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TIGSource ForumsCommunityDevLogsGame Over Odyssey - Turn-Based, Tactical RPG about Video Games
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Tyro
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« on: September 20, 2016, 04:25:43 PM »

Hello all you out there in TIGland - Tyro here.  Gentleman

I've been working on new game for the past several months and think there's finally enough to show. I'm hoping it'll be demo-ready by the year's end, as I'm making good progress.

Game Over Odyssey is a video game about video games. Specifically, it's set in an alternate universe chock-full of games similar to ones created during the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.

The Story:

A lot of worldbuilding/plot will be done in-game, but here's a brief summary:

For many years, the denizens of the game worlds believed that nothing existed apart from themselves and the 'Spectators'. When observed by the Spectators, the realms and their inhabitants functioned in a pre-established order, obeying the wills of the onlookers. However, the cosmic eyes of the Spectators were not always open. When unseen, characters within the game worlds acted of their own accord.

One day, mysterious portals began appearing in certain game worlds. This phenomenon, only observable in absence of a Spectator, soon drew the curiosity and ire of many. Some of the more intrepid game characters dared to enter the portals, and what they found on the other side would change everything.

Beyond the portals lay a vast, lifeless expanse that came to be called the 'Interim' - a place between worlds. In time, explorers delving into the Interim discovered that it contained portals to worlds outside of their own - the universes and homes of myriads of game characters.

This is the tale of two such explorers, their friends, and the fate of all worlds.

Themes:

Game Over Odyssey will feature a blend of comedy and dramatic depth. It will poke fun at a variety of game conventions while also touching on serious themes like people's attitudes towards games and their ontological nature.

The Characters:

Log



The game's protagonist - a mute, amnesiac, nameless being of unknown origin. His first memory is waking up in the Interim next to King, who then gave him the 'honor' of being his minion as he set out for conquest. Since then, they've both been lost in the Interim for several years, and King has mellowed considerably. During this time, King ended up calling him 'Log' due to the indecipherable writing covering his body.

King



A powerful, shadowy figure with strong senses of pride and honor. Formerly the final boss of a game known to the Spectators as 'Yufia: Warrior of the Last Fantasy", he saw the portal's appearance in his world as a sign. Believing that he was destined to rule whatever lay beyond the portal, he eagerly entered it but ultimately found himself lost in the Interim searching for his promised kingdom. He is very loyal to Log, his former 'minion' and only friend.

The Gameplay:

Following the prologue, the game will be divided into chapters based on different game genres explored via the Interim. The 'meat' of the game - tactical turn based combat - remains consistent throughout each world type, but the overworld will vary according to genre.

I'm actually still working the specifics out in this regard, but I think there's a lot of room for creativity.

Combat:

There's actually a lot to cover here, so for my first post I'm going to briefly show the battle system and get into the nitty-gritty with subsequent posts. Here's some bullet points to cover its features:

  • Turn-based battles with two player-controlled characters and 1-4 enemies on screen
  • 5 different in-battle options per character turn - basic attacks, character specific techniques, items, artifacts, and tactics (block, move to a battlefield space, switch partner)
  • Dynamic action commands
  • 6 unique stats per character (HP - health points, DP - drive points, DR - drive rate, IP - item points, TP - tactic points, AP - artifact points) that can be leveled however you like.
  • Enemies that have stats like the player does (IP, TP, DP, etc.)
  • A focus on resource management and strategic thinking

Without further ado, here's a picture of what's going on (with test enemies from the first chapter - a Platformer game world):





« Last Edit: April 24, 2017, 02:51:08 PM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2016, 03:58:02 PM »

Log 1
So, about that Battle System - Basic Attacks



I've been working more on the game's battle system since my last post. Additionally, I started drawing a background for the first world's battles. The orientation/style of battles will remain consistent throughout each chapter of the game, though the background perspectives will differ for specific game genres.

In Game Over Odyssey, I wanted every battle command to remain relevant for the game's entirety. Sure, basic attacks are weaker than the techniques, items, and artifacts you'll come across (more on these later.) However, successful basic attacks along with blocking increase a character's Drive Points (or DP) by your current level of Drive Rate (or DR). Drive Points are used to perform techniques and sometimes to activate artifacts.

