#Adventures in game design

[sapphireclawe]

They say you should have a plan before you start something.

I'm technically still planning out the game I'm building, but the good news is that I have a concept, a potential ending, and a few different things that may get added later on.

Realized initially that most of the game being in near-black shades of everything is not going to be helpful.

Anyone who either has built or is building a game got any tips? Using Unity as it's a 2d platformer type of game with combat. Kinda like Hollow Knight.

[superthatguy62]

Onion Knight & Ingus: Scarlet Duet

(No, it won't be 2.5D. If it even happens.)

With the New Year incoming, I have decided to undertake a different project from the usual Fanfics and such for 2024: I've decided to make a fangame. Or at least a demo.

The loose pitch can be found under the Read More.

Scarlet Duet concepts

(NOTES: Regarding 2.5D and 2D: I had considered the possibility of making the game 2.5D (ala Octopath Traveler or Star Ocean but with less bloom) in Godot. However, the OO map I tried to load did not load correctly (or rather, I did not know how to apply the textures and such) + my general inexperience with 3D led me, for simplicity’s sake, to go with full-on 2D. However, I won’t totally write off the possibility yet.)

Storyline:

A Thief named Gilgamesh has been eyeing the legendary arms of each of the kingdoms. With Argus and Saronia's weapons stolen, Princess Sara is determined to not let Sasune's Wightslayer get taken. However, while dealing with the thief, a Torsion opens, pulling Gilgamesh, Sara, Onion Knight and Ingus into the Interdimensional Rift: The gap between in-between dimensions that is easy to get banished to, but difficult to return from. They end up in the Interdimensional Castle under the control of a man named "Ryu". From there, Onion Knight and Ingus have two objectives: Retrieve Wightslayer and the other Royal Arms from Gilgamesh and find a means of escaping the Interdimensional Rift.

Gameplay Loop:

Simple: Ingus & Onion Knight + Guests: Parties consist of Two-usually of Ingus and Onion Knight. Sara can be called upon for bonus attacks/abilities. Further party members can temporarily be summoned by Manikin Crystals when the respective character’s [Memory] is gained: Some come from spirits wandering the Rift while others come from Onion Knight and Ingus’ previous lives.

Onion Knight and Ingus’ movesets can be influenced in two ways: Materia and Styles.

Materia is equipped before entering a Sector and can be used to preload commands onto Ingus and Onion Knight.

Styles can be applied during battle as an evoker effect. These change Onion Knight and Ingus’ list of commands to be based on whatever character they drew upon (think Command Decks from KH BBS)

Summons come in different forms for different types: Phantom Summons are the traditional FF summons such as Bahamut, Ifrit, Shiva, etc. These have the same effects as in FF3: Black, White and Summon effects. Memory Summons are slightly different: They have three effects depending on the level:

- Level 1: The memory uses a special ability. Drains the gauge 3/4ths of the way.

- Level 2: A Style is applied to either Ingus or Onion Knight based on that character. Drains the gauge halfway.

- Level 3: The character based on the Memory is summoned as a party member. Lasts for a number of turns (?) or until KO. Drains the gauge entirely.

Main Cast:

Onion Knight: One of the two main party members, a boy who feels he has much to prove. Sometimes he’s a smart alack, other times he’s a grouch, But deep down, he’s just a boy who wishes to prove himself… and one who is less certain of his own existence than he cares to admit.

Ingus: The second of the two party members, a soldier who serves Castle Sasune. He has been devoted to the crown his entire life. Normally, this works out well enough. However, as of late he desires to take a sabbatical to his home town of Falgabard to study Dark Blades. Naturally, this conflict eats away at him inside and he has no idea of how to properly break this to his superiors (namely Sara) either. The whole “getting lost in-between dimensions” thing is not helping too, even as he vows to get Sara back home come hell or highwater.

Sara: The Princess of Sasune, Sara decides to take an active role in apprehending the thief stealing weapons from kingdoms. This backfires, as her impulsiveness leads her to leap right into a Torsion, sending her (and Ingus and Onion Knight) into the Interdimensional Rift. While she knows that there’s no way Ingus and Onion Knight would allow her to get to heavily involved, she is still determined to help however she can. And while the possibility of never seeing her kingdom again frightens her, she is intrigued by all of the new places to see.

