There are some issues I have yet to figure out which might add something to the gameplay. I have so much other things to do with this project that I just don't have the time to look into all of this. Here's a list of issues I need (or want) to solve sooner or later, so I'd appreciate any help with them.
Making a good looking custom UI. I haven't even began to search for answers to this issue.
Original post:
Hey, I thought I could share some footage already even though I only started a couple of days ago.
Take 2:
Currently you control the Reaper with the arrow keys to turn left/right/up/down and move left/right, shift to jump in the direction you are facing (if there's a cliff you can jump to), and space to shoot at enemies in the direction you are facing. You can shoot left/right and up/down, but not at enemies who are on a higher cliff.
Number keys switch between weapons: 1 is the Reaper's pistols and 2 is Marauder's stun grenades. I'm still figuring out which other weapons to add, and he'll probably start with only one weapon in the final version. I might still change the controls, as I even get confused about shift and space myself, sometimes trying to use space to jump as it's used for that in many other games. But having shift as jump is nice, because it's easy to hold down while running so you can instantly jump when arriving at a cliff.
The first version of the map, before the videos, had regenerating "fuel" for jumping, but it felt way too annoying having to constantly pay attention to it. The map is better without it.
The map consists of "save points" and areas between them. When you die, you respawn at the previous save point, and the enemies also reset. They're marked with the green beacons as seen on the video.
Creep is used to indicate a Zerg spawn point, so you can start expecting enemies from behind if you carelessly pass by a path of creep.
I've planned some features including running over areas that get periodically filled with lava, hiding behind pillars when there are hydralisk patrols moving behind them in the background, areas full of creep where the Zerg move faster than the player (currently they move at the same speed, but I'll make Zerglings move slower when they're not on creep)... and of course running away from Banelings! Enemies with ranged attacks will be very sparingly used, because it should always be possible to avoid getting hit at all.
The UI isn't ready and I need a better way to display the selected weapon than using small buttons, which can't even be clicked. The boss bar is also very ugly but I guess Blizzard will make it customizable at some point. Maybe I'll just wait with the UI and see how they improve the editor.
I haven't had much time to think of all the possibilities while I've been busy scripting the controls, which work pretty flawlessly already. You can hold down the jump and/or attack buttons without affecting movement: he'll jump as soon as he reaches a cliff or shoot as soon as he stops moving. He'll also stop to shoot if he's moving close towards an enemy while holding the shoot key.
Gameplay is my first priority as always: If something is cool but is buggy, difficult to use, or just otherwise annoying, I'll most likely leave it out. I could use some ideas about features to add, so I don't end up making the map and then realize I could've made it a lot more fun.
I dedicated the whole yesterday into improving the controls. The Reaper can now turn and jump diagonally (by holding down two arrow keys at the same time). The map is now quite easy and fast, so I probably should redesign it quite a bit and maybe increase the damage output of the Zerglings to make it less about rushrush and more about tactics.
I added a key display on the UI so you can see which keys I'm holding down (shift, space, left, right, up, down).
I made a few changes, nothing big though. I uploaded a new video anyway since this should show the gameplay a bit better how it's intended. There's a bug on the video where you can't jump back up after jumping straight down (which is why I die a couple of times), but I fixed it already. I'll have a little break with the map as I'm getting a bit of a block for working too much with it.
Take 4 (embedded in the first post):
As for co-op, I'll first make a few singleplayer maps with this (can't make the maps very long unless I break them into multiple sections, but I think I'll rather just make a new map when one becomes horizontally full). Then I'll wait to hear if there's going to be a fix for the net code when it comes to key presses (client side processing for that maybe?) and see if it's worth it to make it multiplayer.
Different weapons would be nice if I could come up with some weapons that are actually useful. I had the Marauder slowing grenades in the previous versions, but since one Zergling dies to two shots from the pistols before reaching the player, the slow is completely useless against them. It might be good when fighting them on creep, but that's about the only use for it. I was also thinking of a splash damage weapon that would kill a group of Zerglings with three shots (as opposed to the pistols that kill one with two shots) but didn't yet figure out which weapon to use as a base for that. Any ideas? Or ideas for other weapons?
I've planned a few bosses with special abilities. Overseer boss is quite nicely planned already and I had some ideas for a Queen and Infestor bosses as well. The Queen would be about killing Creep Tumors and forcing the Queen to come and plant new ones, while you can do, umm, something. That idea isn't working out very well yet...
The Infestor would be about disrupting its neural parasite which it uses to control a Zealot or something, causing the NPC to attack the Infestor. While it's not using neural parasite, it boosts its Zergling adds with Frenzy. Going too close to the Infestor will get you damaged by Hydralisks or something, so you have to use the NPC for it.
I'll leave the Overseer as a surprise as I think I don't need more ideas for it, but the Queen and the Infestor could use some spicing up.
Yeah, I've played Abe's Oddysee, but sadly not the sequels (Abe's Exoddus and Munch's Oddysee, they're made by Oddworld Inhabitants, hence the odds in the names). The Hydralisk part was partly inspired by Abe sneaking in the shadows, as firstly I had just pillars blocking sight from the Hydralisks. It became more interesting by having to jump on the lower level instead so I got rid of the pillars, and it doesn't remind of Abe so much anymore.
Latest video:
Older videos:
Want to help me with this project?
There are some issues I have yet to figure out which might add something to the gameplay. I have so much other things to do with this project that I just don't have the time to look into all of this. Here's a list of issues I need (or want) to solve sooner or later, so I'd appreciate any help with them.
