Messages

61

Programming / Re: Identify? (y/n)

« on: June 05, 2012, 12:44:13 PM »

I find the identification mini-game fun personally.

I don't think it is essential to a game and if you want to be a purist then you probably shouldn't have it.

But not all games should be pure because not all people like pure games. Consider spanish tapas or indian thali; both great meals comprised of lots of different little dishes.

62

Early Dev / Re: Red Rogue (platformer roguelike)

« on: May 30, 2012, 07:04:37 PM »

Bloody hell, done loads really.

Since the last update I've added:

fixes to a shit-load of bugs
sleeping, dreams and nightmares
writing on the walls
locks and keys, then fixed the code for them (locks and keys are sodding difficult and took weeks to figure out, if you don't like 'em, tough tits)
mushroom gas traps
visible dart traps (quite like that you can barely spot them now, plus some players like to make use of the traps - I've even added a heal trap in the chaos zone to troll players who use gas traps as a combat option)
new sounds
drop-kick-smite (when falling and attacking a character now rolls to smite based on their experience level - very difficult to pull off, it's a late game combat skill since it's only guaranteed to happen every time at level 20)
whirlwind attack (when surrounded and dual wielding or holding a weapon in their throwing hand a character will attack back and forth at twice their attack speed, switching between main weapon and throwing weapon. Letting go of a direction halts the whirlwind attack - useful when dropped into a pit of monsters. Again, another late game skill for veterans who want to dive into the fray)
randomised content progression (the order of content is now randomised within the zones, waaaay better for replay value)
less levels per zone (content is spread across a zone and the remainder is added to the pool for the next zone, still 20 levels of content, but the game gets to the point quicker - and denies you content unless you dare to go deeper)

Currently coding a tutorial-nanny-thing that gives you curt context sensitive training when you first play the game. I'll have to leave it turned off till saving progress is in.

63

Other Announcements / Re: A side-scrolling graphical Roguelike...

« on: May 19, 2012, 10:04:51 AM »

There is nothing about 2 dimensions that make a game inherently more tactical.

If we consider a roguelike, what does the 2nd dimension of the board actually do for gameplay? It's more enjoyable to explore from a player's point of view, but it inherently does close to nothing for 'tactical depth.' If anything, it creates the artificial illusion of depth, but having that extra dimension of movement doesn't really do anything.

It actually does a massive amount for tactics. Consider chess, if you could only move in one dimension then what happens to all the unique moves of the pieces?

Also, fighting games have a jump mechanic or side-stepping as crucial counters to many moves. Let alone high, mid and low attacks and blocks to consider.

For a truly 1D game, take a look at Sophie Houlden's Linear RPG:

http://www.sophiehoulden.com/games/thelinearrpg/

(By the way, I develop mostly platformer games for a living and I quite like Wazhack. I like how the reduction of dimensions forces you into more combat and map-features.)

64

Other Announcements / Re: Diablo III - Permadeath Mode

« on: May 19, 2012, 09:40:40 AM »

I can report from experience that if you want to get Diablo 3 on the basis of hardcore alone...

don't.

I'm playing normally and I've been killed by lag several times. Since you have no choice about online play, it kinda breaks the whole point of playing hardcore.

Still having fun with it though. I've got my nitpicks, but the mindless killing and looting is still there.

65

Traditional Roguelikes (Turn Based) / Re: WazHack (Now at Beta 7)

« on: May 14, 2012, 10:38:40 PM »

Started exploring, got done over by a polymorph trap on the second level.

Very entertaining. Character physics feel a little stiff (from someone who has made many platformer games), but that hardly detracts from the gameplay.

66

Other Announcements / Re: Roguelike Radio podcast

« on: May 13, 2012, 02:09:30 PM »

I could only hear 50% of what was said over Skype so I was on my back foot all the time. That and the unfinished state tends to make design discussions seem like requests to me.

The amount of work I instantly saw required for charging attacks (animation, UI, AI graph restructuring, physics overhaul, complementary level design) left me stunned.

Overall it was a useful discussion and I've just implemented shuffling the order that content is introduced in each zone as a result. There's a lot of content that do weird and wonderful things I've put in and the impression I was getting was that people weren't seeing these things and finding new ways to play. I originally thought I had to introduce elements one at a time, which is right, but I was wrong that the order had to be static. And I think it's much more fun to replay now.

Also put in gas traps in the shape of mushrooms in the Sewers, you know, for fun.

67

Other Announcements / Re: Roguelike Radio podcast

« on: May 11, 2012, 11:13:39 PM »

It is a messy game though. I don't call it the Chaos Dungeon for nothing.

68

Other Announcements / Re: Roguelike Radio podcast

« on: May 11, 2012, 09:05:58 PM »

It was pretty exhausting really. Felt like I was being chewed out for daring to make a hobby-game at times and I think my skype connection was really bad (I don't have great internet).

Be interesting to see if being requested to turn the game into Sonic the Hedgehog makes it in.

69

Programming / Re: Ease of Implimentation...Major Consideration?

« on: April 26, 2012, 11:02:17 PM »

I've just resigned myself to the notion that RPGs take a lot of time to make.

70

Early Dev / Re: Red Rogue (platformer roguelike)

« on: April 21, 2012, 04:43:12 PM »

You can disarm traps from the actions menu.

Also, click the Instructions below the game. It will tell you the hot-key bindings for useful actions.

71

Early Dev / Re: Red Rogue (platformer roguelike)

« on: March 31, 2012, 06:37:30 PM »

Finished a major milestone today.

20 weapons, 20 armour, 20 races and 20 spells across 20 levels.

All of the special case code for all of the core 20 of each is now done.

Here's a screenshot of the wraith wall-walking ability:



Now I'll be able to focus on level design and UI. As well as think about the intro and ending.

72

Other Announcements / Re: Diablo III - Permadeath Mode

« on: March 24, 2012, 09:25:56 PM »

I fully expect Diablo 3 to be fun yet somewhat disappointing.

I've already purchased it.

It will have hardcore, it's apparently in the beta.

73

Early Dev / Re: Red Rogue (platformer roguelike)

« on: February 18, 2012, 01:35:16 AM »

Providing an exe or app is possible, but it slows down updating the source code to git. I will provide links to them in the game when it is finished. But you can run the game.swf from a standalone Flash Player on your desktop if you wish.

Fullscreen is selectable from options in the menu. You can play fullscreen in the browser but with Flash's keyboard restrictions.

You can't jump until you get the Amulet of Yendor.

74

Early Dev / Re: Red Rogue (platformer roguelike)

« on: February 17, 2012, 07:18:00 PM »

Offhand throwing weapons!

Changed it so a character can equip a throwing weapon as well as a melee weapon. The thrown weapon auto-equips when you pick it up after a throw.

There's something really satisfying about punching through one baddie and then lobbing a knife that decapitates the next one a few titles away.

75

Early Dev / Re: Red Rogue (platformer roguelike)

« on: February 12, 2012, 11:40:13 AM »

Haste, slow and protection spells are in.

The number of rooms the level generator creates has been reduced from 2 onwards (they were slowing the pace of the early game too much I felt).

Thrown spells now bounce off walls a few times and then fall to the floor if they don't hit anything. They can also be caught by the player if they get in the way. This should make throwing spells a lot safer.

I've also discussed in my dev-log the option of having offhand throwing weapons to make throwing weapons require less menu-dancing to use (at the cost of having a more complicated equip-menu). Everyone seems keen on the idea of wielding a sword whilst chucking knives, so that will be going in soon.