Hi guys,

II thought about this idea a while ago, about a multiple character platformer game where the player controls a few characters.

The (current) game idea is as follow :

1) The player starts with a character and he can save more character as he progress.
2) Each character get a timer, which will deplete when the player use that character.
3) When all the character finish their timer, the turn ends. Each turn will cost the player resource(Battery) and it is important to gather those battery.
4) The game is room based and to exit the room, The player must turn on certain switches and get all his/her characters to the end point.
5) Each room will provide the player with opportunity to get items/power-up/equipment but will cost the player extra time from their characters.

I toyed around with the multiple character ideas but it seems like something is missing from the game that makes it interesting and fun. I am too close to the game to see the bigger picture so maybe someone can point out the real problems, but first let me state some of the problems I had with the game.

1) The game is too slow paced. Having to switch character every 20 secs or so kind of break the momentum of platforming game. To counter this, I tried another mechanic. In the new mechanic, the battery will run down as the character deplete its timer. This means that each battery provide one character with one recharge instead of recharging the entire team. This makes the game more fast paced but reduce the need for having more than one character, which bring us to the next point.
2) There isn't a need for more than one character. I can't seems to make this part work without make it into a puzzle game.
3) Problem with having enemies. If the game have enemy, then it might attack the player's non-active characters. I am not really sure how to go about dealing with this or is this the "player's problem" like how RTS don't care if your units are being attack while you are building your base. Having no enemy makes the game too static.
4) Repeating task. If I put my end point away from my start point, then the player need to perform the same actions, walk the same paths for every character to reach the end point. I kind of find this frustrating. If I put the start point near the end point, then the challenges of having multiple character is totally removed. I could start all the characters at random positions but I am not quite sure if that should be the way to go.

I know that this post is too long so for those people with not much time
tl;dr : My platformer game with multiple controllable characters is having some fundamental design problems.

Maybe the idea can't be saved so just go on and flame me for that =P, but if you have any good idea or tried this before, please point out some of the major issue with this.

Main problem it's that you're thinking this as a platform with strategic elements.
You already noticed you have strong puzzle elements (or perhaps you're supposed to). I think you should switch to a puzzle game with platforming elements. It's a mind-set change.

I toyed around with the multiple character ideas but it seems like something is missing from the game that makes it interesting and fun. I am too close to the game to see the bigger picture so maybe someone can point out the real problems, but first let me state some of the problems I had with the game.

As Slick (above poster noticed), there must be a differentiation between character.
Also yes, you miss the whole picture. You cannot think at the characters without thinking at the levels and challanges they will have to face.
Here's my proposal. Hopefully it will get the gears running.
Instead of the battery and time, we work on "stamina"

• John, the hacker. Will force doors open by hacking terminals. Can also control elevators.
  
• Redhead, the athletic spy. High stamina, basic combat abilities. Main reason to use: can crawl behind doors or in ventilation tunnels.
  
• Forged, a robot. Reduced movement speed, can partially force-open doors, enough to let Redhead in. Immune to poison.
  
• Kobayashi, a ninja. Super jump, fast, can move on walls. Effective against non-robots enemies.
  

And here's a level for them.
[attachment=11683:level.png]
But perhaps this is not your design.

1) The game is too slow paced. Having to switch character every 20 secs or so kind of break the momentum of platforming game. To counter this, I tried another mechanic. In the new mechanic, the battery will run down as the character deplete its timer. This means that each battery provide one character with one recharge instead of recharging the entire team. This makes the game more fast paced but reduce the need for having more than one character, which bring us to the next point.

It also makes in my opinion, quite difficult to work on character abilities. Personally I think that this can work fast paced only if we stick to a very basic set of rules such as.
Can jump. Can jump higher. Can jump even higher.
Can fight. Can fight better. Can fight even better.
Can run. Can run faster. Can run even faster.
Personally I think this has reduced potential. Note most platforming games on web are in fact puzzle games disguised as a platform. If you want to have strong strategic elements, you'll have to give up the fast pacing most of the time.

3) Problem with having enemies. If the game have enemy, then it might attack the player's non-active characters. I am not really sure how to go about dealing with this or is this the "player's problem" like how RTS don't care if your units are being attack while you are building your base. Having no enemy makes the game too static.[/quote]No, if you make this "turn-based".
Game structure.

1. Player turn
   
2. Enemy turn
   

Player turn and Enemy turn are similar.

1. Character 0 gets stamina charge.
   
2. Player set character 0 actions.
   
3. Character 0 execute.
   
4. Repeat for character N
   

Combat is just a turn action. If player leaves its characters vulnerable, they will have to face consequences.

Thanks for the feedback. I like most of the idea that you guys proposed.

No, if you make this "turn-based".
Game structure.
Player turn
Enemy turn
Player turn and Enemy turn are similar.
Character 0 gets stamina charge.
Player set character 0 actions.
Character 0 execute.
Repeat for character N
Combat is just a turn action. If player leaves its characters vulnerable, they will have to face consequences.

I thought through this idea as well but it fits into the puzzle platformer more than a face paced one.

As i make the game, I also feel that i miss the whole point of the game. Having multiple characters introduce a heavy puzzle aspect that I really cannot ignore. As I started out wanting to make a strategic face-paced platformer than a puzzle platformer, I am quite reluctant to make it a puzzle game.

Is there any way to make a platformer like that with a idea like this ? or is this idea doomed as a puzzle game?

It is not that I do not want to make a puzzle platformer but I don't think I am that good of a puzzle designer :X but maybe it is time for me to move out of my comfort zone.

As i make the game, I also feel that i miss the whole point of the game. