Blending Vectors: Designing Games at the Intersection of Campaign, Mixed, and Multiplayer Modes

Fresh Design Frontier

In the current era of incipient genre-blending, the walls separating campaign, mixed, and multiplayer experiences can be dissolved.

The above images:

1) three vertical vectors, and 2) three interconnected loops — illustrate the Campaign, Mixed, and Multiplayer modes and their interlinking red arrows, symbolizing this systems design approach.

This direction encourages player autonomy while enabling e.g., a continuous flow of character and gear progression across distinct yet connected gameplay experiences / sub-vectors. In this article, we explore how this tri-vector design can create a rich, player-driven experience where gameplay modes evolve organically, offering new frontiers for e.g., RPGs, MMORPGs, looter shooters, and beyond — in a way we’re talking about blending and cross-play innovation through certain gameplay mechanisms fitting for achieving this innovation depth.

Note: Readers should acknowledge that there can be duo-vector approaches as well to achieve blending between campaign, and multiplayer modes; however, without the mixed layer, in-between, lots of emergent, systematic, cross-mode-experience, and live ops potential would be lost — along with innovation depth. Whilst I’m stating this, obviously, one can achieve lots of depth with just blending two vectors / loops, and it’s all fine, but there will be still interconnected and cross-mode-experience lost, which results to lost gameplay innovation depth.

Three Vectors, One Universe

How this type of a game would look? Let’s think about a game world where players can:

• Start in a traditional, narrative-driven campaign mode.
• Transition mid-mission into a cooperative mixed mode, or fully from single to mixed to multiplayer, via e.g., gameplay mechanics like portals, beacon calls, and/or NPC / real-player reinforcements.
• Dive fully into a multiplayer PvP or PvE (or even PvPvE) environment, seamlessly, without needing to create a new character or abandon their progress.

The three progression vectors (Campaign, Mixed, Multiplayer) act as pillars, each with its “own” core loop; yet interconnected through flexible mechanics and systemic design. The Mixed mode becomes the hinge point, a dynamic corridor through which players migrate between solitary and social playstyles. The autonomy to remain in one mode or cross into others can be flexible; though through cross-jump-experience in this direction is the one that defines the ultimate player journey.

Interconnected Systems and Flexible Quests

To nail this design, one easy way to do so would be having interconnected quest system, which in this model becomes a multidimensional map rather than a linear path.

Players might encounter:

• 1-vector missions: e.g., solo campaign storylines / quests.
• 2-vector missions: e.g., campaign that branches into mixed mode for co-op boss battles, with a need to summon other players with a beacon.
• 3-vector missions: e.g., an open-world siege event requiring contributions from all three vectors.

In terms of win/lose conditions, these missions shouldn’t rely on binary success/failure conditions. Instead, they should adopt e.g., threshold-based completion models.

For instance:

• Complete 5 out of 7 objectives to pass.
• Contribute 30% to a shared goal to earn partial rewards.
• Finish optional mixed or multiplayer branches for greater impact or loot.

This systemic fluidity respects player freedom while encouraging experimentation and social overlap.

Genre Evolution Opportunities

This direction isn’t just a UX novelty — it’s a transformative design opportunity, especially for:

RPGs and MMORPGs:

• Storylines can start as solo adventures but escalate into shared mixed-world conflicts.
• Faction systems could evolve from narrative choices into live multiplayer events.

Shooters (Extraction Shooters, Looter Shooters):

• Players might prepare in campaign mode, engage in joint extractions via mixed mode, and face off in high-stakes PvP via multiplayer.
• Extraction zones could dynamically shift modes, requiring players to adapt strategies in real-time.

Live Service Integration: Shifting Vectors

Live operations in this model can transcend content updates.

The vectors themselves become modular live systems:

• A week-long live event might activate Multiplayer as the primary vector, with unique missions and scoring systems.
• Mixed mode can become the core during seasonal story arcs, binding campaign and multiplayer narratives.
• Event passes can be anchored in sub-vector experiences (e.g., stashing or scoring systems that exist between campaign and multiplayer).
• And so on… (There are lots of beauty in this type of approach, right? I’m at least quite excited).

These sub-vectors act as meta-layers where auxiliary systems (e.g., crafting, stashing, scoring) evolve based on which vectors players frequent. Thus, even peripheral progression is vector-sensitive, enriching the depth of live content.

Economy and Progression

With 3-vector approach, economy and progression mechanisms are quite simple still to be looked into:

• Between one to three vector(s), you can choose which act as the main economy anchor(s), over which you tailor your main progression and economy scaling approaches, e.g.,:
  • Main progression systems with their parameters.
  • Main economy models and how they scale over progression.
  • IAP, Shop structure, offers contextualization, and related.
  • And such.

On top of that, you can build:

• Secondary / sub-vectors progressing individually, or through cross-over / interconnected progression.
• Live Ops systems to be interconnected to main vectors.
• To have Live Ops related sub-vectors (activated on Live Ops) on the side to be jumped in-between, or progressing individually based on different event parameters or score / reward systems.
• And such.

Full scaling and control should be pretty straight-forward to be designed even for these 3 main vectors / loops — from engagement, economy, monetization, and progression strategies to fully configurable and scalable live experiences.

Monetization: Multi-Strategy Approach

A tri-vector design encourages a nuanced monetization framework:

Extrinsic Monetization:

• Traditional cosmetic stores tied to each vector (campaign skins, multiplayer emotes, etc.).
• Battle passes with missions aligned to specific vectors.

Intrinsic Monetization:

• Personalized upgrades or experience-enhancing features.
• Character development paths that are meaningful and narratively embedded, focusing on competencies-based depth / mastery layers.

Hybrid Monetization:

• Mixed-mode bundles that unlock both solo and multiplayer progression tools or QoL items / boosters.
• Questline accelerators that operate across vectors.

Social Group Monetization:

• Guild purchases (e.g., unlocking shared bases or rally points).
• Cooperative economy systems (shared loot banks, investment pools).
• Player-driven contracts or bounties as micro-monetization vectors.

Designing for Player Autonomy and Emergence

This tri-vector design framework isn’t merely about allowing players to jump between modes. It’s about crafting a world where campaign, mixed, and multiplayer loops harmonize into an emergent, systemic experience. The goal is to offer freedom without fragmentation—a unified progression model where discovery, collaboration, and mastery flourish.

I believe this direction remains largely unexplored and unembraced. But its potential, especially in RPGs and Shooters, is immense. Studios ready to experiment with this structure could pioneer new depths in emergent storytelling, cooperative systems, and dynamic live service ecosystems.