Abstract
This thesis investigates the impact of video game environmental design, resource abundance, and fault tolerance on players' in-game combat styles between melee and ranged. The researcher integrates all three aspects into a single-player level, "Dam Escape," built using Dying Light Developer Tools, to collect quantitative and qualitative player behavior data. By aligning predicted outcomes with actual gameplay data, this research seeks to refine actionable insights for balancing player agency with intentional level design. The results, derived from regression analysis and iterative calibration, will be presented in the data and conclusions.
Degree Date
Spring 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.I.T.
Department
Level Design
Advisor
Mike Porter
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to my thesis advisor, Professor Mike Porter, for his insightful feedback, constant encouragement, and unwavering support throughout the entire thesis process. I’m deeply grateful for his guidance at every stage of this project. I’d also like to thank Professor Katie Wood Clark for her helpful suggestions and feedback. And of course, a big thank-you to all the testers that their time and feedback were invaluable to my research.
Format
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Hu, Aidi, "Best Practices: A Framework for Modulating Melee and Ranged Combat Styles" (2025). Level Design Theses and Dissertations. 15.
https://scholar.smu.edu/guildhall_leveldesign_etds/15
