Controls are an obviously important aspect of any game. If you have controls that are difficult to use, then your game is uncomfortable and might as well be unplayable. I've been thinking about the options for the game, and I feel that borrowing a little from a similar game in the genre, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, would make sense in this case. In "MP3:C", you are able to lock on to targets, and then freely aim your reticle elsewhere, whether it be at different segments of the body of the enemy you are locked on to, or another enemy near them. It won't be identical to this, persay, but it should work quite similar. This would allow for easy targeting of the enemies and their cohorts, but wouldn't necessarily offer cheap kills for you since you have to hit certain targets in order to activate combos and actually defeat the enemies, not to mention that it would allow you to essentially target multiple at a time quickly without realigning yourself each time.
Since your character has the ability to manipulate the space around him, double-jumping would not be an issue, and I want to allow him to run up walls, but I don't know how that would translate into 3d. The reason he can't just all out manipulate everything around him is the fact that if the sector shuts down with him inside, it will nullify him, and manipulating the code too much would cause a sector to collapse. I also want to implement a cover system, but I can't really visualize a possible solution to that without jeopardizing the flow of the gameplay, so it most likely won't be included.
Another topic of discussion for today is the health system. I really like what some recent game titles have done so you can't die in a game. There is obviously still challenge in being able to complete the game because you start over at a nearby checkpoint, but with a game that depends on flow of gameplay/music, a variation of that concept would be required. I want to make the game casual so you don't have to worry about being defeated over and over again when you are trying to just enjoy the experience (it IS an art game, after all), and so I propose that there should be a system that works similar to today's arena laser tag. When your energy drops to a certain point, you are unable to fire for a set period of time. This will offer reward for not being hit, and ensure that you don't just run straight up to the enemies and try to pick them off (the combo system will also assist in this). Bosses will be set up the same way, but might have some variation to the fact that you might have to restart the boss over again or something.
I'm always open to suggestions, so leave a comment. Also, sign up for our RSS feed, I try to post daily updates!
Till next time,
Bryan
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You mention a control style like MP3:C, does that mean you're also looking into putting this out on WiiWare?
ReplyDeleteA relaxed, "casual," art game experience seems best suited to the Wii and its audience unless you're going for heavy duty graphics and such. Plus, with the controls you're considering you can't find a better setup than the Wii. Supposedly the Wii is pretty easy to develop for, as well.
I realize WiiWare has some size limitations that may be restrictive to an open-world game, but we may see those restrictions relaxed due to the new update Nintendo released. That's pure speculation on my part, but it does seem possible.
So, back to the question because I'm terribly curious: Is WiiWare a possibility, and if not why not?
It's a possibility, yes, but I don't own a Nintendo Wii (used to, sold it). I feel it would be more accessible on PC, honestly. Anyone that has bought a PC within the last 3-5 years should have the capability to run a low-end game such as the one I am creating.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention I would only have to pay some small licensing fees and not go through Nintendo's rigorous approval process. It may be possible to port it to many different systems in the future, but for me as an independent developer, sticking with just PC for now is probably me and my team's best bet.
Okay, I totally understand going for just PC at the moment. From one of your previous posts I got the idea that you we're also looking into making it for Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network as well as PC.
ReplyDeleteDo keep WiiWare in mind though. Just look at World of Goo on WiiWare. That was made by an independent two man team and it's been Number One on the Top 20 WiiWare list for a while. They had a similar idea to design for PC and port to WiiWare. I believe it's been rather profitable for them. There is information on their web page, 2dboy.com, as well as interviews all over the web concerning their success and what they've learned from the whole process. If nothing else, perhaps you'll find some of it interesting, if you haven't seen it all already.
Still, even just for PC, I'm keeping my eyes on this game. It seems an interesting concept and has great potential.