Gilgamesh: The major antagonist. He’s a goofy figure who acts like a renowned fighter sword collector. Despite his comical atmosphere, he is surprisingly competent in battle and his hunger for it speaks to how dangerous he can be. Gilgamesh initially appears in Sasune to steal the Wightslayer, to go with the Royal Sword and Gungir before being swallowed by a Torsion. He ends up locking himself into the inner sanctum of Ryu’s castle and his repeated run-ins with the duo make it clear that he’s trying to get out of it just as badly as they’re trying to get in. Still, he won’t just hand over the weapons without a fight.

“Ryu”: A mysterious figure who claims to own the castle that Onion Knight, Ingus and Sara find themselves in. He describes himself as a fellow adventurer who merely wishes to see the world as others see it. However, there is much more to Ryu than meets the eye...

Emperor of Saronia: A former ruler of Saronia who found himself within the Rift. He claims to be working on a project that can open a door back to the heroes’ world, although he needs Ingus and Onion Knight’s co-operation to do so.

[REDACTED]: ???

A Brief List of Commands:

Attack: Attacks.

Magic: Allows Ingus and Onion Knight to cast Magic.

Items: Allows Ingus and Onion Knight to use an item.

Jump: Onion Knight or Ingus leaps into the air. After some time, he crashes down on the enemy.

Technique: Uses a particular attack with an added effect, such as the Break line.

Drink: Allows for the drinking of Tonics, Drinks, and other such items

Item Lore: Doubles the effectiveness of an item.

Darkness: Applies self-damage to hit all targets with Dark damage.

And much more.

Worlds:

The Dimensional Castle more than lives up to its name this time around. Various wings of the castle contain the ‘Memory’ of different worlds, creating facsimilies of them.

(Theoretically differs between 2.5 and 2D, Different Worlds will be noted as such)

World 0: Sasune (Grasslands + Castle + Interdimensional Rift)

World 1: Cornelia (Grasslands + Ruins)

World 2: Demon (Castle ExDeath + Pandemonium)

World 3: Ruin (Sky Castle + Ronka)(2D)

World 3: Reactor (Insomnia + Reactor)(2.5D)

World 4: Lunar (Moon + Cavern + Baron Castle)

World 5: Machine (Owen’s Tower + Fire-Powered Ship + Dreadnaught)(2D)

World 5: Ruins (Ronka + Owen)(2.5D)

World 6: Chaos (World of Darkness + Interdimensional Rift + Chaos Shrine)

World 7: Bonus

Bosses:

Gilgamesh (+ Enkidu)/Shin Gilgamesh

Emperor/Hell Arisen Emperor

Xande + Doga (Transformed) + Unei (Transformed)

Golbez + Shadow Dragon

Kaiser Dragon

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

And much more.

Reports:

Papers scattered across the Ryu’s castle. These papers describe events that are going on in the background of the main game. Collecting all of them may unlock areas or bosses.

“Ryu’s Reports”: Reports written from Ryu’s perspective. These detail Ryu’s thoughts and wanderings.

[REDACTED]: Effectively Ryu’s Reports after a certain point. They detail what is truly going on.

“Arc’s Journal”: Pages of Arc’s journal which somehow end up in the rift. These detail what has happened since Sara, Onion Knight and Ingus’ disappearance and Luneth, Arc and Refia's efforts to find them.

“Saronia Missives”: Pages of Reports by an unknown third party with a connection to Saronia. These detail the nature of the Rift, among other things.

Other elements to consider:

Dungeons (Map-style? God forbid, SaGa Unlimited style?)

Battle System finer points (enemy health, Octopath sytle weakness/break system?, more later).

How many characters?

Enemies & Bosses and how they fight.

Again: All of this is more akin to a pitch than anything. I still need to learn the engine I'm targeting (Godot) as well as struggling with general inexperience and impatience. Maybe one day this'll be a full-fledged thing. Or maybe I'll fizzle out before even getting a prototype finished. We'll see.

And SE owns all the assets, characters, etc etc.

[gebo4482]

South of Midnight

Facebook / X

Artist: Raël Lyra / João Bragato

[prokopetz]

More choice-based VNs should follow the lead of the old Choose Your Own Adventure books – particularly the Edward Packard ones – in having the worldbuilding change based on whatever would be most fucked up given your choice. You went through the left door? Fuck you, there are psychic chimps now.

