However, I finally settled on a concept!
My game--which is as yet untitled--is intended to be a near-top-down procedural shooter with perma-death. Each level is divided into a series of rooms, in which the player is tasked with killing all enemies before being allowed to move on. (I suppose that this technically qualifies for "death being useful, but that's not what I have in mind--read on...)
Turning to the theme, it occurred to me that the theme states that "death is useful"--but it doesn't say to whom death is useful. In this game, the player's death is intended to be useful to the enemy. Specifically, when the player dies, their most successful (or perhaps most used) spells are distributed amongst the various enemy types--that wonderful fire spell that you so enjoyed using to fry monsters might be turned on you in the next run! Furthermore, if the player dies far enough into the game on a given run, the mid-game boss is replaced by one based on the player. Finally, enemies that perform poorly against the player will likely be given a lower weighting during level generation, and perhaps those that do well will be given a higher weighting.
I may also add some small bonus for the player on reaching their body (placed at an appropriate point in the next run's levels)--perhaps some sort of boost or powerup.
The game is intended to be short and linear: at the moment I intend four levels of four- to seven- rooms each, with a final boss at the end and a lesser boss at the mid-game point.
As to my progress, I'm a little behind, I'm afraid. I'd hoped to have a prototype out before bed, but it's late and I'm exhausted--it will wait for the new day, I fear. I've thus far implemented basic movement, the beginnings of spell collectibles, and some basic level generation, all using place-holder models (although I might keep the floor texture). Take a look:
[indent=1](The little T-form fellow near the centre is my place-holder character, the large red-based object near the top-left is a place-holder spell collectible, and the tubes are walls.)
Here, then, is my list of intended goals (presuming that I'm forgetting none):
- Four or five types of enemy, each with their own patterns of behaviour--some might charge in, others might hug the walls, still others might leap about, and so on.
- Lots of spells!
- A mechanic that allows the player to select from three randomly-selected spells on collecting a spell powerup
- Player death, the distribution of their spells
- Progression through the rooms of each level, and from one level to the next.
- The main boss
- The mid-boss, with some means of altering it to reflect a player-death
- Saving of the various pieces of data such that the death-related changes persist between plays
- Interior walls and pits, the latter being a hazard for the player.
- Proper level geometry, including outer walls, inner walls, and pits
And finally, a list of "nice-to-haves", in rough descending order of preference:
- Side-quests: short excursions from the central path, perhaps providing powerups at the risk of death.
- Alternative texture-sets for the levels, in order to reduce the monotony.
- More enemies!
- More levels
- Perhaps procedurally-generated spells
I read boss and mid-boss!!!
DO IT!
:)