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[Tokinsom]

My brother and I are working on a game together and we can't stop arguing over one thing: Is it bad to add things to the game purely for the sake of fun? "Fluff" I guess you'd call it.

For example, our player is able to use a whip. Well, I thought it would be cool if he could use the whip to swing from pegs attached to the ceiling. Does it serve much of a purpose? No, not really, but it's fun and can be challenging if I make it that way. His argument is instead of swinging from the pegs, we could just add some small platforms that are difficult to cross. Boooooring. More walking and jumping..just what we need  

Also, bombs are one of his secondary weapons. We added them because they're ranged and have good AOE. Well that's cool, but why have bombs if you can't blow shit up? I suggested we add some destructible blocks that block paths and stuff. Just for the hell of it. Blowing up stuff is fun, and if anything can change how a section of a level might work. He wants no destructible blocks whatsoever.

One thing that's often brought up is simple, temporary upgrades. I suggest multiple small upgrades like one that sets enemies on fire when you attack them, which deals 1 dmg per 50 milliseconds. It is kind of pointless since you can just hit the enemy one or two more times and kill it just as quickly, but come on, who doesn't like to set things on fire? Enemies flash red and emit flame particles. It's fun. Some enemies might even go berserk and run wildly back and forth. He, on the other hand, wants a single temp. upgrade which increases your attack damage and range. That's it.

I guess it comes down to

A) Have a lot of neat little things that are fun but don't really add much to the gameplay.
B) Keep it clean and simple and focus on the core gameplay. No fluff or "distractions."

In the end, I'm programming it, so I can add these things if I want..but every time I'm about to I ask myself if it's really worth it. Will the player actually enjoy and appreciate these little things or is it just extra crap to fool them in to thinking there's more than there really is?

[shadowdim]

Finish your game. FINISH. IT.
The pause menu, the options and the credits roll, too.

Add some fluff when the thing is done, if you still have time and motivation

[baconman]

Who's doing the artwork and who's doing the level design? I'm guessing the programming is your brother's.

I do agree that whip-swinging and bombable blocks can add a tremendous amount of fun and depth to a game like you're describing, but they take a bit of work to implement, especially the appropriate speed/momentum of the whip-swing. It could simply be above his programming level right now. I'd go with a coding-friendly alternative, like pegs you can whip to then launch yourself in their general direction. So whipping one across will give a quickly-flying-far-forward effect with a slight jumping arc for gravity's sake, or whipping one upwards would auto-jump you a bit higher than your whipping range.

Bombs and destructible blocks should be a no-brainer though; just copy the code for the normal ground block, and destroy it (w/ sfx) if it collides with an explosion. You could code that yourself via copypaste, along with a "fake block" that they player simply doesn't react to (lots of fun come from those, too). There's a number of things you can use that stuff for, like concealing power-ups, or a little cove that's in a spot where you can jump in and out of to skip a particularly hard sequence.

_{If you really wanna be a bitch, make a jump series of destructible blocks, so the player could accidentally screw themselves by blowing them up!}

The fire whip, on the other hand? That seems more like fluff, and it's hard to effectively implement, as you'd also need to code the "crazy lit on fire" reactions for enemies, and im some cases even reanimate them. Sounds like he's doing the programming, but if you're willing to do the reanimation and show it off first, you could get him to reconsider. Well... it may still be fluff anyways, couldn't a bomb set enemies on fire anyways?


A little bit of fun/fluff is what gives the game character.

[Tokinsom]

In the end, I'm programming it, so I can add these things if I want..

And level design..and game design..and audio. 

My bro is just helping with design, and a friend of mine is doing all the art.

Anyhow, it'd be easy to program. Weapons are already done, setting enemies on fire would be simple as well - code it once for the enemy family/class. The 'enemies going berserk and running back and forth' could be tricky but that was kind of a stupid idea to begin with lol.

A little bit of fun/fluff is what gives the game character.

I completely agree.

But yeah, I don't want to get excited about adding fun stuff on the side and end up making things more complicated / time consuming than they need to be..so I guess I'll just finish the game first and then go back and add whip swinging and all that jazz. I hate backtracking but I guess it wouldn't be too much of a hassle..

[baconman]

Yeah, but the destructible tiles and whip-swinging stuff isn't fluff if implemented, it's core gameplay and can greatly effect level design. The fire effect is all you'd need to debate about. If you want it, and can easily implement it, why not?

[Noah!]

edit: Eh nevermind.. Going with B.

Geez, really? You're giving up so quickly? If I were you, I would at least warrant giving your ideas a try. Just hack up a simple implementation (if possible) and see how it feels! Play around! If the idea still feels like a fun addition, then graft it right on in with the rest of your core mechanics! If not, then cut it! It's as simple as that.

Distractions are only distractions when they're poorly implemented. Likewise, simplicity can still exist within a large set of core mechanics.

[peanutbuttershoes]

I think it's the little things that really make a game unique. whether it be the style of the game or little fun extra gameplay things or random power-ups. It gives more.. life?

things like

-Taunting
-Swinging on hooks
-Explosions
-Secret spots in levels
-NPCs That have funny things to say

Just anything that adds character to your game and is consistent.

CONSISTENT. <== THATSA KEY WORD THERE.

Make a style guide or something and really get a feel for what you're trying to show your players and how you want the to feel or react.

[alastair]

Just make sure that any new mechanic you add has meaning. I.e., if you can design some cool challenges out of it or if it offers additional interesting decisions in the level then go for it.

[Ultima Ratio Regum]

Plus, sounds like you're doing the majority of the effort. I ask my friends for views on my game via my devblog, general conversations, etc, and while two more than others give me a lot of input, it's still clearly 'my' game, and therefore I get the final word. Not that I wish to drive a wedge between you and your brother!, but, if you're doing the majority of the work, I think it's only fair if you get a majority of the say.

But, yeah, get the basic game out first. Then add fire-based hilarity. Earlier in my development process I thought it was really important to work on one particular micro-facet of my game before realising no, that can come in a much later update, given that you can't actually engage in combat yet. Playability has to come first, I think, but maybe a little fire would keep people's attention. That always works, right?

[rogerlevy]

Add a bunch of ideas and then take away what doesn't work.

You can always save any that you like for another game.

[Twitch]

Put all that shit in, be prepared to take it out if it sucks.

Finish your game before adding too much fluff.

Also, add a diarrhea mode, with a constantly rising crap-o-meter which require the player to find frequent toilets to relieve themselves or shit their pants. This is an essential feature.