I plan to reserve a future post to fully discuss each of the game's six character-specific stats and how they intermingle. For now, just know that performing action commands (via basic attacks or blocking enemy attacks) generates the game's equivalent of mana. There are other, quirkier ways to gain DP, but basic attacks are always there for you - as a reliable and somewhat painful friend.

Just how painful, you ask? Well, a well-timed basic attack will normally deal a constant 2 damage (though this amount can be affected by certain artifacts or character techniques).

Here, let Log show you how it's done:



And here's King fouling things up purely for demonstration purposes:



A couple of observations to be made here:

  • Each character has a specific action command for basic attacks.
  • Missing an action command with basic attacks still deals 1 damage in most cases. That way, there's still a sense of progression towards beating an enemy even if you flub things.
  • Legoone is a pretty bad pun.

Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 2
So, about that Battle System - A Moving Experience
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« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2016, 07:49:51 PM »

Log 2
So, about that Battle System - A Moving Experience



Progress on the battle system is still going smoothly, and I made some slight improvements to the GUI.

This entry will mostly focus on the Tactic battle option and the TP (Tactic Point) stat. So in a lot of RPGs, having the ability to do things like run from battle or defend are selectable from menus like the one Game Over Odyssey features. Following up the sentiment from last week's entry, I really wanted something as mundane as miscellaneous battle commands to be interesting and relevant.

When you select the tactics menu, you'll get three options as seen below.



You may notice there's a green arrow pointing to the right next to each option. This is where TP comes in. Tactic Points can be spent to get added bonuses from tactical commands. Take blocking, for instance. If the situation calls for it, you can block a measly 1 damage for 0 TP and end your turn. However, you're allowed to spend up to your max TP on a single block action, increasing the block amount for each TP spent. Great if you want to avoid a devastating attack or are building a defensive character.



The Move option lets you reposition yourself on the battlefield for 0 TP and your turn. However, cough up 1 TP and you can take an additional turn after moving. "Why would I want to move on the battlefield," you ask? Well, certain allied moves and enemy attacks affect battlefield spaces rather than characters directly. Some enemy attacks that target battlefield spaces can be entirely avoided by moving about. Conversely, moving into battlefield spaces with beneficial effects lets a character take advantage of them.

Note: if you spend 1 TP for a free move, you won't be able to move again that turn. You're still free to choose other tactical options though.



The last option - Change Ally - has a TP cost bonus similar to moving. As the game progresses and you meet new friends, you can switch them out in battle to strategically take use of their abilities, tank enemy attacks, etc. Normally this costs a turn, but you can spend 1 TP to make it a free action.

All of the stats in Game Over Odyssey function differently on some level, and TP is no exception. With a few exceptions, TP does not and cannot regenerate in battle. You'll have to budget it wisely if you need to swap allies constantly or want to blow it all on a single block action. TP resets to its max value at the end of every battle.

Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 3
So, about that Battle System - The Artifacts of Life
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« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2016, 05:07:19 PM »

Log 3
So, about that Battle System - The Artifacts of Life



This week's devlog will focus on the Artifact battle command and the AP (artifact point) stat. Artifacts are equippable objects that can be bought, obtained from NPCs, or won from battling within the worlds of Game Over Odyssey.

Artifacts have a wide variety of effects - from refilling stats (such as DP or TP), damaging enemies, changing the battlefield, or fundamentally altering how other battle command works for one turn. You have to option to activate one from your character's artifact slots on their turn, and doing so is always a 'free' action - allowing them to perform another battle command immediately afterward.

Though artifacts don't instantly end a character's turn when used, each of them has a specific cooldown in turns. When used, you won't be able to activate the artifact again until its cooldown expires. There's nothing stopping you from having multiple copies of certain artifacts though. The total amount of artifacts a character can have equipped is dictated by their AP. It can be increased by 1 every other level, and a character's total artifact slots are always equal to it.

