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[rek]

I will probably add some kind of "The gods demand sacrifice!" text if you try to use a power with zero sacrifices.

Ooh ooh ooh, make the screen rumble (and crack the vase?) or add a flash of lightning when that happens too often

[CEDE]

[Ninja Dodo]

@Caran Elmoth: Thanks!

@rek: That is a cool idea.

@CEDE: Nice doodle! I take it you're suggesting I should have separate vases connecting, with the player moving between them? I've thought about doing something like this and my initial feeling was probably not, but maybe there are some places where this could be interesting... like in level transitions. We will see.

[eigenbom]

Yeh the level select screen could use these...

[CEDE]

@CEDE: Nice doodle! I take it you're suggesting I should have separate vases connecting, with the player moving between them? I've thought about doing something like this and my initial feeling was probably not, but maybe there are some places where this could be interesting... like in level transitions. We will see.

Actually no. I just drew it this way for fun.

However the separate vase thing could work, but probably would be better as a mechanic in something full 3D so you could be going around and up vases and have a stronger impression of the dimensions and depth.

[Ninja Dodo]

@CEDE: Agreed. There are ways it could work in 2D (which I may use), but something like that would be better suited to 3D.

@eigenbom: Definitely.

[Franklin's Ghost]

I definitely like it how it is now and don't think it needs the separate vases thing but could see it working for level transitions and the level select.

[Ninja Dodo]

I think it could be nice in the menus and perhaps in the opening of the game to really show the vases, but if I use it in the game proper it will be sparingly.

[Ninja Dodo]

I've been doing some thinking recently about scope.

Ideally I would like to cover a broad range of mythology, but realistically I won't be able to do ALL OF IT, so I've had a think about what I would consider the minimum acceptable game and where I would expand if possible.

MINIMUM
- monster sandbox: modestly-sized circular arena levels (partly procedural?), with a range of enemies and god powers to play with, single- and multiplayer (co-op and versus)

This is what I'm building now. The core gameplay if you will. However, I would like to do some kind of story mode as well, so:

GOAL
- monster sandbox
- singleplayer/co-op story mode (1 or more stories)

The story mode will scale depending on what I can adapt to interesting gameplay within a reasonable timeframe. Any new gameplay features will also go into the sandbox.

There are a number of obvious choices for story levels:

- 12 Labours of Herakles (boss battles)
- The Trojan War (the horse, the duel, etc)
- The Odyssee (the 10 year journey from Troy to Ithaca)
- other stories that would maybe work as single "vignette" levels

The 12 Labours seem the best choice for an initial series of levels. It's one of the most iconic and spectacular stories, with great monsters and clear protagonist and antagonist gods in Zeus and Hera, plus companion hero Iolaos (co-op!).

I've found in previous projects that aiming for something scalable saves a lot of trouble down the line because you can both add to it if you have more time (and ideas) and scale back if it gets out of hand. So this is the plan.

[Ninja Dodo]

Of course, before I get carried away, there are a number of questions that I still need to answer with the prototype: (though more things need to be implemented before I can answer them)

• The main one: Will hero + god co-op be satisfying enough for both players, or is it better suited for singleplayer where one player does both the platforming AND the powers?

• Can combat, powers + platforming sustain hero vs hero combat without monsters?

• Will it be fun to play an antagonist god that works against the hero (adding monsters, obstacles, etc)?

• Would local 4-player hero + god vs hero + god be possible?

There are technical questions that need answering as well, but this is mostly just me needing to read up on GML some more. There don't seem to be any things (that I want to do) that absolutely cannot be done in Game Maker, so I just need to learn how to do them.

[Ninja Dodo]

Right then. Version 8:

http://www.ninjadodo.net/temp/hellas/hellas_v08.zip

I've done some work on refining collisions and climbing. Also made it so you can jump from a climb immediately if you let go of UP and press again.

I added feedback for failed jumps under low ceilings. Before if you pressed jump under a low ceiling nothing happened. Now you do a mini jump-and-land so that it's clear the game is reacting to the button press while still blocking the jump.

Made some changes to spear throwing: a running throw on the ground was going the same distance as a standing throw (only air throws were using momentum). Now a running throw goes further. I left airborne-, standing- and crouched throws untouched.

Also took out one frame from the running (sword) attack so the timing's the same as the air attacks.

The only new bit of gameplay is shield blocking, which stops projectiles and fellow players (one way). This will be handy later.

[imaginationac]

Excellent art style. Looking forward to seeing more.

[Ninja Dodo]

Here's a new video as well:



[edit: reuploaded with better encoding]

@imaginationac: Thanks!

[oyog]

So forgive me if you've already answered this but do you plan on keeping the mouse control as a part of the game or is it strictly for development testing?

I like imagining the mouse control being "the Favor of the Gods" in game play.

[Ninja Dodo]

It's a feature. In exchange for sacrifices (food & wine) you can call on the aid of the gods, who help you with various powers. For now the only one I've implemented is grabbing and manipulating (throwing) of physical objects (including the player).

The plan is to eventually have different gods to choose from, each with different powers.

Powers will be controlled with the mouse as they are now, and you will be able to select different ones to assist your hero. So this would be hero + god co-op.

In theory one player could control both, but I'm thinking for singleplayer I will either need to adjust the pace of the game so the player has time to switch OR I'll do something with hotkeys so the hero player can ask the gods for specific powers and use only keyboard (or gamepad) to control everything.

[oyog]

Crap of Zeus, that's awesome!

Powers will be controlled with the mouse as they are now, and you will be able to select different ones to assist your hero. So this would be hero + god co-op.

In theory one player could control both, but I'm thinking for singleplayer I will either need to adjust the pace of the game so the player has time to switch OR I'll do something with hotkeys so the hero player can ask the gods for specific powers and use only keyboard (or gamepad) to control everything.

And this answers my second question.

[davidp]

You might find this interesting: http://www.alientrap.org/games/apotheon

 

[PompiPompi]

Yea, I saw that! Instantely thought of your game...

Edit: removed swearing XD

[Ninja Dodo]

You might find this interesting: http://www.alientrap.org/games/apotheon

 

That is interesting. I'm curious, by are you saying you think I am copying them, or are you saying you think they are copying me?

Pretty sure neither is the case, here.

This is the first I've seen or heard of their project and my devlog has only been going since September 2011, but I can tell you that I have been thinking about making this game since sometime in 2007... so independent invention I guess. I expect our games go in fairly different directions though beyond superficial similarity.

[PompiPompi]

You might find this interesting: http://www.alientrap.org/games/apotheon

 

That is interesting. I'm curious, by are you saying you think I am copying them, or are you saying you think they are copying me?

Pretty sure neither is the case, here.

This is the first I've seen or heard of their project and my devlog has only been going since September 2011, but I can tell you that I have been thinking about making this game since sometime in 2007... so independent invention I guess. I expect our games go in fairly different directions though beyond superficial similarity.

I don't know, either you are too naive, or I am too paranoid. XD