Post by Gront on Feb 9, 2009 19:49:15 GMT -5
So I want to start programming in Flash again, but I can't decide what to do. I've got more ideas for flash games than McJesus has characters in his roster ( 
), but I've narrowed them down to 5. Let me know what you think I should work on!
(I ranked each game in a number of categories from 1 to 10, to give you an idea of their properties relatve to one another. In the time-to-completion categories, a larger number means a shorter time.)
Equinox:
The basic idea for Equinox has been in my head since 8th grade (roughly four and a half years ago) when I was in a big calculator programming phase. It turned out that the code for moving around the environment and a few lines of dialogue took up too much memory for the calculator to handle, so I put it on hold indefinitely, until recently I thought I might be able to make it as a flash game.
Equinox is an RPG with a heavy emphasis on the dichotomy of light and dark (not to be confused with good and evil). The player attempts to defeat enemies while keeping a balance between offense and defense (darkness and light, respectively). If the player attacks too much, their defense plummets; if they defend and/or heal too much, their attack is severely weakened. This extends even into the level up system: if a character is heavily light or dark, their stats will change accordingly (i.e., high light would add extra points to defense while adding few or none to attack, and high dark would lead to the opposite). Late in the game, the player even learns spells that offer bonuses for being closer to equilibrium (referred to as Equinox) than their opponent.
Since I've been thinking about this one for a while, I've got most of the concept work done. However, this is an RPG and while the engine will be pretty easy to code, the plot will be extensive and will most likely require a decent amount of time to complete. I know I'll feel really good about it when I'm done, though.
Awesomeness: 8
Planning already done: 7
Time until beta/demo completion:5.5
Total completion time: 3
Run 'n' Gun:
Undoubtedly the game I'm most excited about, Run 'n' Gun is just what it sounds like: an action game involving gratuitous amounts of running and shooting. The basic gameplay will be similar to Star Wars: Battlefront in that the player's goal is to capture command points. Unlike Battlefront, however, the player is alone when facing an army of enemies. Of course, this wouldn't be fair if the player was on equal ground as the enemies, so the player is given a number of powers, most notably the ability to walljump (leap off of walls).
What's gonna hold me back in this one is the AI programming. I know exactly how I want to do it, but it's going to be long, and a massive pain in the ass, which dulls my excitement slightly. Also, the engine is going to be the biggest part of this game, so the beta/demo won't come out too much earlier than the game itself.
Awesomeness: 10
Planning already done: 4
Time until beta/demo completion:4
Total completion time: 3
Polarity:
Polarity's more of a minigame than anything. You control two oppositely-charged particles that circle around a larger nucleus particle. Using your two particles, you defend the nucleus (which attracts all particles) from a bunch of particles of various charge that fly in from the sides of the screen. The big thing about this one is that it should be quick.
Awesomeness: 3
Planning already done: 9
Time until beta/demo completion:9
Total completion time: 10
Lights, Camera, Action!:
I actually have already started on LCA!, then for some random reason I stopped. It's a Time Crisis-like shooter with a little bit of a surreal feeling to it. For example, to change locations, the main character merely walks from one set to another, but once he's in the location, there doesn't appear to be a way off the set. It's kinda cool, but not the coolest on the list, and since I've got a head start, production time should be shorter.
Awesomeness: 6
Planning already done: 8
Time until beta/demo completion:7
Total completion time: 8
Fight:
Conceptually, this is probably my favorite game of the bunch. It's a rhythm-based fighting game (a little hard to imagine how it would work for some of you, I'm sure, but I've got a pretty solid system down in my head). Not sure what else to tell you about it other than it's unique and very cool. Might take a while to get the engine down, though...
Awesomeness: 8
Planning already done: 6
Time until beta/demo completion:4
Total completion time: 5
), but I've narrowed them down to 5. Let me know what you think I should work on!(I ranked each game in a number of categories from 1 to 10, to give you an idea of their properties relatve to one another. In the time-to-completion categories, a larger number means a shorter time.)
Equinox:
The basic idea for Equinox has been in my head since 8th grade (roughly four and a half years ago) when I was in a big calculator programming phase. It turned out that the code for moving around the environment and a few lines of dialogue took up too much memory for the calculator to handle, so I put it on hold indefinitely, until recently I thought I might be able to make it as a flash game.
Equinox is an RPG with a heavy emphasis on the dichotomy of light and dark (not to be confused with good and evil). The player attempts to defeat enemies while keeping a balance between offense and defense (darkness and light, respectively). If the player attacks too much, their defense plummets; if they defend and/or heal too much, their attack is severely weakened. This extends even into the level up system: if a character is heavily light or dark, their stats will change accordingly (i.e., high light would add extra points to defense while adding few or none to attack, and high dark would lead to the opposite). Late in the game, the player even learns spells that offer bonuses for being closer to equilibrium (referred to as Equinox) than their opponent.
Since I've been thinking about this one for a while, I've got most of the concept work done. However, this is an RPG and while the engine will be pretty easy to code, the plot will be extensive and will most likely require a decent amount of time to complete. I know I'll feel really good about it when I'm done, though.
Awesomeness: 8
Planning already done: 7
Time until beta/demo completion:5.5
Total completion time: 3
Run 'n' Gun:
Undoubtedly the game I'm most excited about, Run 'n' Gun is just what it sounds like: an action game involving gratuitous amounts of running and shooting. The basic gameplay will be similar to Star Wars: Battlefront in that the player's goal is to capture command points. Unlike Battlefront, however, the player is alone when facing an army of enemies. Of course, this wouldn't be fair if the player was on equal ground as the enemies, so the player is given a number of powers, most notably the ability to walljump (leap off of walls).
What's gonna hold me back in this one is the AI programming. I know exactly how I want to do it, but it's going to be long, and a massive pain in the ass, which dulls my excitement slightly. Also, the engine is going to be the biggest part of this game, so the beta/demo won't come out too much earlier than the game itself.
Awesomeness: 10
Planning already done: 4
Time until beta/demo completion:4
Total completion time: 3
Polarity:
Polarity's more of a minigame than anything. You control two oppositely-charged particles that circle around a larger nucleus particle. Using your two particles, you defend the nucleus (which attracts all particles) from a bunch of particles of various charge that fly in from the sides of the screen. The big thing about this one is that it should be quick.
Awesomeness: 3
Planning already done: 9
Time until beta/demo completion:9
Total completion time: 10
Lights, Camera, Action!:
I actually have already started on LCA!, then for some random reason I stopped. It's a Time Crisis-like shooter with a little bit of a surreal feeling to it. For example, to change locations, the main character merely walks from one set to another, but once he's in the location, there doesn't appear to be a way off the set. It's kinda cool, but not the coolest on the list, and since I've got a head start, production time should be shorter.
Awesomeness: 6
Planning already done: 8
Time until beta/demo completion:7
Total completion time: 8
Fight:
Conceptually, this is probably my favorite game of the bunch. It's a rhythm-based fighting game (a little hard to imagine how it would work for some of you, I'm sure, but I've got a pretty solid system down in my head). Not sure what else to tell you about it other than it's unique and very cool. Might take a while to get the engine down, though...
Awesomeness: 8
Planning already done: 6
Time until beta/demo completion:4
Total completion time: 5
[M0n:50]
