log and quest objective location marker system; some quest objectives are
designed to be hard to find, while most are guarded by enemies. Also, the player has to traverse to the
objective, which can be quite time-consuming. However, the player can also drive or teleport to the
desired location.
Some parts of the map are also blocked off by terrain and the player has to find alternate routes around,
often on foot and through enemy-infested regions.
Opponents
Enemies are like the player in that they also have shields (or not) and health, and die when they have lost
all their health. Once they are alerted to the player’s presence, either by proximity (about 30 yards for
most enemies I’d guess), or when the player shoots at them, they
‘lock on’ to the player, calling their buddies in the vicinity and
trying to advance towards the player, seeking cover and strategic
positions, all the while shooting at the player. Some enemies are
melee-only and charge
towards the player, causing
massive damage on
contact. Enemies are of
many varieties – too many for the scope of this document, but a
typical example is the brute class of enemies, that have very high
health and cause moderate damage, but move very slowly and
are physically huge targets with no shield. Another enemy is the
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soldier-trooper class that tosses grenades, shoots very accurately, seeks cover well and has a pretty
decent shield and moderate health – these usually require a bit more than a run-and-gun approach,
especially when you see a grenade sailing towards your face.
Borderlands has a Procedural Content Creation System, which is also used to create therandom characteristics of enemies that the player may face. This allows for enemies of the
same species to have widely-varying attacks: for example, variations of spiderants in the
game could leap around and would jump onto players' faces, while another variant can roll
up into a ball and attack people, depending on the content generator.
- Wikipedia
BOUNDARIES
Throughout the game, the player can only access higher level areas by either reaching a certain level or
that and completing a certain quest. This is why the game is fairly linear at the beginning, as the number
of areas you can explore is very restricted.
The same applies to all gear and quests – the player has to be above a certain level to use or obtain
them.
OUTCOMEWhen players complete the core quest chain, they finish the game and can either continue
roaming the world, or start another playthrough, with harder enemies, who give more experience,
loot and money.
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DRAMATIC ELEMENTS
CHALLENGES
Borderlands contains challenges of the FPS type as well as the RPG type. The FPS challenge is to position
yourself, aim and shoot well to kill your opponents while taking minimal damage. The RPG challenge is to
optimally manage your gear and skill points, and to obtain and complete quests.
The enemies are easy at the start of the game and get progressively harder, more numerous and with
better abilities.
PREMISE
Borderlands is set on the planet
of Pandora. Lured by its
apparent vast deposits of
minerals, several colonization
ships journey to the planet and
create a society there.
However, they soon discover that there is little else of value
on the planet save for the
presence of alien ruins. Those
who are rich enough to do so
left the planet, leaving the rest
of the population to scavenge
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for themselves. While some isolated settlements were formed, much of the rest of the
colonists became bandits, living out in the barren wastelands or trashheaps across the
planet. Further investigation of the alien artifacts leads to the discovery of "The Vault". A
supposed treasure trove of alien artifacts, technology, and of insurmountable wealth. But
those that had discovered it were wiped out by a protective force, leaving few clues as to its
location or purpose but creating a myth of its marvelous treasures.
- Wikipedia
CHARACTER
There are four
playable characters
in the game; though
they are given
default names by the
game, the player
can opt to change
their names or
appearance of their
outfits at "New-U"
stations throughout
the game. Brick is a
Berserker, a tank that
is strong in melee
combat with the special ability of entering a berserker rage mode to rapidly punch through
the enemies. Lilith is one of only six known Sirens, beings with superhuman powers but with no
way of controlling them; Lilith's Phasewalk ability allows her to temporarily enter another
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dimension and then exit within a group of foes, causing a shock-wave blast that harms them.
Mordecai, a Hunter, is aided by his pet bird Bloodwing which can be used to assist in his
long-range attack skills and scavenging. Roland, a former Crimson Lance Soldier, is able to
deploy a turret to help with close-range combat.
- Wikipedia
STORY
Borderlands begins approximately 200 years after the discovery of the Vault; seeking the
Vault, several fortune seekers, including the player, are drawn to Pandora. After arriving at
the town of Fyrestone, the player sees an image of a mysterious woman, the "Guardian
Angel", aware they are here to seek the Vault, and directs them to follow her instructions. The
Angel eventually leads them to collecting one of the several artifacts needed to open the
vault, causing Patricia Tannis, an archeologist/scientist, to contact the player and urging
them to collect the other two Vault keys, at the same time revealing that the Vault opens
every 200 years, and the time of the next opening is approaching. At the same time,
Commander Steele of the Crimson Lance, a well-outfitted force, threatens to declare martial
law over the planet and demands the vault keys.
While the player is able to secure the second and third Vault keys without incident, they find
that the final vault key is not where it is expected. Steele contacts the players, and revealsthat Tannis had betrayed them, that there are in fact only three keys, and proceeds to cut
off the planet's ECHO network, disabling further communication with the Guardian Angel.
The player infiltrates the Crimson Lance's headquarters and find Tannis locked up; she reveals
she had no choice but to betray the player under force, but urges him/her to restart the
ECHO network and to prevent Steele and the Crimson Lance from using the key. After
restoring the network, the Guardian Angel urges the players to hurry and stop Steele. The
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player finds as they approach the Vault that the Crimson Lance are in combat with alien
Guardians; after bypassing both forces, the player finally arrives at the Vault, too late from
stopping Steele from using the key. However, when the Vault opens, Steele and her guard
are wiped out by a giant monster that is attempting to escape the vault. The Guardian
Angel explains that the monster is called the Destroyer, imprisoned in the Vault by the alien
Eridians long ago to prevent it from destroying the universe, with the Guardians present to
prevent anyone from opening it. The player is able to defeat the monster, sealing the Vault
for another 200 years.
- Wikipedia
CONCLUSION
Borderlands is an addictive game which I spent many hours playing – I took a soldier and hunter to the
20s and a siren to level 50, almost finishing the 2nd playthrough. The lack of endgame content is a huge
drawback, but the variety of equipment and class-specialization-gear combination really keeps you
going, along with the really well-conceived special effects, e.g. the crazy enemy screams as they burn to
death.