Just an update...

I just wanted to post an update. I've been taking a short hiatus from programming as school and work takes up most of my time unfortunately. I was sort of hoping to finish something basic to expand on and add content too, but I'm still finishing some basic pieces.

I will continue to work on my project as I do have a bit of free time. This is why I was hoping to have something more by August 24th =/.

I've still yet to do wand/books yet which is the next step. Scrolls and potions from there.

Minor Update plus "The Vision"

I have been working on spell books which will lead into wands I think. In any event, I'm on vacation all next week but who knows. Maybe my fiance will let me code on the beach. I'd certainly enjoy it =).

It's looking less and less likely I will have all of the functioning pieces in place before I am ready to start building a game, prior to August 24th when school starts. Not that I will have to stop coding by any means at that point. I was just hoping to get past the game engine stage/UI stage. I kind of want to have a well developed item game going as well. Potions will be easy. Scrolls I really haven't thought of much though.

In any event, I haven't much talked about plot, story line, or how the game will play. It's high time I share my vision. Now I know this will not appeal to everyone in the genre, but I figure it's best to make the kind of game I'd love. Considering most people have some sort of plot or theme set out when they start coding, you've probably already figured what kind of gamer I am.

Well, I'll spell it out. I'm a munchkin gamer. That probably sums it up best. I like finding the most obscene/crazy build and taking on the challenge presented with me. As this kind of gamer, the first thing I am developing is the combat system. I want fast game play, I want tough decisions in character building and I want unique game styles. Every build has to be able to compete, the less straight forward it is the more rewarding it should be. Game mechanics have to be interesting, complicated, and fair. I don't just want big damage, I want to control game around me.

Spells, skills, and combat aren't waiting around while I build towns and shops and an over world. They are in now and everything to use them with and against (AI) is going in first, before anything else. The UI to select the gear, to target the foes, and spell effects are in. Anything relating to game play is in first and foremost. I'm much more willing to see good game play with a bad 'game', then a 'well developed game' with boring and tedious game play.

Additionally, game play needs to be fast. No grinding, no starting town level. Low average life span for low level players. I don't want to spend 10 minutes picking out feats and buying/selling gear at the start. I want in, and I want to play. Also, there must be a sense of immediate danger at all times.

Quests and plot? A plot will be in the game. Heck I even plan on doing some form of quest when I eventually get to religion. But they are secondary. Atmosphere, plot, quests, and theme are secondary. I never cared a great deal for those things. Let's face it, 99.9% of games have terrible plots anyway. That's ok, a game isn't a book it's a game. I think my favorite game growing up was masterblaster for the NES, a game where you followed your radioactive pet frog down a tunnel and somehow ended up in a spacesuit and tank. It was weird and it didn't make any sense. Heck half the games back then had plots that were tacked on. "We have to have a plot?" ok um... how about fighting toads on a spaceship saving the world or something. What was the plot for tetris or pac man?

I want mind numbing action and addictive game play. Unfolding quest? Plot Twists? Exploring some vast world? Dialog? Not in this game. In this game you will kill stuff or be killed while getting the orbs of whatever. Why? Because you are in the dungeon and there is no way out otherwise. But why? I just told you.

You will be dropped in, given a few tools, and have a challenge set before you. I'm even thinking of eliminating resting/food and just setting hp/mp regen to a pace where it isn't needed.

Imagine if you could some how cross Dungeon Crawl SS with Final Fury or one of the other side scrolling NES games. A complex combat system and character development mixed with lots and lots of combat. The game will be short, once the game is fully laid out perhaps 2 hours tops to win. Now even though I want the game reasonable short, I do also want it to be very difficult.

My eventual layout will be around 15-20 main dungeon levels likely 75 by 75 tiles. With short side dungeons for each element themed appropriately. Each side dungeon should have a mini boss in a tiny room (much like master blaster). With a final boss accessible once 3 or so side dungeons have been completed.

I also want to sporadically include shops with a very small amount of items for sale where players can stock up on potions, scrolls of ID, ammo, wands and perhaps find a useful item.

Additionally, one of my final goals will be to include god quests that are only randomly available. God quests will either unlock something special for the player and all his characters (like short cuts in spelunky), or offer some godly bonus.