View Full Version : 19: <insert awesome name here>
SkinkLizzard
21-06-2008, 09:40 PM
well as requested by gaza I am posting the first and utterly useless
prototype for my entry
I have no name and the mechanic and story are still fuzzy.
but I shall say what I can:
Background:
you play as a young adult who as a child picked up the skull of a soul reaper
who had inadvertently lost his head in a clumsy accident while on a routine soul
collection mission. unluckily for the soul reaper a soul reaper body doesn't have existence without a head, luckily though it was able to enlist your help in completing his missions.
you two are now irrevocably bound mind body soul.
the game starts several years after the incident, on an soul smuggling investigation
in the village of <insert village name here>
mechanics so far:
being linked to a soul reaper means no death for you, you are immortal.
sounds lovely doesn't it, well you may be immortal but you are still inconvenienced by death.
interactions with the physical realm cease.
power in the game is split into 3 categories
- physical energy
- mental energy
- spiritual energy
physical energy represents your physical form and is used up when taking physical damage
and when using certain abilities
mental energy is a form of mana and is primarily used for casting spells
spiritual energy normally exists as form of mana and is what makes you a living being
it can be channeled into weapons and in some cases used for certain abilities.
on the loss of all physical energy a person would normally die and pass on, in your case
it means you're outer casing is stripped away and you exist as a being of pure spiritual energy, this can be advantageous and disadvantageous depending on the situation.
I've yet to solidly make up my mind on the process of reclaiming your physical form.
ideas stand at slow regeneration, finding a shrine to restore the energy, or possessing another body thereby claiming its physical energy and physical abilities (losing your old ones in the process)
the split of energies allows for explanations to some classic enemies
zombies for instance are beings with physical but no mental or spiritual energy...
as are most undead, vampires though have physical and mental. ghosts like yourself are pure spiritual with some of the more malignant having mental too.
what this prototype has:
uhm nothing really of value :)
you will be in a small test staging area with infinite numbers of enemies spawning from the bottom of the screen. you have an arsenal of spells and two weapons.
on loss of physical energy you will go spiritual (sorry about the annoying pop up messages these will be made to appear only once in the final game) and your physical will slowly recharge. one thing to note is energy of any form only recharges when you are not channeling or casting active spells, also only the energy not making up your form will recharge over time - when in physical form spiritual and mental recharge, when in spiritual
at the moment only physical recharges, mental recharge and use will be an ability to be picked up in game, implemented later stage.
f1 displays help and mouse click or escape return to game, leaving it for 50 seconds will also return to game
p is the pause key.
I hope to have something worth while for you to test by the next prototype
and maybe a name too :) .
http://www.gamedev.za.net/filecloset/data/files/513/Comp19v00.exe
Comp 19 entry version:
http://www.mediafire.com/?zawevww29ex
Thaumaturge
22-06-2008, 11:26 PM
I really like this idea! ^_^
I particularly like the core split of energies, and some of the possibilities that arise from it, including those that you have already mentioned.
As to your implementation, that scythe is very cool indeed!
The footsteps fade rather quickly, although in this case the effect is a positive one, I think - it adds a little to the sense of a supernatural character, to me.
Finally, the trail effect used with the weapons is pretty good, and similarly adds nicely to the effect of their being supernatural.
I noticed two problems that I think worth mentioning:
1) The weapon doesn't show up if it hits an obstacle, which looks a little odd. I suspect that having it overlap obstacles is probably less jarring than having it not appear at all.
2) When taking corporeal form, overlapping enemies can send one immediately back to spirit mode, it seems.
Overall, a promising start, I do believe. ^_^
Your ideas on the split of energies explaining certain creatures prompted some thoughts of my own on possible enemies (these differ from what you gave on one energy assignment, I think; I don't think that mine is necessarily better, it's just the system that makes sense to me when I think of the possible application of this system when thinking of possible creatures based on having only one or two of the three energy types):
Physical only - Zombie (as you had)
Spiritual only - Ghost (as you had)
Mental only - "Spectre"* - This being, having no spiritual energy of its own, drains that of others in order to keep itself manifest. It slowly loses what spiritual energy it has, recharging it from others - such as the player. If it runs out of spiritual energy, it "dies" as it loses its grip on being.
Physical + Spiritual - Vampire (This is my point of difference with your scheme ;p) - These vampires draw more on some of what I've gathered of vampire folklore than the more recent, I believe, "powerful and mysterious" version. These are powerful but almost animalistic predators, hunting for the blood of the living.
