Adventure game design
Author
I just wanted to ask a question relating to the design of an adventure game I'm working on. I'm going to start out with a simplistic 2D isomorphic engine created version, and then remake it for a 3D isomorphic engine, possibly 3D tile-based. How would you recommend I implement the inventory system and item placement? Would it be too much to have items and puzzles "randomly placed" within specified areas so that the game would have a different look every time you play it, or would just a permanent place be better suited? The main storyline of the game is linear from chapter to chapter, but I have started it making each chapter have non-linear gameplay inside the individual chapters to incorporate the random item placement.
random item placement only makes sense with random quest generation -- which gets really complicated, really quickly, because you have to keep track of player to npc, and npc to npc relations, etcetera. If you can do it, more power to you. But I don't really recommend it at first...things will just be cluttered, and you will have really random stuff in really random places. Things may get wierd for the player when they find a cattle prod in the King's bedroom...
I would recommend you check out RPG Game Programming with DirectX for an inventory system (they are pretty simple anyway)...and for item placement -- use some sort of map file that has item locations, etc.
Good luck.
I would recommend you check out RPG Game Programming with DirectX for an inventory system (they are pretty simple anyway)...and for item placement -- use some sort of map file that has item locations, etc.
Good luck.
Author
Thanks. I was already planning on getting that book when I get my tax return. Do you know any good books about game design documents? I can't seem to find any good ones about writing up the documents. Especially since I found someone to listen to a game proposal if I put some togethe. They said they would help with financing then.
Check out this page for some design document articles. I highly recommend downloading Chris Taylor's template.
One of the things we're doing in Xenallure to increase replayability is having permanent places for puzzles to be, but switching some of the puzzles out for new ones on the second play through the game.
Wow, sun, I really like that idea.
Do you do it by seeing if the player has played before, or just having a random assortment of extra-linear quests plugged in?
Simple, yet effective.
Do you do it by seeing if the player has played before, or just having a random assortment of extra-linear quests plugged in?
Simple, yet effective.
Author
Thanks for the help. :) Now off to write everything up. Hopefully Oberon will approve of the game I am working on.
Quote:Original post by visage
Wow, sun, I really like that idea.
Do you do it by seeing if the player has played before, or just having a random assortment of extra-linear quests plugged in?
Simple, yet effective.
Xenallure has a game+ feature and is designed to be played multiple times like ChronoTrigger and Vagrant Story, so we always know how many plays through the game the player has already completed, and which puzzles they have or haven't solved. As for quests, there isn't one main path for the game, so to some extent all quests could be considered extra-linear, but none are random, they are all tied to one of the romantic or political goals you can persue within the game. Glad you like the idea! :)
hey, im not sure how old this thread is, but you were asking about design document books, and theres a good detailed section in "Game Architecture and Design" by Andrew Rollings and Dave Morris. It is one of the few books that soley focuses on design rather than all the graphics stuff. It also describes the different levels of design (including the detailed design doc) and also has chapters on balancing, roles of people involved, setting milestones, and a bunch of other useful stuff.
Goodluck!
Goodluck!
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