Description
A turret is a special, high-powered weapon that is usually fixed at a location. The turret may be operable by the player or NPCs, or be automatic. Since turrets are usually more powerful than standard weapons, care must be taken to insure that the turret does not unbalance the level.
A common use of automatic or enemy NPC turrets is to create a challenge where the player has to carefully move from cover to cover.
Affordances
- The size of the area covered by the turret
- The type of weapon used as a turret
- The amount of ammunition available for the turret
- If the turret is fixed or mobile
Consequences
When the player is given a turret, the effect is to break up the level by providing an alternate gameplay state. They can engage enemies that are too powerful to overcome with conventional weapons, increasing the pace of the level.
Automatic or enemy NPC turrets have effects similar to sniper locations: player movement is limited, increasing tension and challenge while slowing the pace.
Relationships
A turret may be placed in a sniper location. A turret may be mounted on a vehicle during a vehicle section.
Examples
| Description | Screenshot |
|---|---|
| There is a turret in the level “Route Kanal” of Half-Life 2; a fixed, powerful weapon used by the player to engage several waves of enemy NPCs. |  |
| In the Gears of War level “Fish in a Barrel” there is a turret operated by an Enemy NPC. The turret itself has little cover, but prevents the player from advancing through the arena. If the player uses a flanking route, they can eliminate the enemy NPC and operate the turret themselves. |  |
| In the first level of Crysis, the player encounters some enemies that attack using turrets. The player must sneak around to avoid enemy fire and take out the enemy NPC operating the turret. The player may then use the turret for his or her self to attack against enemy NPCs. In this specific case, the turret can also be used to attack enemy boats patrolling in the water. |  |
| After the choke point at the end of the first level of Crysis, the player may kill the enemy NPC operating a turret in order to take it over and use it against another wave of oncoming enemies. |  |
| In the level “Crow's Nest” of Halo 3, the player must fight enemies with turrets by using a turret of his own. The player may either fight with the turret in its mounted location, or pick it up and move around with it. |  |
| In the level “Crow's Nest” of Halo 3, the player must use a turret in an arena to defend himself and his NPC allies against waves of oncoming enemies. |  |
