Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length

 
Advanced search

1411279 Posts in 69323 Topics- by 58380 Members - Latest Member: bob1029

March 28, 2024, 05:13:43 PM

Need hosting? Check out Digital Ocean
(more details in this thread)
TIGSource ForumsDeveloperDesignHunger mechanic for minions in a small resource gathering game?
Pages: [1]
Print
Author Topic: Hunger mechanic for minions in a small resource gathering game?  (Read 686 times)
Koobazaur
Level 2
**



View Profile WWW
« on: July 31, 2016, 02:50:44 PM »

Hey Folks,

I'm working on a small game about managing 3-8 minions to gather various resources in an open outdoorsy map. You do not control them directly and they just gravitate around you, but over time you learn various words to issue basic commands like pick up or throw a rock. There are also some wild animals that may attack your minions that you can get your children to throw rocks at.

The minions will also get hungry so you need to get them to some food so they can replenish. I'm brainstorming some good repercussions and what I have so far:
* If a minion is satiated, it can take 2 hits from an enemy before dying, if it's hungry it dies in just one hit
* If a minion is hungry, he moves slightly slower

Any other ideas how to make it more interesting? Perhaps its better for the minions to take more hits and the hunger is effectively an HP meter? Or maybe the minions should never die just have a "good" and "wounded" state after being attacked  (which slows them down) so you need to feed them to return to full speed?

Any other cool ideas? Here's a few screenshots to get an idea of what the game plays like.
Logged
s0
o
Level 10
*****


eurovision winner 2014


View Profile
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2016, 03:07:27 PM »

slowing them down seems like too much of a negative feedback loop tbh, i'd go with the "HP meter" idea.

EDIT: on second thought, slowdown on wound + eating to replenish hp could work if you balance it right.
« Last Edit: July 31, 2016, 03:12:53 PM by Silbereisen » Logged
teatreegames
Guest
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2016, 09:51:34 AM »

slowing them down seems like too much of a negative feedback loop tbh, i'd go with the "HP meter" idea.

EDIT: on second thought, slowdown on wound + eating to replenish hp could work if you balance it right.

Also, maybe a few basic stages of hunger:

Sated
Hungry
Starving

Maybe at Hungry, they are slightly less effective
Then at Starving they begin losing HP
Logged
Seanypdesign
Level 0
*



View Profile
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2016, 10:23:16 AM »

Sometimes how you frame it for the player can make all the difference, too.

"Minions gain a movement speed bonus while fully satiated."

feels a lot better than

"Minions suffer a movement speed penalty for being hungry."

Just food for thought  Hand Fork Left Smiley Hand Knife Right
Logged
Koobazaur
Level 2
**



View Profile WWW
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2016, 12:20:34 PM »

Thanks for the feedback! I don't want to do multiple satiation states since the game i spretty small, around 15-20mins if you know what you're doing. Just trying to focus on few core mechanics and polish them.

@Seany - good point, need to keep in mind the mental presentation Smiley
Logged
Pages: [1]
Print
Jump to:  

Theme orange-lt created by panic