Quake Map Breakdown

What the heck are Weenies? Weenies are visual magnets to draw someone in.

Enhanced Weenies and encountering player movement Some weenies lead to enhanced player movement. One such is the wet suit which allows the player to swim in the water unharmed for a certain period of time.

Using lighting to encourage player movement Very bright colors or lights are in a way weenies because they attract the player for possible rewards (since Quake has secret passages).

Posters Posters show what is yet to come, building anticipation and possibly foreshadowing for the player.

Alternative Maps & Posters The first secret may pose as a poster to show what the player may look out for, changing the game experience for the player.

Presented Path vs. Exploration Some parts of the game are not part of the main path. The river, for example, shows there is a secret passage. This passage detours from the main intended path, but makes the experience fun for the player because they can explore other parts of the map.

The Power of the Path - the illusion of Freedom Though the secret paths veer from the main flow of the map, they are usually dead ends or have a portal or elevator to get back to the main path.

Rediscovering Rewards Once the Quake player picks up a reward or special item, they are not able to pick up the same one if they go back to the secret passage. There are, however, health boxes that the player may revert back to if she has not picked up.

Thematic Level Goals The goals in each level are pretty much the same in a typical first person shooter: kill the bad guys and get to the next level.

Moral Story Telling The player seems to be experiencing the game in solitude: she is alone, and she is the only hope for keeping the world safe.

Lesson of Main Street Quake implements the method of lights forming a path. Towards the last part of the first level, the player descends a rectangular path. Lighted buttons at the end of each linear path turn on the lights of the dark room.

Level Items The level items include health boxes, ammunition, specialty health items, weapons, and utilities to allow the player to explore or get to the next level.

Illusional Narrative One example of using illusional narrative in Quake is when the player enters a room with an enticing reward item. Once the player picks up the item, the lights go dark and the room seems to have changed while an enemy enters from nowhere. This adds excitement and tells the player a new sequence of events occurred.

Adding Danger Aside from the obvious enemies who try to kill the player, the level contains dangerous water that can injure and kill the player. This undesirable effect conditions the player to keep away from the water and not fall off the ledges.

Applying it All Applying all these elements makes Quake a memorable and fun game to play. Adding the jump element gives more dimension to the game (pun intended), especially when compared to Doom.

Warning/Foreshadowing A flashing screen indicates the player is getting hurt from a malignant force, be it a being or environment.

Maximizing the Path Everything is enclosed, even the outside section of the map, due to the technological limitations of the time. The developers gave the illusion of a larger map due to the secret passages that were added.

Storytelling through Environment The environments suggest a futuristic setting, and the portals indicate some science fiction and fantasy.

Implied Threats The lethal water and an explosive canister indicate threats to the player, aside from the enemies.

The Tutorial Section N/A; it was all a matter of looking at the game controls and trying it out.

Map and Discovered Information There is no map available for the player to see, so the player must remember where she is. The player also remembers where the secret passages are located and how to get to secret doors, due to the high reward that awaits her.

Building Anticipation Once the player finds a secret passage, anticipation builds for what type of reward the player will receive.

Juxtaposing Interior and Exterior Space Though the player is mostly inside, one part of the map allows the player to see the outside. The map also contains open and closed spaces, such as secret areas that are only as wide as the player.

The Clear Path Out A sign tells the player the end path is near, creating anticipation for what is yet to come and relief since the level is almost to an end.