WORMS ARMAGEDDON
About the Game
Worms Armageddon is a turn-based artillery strategy game published by MicroProse in 1999. Players control teams of up to eight worms with access to a vast and imaginative arsenal, ranging from simple tools (blowtorch, drill, parachute) to familiar firearms (shotgun, uzi, bazooka) to the preposterous (banana bomb, sheep launcher, magic bullet). Although the franchise is best known for its frenetic local multiplayer, it also features a substantial singleplayer campaign with several different gameplay modes. As of April 2017, Worms Armageddon has received Very Positive reviews from 1,600 Steam users.
Worms Armageddon is a turn-based artillery strategy game published by MicroProse in 1999. Players control teams of up to eight worms with access to a vast and imaginative arsenal, ranging from simple tools (blowtorch, drill, parachute) to familiar firearms (shotgun, uzi, bazooka) to the preposterous (banana bomb, sheep launcher, magic bullet). Although the franchise is best known for its frenetic local multiplayer, it also features a substantial singleplayer campaign with several different gameplay modes. As of April 2017, Worms Armageddon has received Very Positive reviews from 1,600 Steam users.
Busted: Elite Deathmatch with Shotguns Only
One of the singleplayer game modes in Worms Armageddon is Deathmatch, in which the player faces off against teams of computer-controlled worms on randomized destructible terrain. Each win improves the player's rank, unlocking progressively harder battles. Although the arsenal for both sides is fixed and symmetrical, the number of allied worms gradually decreases, while enemy numbers and the strength of their AI gradually increase. The highest rank, Elite, features 2 allied worms against 15 enemy worms, all at the maximum AI level. The objective was to reach and complete the Elite battle using only the shotgun.
In terms of damage output, the shotgun is a solid mid-tier weapon, dealing a maximum of 50 damage per turn -- equal to the bazooka, grenade, homing missile, land mine, and uzi. The shotgun's strength lies in its versatility and predictability. The player can concentrate fire on a single target, finish off multiple weakened targets, or chew through the terrain to improve maneuverability. Unlike weapons that are thrown or launched, its simple aiming system and small blast radius ensure that a missed shot is unlikely to be detrimental for the player.
The question that remains is how to best employ this weapon against an enemy with greater forces, access to more powerful weapons, and impeccable aim. The video below explains a key weakness in the enemy AI and the dominant strategy for exploiting it.
One of the singleplayer game modes in Worms Armageddon is Deathmatch, in which the player faces off against teams of computer-controlled worms on randomized destructible terrain. Each win improves the player's rank, unlocking progressively harder battles. Although the arsenal for both sides is fixed and symmetrical, the number of allied worms gradually decreases, while enemy numbers and the strength of their AI gradually increase. The highest rank, Elite, features 2 allied worms against 15 enemy worms, all at the maximum AI level. The objective was to reach and complete the Elite battle using only the shotgun.
In terms of damage output, the shotgun is a solid mid-tier weapon, dealing a maximum of 50 damage per turn -- equal to the bazooka, grenade, homing missile, land mine, and uzi. The shotgun's strength lies in its versatility and predictability. The player can concentrate fire on a single target, finish off multiple weakened targets, or chew through the terrain to improve maneuverability. Unlike weapons that are thrown or launched, its simple aiming system and small blast radius ensure that a missed shot is unlikely to be detrimental for the player.
The question that remains is how to best employ this weapon against an enemy with greater forces, access to more powerful weapons, and impeccable aim. The video below explains a key weakness in the enemy AI and the dominant strategy for exploiting it.
Design Analysis
As shown in the video above, the player can complete the Deathmatch gameplay mode by ignoring conventional tactics, and instead relying on a single weakness in the enemy AI. This would likely be true no matter how lopsided the battle is -- whittling away at an army of 50 enemy worms would be no more difficult than 15, just more time consuming. To provide a more balanced experience, the solution should be obvious: rewrite the AI shot selection heuristic to be more willing to cause friendly fire.
The problem that arises is that without this mechanic for the player to exploit, the highest levels of Deathmatch would likely be impossible to complete. Designers may be tempted to look for other methods of rebalancing in order to ensure the fairness of these levels, but this would be a mistake. When developing a difficulty curve, poor AI should not be retained in order to serve the needs of an arbitrary final challenge. Instead, the AI should be designed to provide a compelling gameplay experience at every difficulty level, and then the final challenge should be scaled accordingly to serve that experience. In other words, challenges should be designed around good AI, rather than designing AI to enable a particular challenge.
It is worth noting that a more robust enemy AI would automatically encourage the player to use more of the weapons at their disposal, and to develop the specific skills necessary to use each weapon effectively. The grenade, bazooka, and ninja rope all have much higher skill ceilings than the shotgun, making them stronger choices in particular scenarios. When the player reaches a high enough skill level, their decision making on each turn will place a higher value on effectiveness and specificity, rather than the versatility and ease of use that the shotgun offers.
As shown in the video above, the player can complete the Deathmatch gameplay mode by ignoring conventional tactics, and instead relying on a single weakness in the enemy AI. This would likely be true no matter how lopsided the battle is -- whittling away at an army of 50 enemy worms would be no more difficult than 15, just more time consuming. To provide a more balanced experience, the solution should be obvious: rewrite the AI shot selection heuristic to be more willing to cause friendly fire.
The problem that arises is that without this mechanic for the player to exploit, the highest levels of Deathmatch would likely be impossible to complete. Designers may be tempted to look for other methods of rebalancing in order to ensure the fairness of these levels, but this would be a mistake. When developing a difficulty curve, poor AI should not be retained in order to serve the needs of an arbitrary final challenge. Instead, the AI should be designed to provide a compelling gameplay experience at every difficulty level, and then the final challenge should be scaled accordingly to serve that experience. In other words, challenges should be designed around good AI, rather than designing AI to enable a particular challenge.
It is worth noting that a more robust enemy AI would automatically encourage the player to use more of the weapons at their disposal, and to develop the specific skills necessary to use each weapon effectively. The grenade, bazooka, and ninja rope all have much higher skill ceilings than the shotgun, making them stronger choices in particular scenarios. When the player reaches a high enough skill level, their decision making on each turn will place a higher value on effectiveness and specificity, rather than the versatility and ease of use that the shotgun offers.