   I want your opinion on a game engine idea
  For the game I'm making, "Aelon," I have what I thought at first was an innovative concept in gameplay, but as I thought about it, it may become more of a burden than something truly innovative. No, I haven't made the engine yet, so I don't need to go back and re-code anything, just, I want your thoughts to help refine the concept before start coding it. Anyway, my original idea for the 3.5ection engine is as follows:The game is divided into 3 (with a 4th rare one, lending the name 3.5) sections: the main universe, adventure fields, and action stages (yes, I know. I pilfered the terms of the latter two from Sonic Adventure...it's not the final term.) Each game section is in a heiarchy of sorts.  -The main universe is the broadest and highest level. It consists of your player (or player 2) in your ship(s), flying over a mode-7 scaled and rotated plane representing the ground. You can fly anywhere, and the view resembles a scrolling shooter, when enemies engage you, you take them down dogfight-style. You can land in certain areas.-The areas where you land are the adventure fields. They can be towns, cities, large ship interiors, forests, etc. You can talk to people, buy items, basically like any RPG. You'll do most of your exploring in these areas. In certain areas, there are doors where you go into the action stages.- Before you enter an action stage, you can equip armor and weapon items for use inside (you can't change it while in the stage.) Action stages feature intense, side-scrolling action involving jumping, dodging, shooting in 8 directions (as in run and gun games like Contra,) and slashing with your sword or knife. At the end of each action stage there's a boss.-the fourth, and most optional section is accessible when in your ship. It's the in-flight equivilent of an action stage, playing like a standard shmup. When you reach a certain area your character may jump out of his ship and the gameplay switches to action stage mode.-You can equip several configurations for your character in an action stage, centered around either ranged or melee combat. You have both hitpoints and armor points (HP and AP.) The amount of damage done to yourself or enemies is randomized based on based on your attack's power, like in RPGs, and conditions can affect you and enemies. You can also level up.Anyway, I'd like input on what you think, how I can make the 3-4 modes transition seamlessly, what I can take out, or add to make it better. Cheers.   
  What advice are you looking for?  What work have you done already?  What haven't you done that you expect to do?   ;Quote:Original post by Benjamin HeathWhat advice are you looking for?  What work have you done already?  What haven't you done that you expect to do?I don't follow. And forgive me for being cautious on forums...the past forums I've been to have been full of real jerks.   ;Quote:Original post by UltimateWarriorDashI'd like input on what you think, how I can make the 3-4 modes transition seamlessly, what I can take out, or add to make it better. Cheers.I get the sense you're asking a programming question, let us know if that's the case.In terms of design, whether or not you choose to include your 'optional' fourth mode should ultimately be decided by your setting and story. If it makes sense that the protagonist should do combat in flight then so be it.To recap:World map: fly around, has points of interest each of which is an instance of a location map, very rarely there is a shmup mapLocation map: walk around on foot, RPG style vendors, prepare for combat, there are entrances to combat mapsCombat map: contra style thing, levels are linear or multilinear (different ways to get to the same end) with a boss at the endShmup map: fly the ship around shooting stuff, may end with a combat map or just a return to the world mapStrictly speaking you've described a perfectly workable game dynamic. There's nothing to be improved or changed without knowing about the story or playing the game to see how it feels.   ;  I agree that it's a workable game dynamic, in theory.In practice... well, you've basically got three-maybe-four different games combined into one. Which means that much more programming, art asset creation, and level design. Do you have a budget? If not, are you willing to devote several years' worth of free time to this game?If neither, I think you'd better file this under "games I wish I could make" and start trying to design something smaller.   ;Quote:Original post by LogodaeI agree that it's a workable game dynamic, in theory.In practice... well, you've basically got three-maybe-four different games combined into one. Which means that much more programming, art asset creation, and level design. Do you have a budget? If not, are you willing to devote several years' worth of free time to this game?If neither, I think you'd better file this under "games I wish I could make" and start trying to design something smaller.How long do you think it'll take with 2 to 3 programmers in addition to me? It'll be made when I finally get D2 Software up and running. For now, I'll stick with making simple scrolling shooters, something I'm much more familiar with doing, as well as sprites, graphics, and sound, which I'm also fairly okay at.3 to 4 games in one? well, that's not what I want. I want the 3 1/2 modes to transition smoothly enough that it'll feel like what it really is: one single game, not a bunch of minigames. Think of Axelay. It combined vertical-scrolling levels with side-scrolling levels, and people don't consider it two games in one.   ;  I don't think there's anything wrong with switching modes from a gameplay perspective. I was just trying to make the point that it's a lot more work.If you've done some shooters already, and you do your own spriting, then you're in a better position than I am to gauge how long it will take. You're certainly the only person who can know if you like the idea enough to dedicate that time.If you do decide to go for it, I'd focus on connecting the modes as much as possible. Make sure the adventure stages give you gear for both the ship and action stages. Maybe add action stages on the ship if you get boarded. Have the possibility for "crash landings" that lead to a fix-the-ship adventure stage. The more you can interconnect this stuff, the more it will feel like an immersive environment, rather than three loosely-connected games.I'd also kill the ship-based action stage, unless there's a compelling reason to have that in addition to the standard ship-flying-and-fighting mode. I think it's going to feel tacked-on, otherwise. Also, I'd consider blending the adventure/shooter stages a bit more. It feels a bit artificial to separate them. You'd have to explicitly warn the players that they were about to enter an "action stage," so they'd know to have their chosen equipment equipped... and they're still going to be annoyed that they can't switch. Why not just let them? And then have some enemies show up to kill them when they think they're safe in town...Just a thought, based on the assumption that realism/immersion is one of your primary goals. If not, ignore it, because integration is almost certainly more work.   ;  Dedicated payed team (2-3 person team), 9 months. Volunteer free team, 2-3 years at the minimum.   ;Quote:Original post by LogodaeI don't think there's anything wrong with switching modes from a gameplay perspective. I was just trying to make the point that it's a lot more work.If you've done some shooters already, and you do your own spriting, then you're in a better position than I am to gauge how long it will take. You're certainly the only person who can know if you like the idea enough to dedicate that time.If you do decide to go for it, I'd focus on connecting the modes as much as possible. Make sure the adventure stages give you gear for both the ship and action stages. Maybe add action stages on the ship if you get boarded. Have the possibility for "crash landings" that lead to a fix-the-ship adventure stage. The more you can interconnect this stuff, the more it will feel like an immersive environment, rather than three loosely-connected games.I'd also kill the ship-based action stage, unless there's a compelling reason to have that in addition to the standard ship-flying-and-fighting mode. I think it's going to feel tacked-on, otherwise. Also, I'd consider blending the adventure/shooter stages a bit more. It feels a bit artificial to separate them. You'd have to explicitly warn the players that they were about to enter an "action stage," so they'd know to have their chosen equipment equipped... and they're still going to be annoyed that they can't switch. Why not just let them? And then have some enemies show up to kill them when they think they're safe in town...Just a thought, based on the assumption that realism/immersion is one of your primary goals. If not, ignore it, because integration is almost certainly more work.Definately going for immersion, and I like your ideas :)Thanks for the input   