Fitting, new rewards?

[MSPaintR0cks]

In my wad, I want to add something new besides secrets and powerups. Since it is similiar to Wolfenstein 3D, I wanted to add prisoners that you can free. These prisoners would be found in some secret areas and reward you with special items (when you save them).

And I totally have no idea what that could be. It should be something useful that the player would want to have, so that he is motivated to look for the prisoners in the first place.
That means no lame highscore points that you have no use for (like the treasures in the original Wolf3D).

Maybe it could be some kind of powerup that helps you on the current level? Something similiar to the Invulnerability sphere?
Or maybe something that gives you acess to a hidden level later in the game? But that could be kind of lame.

Are there any other games that did something similiar in a good way?

[Kira]

In Borderlands when a Claptrap is repaired he sometimes open a secret passage with ammos and weapons. It's interesting because you help him while not being sure he will give you a reward or not (in the first playthrough of course, apart from XP and extended inventory IIRC).

[Krispy]

The invisibilitysphere in Brutal Doom is turned into a prisoner that you can free. He then fights with you.

[traversd]

If you can track how many are rescued across levels maybe track when the player has rescued X number of prisoners you can give them a bonus when starting the next level such as extra health, or a super armor (not invincibility but better than blue armor), or short-term double/quad damage, or for the next level the max health cap is raised by a certain amount but reduces again at the end (unless the player frees X number of prisoners again).

Not entirely sure how it would play out in practice but offering something as an extra in a map that helps in the next map might give the motivation you're thinking of? ie: the player looks at these side-goals as longer term benefits, not just a current level perk - and then may play more strategically (especially on repeat playthroughs if they know upcoming levels are tough).

[Jodwin]

Prisoners giving random powerups is silly. Wouldn't the captors have taken those powerups for themselves? Maybe they could give hidden keys or other tips for reaching other unnecessary areas which could be riddled with stuff. Of course put monsters in those areas so that you can't get 100 % kills without, that'll get the completionists into rescuing prisoners.

[scalliano]

Jodwin said:

Prisoners giving random powerups is silly. Wouldn't the captors have taken those powerups for themselves? Maybe they could give hidden keys or other tips for reaching other unnecessary areas which could be riddled with stuff. Of course put monsters in those areas so that you can't get 100 % kills without, that'll get the completionists into rescuing prisoners.

It was good enough for Quake II :P

[NaturalTvventy]

scalliano said:

It was good enough for Quake II :P

And Metal Slug!

[DuckReconMajor]

Jodwin said:

Prisoners giving random powerups is silly.

Wouldn't bother me.

[DeathevokatioN]

Jodwin said:

Prisoners giving random powerups is silly. Wouldn't the captors have taken those powerups for themselves?

Maybe they were hiding powerups in their ass or something?

[40oz]

Demons from hell are pretty silly too.