Space: Exploration in Valheim

Outline of game mechanic functionality:

The game space is continuous within a 3-D procedurally-generated world. The game space is divided into biomes which are accessible to the player, but designed in such a way that venturing into another biome without having the proper gear and stats is painfully difficult. This forces the player to fully explore each biome; exploiting all available resources for gear and consumables before striking out in the harsher areas in search of more powerful resources and harder challenges. Movement between the biomes is thus restrained until certain conditions are met by the player, such as equipping gear to survive the climate or building a boat to travel to other lands. In my opinion, this does not make the player feel constrained, but encourages them to take the time to fully explore and customize their environment before moving on.

Game mechanics relationships to other game elements:

We will discuss in the next point how exploration is affected by the day and night cycle. Likewise, exploration is in a direct relationship with crafting, as many items require resources that must be found and harvested from the game world and crafted to enable further exploration.

Time: The Day and Night Cycle in Valheim

Outline of game mechanic functionality:

A full day in Valheim is 30 minutes, with daylight running 21 minutes and night time for 9 minutes, so it is continuous. There is no way to precisely measure time in the game other than watching the movement of the sun. While playing during the night is possible, the player must contend with certain limitations not present during day time. first of all, darkness, which can be offset by carrying a torch. Also, monster encounters are more frequent during the night, both in quantity and difficulty level. Last of all, the player is afflicted by a Cold status effect, which slows down Health and Stamina regeneration.

Game mechanics relationships to other game elements:

The day and night cycle offers a different exploration experience to the player, with more frequent and difficult combat occuring during the night. Crafting allows the player to bypass the night time by sleeping in a bed placed inside a roofed structure near a source of heat, all craftable items by the player. Later, the ability to brew mead offsets the Cold effect brought by the night time or freezing climate.

Objects, Attributes and States: Crafting in Valheim

Outline of game mechanic functionality:

During the course of Valheim, the player will have the chance to use a cooking station, to cook basic food items using meat and berries in the earlier levels; and accessing more complex recipes and rarer ingredients in the later areas.

While starvation is impossible in Valheim, cooking food is vitally important for the buff it provides the player; greatly increasing their Stamina and Health attributes while offsetting many negative state changes present within the game.

Game mechanics relationships to other game elements:

Cooked items’ attributes are temporary; offering their benefits for a certain time limit visible as a decreasing bar in the UI. As the player is limited to a maximum of three buffs provided by food at the same time, it is up to the player to make the choice as to which food they will consume based on availability and desired effect.

Players Actions: Building in Valheim

Outline of game mechanic functionality:

To differentiate it from Crafting, which in my opinion is more of a basic action, Building is more strategic; because its applications are more up to the player’s imagination and place in the environment. By being able to build walls, floors and ceilings and create their own structures, players effectively change the game’s world; taming the environment and turning it into a place where they can evolve and thrive.

Game mechanics relationships to other game elements:

Like the previous Crafting example, built objects have attributes and states, notably Durability, which can vary according to the materials used and the damage sustained. Players will have to regularly repair their buildings after monster attacks to avoid losing the building’s benefits.

Game Rules: Stamina in Valheim

Outline of game mechanic functionality:

Stamina is arguably the most important attribute in Valheim. It governs many elements of the game from Health to combat (number of blows one can attempt before being winded), movement (distance that can be run and/or swam by the player) as well as encumbrance (distance than can be walked while encumbered). Insufficient Stamina prevents the player from executing most actions in the game.

Game mechanics relationships to other game elements:

Stamina is closely related to many elements of the game. It is directly related to movement and encumbrance as explained above and, as such, can greatly affect the player’s ability to explore the world. Likewise, Stamina can also be affected by many different States, such as Warm/Cold, Rested, and Fed. Before tackling the game’s bosses, a high Stamina is a real game changer.

Skill: Combat in Valheim

Outline of game mechanic functionality:

Combat mechanics in Valheim are a mix of physical and mostly mental skills. The early mobs are relatively easy to kill for a beginner; becoming increasingly easy as the players improve their gear and virtual weapon skills.

Bosses, on the other hand, can be quite difficult, particularly for a solo player and the need arises for more strategic gameplay which test the players’ mental skills. Social skills are not as solicited beyond the regular anti-griefing rules present in most games.

Game mechanics relationships to other game elements.

Aside from combat, the Skill mechanics are also present in Building, which solicits the players’ creativity to create structures to shelter their characters and hoard their supplies. Social skills play a role as well when players pool their resources together to create larger, more impressive structures.

Chance: Events in Valheim:

Outline of game mechanic functionality:

Chance is incorporated into Valheim through the events that affect the world. These range from changes in weather to the appearance of monsters.

For example, the players are confronted very often with rain during the game which, while not a game breaker, might direct players to more domestic tasks such as building or harvesting to avoid negative effects of being Wet.

On the other hand, the appearance of monsters, such as during the night or when triggered by the Forest is Moving event would force the player into combat at less than ideal times and provide more of a challenge.

Game mechanics relationships to other game elements.:

Chance also plays an unseen role in the monster encounter while exploring, the resources found or the items uncovered in the chests scattered around the world.

François Dumont

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