Project: Combatant
| Project Started: |
16th November, 2008 |
Last Update: |
18th July, 2010 |
| Project Owner: |
 Muz |
Project Members: |
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| Project Type: |
Turn-based RPG |
Project Progress: |
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Start of phase 2 - and a long break
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Posted 3rd Mar 09, by Muz
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Phase 2 will be dealing with having characters interact with the environment. I'll probably brush over it quickly, mostly to make it easier to equip characters and move around the rooms.
But before that, I need a long break. The game's foundation's been laid down.. now I just have to build on it. I could start coding whatever part I need now, the tough design bit's past. But right now, my brain's gotten numb for this game. College is starting, so I'll put this project aside to rest for 3 months.
I'll probably work on someone else's game in the meanwhile.. a rather similar project, but much simpler, so you guys could enjoy tactical combat without waiting for all the details in Combatant  I'm also going to use the opportunity to gain valuable experience, but mess up someone else's game, not mine 
Anyway.. some notes of what's happened with this project before it goes to sleep for a while..
Design philosophy updates
Game Design
What annoys me the most about the game is the design. Basically, design is an idea.. I spend literally months on it, and some guy who knows nothing at all about how it works could come in and steal every idea I've worked hard to come up with. The blocking system, the fighting, positioning, etc, everything took weeks to plan, but can be ripped off in 5 minutes. It's immensely annoying, and most of the 'break time' will be getting over that.
Fantasy vs Reality
The more I work on this.. the more I realize that they don't mix. Fantasy is more fun when you exaggerate it and put shiny things in it. Combining both means that I need a long history and background behind every fantasy element. So, chances are that the fantasy bits will come very late into the project.
More simulation, less physics
I messed up a lot in earlier versions of Combatant, by trying to apply real life laws to the game. It just doesn't work that way. Too much realism only has a minor difference in gameplay.. and it takes a huge formula to do something perfectly realistically, but some random factor would make it not matter at all. So, from now on, everything in the game will be more towards getting it feeling realistic, but not actually be perfect. Trust me, it's more accurate that way.
Coding updates
Armor
Been working on the armor the past few weeks and it's got an interesting system. Basically, the armor absorbs only a certain amount of damage, before it pierces through. So, you could have, say, a spear hitting a silk vest. As long as the spear doesn't pierce the vest, it can do a lot of bruising, even internal damage if done right, but once you pierce through the vest, it can be fatal. Skin will also use the same concept as armor - so hitting someone with a blunt wooden sword may not kill him. Armor (and skin) will also degrade with use, so, something that's been beaten on a few times will slowly be easier to tear, but not by much.
Positioning
Ah, here's one of the biggest things in this game. With full 3D, you could simulate positioning perfectly, but that's not the case here. It's a RPG and you roll some dice to see whether or not the attack hits. Well.. in Combatant, hitting your enemy is easy. It's just that he's often fast enough to block your weapon, or not be in the spot you attacked at all. I've dumbed down collision detection a little because I'm lazy, but it'll probably be fixed in the future.
Reach
From positioning came reach. All weapons have a certain reach, so you'll have trouble hitting someone who's holding a pike. But if you ever get past the pike head, it's much easier - he could only hit you with the pike's shaft.
Similarly, a guy with a dagger will never reach someone who's holding a two-handed sword. That swordsman can just back off, swinging the sword, and the guy will just have to rush in and try to hit him (greatly lowering his accuracy and defense). Or he could try to tire out the swordsman and keep him unbalanced. Whatever it is, the swordsman will have a major advantage because of reach.
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