for the Facepunch Programming Competition V2
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What is DROD?
DROD (which actually is an acronym for Deadly Rooms of Death) is a puzzle game developed by Caravel Games ([URL="
http://www.caravelgames.com"
www.caravelgames.com). Many new games have been released, and one of the first versions has been released as public domain. That means I can use graphics/sounds/music from it for any non-commercial project.
In DROD, the player's goal is to kill all monsters from all the rooms in all the levels of an hold (level pack). DROD started out as a game where the puzzle elements weren't so defined and strong as they are today. In fact, in the latest games, the players build more and more 'lynchpin' puzzles, where the action is focused on figuring out what to do to solve a room instead of killing everything.
DROD is turn-based. The player moves first, then everything else.
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What is the DROD Roguelike project?
I've started this project for the 2nd Facepunch programming competition. I wanted to make a DROD clone, and this was the perfect occasion. I 'went back to the origins' and removed the whole 'lynchpin puzzle' aspect. My game randomly generates rooms where the only goal is to kill all monsters then exit the room. DROD Roguelike uses images and music from the original Caravel DROD.
I've added a persistent inventory system and a shop to make thigs more interesting. Here are some screenshots from DROD Roguelike:
The player can do one of these actions in a turn:
[*]Move (N/S/W/E/NW/NE/SW/SE)
[*]Swing sword (Clockwise, Counter-clockwise)
[*]Wait a turn
To kill monsters, you just stab them with your sword.
All monsters move after you, and they all have different behaviors I will discuss later.
My level generation system adds new elements gradually and explain how they work.
It also increases difficulty room after room, automatically spawning more enemies and creating more complex terrains.
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What are the elements?
Roach: moves towards the player diagonally. If blocked, tries to move vertically first, then horizontally. Otherwise it doesn't do anything.
Roach Queen: calculates what move a roach would do then moves in the opposite direction. Every 30 turns it spawns roach eggs in the 8 adjacent tiles. The eggs hatch in 5 turns and become roaches.
Evil Eye: sleeps until the player walks into its line of sight. When awake, moves like a roach. Can see the player over pits and other creatures.
Evil Eye Sentry: Doesn't move. When the player walks into its line of sight it spawns an awake evil eye in his direction. Can see the player over pits and other creatures.
Gel Baby: moves like a roach, but if it can't move diagonally it doesn't try to move vertically or horizontally. It just stops.
Wraithwing: when alone it flees like a roach queen. When in group, it attacks the player like a roach. Can fly over pits.
Zombie: it flees like a roach queen until the player is near, then attacks like a roach. If blocked by a small obstacle it can sidestep it to reach the player. Every turn it leaves a trail behind that is an obstacle. The trail lasts 7 turns.
Player: it's you. Can move in 8 direction, wait a turn or swing the sword.
Mimic: mimics move after the player and before all monsters. They copy the player's moves and can kill enemies. The player can control any number of mimics simultaneously.
Yellow Brain: when one or more yellow brains are in the room all the monsters start moving sidestepping small obstacles (like zombies).
Trapdoor: when the player or a mimic steps off a trapdoor, it falls down and becomes a pit.
Broken Wall: the player or a mimic can destroy a broken wall with the sword.
Orthogonal Square: prevents diagonal movement.
Shop: when standing on it wait a turn to cycle through the items. Press any free slot key to buy an item. Shops appear every 3 room.
Exit: step on the exit to move to the next room.
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Videos and download
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFMM4qtUbx4
DROD Roguelike Beta 4: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3724424/Programming/DR4.rar
no music included (.ogg only support) - recommended Caravel DROD music http://drod.caravelgames.com/Images/DRODAEOGG.zip
you can redefine keys in /Data/Config.cfg
[*]How to play
Your goal is to get the highest score possible. To do so, you must obtain score.
You can obtain score by leaving rooms.
You get one third of normal score and money from leaving non-clear rooms. Rooms become clear when you kill all the monsters in them.
Score is calculated is a certain way so you will have to be efficient. Efficiency means not wasting turns. Completing a room in the lowest amount of turns possible gives you the highest score/money reward.
After all the monsters are killed, turns will stop being counted, so don't think about strategies to lure monsters near the exit door because that won't make you get any higher score.
With the money (greckles) you get, you can buy several useful items by shops. Shops appear every 5 levels (indicated by music change, too). It is a good idea to visit shops after the room is clear (if you're planning to clear it) because browsing the items requires turns. Cycle through the items by waiting on the shop tile and press any free item slot key to buy stuff.
To use items you've bought, press the item slot key. Using any item takes 1 turn.
Here are some items you will find in DROD Roguelike:
[*]Pickaxe: destroys 1 wall tile. (3 uses)
[*]Trapdoor: places a trapdoor on floor or pits. (3 uses)
[*]Hand Bomb: kills every monsters in the 8 adjacent squares around the player. (1 use)
[*]Shield: prevents death once, then breaks. (passive)
[*]Throwing knives: kills maximum 2 creaturs in a straight line. (2 uses)
[*]Prism: kills all creatures in a straight line. (1 use)
[*]Mimic Potion: creates a mimic in the direction the player is looking at. (1 use)
To kill enemies you just stab them with your sword, swing your sword on them, or move in any possible way so that the sword will end up on them. If you're facing north and you have an enemy 1 square west of you, you can move southwest to kill him.
Some walls are broken and you can destroy them with your sword.
Orthogonal tiles are squares that prevent diagonal movement.
Trapdoors are squares that fall down and become pits after you step off them.
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http://vittorioromeo.info
[Last edited by vittro at 04-26-2012 06:39 AM]
It said something about not being able to initiate it.