4 hours in and I’m still brainstorming. AUGH this is tough! Maybe if I elaborate on the ideas I have so far something will click. Here goes.<\/p>\n
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Idea 1: Eating competition game<\/p>\n
THEME?
\n -eat as fast as you can while keeping your food “Beneath the Surface” (don’t vomit \/ choke)<\/p>\n
GAMEPLAY?
\n -reflex game: press key sequences\/patterns to perform actions
\n -multitasking game: must perform several independent tasks at once: grab food+chew+swallow, digest, stretch(?), drink water ask for refills (2 categories: food & water), manage pulse\/stress level(?), burp (without choking, don’t interrupt eating!), hiccups!!
\n -DANGER EVENTS: about to choke (quickly get some water, manage breath\/pulse), about to throw up (mash key or something?)
\n -time limit: eat x foods in y seconds; once checkpoint reached, higher x and smaller y
\n -manage stomach fullness: counter with stretches (expand stomach, but takes time) or water (increases digestion speed but increases hiccup %, and bloats(?))<\/p>\n
PROS?
\n -easy to make: no character movement, collision, or level design
\n -longevity: randomly-generated events (no levels either) so it can be played for a long time, high score rush!
\n -theme is different enough? maybe too much?
\n -modular: should be easy to add more features & events if i have time<\/p>\n
CONS?
\n -theme is risky…should emphasize “beneath” and “surface”, perhaps visually (stomach meter with a bar on top, or something)
\n -repetitiveness: gameplay could fall into a pattern (=infinite score) if there aren’t enough events for the player to manage…gotta keep it fresh
\n -artwork: it needs it! can people tolerate my bad art? probably
\n -can i use flashpunk for this…? was expecting to be able to use an easy framework, don’t feel like using pure AS3 + Flash IDE<\/p>\n
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Idea 2: Climb & Dive<\/p>\n
THEME?
\n -have to climb a level within a time limit; jump from as high as possible to fall hard enough to break through the planet’s crust and escape to “Beneath the Surface”
\n -in a drill suit \/ ship or something, that can be deployed when you make the final jump
\n -space colony planet, want to breach into the core where it’s cold because the planet is getting to close to a sun (malfunction)<\/p>\n
GAMEPLAY?
\n -vertical platformer: run & jump over obstacles, climb ladders, falling platforms (wide enough screen for big level, not just up)
\n -calamity: dodge falling objects, crumbling platforms
\n -maybe no enemies\/HP: single-hit deaths
\n -maybe just one level, but going for high score: how high you can get before jumping, how far you can dig into the ground when landing, SUPER BONUS\/Win if you manage to break through the crust!
\n -2 parts to gameplay: part 1 is vertical climbing, part 2 after the final jump, falling to the ground while dodging things (getting hit slows you down)<\/p>\n
PROS?
\n -cool
\n -can have fun with level design
\n -coding\/building a level should be easy with Ogmo & Flashpunk<\/p>\n
CONS?
\n -sounds tough…and if development falls apart there won’t be much to make it fun
\n -need an elaborate level to make it fun, and won’t have much replayability
\n -really don’t want to make a random level generator if making 1 level isn’t enough<\/p>\n
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Idea 3: Climb a Sinking Level<\/p>\n
THEME?
\n -towers\/spires are sinking “Beneath the Surface” of the ocean, or perhaps a volcano
\n -ancient ruins setting? you’re a native trying to find high ground<\/p>\n
GAMEPLAY?
\n -narrow vertical platforming, with bursts of horizontal: climb a tower as it sinks, but once you’re near the top you have to jump to a tower beside you (this will only work if the adjacent tower only gets platforms once it has sunk for a while, so you won’t just jump to it right away)
\n -crumbling floors, spikes, hazards. can probably have health in this game, but falling off tower kills you
\n -some events trigger only once the tower has sunken a bit, so even if you can climb faster than it sinks, there’s still a challenge<\/p>\n
PROS?
\n -sounds fun, should be simple & safe enough to be fun<\/p>\n
CONS?
\n -how long with the game last without randomly-generated levels? Hand-designed ones probably don’t suit this game very well, since the player should have to “keep going”<\/p>\n
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Idea 4: Double-sided puzzle platformer<\/p>\n
THEME?
\n -controlling two players: one on each side of the ground (above & below), so one is “Beneath the Surface”
\n -spirit world? dream world? main character is “real\/true” one, and the below one is the “fake\/shadowy” one (can work out specifics later, but it’s flexible)<\/p>\n
GAMEPLAY?
\n -top character falls down (normal), beneath character falls up: control both at the same time. Right\/left moves them in tandem, jump button makes them jump perpendicular to their floors (top up, beneath down)
\n -different level obstacles on each side of every level: walls, spikes, lasers, LOCKED DOORS & KEYS ON DIFFERENT SIDES. Key for a door will be on the opposide side of the level, so one char grabs key & other char goes through door! okay.
\n -“bottomless pit” = gap in ground where both chars can fall through; lose life when they hit each other
\n -multiple levels, puzzle-style: have to get both characters to the exit at the same time<\/p>\n
PROS?
\n -easy & fast to make with Flashpunk & Ogmo
\n -inoffensive concept, will probably be enjoyable enough even if levels aren’t spectacular
\n -can skimp on the artwork until later on
\n -core engine should be quick to develop, allowing more time for level design (which is important)<\/p>\n
CONS?
\n -level design: might be hard to make levels with hard puzzles
\n -a bit too boring\/safe<\/p>\n
Okay, that was helpful. #2 & 3 are probably too complex to tackle or won’t be fun enough in time. I like the concept of #1 the most, and will hopefully be simple enough to make, as long as I’m okay with making a non-level-based game like I’m used to. I like #4 too but it might be too simple, however it can definitely be an option to fall back on if whatever else I choose to do goes belly up.<\/p>","time":"April 25th, 2014 10:32 pm","title":"Brainstorm"}