I’ve been “working” on this undertaking for over 2 years now however have scarcely little to indicate for it, however since the newest of the 7 makes an attempt I’ve made at this concept has been going effectively to date, I wished to try to begin documenting every little thing in a devlog, since I’ve a behavior of forgetting the place I’ve come from to get the place I’m.

Fun little timeline of after I created every of the initiatives.

So as a enjoyable little dive by means of historical past, I’ll showcase crucial variations of the sport I’ve made (one among which you’ll play proper now!).

GOAL

Ok really wait, first I wish to point out the objectives for this recreation’s fight system, since I wasn’t simply prototyping concepts to search out what felt enjoyable, I had a really particular aim to realize.

1. The recreation needed to be solely turn-based

• This is each as a result of turn-based video games like Pokemon are among the few video games I can play towards my associates who do not dwell in Australia with me with out the connection being horrible, as a result of in a turn-based recreation, time would not actually matter in the identical manner it does in a real-time recreation

2. The recreation could not be solely deterministic based mostly on party-comp, ever.

• What I imply by that is that there ought to by no means be a specific creature on this recreation that may’t beat one other creature on this recreation, to make use of a Pokemon analogy, a Metapod, taking part in accurately ought to all the time have an opportunity towards a Charizard.

  This is so that you simply inspired as a participant to keep up a way of hope in battles, you’re by no means going to inherently lose as a result of your creatures aren’t robust sufficient, there ought to all the time be some duty on the participant.

2.5. The recreation’s non-deterministic-ness cannot be based mostly on randomness

• Random probability is not a really enjoyable solution to make the participant who ought to have received, misplaced, as an alternative there must be some skill-based solution to enable gamers with weaker stats to realistically win.

3. The recreation must be accessible to an analogous degree of games-literacy as different competing video games (Pokemon, Temtem, Digimon, and so on)

• I’m not curious about making a hyper-complex aggressive expertise, I would like this to be accessible sufficient that with some effort, my mother and father might beat the sport

Version 1 was unsurprisingly, my first try on the recreation, I used a Metapod mannequin as a placeholder (I wasn’t anticipating to truly pose these anyplace so I did not suppose this by means of, please do not sue me n1ntendo thx <3) as a result of my aim was to make a battle between two creatures who solely had one assault, nonetheless enjoyable.

I can not bear in mind what really made me resolve to drop this model and begin a brand new one (that is why I wish to begin documenting stuff right here as I am going) however taking part in it now, the sport is a glorified rock-paper-scissors (which was one thing I used to be deliberately designing in the direction of, as a result of in my aim to simplify combating video games to a turn-based system I oversimplified and misplaced waaaaay to a lot nuance, I’ll go into element later).

I spent much more time on model 2 than model 1, it is quite a bit clearer and extra visually readable (however nonetheless not nice) and nonetheless has that RPS design factor.

So, for this undertaking (particularly round this time limit) I used to be doing analysis on combating video games, and aggressive video games usually, and the conclusions I got here up with had been kind of:

• For a recreation to all the time be winnable regardless of the opponent, the sport must be unmasterable, or unattainable to good (which is what we wish with this recreation)
• For a recreation to be unmasterable it must have both a bodily or psychological barrier behind some actions, and since we won’t do bodily in any respect, we have to do psychological.
• For there to be an unmasterable psychological barrier, the knowledge wanted to play completely must be both obscured or incalculable
  As an instance, Chess is incalculable (not less than by people), RPS is obscured (data of your opponent’s intent is required to play the proper possibility)
• Because RPS is an unmasterable recreation, we must always base the entire recreation round it!

It was going so effectively…

There was additionally the addition that predicting your opponent works quite a bit higher once they even have incentives to play particular strikes, so I additionally added in a mechanic the place totally different RPS choices did kind of injury

After some playtesting, I found that RPS, is not really very enjoyable! (who would have thought?)

This was my preliminary stopping level on the undertaking, I used to be a bit disheartened and my uni break was coming to an finish so I known as it and “deserted” the undertaking which was clearly a everlasting choice I by no means modified my thoughts on

As humorous as it might be to say “2 days later, I attempted once more!”, I really did take a break from the concept and labored on a aspect undertaking that was tangentially associated to the concept. (happily for my security we’re executed with utilizing placeholder n1ntendo belongings)

I meant for this recreation to be a totally standalone undertaking, an RPG the place the enemies had been highly effective however predictable, emoting at any time when they modify their technique.

“ROAR!!!”

While circuitously associated to this undertaking, it is the primary instance of each the timeline and preview ghosts, two issues which had been essential for the sport in it is present state.

Regardless, I believe the sport is a whole lot of enjoyable! I attempted making it so the sport is a textless tutorial, which was a bit hit-or-miss on playtesters, so I added a number of guides which ought to hopefully get the job executed.