It's important to mention that artifact cooldowns persist outside of battle. Like other resources in the game, managing them will play into your battle strategies. You do have the option of building a heavily AP-oriented character however, permitting artifact use every turn with proper cooldown management.

I've recently migrated to a new workstation and haven't yet set up my video/gif making software, so hopefully some still screens will suffice this week. I'll have some nice, animated images next time.

One last thing: I haven't properly balanced any artifact's cooldowns. The values displayed are purely for testing, and I'll know better once I'm farther along in development if something needs to be increased or decreased.





Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 4
So, about that Battle System - Easy on the Items
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« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2016, 03:31:25 PM »

Log 4
So, about that Battle System - Easy on the Items



In a lot of RPGs, items are something you occasionally use when your health/mana-variant are low, you need to revive a character, or you need to cure a status ailment. In Game Over Odyssey, having a character solely dedicated to using items is a possible battle strategy. How does this all work? Let's take a look at IP (item points) and find out.

Item points can be summed up as 'mana for items'. Each item in Game Over Odyssey has a static IP cost to use, which means you can have items in your inventory but be unable to use them if your IP runs low. When a character's IP is less than their max, it ordinarily regenerates at a rate of 1 per turn. Other ways to regain IP consist of:

  • Using certain artifacts
  • Using certain techniques
  • Repeatedly using items

To better clarify the last entry - after sequentially using items, characters gain a multiplier which increases their IP gain. So if a character uses two items in a row, you'll gain 2 IP when their next turn begins. This multiplier resets when you take any action other than using an item and can increase to a max of 8, giving you 8 IP at the start of a turn.

This system exists for two reasons. First, a modest 1 IP per turn gain won't be viable for end-game item spammers, so it ensures that this build always remains relevant. Secondly, it adds a risk/reward factor. "Do I keep going to build more IP for myself - or should I prioritize another tactical option?" <- that's what you should be asking yourself. Also worth taking into consideration is that items themselves are finite. IP spamming is a powerful option, but one that will ultimately require you to invest financially in to supplement it.

It's also important to mention that every item has two variants: regular and powerful. When you select an item from the menu, you have the option to spend more IP to unlock the powerful variant's effects. Like the regular costs, these are static and determined by an item's overally potency. The powerful effects vary wildly across items and can include: targeting different numbers of enemies/battlefield positions, to healing more health, or something else entirely.





Sadly, I haven't worked on any of the visuals for item/artifact use yet. Right now, there's just a simple animation of what you use appearing and flying off screen. I think it works for illustrating how items function though.

I'll send of this post with some updated basic attack animations for Log and King.





Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 5
So, about that Battle System - Some Clever Play on the Word 'Techniques'
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« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2016, 04:20:50 PM »

Log 4.a
So, about that Battle System - Easy on the Items


I realized that the item description shown in this week's log went by kind of fast, so here's a few items that will be obtainable in the game's first chapter and descriptions of their normal/strong variants:

G. Onion Ring


Normal variant - restores 5 HP to an ally
Powerful variant - restores 6 HP and has a 50% chance not to be consumed on use.

Blessnut


Normal variant - restores 6 HP to an ally
Powerful variant - restores 8 HP to an ally and removes a random status ailment.

Shrinkweed


Normal variant - reduces the damage of all enemies by 1 for two turns.
Powerful variant - reduces the damage of all enemies by 2 for two turns.

I'm working on some more offense-oriented items as well to fully make item-heavy character builds a thing.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2016, 08:02:09 PM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2016, 06:13:59 PM »

Log 5
So, about that Battle System - Some Clever Play on the Word 'Techniques'



The last available battle command to cover are techniques - highly varied moves that can be used for a static amount of DP (drive points). As previously mentioned, drive points are primarily gained from successful basic attacks or successfully blocking enemy attacks . The amount of DP gained from each of these actions is equal to a character's DR (drive rate). Some artifacts, items, and status effects can also augment your DP, so you are not obligated to solely level DR to obtain DP.

Techniques are dependent on the character being used. Each character will begin the game with a single technique and acquire a new one every five levels - maxing out their available techniques when that total reaches 5.

Though you have only 5 'base' techniques per character, their potency and nature depends on the DP you spend on them. At certain points in the game, you will gain the ability to level up techniques to ranks 2 and 3.

