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TIGSource ForumsCommunityDevLogsTouretteQuest - Procedural Zeldalike + Tourette Syndrome
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larsiusprime
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« on: November 09, 2012, 02:11:35 PM »

Hey guys! So, now that Defender's Quest has launched, every Friday I'm going to try to commit to working on something, anything, else, so that my brain doesn't get fried.

My game idea is called "Tourette's Quest" for now (terrible name, just a placeholder), and the basic idea is that it's a procedurally generated zeldalike where the protagonist has Tourette's Syndrome. You see, I have Tourette's and I'm modelling the mechanics off of my basic life experiences with managing the disease.



Here's an introductory blog post which explains everything in super full details.

Here's the download link:
TS_QUEST_PROTO_0_0_0.exe

Right now the game is super duper simple/terrible, just a rough game-maker prototype. You move with the arrow keys, you use items with Z and X (currently only the sword exists) you unlock doors with X, and you suppress tics with space.

Various things, both good and bad, increase your stress, which makes tics more likely. Right now the only tic that's implemented is spontaneous coughing. Coughing wakes up sleeping monsters, so you can deal with it by ducking into a corner and letting it out or suppressing it at the cost of even more stress.

Stress decreases when you enter a new room, but if there's lots of monsters in it, stress actually goes up. You can see what's in a room before you go in it by looking at the mantle.

I'll eventually have a reward for reaching the end with spare keys, but for now it just resets the game when you reach the stairs or die.

Goblins take two hits, can hurt you, and start off asleep. Giant nostrils take one hit and can't hurt you, but do increase stress.

You can collect money, but it does nothing right now. Bombs and magic are not implemented.

Any initial thoughts?

« Last Edit: December 16, 2012, 01:21:15 PM by larsiusprime » Logged

Nostrils!
Conker534
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« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2012, 02:42:39 PM »

Sounds like it could be loads of fun!
Games with procedural dungeon generation are great! I hope for more. Smiley
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Valmond
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« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2012, 12:45:39 PM »

Just FYI, guess you already know it but anyway you got a post on gamasutra  Hand Thumbs Up Left .
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larsiusprime
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« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2012, 03:07:23 PM »

Update!



I just added a few new features to the game.

  • Coughing tics now annoy enemies, making them faster
  • Pressing "Z" now plants bombs
           -Bombs do 2 damage
           -Bombs can destroy locked doors
           -Bombs cause noise just like coughing
  • At the end of each level, you exchange extra keys for reduced stress
  • Minor control tweaks - opening doors should be easier now
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Nostrils!
jymlarin
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« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2012, 11:14:00 AM »

I have Tourettes.  I am a gamer.  And you just became one of my heroes. Hand Thumbs Up Left
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Makai
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« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2012, 11:54:31 AM »

I read the original blog post and it seems it's making the rounds around gaming media right now, so congrats, I'm really glad for the reception it's getting.



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« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2012, 12:17:29 PM »

This sounds awesome, the mechanics sounds like fun and are quite innovative, and it's touching a serious subject with humor while being personal to you. I think this is a great mix for a game concept. Looking forward to see more from this!
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larsiusprime
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« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2012, 03:47:02 PM »

Thanks guys! Any feedback on the prototype itself? I'm interested in what direction I should move for the next few builds, I should have another one out this week.

I'm thinking of adding some physical tics related to movement and your two hands (so you might have the Z or X button temporarily disabled), maybe some more enemy types, and shops with things to buy so there's a little bit more to the actual resource management and game itself.
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Nostrils!
moi
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« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2012, 07:04:45 PM »

shit!
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Makai
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« Reply #9 on: November 20, 2012, 05:47:00 PM »

Adding more enemy types with different reactions sound like a good idea as well as some physical tics (possibly displaces the player randomly in one direction if you let it surface?)

As for the current prototype, movement feels a bit off, almost like I'm jumping between invisible rails, and getting through already open doors requires a few tries sometimes where I keep hitting the corners of the door but never manage to actually enter it. Attacking in front of the door will usually displace me enough to put me in the correct position to enter the door.

Also, the bomb's damage radius is so small I don't really feel it is useful except in very particular situations (rooms with lots of clumped sleeping enemies in the center), every other occasion they feel like more of a hindrance.
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larsiusprime
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« Reply #10 on: November 20, 2012, 06:12:20 PM »

Cool, plans for the next build:

-Bigger bomb radius
-Bomb can destroy blocks as well as doors

Physical tics
-Movement twitch - move in wrong direction
-Hand twitch - disable X/Z item temporarily

Verbal tics
-Say random specific words ("Nostrils!", "Toucans!") which has some effect. "Nostrils!" would summon a nostril enemy, for instance. (This is one of my real-life tics)

Right now tics have only two intensities - normal and big. I think I want to add a third variant, "small" which has no lead/warning time and thus can't be suppressed. In my personal experience with TS, the "bigger" the tic, the more lead time you have building up in your brain before it happens and the more you can wrestle with it. Some small ones happen with no internal warning, though, often in rapid succession.

So, for the "small size" I'm thinking coughs will have a very small cough radius, for movement we'll have a half-step instead of a full step, and for the hand twitch the item will just be disabled for a half second or so.

On a "critical" tic for the hand you might drop the item entirely and need to pick it back up again.

Once I've explored enough of the prototype and decided that I've got a solid foundation of ideas, I'll move to a less disposable engine with an eye towards the game's future. Not sure how long it'll take to get there, I think once we have another few versions of this and we have a decent playable loop we'll be able to tell.
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Nostrils!
Vagran7
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« Reply #11 on: November 24, 2012, 12:04:43 PM »

Here's a mechanic that I've always felt people could relate to when expressing how Tourette's tics work:  Imagine you're playing Mario, and you notice have 99 coins.  That strong desire to get 100 coins and get a 1up and a ding is similar to the desire to do a tic.  Other things that relate: almost full progress bars.

Actually, the ultimate reference is Peggle's extra ball meter.  The notes keep climing, excitement builds, and then it culminates in a gratifying jingle.  Only with Tourette's there's no extra ball reward, just a rush of satisfaction for completing this thing you've been compelled to do.

Another mechanic that at least relates to how Tourette's effects me: having to do something pointless that's symmetrical to something you had to do.  For example, you pull a switch to open a door.  There's another door switch that can be pulled, but since the door is already open it doesn't do anything but play a gratifying jingle.
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larsiusprime
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« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2012, 12:51:24 PM »

@Vagran7: Yeah, in many ways Tourette's has a bit of overlap with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). I'll look into that, too Smiley

@Everyone else:
News! I've got a new build! Click the image to play! Runs in your browser!



Full details in this Blog Post
http://www.fortressofdoors.com/2012/12/tourette-quest-media-magic-and-nostrils.html

Summary:
-Improved controls(hopefully)
-Bigger bomb radius
-Switched from GameMaker to HaXe (specifically HaXeFlixel)
-New character sprite
-Spellcasting system (build spells with modifiers+action word)
-New verbal tic, "Nostrils" - summons nostrils
-Verbal tic can interfere with your spells, swapping out the action word at last minute
-New inventory system

I'm planning on adding more physical tics next, and some more dungeon content so it's not quite so sparse and challenge-free.

Any thoughts/ideas?
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