How would you do it... ? (gameplay)

[be-the-hero.net]

Hi,

I presented here a small game prototype a while back:

http://be-the-hero.net

It's nowhere at the moment but I'd like to bring it to the next level once I get time.

The thing is, I don't know exactly "how" it'll be and I'd like some feedback from you of what you think would be good, bad, or what you would do.

1) classes

Is it a good idea to select a class when you start? ...or should you all start as "adventurer" and pick-up new abilities along the way?

2) abilities

How should they work?

My idea was to use dice rolls, when rolling above a certain threshold (difficulty), you succeed, else, you fail the task.

I've basically got two ideas in head:

- either your mastery of a skill decides how many dices you throw (from 1 to 5)

- or your skill level (from 0 to infinity) is added to a roll of 2 dices

3) fights

How should they work?

Should it be working exactly like any other ability? Or should they have their own mechanics?

In the first case, I may be a bit dull/unsatisfying (combat decided in a single dice roll)

In the second case, fighting may attract too much focus, at the expense of the story and using other abilities

How would you do it?

3) suggestions

what classes / abilities would you like to see?

(Remember, it's a text based game, so there are almost no limitations!)

Thanks!

Edited September 20, 2012 by be-the-hero.net

[a_bertrand]

Link doesn't work...

[Djkanna]

1) classes

Is it a good idea to select a class when you start? ...or should you all start as "adventurer" and pick-up new abilities along the way?

For me personally this is a tricky one.

Classes are fine, except when you limit certain activities to a single class.

The reason for this is, class selection usually happens before a player knows what's going on within game that could be limited to a selection.

So that makes it a little unfair in the process.

To contradict myself, I'd like to see classes make a bigger part within a game other than 'oooh look I got more money on sign up, great.' and only allowing certain classes to do certain things within game fulfills this playing a bigger part.

How I went about classes, was simply to do away with them.

I created skills instead, they work a lot like classes, but skills is a better name for them.

I sign up, I decide within this game I'd like to start as a medic, so I choose the medic.

As a medic, I can do activities and certain things that a medic should be able to do, for example, partially heal myself (reduced hospital times etc), and heal others (reduce their times).

Now as a medic, I can 'level up' my medical skills to unlock more activities and features that only a medic can do.

To make it fair, I've also allowed for a player to be able to change what skill they want as their active skill (I say active skill, as they can switch and swap skills, and the levels for skills remain the same (I'm a level 5 medic, switch to a different skill, level 1 Gunslinger, go back to medic I'm a level 5 medic)).

Now only the active skill can be leveled up, and only the active skill has the benefits, so if I've no longer got the medic skills as active I can no longer partially heal myself, or level up my medical skill.

Then it can go a little more fun, and after a certain condition is met, unlock a secondary active skill slot, so you can now have two active skills.

I'd like to think this plays a good role in team based stuff found in games, as if you're a very high level medic and a team has no medics, you may be recruited in that team for your medic abilities (IE: healing players in a group battle).

-I'll leave the levelling up mechanic to be chosen by anyone who likes this idea and wishes to implement it within their own game.

I'm not sure if this would work within the context of your game, or if it's even a good take on classes (I hope it is, as I've used it), but it's here if it is.

[realmoflegends]

Hey....Fighting Fantasy! Loved those books. The Luck score, etc. all very similar to FF. Good luck with this project.

[be-the-hero.net]

Link doesn't work...

Apparently a temporary unavailability ...I hope.

 

For me personally this is a tricky one.

The reason for this is, class selection usually happens before a player knows what's going on within game that could be limited to a selection.

So that makes it a little unfair in the process.

To contradict myself, I'd like to see classes make a bigger part within a game other than 'oooh look I got more money on sign up, great.' and only allowing certain classes to do certain things within game fulfills this playing a bigger part.

Yeah, I think I see your point. On one hand, we want classes to provide some unique/differentiated gameplay, and on the other hand, we don't know before hand what would be good choices and what not.

What I think is also important to keep in mind is that this is a story-oriented game, with very low emphasis on gaining skills and stats (No XP, levels, etc.)

...the different classes is more a way to enable different story paths or influence the way the player tackles various situations. (the rogue would steal and hide, the bard will negotiate and amuse, the wizard will use a magic trick or an illusion...)

There are also no constraints nor rules. You could be bitten by a vampire and become a vampire yourself, or become a necromancer. This would not alter the gameplay, since it's reading a story, but in the first case you may be able to fly but be burned in the sunlight, while in the other you could talk to a dead body. Since it's story oriented, there are almost no boundaries. The lifespan of the hero is also probably short. Once you read a few chapters, you finished the adventure!

Edited September 20, 2012 by be-the-hero.net