| This article is about the genre that focuses on "connection" and asynchronous multiplayer features. For other uses of the term "strand", see Strand (disambiguation). |
The "Social Strand System" encompasses Death Stranding's conceptual focus on "connection", and asynchronous multiplayer features. As a consequence of this system's deep integration within the game's mechanics and philosophy, Hideo Kojima has referred to Death Stranding as being of a new genre he has coined "strand" (in addition to being of the action genre).[1]
Overview[]
Death Stranding is primarily a single-player game, meaning that the player plays his adventure alone and not alongside other players. However, the game includes several important elements of online interaction (mainly via the Chiral Network), described as a "Social Strand System" game.
During his individual expedition, Sam is mostly alone while traveling across the fracutred America, trying to reconnect what remain of the society by delivering vital cargo and establishing new "strands" of the Chiral Network by interfacing with the terminals of isolated Bridges' structures, Preppers in their shelters, and surviving Cities. However, even alone, the player will be able to connect with other through this network, and while he cannot meet other players, he can come across their helpful equipment and signs, or useful constructs such as lockers, safehouses, and bridges. Interaction with all these elements is rewarded with "Likes". Kojima has emphasized that players are never alone while on their journey.
Mechanics[]
Likes[]
Likes can be given to players by interacting with structures, items, vehicles, or signs left by other players in a chiral network connected zone. There is a cooldown on liking the same object or person consecutively in certain amount of time. The max amount of likes you can give increases with your bridge building level. The more likes a player accumulates, the more that player can see and use structures made by other players.
Bridge Links[]
The Bridge Link menu, note the list of users encountered and the data of the strand contracts made with them.
Selecting the "Bridge Links" tab in the cuff menus will open a list of players who you have interacted with, or have interacted with you in some fashion, and whose items and structures have appeared in your game world. The first tab of the menu contains the list of all the players you have met indirectly through their structures and it does not matter if you have interacted with them or not. The second tab will instead show only the players with whom you have established a connection, while the third will refer to Strand contracts.
Also, in this menu, selecting your own record will let you view all of your informations.
Strand Contracts[]
Strand Contracts can be formed between players in the Bridge Links menu, and dissolved at will. Forming a Strand Contract, you will see the structures of certain players more frequently and, on the one hand, you will have a tangible contribution, while the other courier will be able to more easily obtain the Likes needed to also increase the Bridge Link parameter.
Forming a Strand Contract with another player is akin to "favoriting" or "friending" another player; both players will receive more Likes, and the likelihood of seeing that player's items, structures, footpaths etc. in your own game world is greatly increased. As the player's Porter Grade improves, players will be able to make more Strand Contracts.
[]
When exploring for the first time the various regions of the fractued America, the player ability to access the Chiral Network is very limited: the map displayed via Cufflinks shows only the topography and just the point of origin and destination of the delivery, together with the ideal route to follow, the informations from the odradek will be severely limited, and the player will not have access to either the Chiral Printer.
However, once the player have connected a region to the Chiral Network by interfacing at a specific terminal, he can access a lot more information about the region, including being able to find items or structures left behind by other players (voluntarily or otherwise). As mentioned above, by finding and using items or structures left behind by others, players will automatically give the person who left that item/structure a "Like", which can increase in the case of a truly useful item.
A shared structure greets Sam with a chiralgram. Note the Likes received.
[]
Players who have enough resources can built structures that will benefit anyone who happen across them when they have access to the Chiral Network in that area. These structures can either be built all at once, or several players can pitch in resources to help create so that they can all share in its rewards. The rules determining if a structure shows up in another player's world appears to have to do with each player's number of likes and the strength of their "connection".
Player help during battles[]
A "white Sam" helps another Sam by throwing him a tool useful in battle.
During battles against BTs, it is possible for other players online to assist Sam in certain ways. Although they cannot help him directly to overcome the enemies as in games like Dark Souls, a white versions of Sam (or rather a body that resembles Sam) appear from the tar to assist him by throwing useful items, like grenades or blood bags to help Sam gain the edge in a tough fight.
The Seam[]
If Sam dies, he enters the Seam, where the player can guide Sam's soul back to his body and restore him to life. During this time, the floating bodies of other players can also be seen, and the player can guide themselves to 'touch' the other players and increase their connection levels before returning to Sam.
Other online functions[]
Create Signs[]
Players can leave signs all over a region that's connected to the Chiral Network. These signs can contain messages ranging from alerts to friendly structures or hot springs, to warnings and other alerts. Like shared structures and items, players can give them a "Like" if the message is helpful, and they will appear when Sam pings an area by calling out.
Paths[]
If a player use the odradek, they may spot the footsteps of other players, illuminated in blue, and if enough players follow these steps, a path may begin to appear, wearing down terrain for easier navigation.
Resting and urination[]
When a player rests in a location, a small stone cairn will appear afterwards, which can be located by other players. If many players rest at the same spot, more and more stones will be added to the cairn to create larger rock piles.
The same is said for urination, when Sam urinates at a point on the ground, a mushroom may appear after he's done. If many players urinate in the same spot, the size and cluster of mushrooms will increase. Eventually, the agglomeration of mushrooms will become a colony of cryptobiotes, that will start to swarm around them and can be collected.
Notes[]
- On February 13, 2018, Kojima Productions registered trademarks for "Social Strand System" and "Strand Game".[2]
- Kojima has stated that "Social Strand System" is his name for the perceived genre-defying aspects of Death Stranding, similar to his use of "Tactical Espionage Action" before the then-genre-defying aspects of Metal Gear came to be commonly categorized as the "stealth genre".[3]
References[]
- ^ Twitter · @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN – "[...] DS is not a stealth game. [...] By incorporating with the concept of connection(strand), it's totally brand new genre called action game/strand game(social strand system)."
- ^ Twitter · @trademark_bot – "Registered trademarks (JA)"
- ^ Twitter · @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN – "[...] Calling it as Social Strand System is similar case when I called Tactical Espionage Action before it was categorized as Stealth Game."