Skip to main content

News

Topic: Prototype text-based RPG (Read 9452 times) previous topic - next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Prototype text-based RPG
Have no idea how this is going to work out, but we'll see. :)

Basically it's an RPG where pretty much everything is in text.

http://imgur.com/QLZPvXS,hU56fMJ,2QEdCkg#0
http://imgur.com/QLZPvXS,hU56fMJ,2QEdCkg#1
http://imgur.com/QLZPvXS,hU56fMJ,2QEdCkg#2

The game tracks down your location on an imaginary map by checking your xy coordinates, travelling, depending on direction and mode of travel, will change those coordinates and will blit different backgrouds + flavour text based on where you are. Highly recommended for players to have a gridded paper to mark down places of interest such as cities and dungeons.

Speaking of dungeons, navigation there will also be text based, eg: the passage branches off to the left and right, so yea, drawing down the layout of the dungeon will be needed to avoid getting lost.

Also present will be:
-hunger system ( affects travelling and combat efficiency )
-fatigue system ( affects travelling, combat and magic )
-lighting system ( you need to have torches in dark places like caves )
-'realistic' approach to menus ( you don't hit a button to bring up the inventory/character screens, instead, you 'take a break', followed                  by 'check the bag' or 'talk to party members'. )
-branching storylines and dialogue options
-min/maxing
-high difficulty, aka realistic ( everyone dies in 3/4 hits )
-permadeath

Will definitely have to see how this goes. Really unsure :/

  • DaVince
  • [*][*][*][*][*]
  • Administrator
  • Used Sphere for, like, half my life
Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #1
This has a lot of potential.

Do you know the SNES game Radical Dreamers? (It's kind of a text-based sequel to Chrono Trigger.) It plays out with option menus like this, but also introduces traps and certain stuff will only happen at certain locations when other story elements have passed. Would be neat if you did something like those.

Also hope you don't die too easily. Would take away the fun, I think. ;)

Also nice would be if some elements were randomized. Not like the entire map, but maybe some special locations, or some of the character speech, or item descriptions... Little things that keep it interesting even if you have to restart.

Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #2
Quick update on what I've done. Progress has been slow mainly due to exams :(

I did away with the whole xy coordinate thing because it would've taken TONS of time to code the whole place. Instead, the map is divided into 15 'Holds' ( inspired by Skyrim ) and each Hold has 9 areas, the centre and the eight directions of the compass. So 9x15 would be 135 different areas, which isnt nearly as bad as my previous idea. Here's an example of an area, the north-eastern region of the Nentir Vale:

http://i.imgur.com/c3kparf.png

And then there's the obligatory RPG inventory. The equipment system is based on body parts.

http://i.imgur.com/fsyjj23.png
http://i.imgur.com/2XiM33Y.png

There are four stats currently, 3 of which make a difference, haven't decided what to do with Intelligence ( wanted combat to be melee-centric )

http://i.imgur.com/R2SVQge.png

And finally, dungeons! Dungeon navigation is text-based as well and a pen and paper (gridded ones preferably) is vital to successfully navigate the dungeons without getting lost, as backtracking is essential eg the main door was locked so venture deeper to get the key then find your way back to the door. Also, in larger caverns/labyrinths the hand drawn maps will tell the players where to sleep safely, where water can be found etc.

http://i.imgur.com/DV7Hghy.png
http://i.imgur.com/k1LSUPG.png

Oh yea totally forgot to mention the combat. I dropped the party-based approach and made it a solo adventure. Combat is all one on one encounters but if there are multiple enemies in the vicinity then you fight them one at a time which is still difficult because after the first fight you would have lost some hp and fatigue ( fatigue loss lowers your Defence and damage capabilities )

What happens is the player will choose something to do, and that action is compared to the enemy's list of actions, eg in turn one a bandit will attack, turn two he will do a combat roll etc. The outcomes are listed as follows:

- someone attacks and the other defends = standard dice roll against the defender's Defence skill
- both attacks at the same time = if the difference between the two attackers' Dexterity is more than 4, then the one with the higher   DEX will land his attack first and the weaker    attacker doesn't get to attack. if the DEX difference is less than 4, then a parry occurs and the character with the higher Strength stat will win.
- someone attacks and the other dodges = dice roll against the dodger's Dexterity skill. Penalties based on armor worn.
- both defends/dodges = hilarity ensues

http://i.imgur.com/ZiSi30K.png

Basic attacks will grant you 'attack points' which you can use to pull off more powerful moves. The advanced moves will either deal more damage, give a higher Defense, have a higher hit chance, or give temporary bonuses to the Strength or Dexterity stat. Beware though, moves that gives you more Strength will also cost more fatigue.

http://i.imgur.com/xxOosPA.png

The weapon you have equipped will determine the moves you can use, eg two handed weapons rely more on the Strength stat. Also, you get a short rest after every 4 turns to restore your fatigue by a bit and change equipment or use an item. The enemy's move list will also reset after every break, but harder enemies will have 8, 12 or even 16 moves on their list. This means that if you have fought a certain enemy type, then you would be familiar with what they would do and counter their actions.

