Hail Wanderers!
Work on the tree game this past week has mostly consisted of iterating on a paper prototype with the intent of locking in the core mechanics. This also allowed me to rapidly test several versions of the base systems over the course of several days, which lead to a iteration that I believe can serve as the base of the game. I'll post more about the previous versions tomorrow (technically today, but I intended to get this post up sooner, so we'll just call it tomorrow) but for now let me give an overview of the intended gameplay.
The game will support up to four players with the most basic objective to eliminate the other players. This is accomplished by expanding your network of nodes, starting from your core, to explore the map and confront the other players. Each node can generate trees, which serve as offensive implements and defensive barriers to protect the otherwise vulnerable nodes. Each player starts with a different element essence (Earth, wind, fire, and water. Should sound like a familiar group for those of you who have been following the dungeon crawler) that allows them to create nodes, and thus trees, of different elements. These elemental trees have unique powers (fire regains energy after destroying an opposing tree, for example) and it is the use of these powers, and the acquisition of more essences over the course of the game, that will define the strategic part of the gameplay.
In the most basic sense, as players explore the map and fight other players, they will eventually 'learn' new essences and gain the ability to combine these essences to form new node types. In addition, neutral trees that can be converted and some random events will provide a greater variety of essence types. The focus of the game is still on exploring and discovering new tree types, but the new combat system and gameplay goals bring focus and a set of objectives to the experience, something that was pointed out as being lacking in the original concept.
I have a few game design documents and images I will post tomorrow, in addition to explaining the mechanics more in depth, but most of my notes are either hand drawn or hand written and have to be converted to digital format before they are legible enough to post here. In addition, I've been spending the majority of my time recently working on a digital prototype of the core game mechanics (now that I've blocked them out sufficiently on paper) so expect to see more about that, and a playable version, in the coming week.
Until next time.
Guardian Soul
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