Physical + Mental - Liche - (Again, my point of difference ;P) The lack of spirit ties in nicely, I think, to the idea of the liche removing his soul in order to secure his undeath. These liches would be cold, calculating sorcerers. Since I've established that the lack of spirit is a problem (as it is for spectres), it could be given that the physical body can also act as an anchor, or that the liche's magic takes on the function of tying the liche to the world.
Spiritual + Mental - I'm not sure about this one... a more intelligent ghost, perhaps, or a sorcerer-ghost? Or, given the lack of physical energy, a possessor, that takes over the bodies of others?
* I'm not satisfied with this name, but don't have a better one yet. I'm tempted to suggest "wraith", although I don't like the technical inaccuracy of this... which is a tad pedantic, perhaps, given the treatment of other creatures. ;)
SkinkLizzard
23-06-2008, 12:01 AM
Thanks thaum some interesting ideas there :)
I actually like the vampire reclassification and the liche is awesome I
have some ideas for him :)
I know what you mean about the weapons disappearing on contact with physical objects
I plan on fixing soon, problem arose from the way weapons and spells are all one generic object
that inherits its particular behavior, contact with obstacles being the exception.
I had tried to get around the overlapping enemies continually killing you by having the ring
of insta kill blasts, obviously its still not satisfactory. you might also have noticed that the scyth while living
has a way to potent life steal when you hold right mouse and channel power into it, I do plan on fixing that to :)
Thaumaturge
23-06-2008, 12:40 AM
My pleasure. ^_^
As to the powering-up of weapons, I actually only just managed to test out the powered-up versions, as well as some of the spells (the delay is probably a result of the fairly small playing area and never-ending monsters). They're all pretty cool, I think (although I'm guessing that you meant the degree of potency in the scythe's life steal ability when you talked about fixing something ;P). ^_^
I'm not, however, certain of what channelling into the sword does, if anything. Other than a more visible trail, one bar decreasing, and another ceasing to increase, I didn't notice any effect.
SkinkLizzard
23-06-2008, 11:44 AM
I'm not, however, certain of what channelling into the sword does, if anything. Other than a more visible trail, one bar decreasing, and another ceasing to increase, I didn't notice any effect.
lol yea you probably wouldn't because those little stupid creatures die on one hit anyway
but the channeling gives it a trail of which each of the trailing swords also deals damage
and the damage of the primary increases slightly. :)
I have a decent amount of work to do to decrease potency of my weapons... or just make the
monsters more powerfull.
Thaumaturge
27-06-2008, 12:21 AM
Aah, fair enough. ^_^
How is it going, if I might ask?
SkinkLizzard
27-06-2008, 10:35 AM
I haven't gotten round to doing much more actually
I plan on doing some more this weekend if all goes well :)
Repline
27-06-2008, 10:41 AM
Spiritual + Mental - I'm not sure about this one... a more intelligent ghost, perhaps, or a sorcerer-ghost? Or, given the lack of physical energy, a possessor, that takes over the bodies of others?
If I might make a suggestion??
Angel;
or Arch Angel
Just a thought.
Thaumaturge
27-06-2008, 07:40 PM
I haven't gotten round to doing much more actually
I plan on doing some more this weekend if all goes well
Fair enough - I hope that all does indeed god well. ^_^
If I might make a suggestion??
Angel;
or Arch Angel
Just a thought.
Those are good suggestions, I believe. ^_^
Hmm... My impression is that the player is on the side of good in this, or at least is neutral, so perhaps a demon or other evil spirit might be a better fit?
SkinkLizzard
29-06-2008, 07:44 PM
Theres no way I can finish this game in its entirety before the deadline
so what I'll do is get the intro together basically leave you with a full selection of weapons
for now and put in a boss fight, also hopefully have some of the other enemy types lurking around.
SkinkLizzard
30-06-2008, 11:22 PM
I have no grasp whatsoever of Japanese but hey what the hell
I Like Japanese names
'Shinigami dairokkan'
means roughly(could be wrong) Reapers intuition/6th sense
SkinkLizzard
01-07-2008, 06:22 PM
well looks like filecloset doesn't like my game its to large
I'll try fix and hopefully get my entry in soon (If its still legal)
Had to upload using mediafire
Comp entry Version:
http://www.mediafire.com/?zawevww29ex
Thaumaturge
02-07-2008, 05:45 AM
Ooh, it looks very cool now! I really like the bleak, seemingly-expansive landscape. Very nicely done indeed! ^_^
I rather like dragging a weapon through an obstacle - the sparks and visibility of the weapon, perhaps combined with its size, give it a feel similar to that of a light sabre. ^_^
Should there be so few obstacles, however? The darker floor texture gives me a slight impression that it should be impassable...
