Design talks #1: Doors in Apex Legends

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Hi, I have decided to start my weird ramblings by talking about small facets of game design that I think are neat in various games. I had bigger projects in mind like talking about Fallout 1's abysmal RPG systems or Fallout 3's atmosphere and world design but I have quickly come to realize that I literally don't have the time for that now. So I am starting with something small.

I want to talk about something very mundane today. I want to talk about doors. Specifically, the doors in Apex Legends. 


The doors in apex are unlike anything I have ever seen in videogames and it's always been strange to me how few people realize the brilliance of it's gameplay design. Let me explain. Doors in this game act as physical objects- destructible and openable both ways. Every D.O.O.R as shown in the image has 60 hitpoints. For reference- melee attacks in apex do 30 damage. Why is any of this relevant? Because a door is essentially in this game, a free healing mechanism. When you sit behind a door and heal, you are technically in the clear. Sounds a bit overpowered? It's not. And that's the beauty of it. 


Blocking door from enemy shots to heal



Trapping enemies inside a room with a grenade


When someone pushes you while you are behind a door, they have tons of option to down you before you heal up. Two kicks to a door, it breaks and leaves you with your pants off. A grenade to the door and it breaks at once and damages you if you are too close to it when it breaks. A thermite charged rampage breaks a door with 3 bullets. A wattson tactical through the door when connected breaks the door. Rampart's ultimate "Shiela" chews through walls. Horizon's ultimate can pull out a door from it's hinges. Grenades can be put around the corners of a door to break it open without damaging you.  Of course, if someone on the enemy team flanks you while someone else is holding the door on you, you are basically dead. Doesn't it sound almost like a death sentence now though? It's not. And that's the- okay fine, I won't say it again.


It's best to move away from a cracked door to get a quick shot in before the fight starts


Throwing a grenade in the air and moving away from the door to let your enemy chase you is a great play as the grenade might land on them and kill them instantly


Whenever someone kicks off your door, they are locked in an animation frame giving you time to get off some good shotgun pumps or even a nice little spray with an SMG. If you are really lucky maybe even time to stick an arc star and run for your life. Also, even if someone starts kicking your door instantly you have a good 4 seconds to heal up. That's enough time to pop a shield cell(heals one bar of your shield) and maybe a shield battery(heals your entire shield level) if you get an extra second. You can also hold doors as a form of bait. Kicking a door causes it to open up without resistance. So if you move away before someone kicks your door, they are locked in an animation frame but the door is open and you have your gun at the ready. Hit your shots, and that's one person down. There are also little tricks like making a door crack open slightly in order to hit your enemies through the crack, climbing the top of the door to get 5-6 seconds of height over your enemies to confuse them of your location or even just moving to the side when they kick your door and using your tactical to get out of there. There are just as many counterplays to a door play as are there counters to said counterplays.


Faking a climb to bamboozle your enemies is always a great option too


Playing the mind game to let the enemy make a mistake is a great feeling

Finally, there is something wildly exhilarating about door plays when they happen. It's an active stalemate that is created dynamically by the players and it's always amazing when the person at a disadvantage comes out on top. It's kinda wild that you and an enemy can sit on opposite sides with your guns out and have a sort of cowboy standoff- each waiting for the other to make a mistake. It's a great example of the game sense and split second decision making that makes apex so engaging. 

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