First things first, I have to admit I failed in one thing in this project. I didn't research enough.
What I mean by that is that I didn't look too much for games like this one as it currently stands on my worktable. I Did research some of the most famous and played some, but none of them actually hitted the spot. If you think of something that for you is the same as this game, please don't hesitate to send me a message, as I'm looking forward to ways of improving as competition is a healthy way of doing so.
Anyway, The topic this time would be about the theme.
As soon as i Started the project the first thing on my mind was a kind of haunted house, where u would go in, room by room, trying to find something or a way out, killing monsters, unlocking doors, scavenging, etc....but something was off.
So i got into my always reliable and not so often neat sketchbook and brainstormed everything I could from themes and what 'tasks' would be possible in each of them(if u don't know what tasks I'm talking about, look the previous topic).
The results were pretty interesting, I'll show a brief summary and then explain:
n- theme - description - tasks
1- The haunted house - it's kinda already on the name - don't let the lights turn off, unlock doors, kill the ghost/monster on the room, find leads to the ghost.
2- The zombie attack - you are on a prison/shopping/something filled with zombies trying to eat you - kill zombies, hold back zombies, doors, food, medicine, lights(I always imagine 'i'm the legend' with those berserker light zombies), mechanical necessities(ex: trying to fix a car and run).
3- The cave(not dungeon) explorers - this would be a worldly kind of theme, where u would go down a cave trying to find new environments or new rare ores - water and food supply, tools, lights, managing to get the ores, not getting stuck(*input fatso in a hole joke*).
4- The adventurers - a group of players killing monsters and raiding someplace to get something for someone(princess)- Tank, attack, support, tools for traps, camping, lights, life etc...
By the end of the brainstorm I was pretty mad at myself. This game was looking pretty awesome in my head with the simple Haunted house theme, but as soon as I started putting it down on the table I couldn't imagine much, and I can't imagine how a game session where u have to beat basically the same card 10 or more times would be fun. so that's less one. but no worries, a good designer knows when to give up for a different idea, and an even better designer would keep the idea in his back pocket to a future use.
The cave was actually interesting in the beginning as this game seemed to match well this non-fantasy themes, but I still don't like worldly themes >:( and so I couldn't pursue the idea that much right now. but I never throw an idea out.
The zombie game was actually appealing a hell lot, but the same as the house, I couldn't find much that would actually diverge. It's the same as the haunted house but with endless zombie hordes instead of an almighty running ghost. If the game was actually themed around a forest this would actually have more variety, using tools and wood to create a bridge or your light source+wood as well to create a campfire, that would actually be something nice, but as I'm already designing a zombie game(see surviving) i opted out of this for a while as well but I kept the idea of a more open environment in my head. That was when the Classic adventure came around again(I swear I actually prefer other themes, but it's just too much perfect).
You and your friends would face ...lets say 10 for the sake of round numbers and easy on the mathheads as I don't wanna use my extensive calculus knowledge here... anyway, 10 Quest Cards, and on them you would fight monsters, run from hordes or try to kill some of them, use your resources properly, overcome traps and things like making fast bridges or campfires...but the most appealing thing was the fact that the combat didn't had to be like simple zombie killing 'show me that much power to beat it', and the most of all, THE POSSIBILITIES OF MORE PERSONALIZATION *shining eyes*( i don't really have this feeling for the majority of other themes as zombies and the others you would most likely have 'you are a medic or a pizza delivery guy or a guy that knows how to shoot' if any, and I was originally not even planning to have custom characters but we will see).
As for the new combat mechanic, I'll talk about it another time as there is already another mechanic bugging my head since the beginning.
Just as I was about to finish my brainstorm another one came to my head, more like a idea direction as my adventure guys are pretty much fixed as long as i don't find any problems in the mechanics. Have you ever played shadow of the colossus? I would like to try some of that into my game.
I must say I wanted really badly to do a different theme, but it just didn't fit in, at least not right now.