I think that there might be a glitch in the "healing" process once dead. I found a few occasions that I'd get killed, and find my physical energy not regenerating. I'm not certain, but I think that it was related to being hit by one of the brown monsters (zombies?) when I already had zero physical energy. (Unless, of course, you intended this to be a loss-condition.)
I also found that, under certain circumstances (such as using it when dead on a brown monster, I think), the use of the scythe could produce enough energy orbs to slow down the game.
The game balance is a little off, I suspect, but I don't think that I've yet played it enough to be terribly confident of that. For one thing, it doesn't look as though a player in ghost mode is capable of defeating a brown monster. For another, the scythe feels a little overpowered against the brown monsters. For the latter matter, you could perhaps have them deal damage in proportion to the speed at which they are swung, and perhaps the amount of time that they have been swinging in their current direction, to encourage players to move them about a bit.
Finally, you could perhaps use a few spells that affect energies other than physical to much of a degree (in particular spiritual, which I don't think is currently touched by magic.
All in all, however, I like the progress that you've made! ^_^
SkinkLizzard
02-07-2008, 01:11 PM
Ooh, it looks very cool now! I really like the bleak, seemingly-expansive landscape. Very nicely done indeed! ^_^
I rather like dragging a weapon through an obstacle - the sparks and visibility of the weapon, perhaps combined with its size, give it a feel similar to that of a light sabre. ^_^
Should there be so few obstacles, however? The darker floor texture gives me a slight impression that it should be impassable...
I think that there might be a glitch in the "healing" process once dead. I found a few occasions that I'd get killed, and find my physical energy not regenerating. I'm not certain, but I think that it was related to being hit by one of the brown monsters (zombies?) when I already had zero physical energy. (Unless, of course, you intended this to be a loss-condition.)
I also found that, under certain circumstances (such as using it when dead on a brown monster, I think), the use of the scythe could produce enough energy orbs to slow down the game.
The game balance is a little off, I suspect, but I don't think that I've yet played it enough to be terribly confident of that. For one thing, it doesn't look as though a player in ghost mode is capable of defeating a brown monster. For another, the scythe feels a little overpowered against the brown monsters. For the latter matter, you could perhaps have them deal damage in proportion to the speed at which they are swung, and perhaps the amount of time that they have been swinging in their current direction, to encourage players to move them about a bit.
Finally, you could perhaps use a few spells that affect energies other than physical to much of a degree (in particular spiritual, which I don't think is currently touched by magic.
All in all, however, I like the progress that you've made! ^_^
damn I knew I'd forgotten to fix something, your health will eventually return despite it seeming not to, its gone into the negatives, the damn ghost scyth really needs fixing too it
doesn't do any damage to the zombie creatures so it shouldn't make orbs...
I keep forgetting to make the orbs automatically track to the player.
the darker tile was my original attempt at dark blighted grass, currently I think it represents rough terrain(something I haven't gotten round to yet) but when implemented it will slow beings of physical form.
and yea I know what you mean about the spells. about the weapons I'd planned on making the scyth able top deflect enemy ranged attacks sending them flying in a direction and speed relative to how much you swing the scyth, as at some point I had planned on having enemies that can only be harmed by their own returned attack.
Thaumaturge
03-07-2008, 04:55 AM
your health will eventually return despite it seeming not to, its gone into the negatives
Fair enough - that occurred to me, as I recall, but presumably I took too much damage for it to recover in the time for which I waited.
I keep forgetting to make the orbs automatically track to the player.
One of your spells already does that, I think. (Although it might be that it only attracts one type of orb - I'll admit that their colours are perhaps a little close for easy identification.)
and yea I know what you mean about the spells. about the weapons I'd planned on making the scyth able top deflect enemy ranged attacks sending them flying in a direction and speed relative to how much you swing the scyth, as at some point I had planned on having enemies that can only be harmed by their own returned attack.
That sounds very cool - and only reinforces the light-sabre analogy in my mind. ^_^
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.4 Copyright © 2019 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.