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Gldm
05-09-2007, 10:47 AM
I had a couple other ideas for comp 16 which I just figured were not as good or too complex (mostly too complex) considering I'm going to be overseas at IDF for part of this month. So if anyone wants to use either of the ideas, feel free.

Idea 1: Blind Fighter

This one was a result of me trying to think up the most improbable thing to do with text. Originally I was thinking it would be turn-based but I think someone clever could probably make it work in real-time if a really good tutorial was added.

Anyway, the idea is pretty simple. It's a fighting game where you can't see. People will try and hit you, and you have to try and block and/or hit them back. To manage this with no visuals, I was going to use a descriptive system that tried to indicate what was going on with the text.

First of all, I'd indicate direction using a clock-system, i.e. 12 o clock is up, 3 o clock is right, etc. I figured out an interesting system might be that you indicate sort of where a hit is coming from, and the player tries to guess what "number" it will come in at. One off to either side is a successful block, so a hit coming at 2 o clock can be blocked if the player tries to block at 1 or 3. An exact match would not just block but provide a chance for a counter attack.

I was debating if punches vs kicks would matter, and that really depends on how complex you want to go. I could think of things like kicks do more damage but are easier to counter if intercepted, or something like that. I was also thinking that perhaps the posture of the opponent would matter. I.e. if he's thrown a kick that means his leg's in the air and maybe he's vulnerable somewhere. This could be done in code with a state system of what the posture is like, which is basically just a switch() statement and maybe a nested switch() for what the player's inputs do for the given state of the opponent.

It could get even more interesting if you start throwing RPG-like elements into it. Since you're blind your ability to sense the environment is critical, so perhaps there would be a decision whether to improve strength or hearing, which could do something like offer better descriptions of what's going on, or maybe just increase a random modifier that you get an exact indication of what the next hit will be.



I'm just not sure I could make this fun. I don't think I have the experience to really do something cool with it, but maybe someone else does.

Gldm
05-09-2007, 10:52 AM
Idea 2: Mech Force

I love mech games. Too bad there haven't been any decent ones in so long. However, they wouldn't be too hard to make in text, though I'm not sure how many people would still find it interesting to play.

This would be a game involving lots of stats and such as most sim games are. Display-wise you'd need a text-based radar, and maybe a map. It can be done real-time without too much trouble.

Basically you'd have a bunch of display info on the status of your mech and maybe one for your target as well. Enemy mechs would show up on radar, and to make things simple for text-mode you could make a list box of all the targets in range (might need some design work to make sure you don't run out of space, like max 5 opponents), and then just highlight the one you want to target. Ideally this would color or highlight the corresponding unit on the radar and/or minimap.

The map would be used for moving around, as in showing the player's position and maybe some terrain. Doing things like hiding behind terrain would probably be pretty easy to implement given GM's built in functions.

Other than the limitations of the display it can be pretty much just like any other mech game. I don't see a problem implementing different weapons types or even doing custom-built mechs where you can pick different parts in a build screen and then it changes your stats in play.

It would probably take a while to work out all the dice rolls for the gameplay to balance right, and I just don't have the time. Plus I'm not sure how much fun it would be for people who aren't mech fans, but maybe someone else who thinks its fun can build it.

dislekcia
05-09-2007, 02:08 PM
Idea 2.

DO IT! Now! I need more mech games.

-D

Fengol
05-09-2007, 03:01 PM
Must be networkable! if you're looking for rules I seem to remember the FASA table game being pretty solid

Gldm
05-09-2007, 03:12 PM
Unfortunately I'm not gonna have time for Idea 2 so if anyone wants to give it a crack, I'll be more than happy to offer input during development, but it's just a tiny bit too big for me to do with this San Francisco trip looming over me.

The FASA tables would obviously be ideal, but I'd be wary of a copyright issue there.

Fengol
05-09-2007, 03:18 PM
It's definitely something I've had in the back of mind, especially since the clan in Chromehounds went dormant

Gazza_N
05-09-2007, 05:49 PM
All the more incentive to get Deathbringer done, although:
(a) It isn't a classic mech game. It's a sort of deformed mish-mash that may not work. :(
(b) It's barely in alpha.

It would be interesting to pull something off in all-text though...

You have:
no tea
A giant battle robot

dislekcia
05-09-2007, 06:14 PM
You have:
no tea
A giant battle robot

WIN!

Fengol
05-09-2007, 07:34 PM
You have:
no tea
A giant battle robot

WIN!

*I think this deserves a prize of some sort?*

Gazza_N
05-09-2007, 09:29 PM
The weird thing is that a command-line based mech sim like that could be pretty awesome. If I were entering, that's probably what I'd attempt!

Thaumaturge
05-09-2007, 10:15 PM
I really like the idea of the mech sim, Gldm - I truly hope that someone picks it up, if you are indeed going to leave it aside.

(I think that I'm going to stick with my own idea, for now, although I'll admit that there is some temptation... the mech sim could be very cool indeed. ^_^)

DrDeth
06-09-2007, 05:29 PM
I'm also not going to have time to get a game in this comp - (wedding to organise and all) - so I thought I'd share my idea. While not entirely text based, it does involve the theme of text, and can be pulled off rather well with a bit of 2D vector graphics. I must say that I havent really thought of the actual point, but I thought this would be cool...

You control a 'full-stop' and must 'bounce' your way through a text document (fixed width - ie. word wrapped?). As I said, I havent really figured out a point, but I'd imagine it has something to do with getting to the bottom of the text. You could define certain 'traps' and 'enemies' to stop you getting there. For instance, the character U could be too 'deep' for you to bounce out of, and other 'dots' can harm you - eg. the dots on top of 'i'. The coolest part of this would be to be able to load any text document on your HDD - you could even 'trawl' the drive in the background finding text documents to use for each level.

I really think this has potential, and I may get onto it when my schedule eases up a bit, but if anyone wants to attempt this - please let me know so that I can at least see the results. :)

Oh, and I guess one of the Game.Dev guys would have to 'OK' this idea for suitability in Comp 16.

Gldm
07-09-2007, 10:32 AM
How about if you control an apostrophe and if you ever wind up placing it somewhere that would make a noun plural you fail. :)

dislekcia
07-09-2007, 01:12 PM
Bwahahahaha! Make it BtAF themed too ;)

-D

Gldm
07-09-2007, 02:10 PM
Bwahahahaha! Make it BtAF themed too ;)

-D

Back to an Alternate Future? Or did my brain just critically fail at expand_acronym()?

dislekcia
07-09-2007, 02:40 PM
Back to an Alternate Future? Or did my brain just critically fail at expand_acronym()?

Bob the Angry Flower (http://www.angryflower.com), specifically: Bob's quick guide to the apostrophe, you idiots (http://www.angryflower.com/aposter.html).

-D