What I mean by that is that I didn't look too much for games like this one as it currently stands on my worktable. I Did research some of the most famous and played some, but none of them actually hitted the spot. If you think of something that for you is the same as this game, please don't hesitate to send me a message, as I'm looking forward to ways of improving as competition is a healthy way of doing so.
Anyway, The topic this time would be about the theme.
As soon as i Started the project the first thing on my mind was a kind of haunted house, where u would go in, room by room, trying to find something or a way out, killing monsters, unlocking doors, scavenging, etc....but something was off.
So i got into my always reliable and not so often neat sketchbook and brainstormed everything I could from themes and what 'tasks' would be possible in each of them(if u don't know what tasks I'm talking about, look the previous topic).
The results were pretty interesting, I'll show a brief summary and then explain:
n- theme - description - tasks
1- The haunted house - it's kinda already on the name - don't let the lights turn off, unlock doors, kill the ghost/monster on the room, find leads to the ghost.
2- The zombie attack - you are on a prison/shopping/something filled with zombies trying to eat you - kill zombies, hold back zombies, doors, food, medicine, lights(I always imagine 'i'm the legend' with those berserker light zombies), mechanical necessities(ex: trying to fix a car and run).
3- The cave(not dungeon) explorers - this would be a worldly kind of theme, where u would go down a cave trying to find new environments or new rare ores - water and food supply, tools, lights, managing to get the ores, not getting stuck(*input fatso in a hole joke*).
4- The adventurers - a group of players killing monsters and raiding someplace to get something for someone(princess)- Tank, attack, support, tools for traps, camping, lights, life etc...
By the end of the brainstorm I was pretty mad at myself. This game was looking pretty awesome in my head with the simple Haunted house theme, but as soon as I started putting it down on the table I couldn't imagine much, and I can't imagine how a game session where u have to beat basically the same card 10 or more times would be fun. so that's less one. but no worries, a good designer knows when to give up for a different idea, and an even better designer would keep the idea in his back pocket to a future use.
The cave was actually interesting in the beginning as this game seemed to match well this non-fantasy themes, but I still don't like worldly themes >:( and so I couldn't pursue the idea that much right now. but I never throw an idea out.
The zombie game was actually appealing a hell lot, but the same as the house, I couldn't find much that would actually diverge. It's the same as the haunted house but with endless zombie hordes instead of an almighty running ghost. If the game was actually themed around a forest this would actually have more variety, using tools and wood to create a bridge or your light source+wood as well to create a campfire, that would actually be something nice, but as I'm already designing a zombie game(see surviving) i opted out of this for a while as well but I kept the idea of a more open environment in my head. That was when the Classic adventure came around again(I swear I actually prefer other themes, but it's just too much perfect).
You and your friends would face ...lets say 10 for the sake of round numbers and easy on the mathheads as I don't wanna use my extensive calculus knowledge here... anyway, 10 Quest Cards, and on them you would fight monsters, run from hordes or try to kill some of them, use your resources properly, overcome traps and things like making fast bridges or campfires...but the most appealing thing was the fact that the combat didn't had to be like simple zombie killing 'show me that much power to beat it', and the most of all, THE POSSIBILITIES OF MORE PERSONALIZATION *shining eyes*( i don't really have this feeling for the majority of other themes as zombies and the others you would most likely have 'you are a medic or a pizza delivery guy or a guy that knows how to shoot' if any, and I was originally not even planning to have custom characters but we will see).
As for the new combat mechanic, I'll talk about it another time as there is already another mechanic bugging my head since the beginning.
Just as I was about to finish my brainstorm another one came to my head, more like a idea direction as my adventure guys are pretty much fixed as long as i don't find any problems in the mechanics. Have you ever played shadow of the colossus? I would like to try some of that into my game.
I must say I wanted really badly to do a different theme, but it just didn't fit in, at least not right now.