This is a lot of explanation for something that's better shown. Let's take a look at the game's protagonist: Log. His techniques are well-rounded and 'utility' based. The first ability he begins the game with - Analyze - costs 0 DP at level 1 and reveals an enemy's stats. You'll also get some flavor text describing the enemy's battle tactics that varies based on your current battlefield partner.



Though levels 2 and 3 of this technique won't be available from the get-go, from their descriptions you see that they're completely different from its level 1 effect. King's first ability - Monarch Blade - on the other hand...



What you see is what you get. Ability-wise, King is a natural DPS/tank hybrid whose moves tend to get gradually stronger when ranked up rather than drastically change.

When you select a technique, you'll get to choose its targets and see a small description of how to actually perform it. Each technique has its own mini-game that scales in difficulty by the rank you're using.

Log's Analyze at rank 1:



And at rank 3:



King's Monarch Blade at rank 2 (still have to do animations for this - reusing the basic attack one for now):



And at rank 3:



Some things to mention in closing:

  • Technique ranks 1-3 are designed to be useful throughout every phase of the game. If you only need to deal 4 damage to an enemy to finish it off, choosing Monarch Blade rank 1 over 2 is the call to make. Conserving DP is fundamental.
  • Another way ranks 1-3 of techniques stay relevant is the difficulty factor in increased technique rank. Once again, risk/reward is a factor here. Some of the minigames at rank 3 can be pretty demanding. If you don't think you can use King's Monarch blade at rank 3 and only need to deal 9 damage, then rank 2 is still viable.
  • To keep things simple, every technique in this game uses some variation of pressing or holding the arrow keys. I didn't want there to be too much of a discrepancy between how it feels to execute them on a keyboard/controller.
  • The 'punishment' for failing a technique depends on the individual technique (for example, some will have partial effect while others - like Analyze - will completely fail if you biff them.)



Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 6
Background Check
« Last Edit: November 02, 2016, 04:07:05 PM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2016, 04:04:06 PM »

Log 6
Background Check



Last week was extremely busy for me so I didn't get as much done as I'd like to. I still have some progress to show though.

The battle system is about 50% done at this point. I've established all the systems to allow players to do things like use basic attacks, items, techniques, artifacts, and tactics. Making new items, techniques, etc. will be an incremental process, but ensuring their frameworks existed was my top priority. I want to setup enemy AI next, but since I was swamped this week I took a break and focused on visuals.



King's design has changed a bit. He's sporting a nice, royal purple now and had his crown (or is that actually part of his head?) prettied up. Down the road Log might get a makeover as well, but I'm pretty happy with his design at the moment. A few weeks back, I did give his eyes an extra pixel in height for added cuteness.

Next up, I plan to code a simple system for dynamic background generation. Right now, the battle background for each area is just a static image (as seen below.)



I want to divide this area into four horizontal chunks with randomized, visually distict subimages. On the top of this area, I'm also going to generate a horizontal row of scenery that depends on the battle environment (for the pictured one, stuff like: grass, flowers, rocks, etc.)

Hopefully this will make more sense next week. Until then!

Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 7
A Change of Scenery
« Last Edit: November 11, 2016, 06:59:35 PM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2016, 05:46:11 PM »

The almost "Super Mario RPG" action elements for combat look awesome. Keeping turn-based games engaging is hard, but I think you might have it down pat.

Keep up the great work! I anticipate seeing more :D
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« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2016, 04:45:45 PM »

The almost "Super Mario RPG" action elements for combat look awesome. Keeping turn-based games engaging is hard, but I think you might have it down pat.

Keep up the great work! I anticipate seeing more :D

Thanks!  Smiley The gameplay is inspired by the Paper Mario series, but I've tweaked it enough to make it unique I hope. For the action elements, my philosophy was that you should never get into a routine executing them. Even ones with consistent activation methods will vary. For example, Log's basic attack involves holding left and releasing it once the bar above him fills. For that command I created number of different patterns that determine how fast the bar fills - meaning it can start out at a crawl and rapidly speed up, maintain a consistent pace, etc.

