WildField

Is there a situation in your game, when it has no legal moves? In games like this: Tetris, Match-3, Lines, so on, there is some kind of no-legal moves situation. Usually it's where game ends. I think adjusting rules, so such situation arises may improve gameplay. For example some idea: You can rotate block only if some block pops down during that rotation (either rotating or neighbor). Blocks pop down if at least 3 their sides match sides of neighbor squares. And, yes, you can't exchange color on sides. It's untested, but may serve foundation for more refined version of rules.

I think requiring variety of food (same food heals children less over time) and making children require food less often as they grow would somehow help. Also you can add some visual hints pointing to food of specific kind, so you can visually find food.

So, what do you guys think? How would you approach designing a game where the player has to do a seemingly monotonous task?

I would ask myself "WHY?". Because instead you can make games which are not monotonous, with great variety and just plain fun. We have enough monotonous games already.

Just why did you go the minecraft way? If you wanted to make a shooter with flying around, just make the one. No need for block placement, or other minecraft features. Make it fun to shoot (monsters are dangerous, have interesting behavior and difficult to target), locating food should be easy (like marker on the minimap or something like of hot/cold indicator depending on the distance to the nearest food).

 

Also, yeah, you need to provide some kind of a goal.

What kind of suggestions I need the most:
- I'm still to decide on how attributes work, resistances, how it affects combat and what happens upon level up
- The whole inventory/item system is not designed yet
- How spells are acquired?

I think you have to start with the question why those elements should be in the game at all. "Because other games had them" is not good enough answer. Once you answer that question, it will be clear enough how to implement them.

I think that explains why "original" games nowadays are as rare as dodo birds. Because "stealing" (creative or not) of game design is considered something normal. The correct approach is simple: draw insipration from life, not from other games. Too bad this is too difficult for many to pull out.

It seems like you commented on the article title without reading it. That's not the point.

And what's the point then? Yeah, i watched gameplay trailer of fast fast fast laser,  it looks nothing like bomberman. The only screenshot on that page is bomberman screen, so i assumed that game is similar. It would be much more helpful if article featured screenshots for fast laser itself, and pointed out differences. And not just "Harr harr we took ideas from bomberman, look how smart we are"

And I still insist that taking mechanics from other games directly is wrong. Nice that this is not the case here.

I think that explains why "original" games nowadays are as rare as dodo birds. Because "stealing" (creative or not) of game design is considered something normal. The correct approach is simple: draw insipration from life, not from other games. Too bad this is too difficult for many to pull out.

Games without goals are usually harder to make fun, than games with clear goals. Simply because your game has to offer a lot of stuff to do, so the goals are emergent. A simple game like tetris can't be fun without predefined goals.

I would recommend staying away from sandboxes unless you have clear understanding of what you are doing.

Why not to make it cooperative game? Lots of missiles come from the sky, players must work together to save their base.

If you want a twist, here is one: missiles shoot not from the base, but from some kind of floating turret, which can position itself on any space on the map. Turret relocation is simple, press "X" and click on empty space and turret will slowly move there. Turret itself can block missiles, but can't die. Each player has his own turret. Also destination of relocation can't be changed until turret has stopped.

You can also add "spawners" - enemy ships that can be destroyed and spawn missiles. Victory/losing conditions are same as in original.

http://insomnia.ac/commentary/on_role-playing_games/

Might be useful to read, if you are going to make rpg.