  • DaVince
  • [*][*][*][*][*]
  • Administrator
  • Used Sphere for, like, half my life
Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #3
This looks really freakin' cool. Ready for a demo release soon? ;)

By the way, quick tip! Press F12 in-game to make a nice, full screenshot. It'll be saved in the Sphere\screenshots directory as a PNG file you can upload straight away.

Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #4
haha the print screen was kinda obvious huh ? I'll have a nice demo in mid-December hopefully. That's two weeks after my finals so I can get some work done.

  • Fat Cerberus
  • [*][*][*][*][*]
  • Global Moderator
  • Sphere Developer
Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #5
It would have been easier if you had at least used alt+printscreen, then you wouldn't have had to crop it manually. :)
neoSphere 5.9.2 - neoSphere engine - Cell compiler - SSj debugger
forum thread | on GitHub

  • DaVince
  • [*][*][*][*][*]
  • Administrator
  • Used Sphere for, like, half my life
Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #6
F12 is easiest because it only takes a screenshot of the exact game area, really. ;)

  • Radnen
  • [*][*][*][*][*]
  • Senior Staff
  • Wise Warrior
Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #7
Unless you are running in Sphere 1.6, then F12 doesn't work. ;)
If you use code to help you code you can use less code to code. Also, I have approximate knowledge of many things.

Sphere-sfml here
Sphere Studio editor here

Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #8
You can just add a GrabImage() and save call, too.

  • Fat Cerberus
  • [*][*][*][*][*]
  • Global Moderator
  • Sphere Developer
Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #9

Unless you are running in Sphere 1.6, then F12 doesn't work. ;)


Is that a regression, or was the screenshot feature deliberately removed for some reason?  Would be odd if it were the latter, but you never know...
neoSphere 5.9.2 - neoSphere engine - Cell compiler - SSj debugger
forum thread | on GitHub

Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #10
Update:

-Changed map navigation again, did away with the 'hold system' and replaced with a standard world map ( with some very basic tiles )
http://i.imgur.com/9smkyeN.png

-Here's how the whole world map looks when zoomed out:
http://i.imgur.com/dUXzLDM.png

-Couldn't find pictures which I really wanted on Google, so I decided to scan my own drawings and make the backgrounds transparent ( took a while for me to learn how ) then blit the image against a cool image of old paper, creating this 'old-ish' feeling to the pictures.
http://i.imgur.com/ZJR5edN.png
http://i.imgur.com/gri6GPZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/qBAhhZM.png

-Did away with the previous combat moves, and replaced it with this:
http://i.imgur.com/aHkGE9n.png
http://i.imgur.com/9M6Qfr3.png

-Select a type of attack, then select the enemy's body part. Different parts have different HP pools, effects and attack chances, ala Fallout. Upon enemy death there's a short, gruesome description on how he dies. The following takes place when using Slash as the killing blow on the torso. Different descriptions for different deaths.
http://i.imgur.com/uFiwPB0.png

well that's all for now

  • DaVince
  • [*][*][*][*][*]
  • Administrator
  • Used Sphere for, like, half my life
Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #11
Pretty good! Maybe you could make the drawings a bit less aliased (so more antialiasing around the pixels)? Since you use GIMP, that would mean enabling "antialiasing" in the selection tools' options.

The selected options in these menus are kind of difficult to see. Could you make sure the text is always on top? Giving a bit more padding will also look cleaner, I think.

  • Mooch
  • [*][*][*]
Re: Prototype text-based RPG
Reply #12
This is really neat. One suggestion, though -- have a simple minimap, like the one in Super Metroid (or, perhaps more apropos, Shin Megami Tensei). "You walk for awhile...and come to a T-intersection" will get extremely repetitive in a full-fledged game, and hard to keep track of (you'll have to draw your own map on paper, which has its appeal, but most players probably won't bother, they'll just "brute force" it and walk wherever until something happens).