I haven't devoted a log to anything audio-wise yet, but I have been doing a lot of work on the game's music behind the scenes. Each of the 'chapters' the game is divided into will feature a unique battle theme based on the locale. Here's some music from the first world I've been tweaking.


The style I'm going for is supposed to be very 'video-gamey' - an eclectic mix of FM syth, samples, and various weirdness.

« Last Edit: December 24, 2016, 09:50:12 AM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #10 on: November 11, 2016, 06:59:16 PM »

Log 7
A Change of Scenery



Another busy week for me, but at least I completed the battlefield scenery system. It's a simple thing, but will add a little visual variety for each battle. Check it out:



Next on the agenda is focusing on the enemy AI. I've been doing a lot of thinking about how this will work, because I wanted to have a decently complex system in place for it. More on this in my next log.

Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 8
King and the AI
« Last Edit: November 18, 2016, 03:54:00 PM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2016, 03:53:41 PM »

Log 8
King and the AI



So I've begun the initial work on the enemy AI for the battle system. Unlike the player-specific mechanics, where I had a solid idea what I wanted and was able to just go in and get them coded, I need to put considerable time and effort into planning out how enemies behave before programming anything.

I want a system that's flexible enough to work for both normal enemies, minibosess, and bosses. A lot of the components for this system are inspired by behaviors I've seen from enemies and bosses in other RPGs (with the Paper Mario series as a main source of inspiration.) Here's what it's going to do:

  • When the player and their partner's moves are done, select a random enemy from those remaining on the battlefield (done)

This was pretty easy to implement. I considered choosing an enemy based on additional factors (closeness to death, a "speed" variable, etc.) In the end, I decided to have conditional complexity like that on a per-enemy basis. Once selected, an enemy's decisions should be intelligent and varied.

  • Once selected, choose from a list of available options each with specific "weights"

Here's where the "I" in "AI" comes into play. I want enemies to function similarly to Log and co. For the most part, they're going to play by the same rules your characters do - having their own stats like: DP, IP, HP, and TP. Just as the player has to use basic attacks to build DP for their techniques, so will enemies (though some enemies may have multiple basic attacks). Likewise, enemies will have to use TP to move on the battlefield and IP for items.

What's this got to do with the whole "weights" thing? Well, an enemy's decisions on any turn will be evaluated by the total number of available options and each's likelihood for execution. Certain options will be given a "0" chance of execution if they would be redundant (inflicting the same, non-stackable status effect on a player character) or impossible (moving to an empty battlefield space when 4 enemies are on the field.) Conversely, options may be given increased weight at times (using a healing item if health is low, for instance.)

  • Execute chosen option per enemy until all enemies have taken turns

This one is pretty self explanatory.

In addition to the whole "weights" thing I mentioned, I want certain enemy actions to always execute in sequence. For example, if an enemy has 3 possible 'attacks' and chooses one of them, that action would always be followed by its 2nd option. I think this would allow for some cool, strategic enemy types later in the game.

Lastly, here's some cool content-y stuff for you happy people:

A nifty looking effect for defeated enemies:



A song I've been working on for the game's minibosses. While each world's ordinary battle theme will differ, I may stick with one tune for minibosses. Anyway, here ya' go:

Miniboss Theme

Cheers!  Smiley

Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 9
King and the AI Part 2: Electric Boogaloo
« Last Edit: November 25, 2016, 08:13:26 PM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2016, 08:09:20 PM »

Log 9
King and the AI Part 2: Electric Boogaloo



Work on the AI has been going well. I've completely set up the 'weights' system described in last week's log, though I still need to code a lot of the individual determinants for weights. For example:

  • When choosing to use its held item, an enemy will consider the item type and some of its/its allies stats. It'd be pretty stupidly dumb in an unintelligent sort of way to use a healing item on its first turn with full HP. Ruling out decisions like that is important.
  • Like the player, enemies can block if they think it might give them an extra, crucial turn. Current health is the most important factor when evaluating individual block weights.
  • Enemies might move to dodge certain abilities, items, and artifacts that target enemy spaces. Compared to other options, move weight is fairly low to ensure player abilities stay relevant while still allowing a degree of strategic thinking on the baddie's part.

