How stealth oriented will the game be on my continuum?

I hope that forming a new topic to answer this question might be in poor form, but I feel it is sufficiently long to deserve it.

I ask where on the stealth game continuum this game intends to be, Please answer questions 1 and 2 such that they include placement on the "stealth level" list.

I'm primarily thinking in terms of the power of enemies but also in terms of how the that will be alerted when you fail to be stealthy and how they will inhibit you. Since environmental threats don't seem like something you would want to be hiding from.

Here is the very rough continuum in descending order of stealthyness, where games in the high stealthyness category tend to punish/reward the player more for being stealthy, and games less stealthy tend to implement stealth as a tertiary gameplay mechanic with shooting enemies directly being the primary means of defeating enemies.
*NOTE: these games are assumed to be played on the difficulty above "normal" difficulty or harder.
*NOTE: the summaries of each stealth level are derived from the example games, they don't describe games of that stealth levels as a whole. (well maybe they do a little bit)



Stealth level 5 (stealth is required, and critical all the time)
vampire rain (I never played)
Amnesia the dark descent

Stealth level 4 (stealth is required)
tom Clancy's splinter cell: chaos theory
hitman blood money (I played a demo)

Stealth level 3 (stealth is nearly required)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (early game)
dues ex human revolution

Stealth level 2 (stealth helps moderately)
F.E.A.R.
Far cry 1&2

Stealth level 1 (stealth helps a little)
bioshock
halo 3

Stealth level 0 (no stealth)
Painkiller
dead space

Stealth level 5 (stealth is required, and critical all the time)
The vampire rain, amnesia dark descent part of the continuum are games where stealth is pretty much required and you cannot reliably defeat your enemies in most situations once spotted, regaining stealth in these games is quite difficult if you survive. Levels in this category tend to by linear.

Stealth level 4 (stealth is required)
the tom clacy, hitman blood money part of the continuum describe games where you can afford to screw up somewhat, and kill some enemies, but still progress through the game, these games are frequently puzzle games where you must observe patrols and review your objectives. You are frequently rewarded with end-of mission score or some kind of material reward for being stealthy. Enemies in this continuum tend to have powerful attacks and require you to do something immediately about them, but can be subdued easily with the right positioning. Running and gunning in these games is usually not viable. These games tend to have stealth fields (shadows) that you have to be in in order to maintain stealth footsteps also are a factor. Levels tend to be linear, with some alternate path leeway. Regaining stealth in these games is frequently inviable. (gotta kill witnesses)

Stealth level 3 (stealth is nearly required)
In the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. dues ex part of the continuum, stealth is a massive asset that you pretty much must use to progress, but there is nothing in the game that requires you to use it. Enemies tend to have powerful attacks with Running and gunning being somewhat viable, provided you use stealth as an important combat element, but the player will overall be on the defensive. Your rewards tend to be experience points and/or equipment caches that you normally would have to fight for. Stealth in these games typically takes the form of being far away from your enemies, and hiding behind shrubbery as well as moving slowly. Levels tend to be non-linear offering many avenues of goal completion. Regaining stealth in these games is usually a matter of leaving the area and returning minutes later.

Stealth level 2 (stealth helps moderately)
In the F.E.A.R. and far cry part of the continuum, stealth is primarily relegated to alpha strikes, sometimes it is necessary in certain parts of the game,(large patrols you must slip by) but even then, running and gunning down all your enemies is still possible. Enemies tend to have reasonably powerful attacks which should be engaged from behind cover, with tactical positioning being highly important. Stealth in these games typically takes the form of hiding behind shrubbery, or moving slowly, but sometimes there are no objects you can hide behind to stealthy. levels can be open, or linear. Regaining stealth is primarily a matter of leaving the area for about 20-30 seconds.

Stealth level 1 (stealth helps a little)
In the bioshock, halo 3 part of the continuum stealth (or sometimes the blocking of line of sight) is relegated to somewhat weak alpha strikes and is nowhere needed and rarely optimal to use it exclusively, instead the stealth is implemented into the enemy AI such that they only know your last position once you leave their LOS, enemies tend to have damaging attacks that you should avoid but can endure to capitalize on tactical positions, these kinds of games tend to emphasize tactical running and gunning with on the run problem solving. Levels in this category tend to be well linear, but with many sneak attack options.

Stealth level 0 (no stealth)
In the painkiller and dead space part of the continuum, enemies tend to know where you are all the time, there is no stealth, just you finding ways to defeat them. Levels tend to be linear.


Q1, Q2
I know there might be abilities that might alter how the game will be such that classification might be difficult, but I'm curious, where does the game fit on this continuum that I made, currently and in the future? (Answered by neveda0 (both Q1 and Q2) the game will be on tiers 3-5, but there will be a greater stealth focus earlier in the game (tier 5).


Q3
Another question, many of the stealth oriented games listed here have 3rd person elements (in dues ex you enter 3rd person to spy on enemies) in them, will the game really be exclusively 1st person?

Q4
Will the levels have lots of stuff in them to obstruct view like in dues ex, and halo 3? (ASSUMED by myself: of course!)

Q5
Will alternate paths be a big gameplay element in this game like in is in dues ex? (ANSWERED by neveda0: Yes it will)





(I think this game will turn into splinter cell:chaos theory) (also google project stealth if you haven't)

Umm, tenuously approximate answer?

Well, I was waiting for Mr. Doom to say what he wanted to reveal here, BUT I'M IN CHARGE THIS THIS WEEK!
So I'll say my bit.
Remember, I'm just a lowly writer, and what is actually going to be in game is going to vary based on programer skill, and other ideas that we may have.
So, basically Immolation won't fit nicely into any of those categories. From the looks of things It'll sit somewhere between three and five depending on how you play. At the begining of the game stealth will be very important as the character doesn't have the equipment nor the powerful spells to rely on anything else other than stealth. After that point, it depends on how the player chooses to play. Though the player will likely never be able to "Run 'n' Gun" if the player makes the right decisions they may be able to do something more like running and gunning rather than lurking and waiting for the perfect time to move. There will be options availible, is what I'm getting at.