Messages

1

Early Dev / Re: Rogue Survivor Alpha 4.1

« on: August 31, 2010, 01:08:50 AM »

On the topic of vending machines, maybe they should be equipped with alarms and take several hits to access, trading the player's security for food?

I would like to suggest a new item:  Bedrolls, which allows the player to carry a portable bed, which allows for a wider range of safehouses the player can establish, especially if they are recruiting NPCs and want them to guard certain areas but want good sleeping accommodations.

Come to think of it, I have a suggestion about the AI.  I am not sure if it is reasonable, but maybe allied NPCs could secure the building they are living in and sleep in shifts, which they adjust according to their group's size and how many are in the building.  This theoretically should help with making them reasonably rested if trouble comes knocking or if they go on a expedition.

2

Early Dev / Re: Rogue Survivor Alpha 3.21

« on: July 09, 2010, 10:50:10 PM »

Now that is awesome.  I really like the Radiation Pink zombies you got there, and it is nice to see Lemeza's relatives checking out modern ruins.  It may sound strange, but I think the retro aesthetic used here are more attractive than what we see in many games.  Technological progress is good, but it takes stylization to make it worthwhile and possess longevity.

3

Early Dev / Re: Rogue Survivor Alpha 3.21

« on: July 08, 2010, 03:09:38 AM »

I think that time management with one's possessions is one of the most important factors in roguelikes and zombie scenarios.  Having readily accessible weapons, ammo, or just being able to ditch your heavy canned goods is important if you want to outpace the hordes.  That is why guns that use magazines are better than shotguns and revolvers, despite the relative lack of power, since you can reload quickly.  Far too often an survivor would find themselves desperately loading shells into the boomstick as zombies encroach from all sides!  Fight or flight, time is of the essence, which is accomplished through good inventory management.

By the way, thank you for the quick lesson.  An surprising but not unwelcome event.    You might want to check out the Retroware TV website, the videogame historian talks about a number of consoles and games, which you might be interested in.  There is also Kirithim's "Videogames and..." series, which covers a range of topics from the Uncanny Valley to Moral Choices.  Good stuff!

4

Early Dev / Re: Rogue Survivor Alpha 3.21

« on: July 07, 2010, 07:10:34 PM »

That is fair.  Goddess knows I don't care much for inventory management, such as in Baldur's Gate II where my inventory just overflows!  I am very much a packrat, so stacking items and being able to horde stuff is a godsend to me.  However, I recommend giving CotW a spin and try it out yourself, I think it is the #1 roguelike when it comes to inventory management.  Might be my inner fanboy manifesting, though.   



CaptainFailMore:  The art style of those icons is similar to La-Mulana's, that is nifty to behold!   

5

Early Dev / Re: Rogue Survivor Alpha 3.21

« on: July 07, 2010, 03:24:42 PM »

I would like to make an suggestion about the Inventory system.  In the past, I played a roguelike game called Castle of the Winds, which was unique for an 1989 for having a mouse-based GUI and graphics.  One of the things that set it apart was the inventory system, in which the player has to use a variety of bags, backpacks, chest, purse, and belts to carry the items they acquire.  Each container had a maximum rating for bulk and weight where items were concerned.  Furthermore, the player could only carry so much weight without becoming terminally slow.  As such, you could stuff your bags full of items, and drop them when a monster approached.  This sort of system might be very good for Rogue Survivor.

Another interesting bit in Castle of the Winds was the Paperdoll inventory, where not only you could put on a variety of equipment through the mouse, but in how certain pieces of equipment offered slots in which to put items for easy access.  For example, a wand belt could have several slots for your spellcasting needs on the fly, and the purses automatically sorted out the various forms of currency you could acquire.  The game is now freeware and I recommend giving it a spin to get a better idea of how things work.  I think that adding a similar system to Rogue Survivor could help with opening up gameplay options where inventory management is concerned.  (Such as Bandoliers for ammo, holsters for pistols, backpack types, car trunks, bodybags for the recently dead, and so on.)

This is probably something that can take some effort to implement, but I believe that it could be a good system for this kind of game.


Photo of CoT Inventory



Rick Saada's homepage, maker of CoT.  The game is free to download.  Requires an O/S that can run 16-bit programs.
http://www.exmsft.com/~ricks/