Also, here's a gif-a-roonie of some enemies being chosen by the AI controller and showing off their basic attacks.



As one of the first foes you encounter, Legoones don't even have 'techniques' of their own to build DP towards. Almost every other enemy in the game, however, will actively accrue DP as they use basic attacks on you and use it for powerful abilities. Sometimes, making sure you have the resources to end battles quickly can be pivotal.

Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 10
Status Report
« Last Edit: December 18, 2016, 08:15:36 PM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #13 on: December 11, 2016, 07:51:33 PM »

Another busy week for me. I managed to fix some battle-specific bugs and did some work on backgrounds and battle animations though. Hope to have time for a proper dev post next week.



And here's some post-battle victory animation action:



Cheers!
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« Reply #14 on: December 18, 2016, 08:15:57 PM »

Log 10
Status Report



Lots of work has been going on behind the scenes over the past few weeks. Specifically, a ton of bugs got fixified and the battle system is now being fully fleshed out to allow for decently intelligent enemy behavior. While not too much of it is screenshot worthy, I thought it might be interesting to describe some of the game's planned status effects.

Unlike a lot of RPGs, most status effects in Game Over Odyssey persist between battles. Items and occasionally techniques that cure them will be invaluable throughout your adventure. You'll also be able to inflict status effects on bosses as you would regular enemies. Lastly, any ally or enemy can have up to 3 differing status debuffs at once. You (or your foes) might be dealing with some pretty nasty combos at times.

Here's some of the effects I've currently planned:

  • Ablaze: take x damage minus 1 per turn for the effect’s duration; initial damage is equal to the total duration (ex: 3 turn duration - 3 damage, 2 damage, 1 damage).
  • Crippled: receive x damage per spaces moved on the battlefield for the effect’s duration; damage is dealt immediately after moving (ex: move 1 space, take 1 damage).
  • Disarmed: unable to use basic attacks for the effect’s duration.
  • Blighted: take 1 damage per turn; can be reapplied to the target, resetting the effect’s duration and increasing its damage by one.
  • Freezing: take 1 x turns damage for each turn spent on the same battlefield space for the effect’s duration (ex: 1rst turn - 1 damage, 2nd turn - 2 damage, 3rd turn - 4 damage, 4th turn 8 damage, etc.); the effect’s duration is decreased by 1 when moving to a new space.
  • Nausea: unable to use healing items and IP gain set to 0 for the effect’s duration.
  • Panic: lose 2 DP per turn, DR adjusted to .5, and 25% chance of forfeiting turn.
  • Shackled: unable to switch partners or move on the battlefield for the effect’s duration.
  • Dazed: unable to use techniques, artifacts, items, or tactics for the effect’s duration.

Status buffs are still a work in progress, but those are definitely a thing as well. I should be covering them in a future update.

I'll likely show off some more of the battle system next time. Until then, here's a screenie of a new enemy: a Putripede. He still needs to be animated, so this still will have to do for now.



Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 11
A Yule Log
« Last Edit: December 24, 2016, 09:48:01 AM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #15 on: December 24, 2016, 09:47:06 AM »

Log 11
A Yule Log



Christmas Vacation is about to begin for me, so I haven't cobbled together enough as I'd like to show. Here's a few scenes from stuff I've been working on, mostly battle-system related.

Adding additional artifacts and items



The Swap Shoe is fully coded, I still need to add some snazzy particles when using it though. I'd like to have about 10 unique items and artifacts in the game's first demo. The complete game should have anywhere from 75 to 100 for both.

Adding more enemies



I hope to have about 6 unique enemy types done for the first playable demo (excluding the first chapter's minibosse(s) and boss.) Each of them teaches new elements of the battle system to the player. For example, the Putripede I've been working on has two attacks: a glob of poison that inflicts the Blighted status effect for two turns and a ground-target toxin pool that reduces the defense of any character standing on it by 1. This introduces moving on the battlefield to avoid certain attacks as well as status conditions.