[fl00mie]

OH YEAH I DID THIS i don't like it that much but heh

it's a bit obvious what's referencing

[oldschoolfrp]

New Orleans, Eric W Haddock's supplement for the Dark Conspiracy RPG, with Dell Harris cover art, GDW, 1991

The alternative captions write themselves but I can't pick just one.

* "I Can't Stand LA," 2009

[whatthewonder]

most normal pirate in the caribbean with no baggage or trauma whatsoever ok? nothing bad ever happens guys

[zhivchikov]

wow what a wholesome new TOA cookie!!

I hope she doesn't go through horrors like stucking in a re:zero type time loop horribly dying over and over again failing to save her best friend!!! and even sometimes by the hands of that exact friend!!! I sure hope not!!!!!!!!!fuck!!!!

[uncharted-constellations]

I am aware I said i wasnt gonna post my zelda 2.0 redesigns until i finished them all, but considering these have been sitting for nearly a year at this point (and may have been mucked by the new game coming out soon but who knows) I figured I might as well start sharing them.

But yes Links are included this round, some have funny pages, I promise i’m using the magazine/game manual pink dress zelda, just probably not where you’re thinking

[couch-house]

Hopefully I'll remember to come back and add to this later, but in my agony over the way this franchise treats its main female character, I've been fomenting an idea for a dream game, which I just call Amy's Girl Adventure. The boys are all offscreen trapped in a cage or something, being NOT important, while Amy and the girls get center stage for a full adventure.

And ofc as part of this, I feel the franchise is sorely lacking in some kind of Rue to her Duck, a Homura to her Madoka, a third edgy aloof meangirl rival to her optimistic pink protagonist. Enter Anemone Black, the antagonist of Amy's Girl Adventure, who will continue to be Amy's cold and rude rival even after she is defeated; NO MORE NICE GIRLS!!!

I have a vision for Amy's Girl Adventure that I'd really like to compile in a google doc at some point, but here's the elevator pitch: a combat-focused platformer that borrows heavily from Battle and Unleashed's combat mechanics. While Sonic and co are off elsewhere, Amy decides it would be helpful to collect the Chaos Emeralds on their behalf, just in case. Unexpectedly, she finds herself in a race to collect the emeralds against a mysterious girl named Anemone, who seems bent on using the Emeralds to change the world herself. Amy must work with her friends and allies to find all of the Chaos Emeralds before Anemone can.

Full image transcript below the cut!

Anemone Black (the Porcupine) 13 Cool rival for Amy Graceful, cool aloof, jaded When in possession of Chaos Emeralds, gains dark witchy powers Even when beaten, refuses to sacrifice her ideals Keystone species in girl character ecosystem: mean

Anemone's backstory is no more tragic than anyone else's in this world: powerless, she and many others have lost friends and family to disasters like the flooding of Station Square, the splitting of the planet, and Eggman's global conquest. Despondent and resentful, Anemone believes Sonic and his friends are too incompetent to stop these disasters before they happen. Anemone seeks the Chaos Emeralds to be granted their fabled Wish, which she will use to solve the world's problems herself. Ready to sacrifice the few for the good of the many, Anemone's Wish will kill Eggman and destroy his empire. And if anyone gets in her way, she'll show no mercy. Even when she is beaten, Anemone will not be swayed by Amy's rosy view of Sonic and what it means to save people. However, she will be compelled to attempt to change Amy's mind, above anyone else, just as Amy will attempt to change hers. The two recognize themselves in each other, as dark mirrors of naivete and cynicism.

[kodasea]

Knuckleshell encounter.

[toastshark]

If Adventure of Link has no fans I am dead

[anim-ttrpgs]

Excerpt from Unchained Mysteries, a treaties on investigative TTRPG gameplay that shares a lot of points with Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy. Use adventure modules. Use adventure modules. Use adventure modules. (This is also in reference to the previous posts about how you should not stack the role of author and showman on a GM.)

[gebo4482]

South of Midnight

Artist: Raël Lyra

Gameplay Reveal

Website / Steam

[prokopetz]

It kind of throws me when a video game in development bills itself as cozy, cute, nonviolent, did we mention cozy?, etc., then its visual idiom is a straight lift of the art style of Adventure Time. Like, I don't want to tell you your business, but you are name-checking a piece of media which contains considerably more dismemberment than the term "cozy" customarily implies.

[karmathenightowl]

At long last, here's my design of Victor Frankenstein from Taz vs Dracula (with a bit of lore sprinkled as well)!