Version 4 was my return to the undertaking later in 2020 after I completed uni for the semester (really it is about the identical time I began the newest model, simply 2 years earlier) and I took what I learnt from model 3, and DIDN’T IMPLEMENT IT!!

What I did try this wasn’t foolish nonetheless was ditch the entire linear RPS system and let it come a few bit extra naturally, give the participant much more choices to select from and taking the sport out of it is complete automated creature actions system.

Instead I started work on the concept of constructing the hidden data based mostly on time.

In realtime video games, we now have obscured data within the type of our response time, the issues which have occurred that our mind hasn’t seen but (or issues we have seen, however have not inputted a response to), I wished to take this and put it within the recreation, pausing it proper earlier than the top of your final motion and letting you select what to do proper when it ends (however forcing you to enter one thing, even when it is simply ready).

This system was extremely cumbersome and buggy, nevertheless it’s the best common concept I’m nonetheless working with, the concept that the obscured data is within the actions you’ll be able to’t see however have been inputted, reasonably than what your opponent is inputting proper now (effectively it may also be that as effectively, however y’know).

This was one other “I obtained disheartened and dropped it” when it wasn’t working as I wished

Oh yeah, that is Starsans btw!

It was a take a look at mannequin I product of a creature design for the sport which was based mostly on a joke which was based mostly on an MS Paint sketch I did whereas explaining the sport idea to somebody.

Quite the historical past there lil’ man

I believe I drew a star with a face and my pal stated one thing alongside the strains of “give it an enormous tooth”, so I did, then they stated one thing like “give it the sans flame however pink”, so I did, and right here we’re.

I’ve really been drawing most of my latest designs in MS Paint as a result of it helps me preserve them easy and readable, plus it is faster than opening up CSP to attract, and I can do it with a mouse with out it being too apparent.

Rondal

While not the purpose of this submit, that is the overall artstyle I’m going for, low-poly with pixel artwork textures, ANYWAY

This time I really did the issues I ought to have executed earlier!!

While I by no means obtained round to totally implementing ghosts in the best way they had been in model 3, there’s a singular dot that was a placeholder for the ghosts (they had been the subsequent aim, however the undertaking obtained dropped earlier than then)

This is the closest model to the one I’m doing now, funnily sufficient this undertaking was known as “okay for actual this time” as a result of I had one other known as “last”. It was not the truth is, for actual this time.

I did my finest to chop round any main glitches after I performed by means of it for recording these gifs, however there have been fairly various actually janky issues plaguing this recreation, whereas the concept was in the best route I wished, it’s kind of too fucky-wucky for it to be viable, thus I began once more with a brand new undertaking file dropped the undertaking and swore that I would not choose it up once more for on a regular basis that it is wasted and since I’ve an even bigger, extra essential undertaking I wished to work on.

Here we’re! The present model of the sport!

So far, it is a lot cleaner that the entire different variations, and whereas there may be nonetheless quite a bit left to do (In specific there is no such thing as a timeline, effectively, there’s a timeline technically it is simply not displayed on display screen but), a whole lot of the onerous work has been executed, sufficient that I’m snug posting a devlog.

I wished to indicate how this calculates turns in comparison with model 6 and 4, however actually, these two are such a multitude I believe it is simpler to only say they sucked and begin from scratch.

Basically, gamers can enter any variety of actions without delay, they’ll all simply enter a queue till they’re prepared for use, BUT they’re required to enter an motion when their complete motion time remaining is lower than X (Red), and their new actions have to be higher than Y (Yellow). If one participant’s actions attain X, then BOTH gamers need to act sufficient to succeed in Y.

This system is to make it possible for gamers do not spam look ahead to 0.01 seconds simply to do their flip and stall a recreation endlessly, however permits gamers to enter a look ahead to 0.01 seconds if they should wait only a tiny quantity earlier than they assault or one thing, it simply means you’ll be able to’t ONLY enter 0.01 seconds (The each gamers performing is to encourage each gamers to enter without delay the place doable and restrict time spent the place you needn’t enter however your opponent does, although I would change this).

Ok it sounds actually difficult however in apply it is fairly easy, and you do not even want to grasp it to make use of it, for those who simply enter when it tells you to, you may be fantastic, however I want to search out a great way of instructing it to the participant, or not less than simplifying the presentation in a manner that is extra readable. (You can kinda see it in motion in model 6, however it’s kind of messy since I reduce the video a bit)

Anyway that is the overall historical past of the undertaking, not less than improvement smart, there may be a whole lot of design work I’ve executed that non-critical to the sport, however hopefully this was fascinating.

Future posts most likely will not be as lengthy and messy as this (and can hopefully really keep on matter lmao), however anyway, have a pleasant day!