Original post:
Hey, I thought I could share some footage already even though I only started a couple of days ago.
Take 2:
Currently you control the Reaper with the arrow keys to turn left/right/up/down and move left/right, shift to jump in the direction you are facing (if there's a cliff you can jump to), and space to shoot at enemies in the direction you are facing. You can shoot left/right and up/down, but not at enemies who are on a higher cliff.
Number keys switch between weapons: 1 is the Reaper's pistols and 2 is Marauder's stun grenades. I'm still figuring out which other weapons to add, and he'll probably start with only one weapon in the final version. I might still change the controls, as I even get confused about shift and space myself, sometimes trying to use space to jump as it's used for that in many other games. But having shift as jump is nice, because it's easy to hold down while running so you can instantly jump when arriving at a cliff.
The first version of the map, before the videos, had regenerating "fuel" for jumping, but it felt way too annoying having to constantly pay attention to it. The map is better without it.
The map consists of "save points" and areas between them. When you die, you respawn at the previous save point, and the enemies also reset. They're marked with the green beacons as seen on the video.
Creep is used to indicate a Zerg spawn point, so you can start expecting enemies from behind if you carelessly pass by a path of creep.
I've planned some features including running over areas that get periodically filled with lava, hiding behind pillars when there are hydralisk patrols moving behind them in the background, areas full of creep where the Zerg move faster than the player (currently they move at the same speed, but I'll make Zerglings move slower when they're not on creep)... and of course running away from Banelings! Enemies with ranged attacks will be very sparingly used, because it should always be possible to avoid getting hit at all.
The UI isn't ready and I need a better way to display the selected weapon than using small buttons, which can't even be clicked. The boss bar is also very ugly but I guess Blizzard will make it customizable at some point. Maybe I'll just wait with the UI and see how they improve the editor.
I haven't had much time to think of all the possibilities while I've been busy scripting the controls, which work pretty flawlessly already. You can hold down the jump and/or attack buttons without affecting movement: he'll jump as soon as he reaches a cliff or shoot as soon as he stops moving. He'll also stop to shoot if he's moving close towards an enemy while holding the shoot key.
Gameplay is my first priority as always: If something is cool but is buggy, difficult to use, or just otherwise annoying, I'll most likely leave it out. I could use some ideas about features to add, so I don't end up making the map and then realize I could've made it a lot more fun.
I dedicated the whole yesterday into improving the controls. The Reaper can now turn and jump diagonally (by holding down two arrow keys at the same time). The map is now quite easy and fast, so I probably should redesign it quite a bit and maybe increase the damage output of the Zerglings to make it less about rushrush and more about tactics.
I added a key display on the UI so you can see which keys I'm holding down (shift, space, left, right, up, down).
Still hoping to see some feedback.
Keep up the good work. This reminds me of the good old Lion King game in the last levels.
This is a really good use of game mechanisms (Cliff jumping)! Keep up the great work!
Its really nice. Looks really fun.
Now, 2 player Co-op, different weapons, Powerups and bosses, use platforming for bosses.
I made a few changes, nothing big though. I uploaded a new video anyway since this should show the gameplay a bit better how it's intended. There's a bug on the video where you can't jump back up after jumping straight down (which is why I die a couple of times), but I fixed it already. I'll have a little break with the map as I'm getting a bit of a block for working too much with it.
Take 4 (embedded in the first post):
As for co-op, I'll first make a few singleplayer maps with this (can't make the maps very long unless I break them into multiple sections, but I think I'll rather just make a new map when one becomes horizontally full). Then I'll wait to hear if there's going to be a fix for the net code when it comes to key presses (client side processing for that maybe?) and see if it's worth it to make it multiplayer.
Different weapons would be nice if I could come up with some weapons that are actually useful. I had the Marauder slowing grenades in the previous versions, but since one Zergling dies to two shots from the pistols before reaching the player, the slow is completely useless against them. It might be good when fighting them on creep, but that's about the only use for it. I was also thinking of a splash damage weapon that would kill a group of Zerglings with three shots (as opposed to the pistols that kill one with two shots) but didn't yet figure out which weapon to use as a base for that. Any ideas? Or ideas for other weapons?
I've planned a few bosses with special abilities. Overseer boss is quite nicely planned already and I had some ideas for a Queen and Infestor bosses as well. The Queen would be about killing Creep Tumors and forcing the Queen to come and plant new ones, while you can do, umm, something. That idea isn't working out very well yet...
The Infestor would be about disrupting its neural parasite which it uses to control a Zealot or something, causing the NPC to attack the Infestor. While it's not using neural parasite, it boosts its Zergling adds with Frenzy. Going too close to the Infestor will get you damaged by Hydralisks or something, so you have to use the NPC for it.
I'll leave the Overseer as a surprise as I think I don't need more ideas for it, but the Queen and the Infestor could use some spicing up.
@A1win: Go
Looks pretty cool! Reminds me of the Abe's Odyssey platformer series.
Yeah, I've played Abe's Oddysee, but sadly not the sequels (Abe's Exoddus and Munch's Oddysee, they're made by Oddworld Inhabitants, hence the odds in the names). The Hydralisk part was partly inspired by Abe sneaking in the shadows, as firstly I had just pillars blocking sight from the Hydralisks. It became more interesting by having to jump on the lower level instead so I got rid of the pillars, and it doesn't remind of Abe so much anymore.
Ohh yes, how could i forget that... Such a awsome game.
@malu05: Go
maybe there is a way to download that map?