Alarm Response System

1. Summary

A graduated threat escalation system triggered when enemy forces detect a player character or discover a body. Upon activation, the alarm propagates through the mission area, causing additional enemy patrols to spawn and existing guards to enter search behavior. The system creates risk-reward dynamics where players must weigh the consequences of detection against tactical opportunities, while mission badges track alarm-free completion as an optional challenge.

2. Tags

3. Design Intent / Job Story

A graduated threat escalation system triggered when enemy forces detect a player character or discover a body. Upon activation, the alarm propagates through the mission area, causing additional enemy patrols to spawn and existing guards to enter search behavior. The system creates risk-reward dynamics where players must weigh the consequences of detection against tactical opportunities, while mission badges track alarm-free completion as an optional challenge.

4. Role in Gameplay Loop

Not specified.

5. Preconditions

• The mission level has loaded with active enemy and civilian NPC placements
• Enemy patrol routes and reinforcement spawn points are defined by level design
• At least one player-controlled character is present in the mission area
• The stealth detection system is active and evaluating vision cone overlaps
• Body hiding mechanics are available (bushes, rooms, barrels, wells, rooftops)

6. Parameters

7. Core Rules

• The alarm state activates when any of the following occur: a player character reaches full detection inside an enemy vision cone; an enemy or civilian discovers a visible body (slain or unconscious); or a Straw Hat Guard spots a thrown projectile in flight.
• Once activated, the alarm propagates to all enemies within the mission area, shifting their AI state from patrol to search/investigate.
• Additional enemy patrols spawn at designated reinforcement points after the alarm is raised; these reinforcements are predominantly Normal Guards, with Samurai appearing rarely and only in later missions.
• If a player character is caught within melee reach during full detection, the mission fails immediately instead of raising the alarm.
• The alarm state is persistent for the duration of the mission; it cannot be reset or cleared except by reloading a save or completing the mission.
• Civilian NPCs who detect a player character do not trigger the alarm state; instead, they enter a panic/flee behavior that may indirectly alert nearby guards.
• Enemies in alarm state will investigate the last known position of the player, check bushes and other concealment spots, and follow snow footprint trails to their endpoint.
• A guard who discovers a body will sound the alarm immediately; they do not return to patrol after a brief caution period.
• Mission badges track whether the alarm was raised during a playthrough; some badges require completing the mission without sounding the alarm.
• The alarm system operates independently per mission; alarm state in one mission does not carry over to subsequent missions.

8. BDD Scenarios

9. Edge Cases

• If multiple bodies are discovered simultaneously by different enemies, the alarm triggers once and does not stack additional reinforcements
• A player character who breaks line of sight after full detection may cause the enemy to investigate the last known position, but the alarm remains active regardless
• Reinforcement spawn points may be blocked by level geometry or player-placed obstacles, preventing spawn until the area is clear
• If the alarm is raised while all player characters are inside concealment spots, enemies will search the area but may not find anyone, leaving the mission in a prolonged alarm state
• A guard investigating a noise may inadvertently discover a body on the way, triggering the alarm earlier than the player anticipated
• Snow footprint trails leading to a concealment spot may cause enemies to search that spot more thoroughly during alarm state
• If the player eliminates all enemies in the mission area after the alarm is raised, the alarm state persists visually but has no functional enemies to enforce it
• A Straw Hat Guard spotting a shuriken in flight raises the alarm even if the shuriken misses its target or the target dies out of sight
• Alarm state prevents the player from earning the "Don't sound the alarm" mission badge even if the alarm is raised after all primary objectives are completed

10. QA Notes

11. Mechanic Dependencies

• Stealth Detection System (the Stealth Detection System governs how enemies progress from suspicion to full detection, which is the primary trigger for alarm activation)
• Stealth Elimination Mechanics (Stealth Elimination Mechanics produce bodies that must be hidden to prevent alarm triggers; unhidden bodies discovered by enemies raise the alarm)
• Body Manipulation Mechanics (Body Manipulation Mechanics allow carrying, dragging, and hiding bodies in concealment spots to prevent body-discovery alarms)
• Enemy Type Hierarchy (the Enemy Type Hierarchy defines which enemy types can trigger alarms (Straw Hat Guards spotting projectiles, Samurai seeing through disguises) and which reinforcements spawn)

12. UI Links

• Enemy Vision Cones - The Alarm Response System is triggered when full detection (red cone state) occurs. Vision cones serve as the early warning system — the transition from green to yellow to red communicates escalating threat before the alarm propagates.
• Detection Feedback Overlay - The Alarm Response System is triggered by confirmed detection and is represented by the overlay escalating from warning feedback to alert feedback.

References

1. 1.

   Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (L35-40 of 52) Wikipedia article defines alarm trigger conditions: player spotted or dead body discovered by enemy; additional patrols deployed== Reception == Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Rock, Paper, Shotgun found the game...

2. 2.

   Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Review – Is This the Best Version Yet? (6:43-7:38) Review states alarms spread through area when enemies discover bodies or detect suspicious activity; guards sound alarm and search bushes

3. 3.

   Steam Community :: Guide :: Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun 101 (L22-28 of 101) Steam guide confirms alarm raises extra patrols and reinforcements are always normal guards with rare samurai in later missions2: Rocking the Shuriken While it is true that Straw Hats are harder to distract, they're not totally immune. Throw a rock behind them, and they will still turn around, even for a...

4. 4.

   Steam Community :: Guide :: Shadow Tactics: Blades of The Shogun - Achievement Guide (L45-55 of 447) Achievement guide lists 'Don't sound the alarm' badge across multiple missions, confirming alarm tracking per missionIt's Raining Men: Knock a guard down by throwing another guard at him. Right after the previous moment happens in the above achievement, grab a corpse and hide to the side. Have...

5. 5.

   Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (L40-45 of 52) Wikipedia confirms hostile civilians alert nearby guards but do not directly attack players== Board game == A board game version of the PC game was published by Antler Games after being crowdfunded on Kickstarter in 2019. == References == == External links == Official...