Muzacks

Before I even started working on the game's engine, I worked a lot on the art and sound assets. I know that's not exactly an optimal game dev technique, but it helps me stay motivated in some way. I'll gradually reveal more of the game's soundtrack as it's being developed. For now, here's some seasonal appropriate tracks from wintry areas later in the game:


Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 12
Title Drop
« Last Edit: December 30, 2016, 02:49:12 PM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #16 on: December 30, 2016, 02:47:45 PM »

Log 12
Title Drop



Hope everyone had a great holiday, and a preemptive happy New Year's to ya'! Smiley

For games I've done in the past, I would usually wait until they were nearly done to work on things like: the title screen, configurable controls. and graphic and sound options. For this project, I decided to get those features done early on. That way, I can focus on things directly related to the 'meat' of the game later on in development. Here's hoping it's a smart call.



Since this game is themed around console/PC games from the 80's to early 2000's, I thought it'd be fitting to have the title screen be an old-timey computer monitor. Right now, the area covering the text is a gradient being drawn to the screen rather than pixel art. I've considered tweaking it to look more like the title screen from a DOS game - like Heartlight or Supaplex. On the other hand, It'd be cool to have a faux Bliss-like background and desktop icons (including one for Vapor - the online gaming platform.) I should have something definite come next week's log.

Oh, and the text effect for navigating the title screen was created entirely by accident. I wanted to have the options smoothly grow/shrink when selected, but I mistakenly programmed this and decided it looked better in the end. It has a nice 'oomf' to it.

Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 13
Back on the Cutscene
« Last Edit: February 19, 2017, 09:15:46 PM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #17 on: February 19, 2017, 09:15:20 PM »

Log 13
Back on the Cutscene



Heya! So this game is still being actively developed, I've just been incredibly busy with work and managing the steam release of one of my other games. Time to get back on track documenting my progress here!  Smiley

Something that I recently completed and have been putting to use is my cutscene manager. This flexible object displays backgrounds, generates animated objects on the fly, and manages the text and animations shown during in-battle story segments. It also lets you accelerate the speed of displayed text or skip it entirely.

Here's an illustration of two of the game's cutscene types that the cutscene manager handles:

Full-screen/outside of game rooms:



Within game rooms:



Nifty, huh? I'll be sure to show how in-battle ones look as well once I've got one programmed.

Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 14
What's on the Menu?
« Last Edit: March 14, 2017, 02:45:19 PM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #18 on: March 14, 2017, 02:44:44 PM »

Log 14
What's on the Menu?





As the title suggests, I've started working on the layout of the in-game menu. This is where you'll see your gang's stats, use items outside of combat, and equip/unequip curios (previously known as 'artifacts' - their name was changed in an attempt to get everything navigation-wise to fit on one line.)

I also thought it'd be nice to have a 'map' tab to view areas specific to each overworld environment. That tab may get replaced if I realize I need some other menu functionality, but I'm pretty content with the layout for now.

Also, the Interim's overworld tileset got a major overhaul. Here's a nice .gif of the player wondering around in it:



I'm probably going to make it a little more lively at some point by adding some animated scenery.

Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 15
What's on the Menu 2: The Critically Acclaimed Sequel
« Last Edit: April 07, 2017, 10:00:44 AM by Tyro » Logged

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« Reply #19 on: April 07, 2017, 10:00:20 AM »

Log 15
What's on the Menu 2: The Critically Acclaimed Sequel









So the menu is a lot more sleek and functional now. I still need to code using/enhancing items on specific characters. Oh, and that 'Map' tab... still deliberating on what to do with it. Overall, I'm happy with this layout though.

Right now I'm focusing on getting stuff done to make the game 'demo worthy'. The overworld, battle system, and this menu system are all pretty essential to that.

Getting music done for the areas of the game that would be in its first demo is a thing too. Here's a few of the themes from the first world you explore. Drawing inspiration from a variety of 90's platformers, they're pretty upbeat tunes.


All the best!  Gentleman

Next time, on Game Over Odyssey:

Log 16
Bad Guys, Heads Up
« Last Edit: May 07, 2017, 11:06:11 PM by Tyro » Logged

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