Okay, here's a look at what I've got planned - gameplay-wise, at least - so far. First, a mock screenshot:
http://dungeongames2.com/testScreen2.PNG
Second - before I really get started - I've decided that if DROD can call its hold-makers "
architects"
and its players "
smitemasters,"
then I can have cool titles for my users too. So from now on I'm going to refer to my users as "
dungeon masters"
and "
adventurers"
(dungeon-makers and players, respectively), unless someone can think of anything better.
Okay, let's get to it. First, some general notes:
1) In the name of conserving screen space, all numbers are now now capped at 5 digits (in both directions). So all numbers must range between -99999 and +99999. Negative numbers are shown in red, rather than using a minus sign (note that the adventurer is 35 mana points in the hole).
2) Dungeons will be limited to 100 levels. You are allowed only 1 stairs up and 1 stairs down per floor. You will also get 4 pairs of portals that let you jump between any two levels (each portal will transport you to the other of the pair).
These limits are imposed for the sake of the travel system - which will use the text panel to show the explored/visible levels and portal links - so they're not likely to be increased any further. That should still be plenty of real-estate, though... still twice as much as TOTS even before you count the larger level sizes.
3) Stats. There will be a total of 43 of them to work with, 14 of which are reserved stats (meaning the system uses them in specific ways). The other 29 will be free stats, which means that they will do only what you want them to and are yours to use (or not use) as you see fit.
These 43 stats are essentially the global variables that the dungeon master gets to work with. If it affects gameplay in any way, you must use one of these stats and it will be visible to the player. Global variables for non-gameplay-affecting matters (such as dialogue, graphics, sound, etc.) will be more numerous and won't be shown to the player.
Six of the reserved stats are integers. They are: life, mana, offense, defense, drain reduction (prevents mana drain from monsters) and visions (controls how far ahead the player can see through unexplored levels).
The other eight reserved stats are booleans, and the symbol for one will be visible in the trait panel (the thin, vertical panel between the level map and the item panel) if true. Four of these stats correspond to the new "
faction"
traits (already discussed earlier). If a monster has one or more faction traits, you can only deal with it if the same trait symbols appear in your trait panel. The other four symbols correspond to the new "
impervious"
traits, which do the same thing for combat that the faction traits do for cutting deals (more on this shortly).
The remaining 29 stats have no hardcoded behaviour. There is no need for special stats to track things like keys or the benefits of consumables, as the new obstacle and item systems will be flexible enough to handle these things without hardcoding. The dungeon master can use the free stats for those things if he wishes, or can use them for entirely new concepts.
4) Don't pay too much attention to the item and command panels yet, as I plan to work on those a bit more.
5) By popular request, the color scheme has been reversed. The money items are now copper-silver-gold-gems.
OBSTACLE SYSTEM
Okay, now to the meat of this post. What I was previously calling "
monsters"
will now be known as "
obstacles,"
because with a few simple tweaks the system for creating them will become versatile enough to make far more than just creatures.
..FIGHT SYSTEM
Recall that a monster with a blank entry for its bribe cost can't be bribed. Well, it turns out that the same mechanic can easily be applied to the fight cost. If an obstacle has no fight cost, you can't fight it and can
only deal with it through bribes or by exploiting traits.
Also, there will be four "
impervious"
traits, which work similairly to the previously proposed "
faction"
traits. If a monster has any impervious traits, you must have the same traits displayed in your trait panel or you can't attack it. This allows you to create monsters that can only be fought when certain conditions are met (e.g. you need a magical Ice Sword to kill a Fire Elemental).
..TRANSACTION SYSTEM
The bribe system is being renamed the transaction system, because there are now three types of transactions you can make with obstacles:
------------------------------------------------------------
1) Bribe transactions
The classic favorite. If you have what the obstacle wants, you can give it to him to make him get out of your way.
2) Display transactions
Like the bribe, except you don't actually lose whatever it is that the obstacle wants. You just have to have it.
Display transactions are indicated by a white background.
3) Loot transactions
If a monster has a loot transaction, it will not disappear when you kill it. Instead its corpse will remain until you walk over and collect it, at which point its loot will be added to your inventory. Eytanz and mrimer, this one's for you.
Loot transactions are indicated by a blue background.
---------------------------------------------------------
Also, note that monsters can now ask for items as well as stats. Any combination of up to two items/stats can be used.
If a monster is interested in two items/stats, the two can be either be used in a single transaction (you must have both or the transaction fails) or in two alternate transactions. In alternate transactions, the game tries to apply them in order (top-to-bottom for two stats, left-to-right if items are involved).
For examples of how this works, look at the obstacles shown at the bottom of the screenshot. Starting at the left:
1) An impenetrable wall. It has no fight cost, so you can't attack it. It has no bribe cost, so you can't bribe it. It has no traits, so you can't exploit them. It isn't going anywhere, ever, so get used to it.
Note that the editor will automatically place one of these in each edge and corner tile of each map, and you won't be allowed to delete or alter them in any gameplay-related way (changing the name or sprite is fine, though). These exterior walls demarcate the playing area.
2) Similair to the first wall, except that it has a trait. This is a "
target"
trait, and there will be at least four of them (and more likely six or eight). These do nothing on their own, but are there to tell magic items what they should and should not affect. For instance, if I remade the mattock or super-mattock items from TOTS, they would only destroy obstacles with this particular target trait.
3) A basic blue door. You can't fight it, but you can bribe it with one point from your blue key stat. Note that since you can't fight a door, the game won't bother asking you what you want to do. It will just take the key automatically when you bump into the door.
Note also that it has a different target trait, which would be needed to remake the Wand of Knock in the new system.
At this point you're probably thinking, "
It's cool that the new system is flexible enough to build even the walls and doors out of, but I really don't want all that stuff cluttering the bottom panel all the time."
Worry not, there will be a second, hidden panel that you can move such obstacles to. You can look them up when and if you need to, but they won't be shown otherwise. Also, the dungeon master can flag certain obstacles as "
common"
and you'll have the option to start with all commons already hidden, so you won't have to move them all manually at the start of every game. The same will apply to items.
4) Here you see an example of a display transaction. This blue merchant only wants to see your papers before he lets you pass, not take them from you.
5) The court jester here also wants to see your papers, but if you don't have them you can choose to grease his palm (or puncture his pancreas) instead. Showing him your papers and paying him off are alternate transactions, which is shown by the thick black line that seperates the two things he wants.
6) Gandalf here is even greedier. There's no line between the paper and the money, so these aren't alternate transactions. He insists on both seeing the paper AND taking your money.
7) The green door first checks to see if you can display 50 offense, and if that fails will take a green key. This is essentially a door that can be broken down, if you're strong enough.
8) Finally, here's an example of a loot transaction. This Zombie Orc is loaded, and if you beat it in battle and then walk over the corpse the money is yours. Of course, since this thing was a rotting corpse even
before you punched its clock, handling the body isn't exactly hygienic. You'll lose 100 life due to the unhealthy side effects. Is it worth it?
FEEDBACK
Okay, what do you guys think? Is this the right balance of simplicity vs. versatility?
____________________________
My gaming blog is at
http://dungeon-games.com/blog/
[Last edited by DGM at 01-29-2007 07:04 AM]
/dy
