Topics

1

7DRLs / Rogmind - 7drl2016 - finished

« on: March 05, 2016, 07:52:25 PM »

You program a golem and it plays the game for you.

May be too ambitious.

Declaration of pre-existing material:
built off the bones of my previous 7drl Hexxus-Quest

2

Design / malfunctioning items

« on: October 08, 2015, 04:54:14 AM »

I am thinking about making a game where items accumulate malfunctions similar to how our everyday objects like cars and laptops do.  Currently I have a scheme for magic wands and would like to make similar schemes for other items.

A wand is composed of

• charger: refills the battery
• battery: stores charge
• regulator: determines power, range and charge usage
• aim: how it is aimed
• trigger: causes the wand to fire

a malfunctioning battery can spark, causing the wand to fire, or lose charge over time
a malfunctioning regulator can lose range, discharge the full battery into one shot, or release several shots at once
a malfunctioning aim can veer to the left or right, or refuse to let you change targets
a malfunctioning trigger can be stuck on, or require several uses to fire.

Malfunctions start by only causing trouble in extreme states (or conjunctions of extreme states) and gradually get worse over time.
relevant states are:

• hot, warm, cool, cold
• very charged, normal, drained
• wet, normal, dry
• vibrating, still

How should I extend this to items that aren't wands, so they too can malfunction in sensible ways?

3

Design / randomness as a replacement for identification

« on: June 14, 2014, 05:34:32 AM »

As I understand it in Rogue unidentified scrolls and potions are designed to push people out of their comfort zone, and to make items more situation rather than immediately good or bad.

An unidentified potion can be though of as an item that produces a random effect from list of potion types.  A potion that either blinds you or heals you is an not normally an attractive prospect, but when you are low on health it becomes worth the risk.  If scrolls and potions are innately random rather than just being random due to lack of knowledge then it becomes easier for the designer to balance risk vs reward.
The replacement for identification would be an ability to remove an effect of your choice from an item, whittling down the results until it is more predictable.  It is also easier for new players because the range of possible effects can be listed on the item.

4

Off-topic (Locked) / A game about editing the game's code.

« on: May 30, 2014, 06:24:31 PM »

http://alexnisnevich.github.io/untrusted/
Every level starts out unsolvable and you have to change the level generator's code to progress.

I think it would fun to incorporate this idea into a roguelike as the magic system (yes I know everyone else has had the same idea) so that the magic system truly could manipulate the stuff the world is made of.

5

Design / fairy tale game

« on: March 21, 2014, 07:56:53 PM »

I had an idea for a game where creatures have short quests for you to do (fetch my foozle that fell in the water, moove that rock so it doesn't block my door) and in return you get a whistle that you can use once to have them repay the favor.  The frog can get stuff from the bottom a pool, the mouse can squeeze through tight cracks to fetch something for you, the bear can move heavy things out of the way and so on.   I envision it playing somewhat like Brogue's quest rooms.

6

7DRLs / the Hunt - 7DRL 2014 - Update Thread: Finished

« on: March 04, 2014, 05:26:16 AM »

Stolen from Quendus.  Every ten years the Quendian department of natural resources holds a lottery for one weeklong permit to kill one Jabberwock.  Your uncle through his political connections obtained the permit for you.  As part of this ancient test of manhood you have embarked with nothing but your bare hands and a brand new top of the line Vorpal Kill-o-Zap 3000 and will not return until the week runs out or with its head you come galumphing back

Download
http://www.speedyshare.com/cGvQs/the-hunt.zip

to defeat the first creature, lay a trap and then attack the creature to lure it into the trap. (or just shoot it)

How it might look: (made with advASCIIdraw)




Design Goals:
-Attractive and evocative scenery
-Interesting and challenging creatures to hunt

Gameplay: Gather items. Pay fines for killing threatened wildlife that threatens you. Kill jabberwock. Return.

Contols: arrows to move.

7

Design / Are required resistances fun?

« on: January 09, 2014, 03:40:42 AM »

Player resistances are good because they make items and monster danger multi dimensional (how dangerous a monster is depends on what resistances you have).  But a runic item can achieve the same thing while also changing the tactics you use.
In some cases, like corrosion resistance, they can even make the game less interesting because they remove the tactical meaning of corrosive monsters.
In games where the right set of resistances is practically required for ascending characters, resistances are no longer interesting because it is not having a resistance that makes one interesting..

But all of this is irrelevant if they make the game more fun, so I'd like to hear from people with more experience.  Are they fun?

8

Programming / Breaking Items

« on: June 12, 2012, 03:44:32 PM »

Magic items are more interesting to me when they break in interesting ways. 
I think it would be fun if glitches started showing up in a magic wand as they heated up from too much use.

Things like always firing a little to the left of where you aim,
automatically going off when you take a step to the north,
or you being unable to change the targeting reticule from where the previous wand aimed.

I think this would add to a game is by making you come up with creative ways of working around the limitations of your tools.

9

Off-topic (Locked) / Warlocks (Spellcaster, Waving Hands, etc)

« on: November 03, 2009, 05:47:14 PM »

http://games.ravenblack.net/

This is an amazing game of bluff and strategy. Each player is a Warlock in a duel to the death, casting spells by sequences of gestures on each hand. Proffered palm, snap, point, wriggle fingers casts "Charm Person", and Point, Wriggle, Wriggle, Point, Point casts "Lightning Bolt", so you can chain them to cast both in 7 actions rather than 9 since the "point, wriggle" overlaps. And you're using both hands. And there are counterspells, and fire elementals, and cause light wounds. But you know what would make the game even better?

A larger player base. Check it out!  And remember to summon the ogre at yourself and tell it to attack your opponent, don't summon it at your opponent or he'll control it.  (spiel cribbed from maknud)

My name is on the site "deleted"
I'm just beginning so feel free to challenge me.

http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=44281.0
http://echochamber.me/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=29908

10

Temple of the Roguelike / why are you still here?

« on: October 22, 2009, 09:16:38 PM »

In many communities a survey of people active five years ago will turn up maybe one or two that are still around.  
Yet when I read the old roguelike usenet postings I recognize the majority of the poster's names.

What factors have kept you from leaving?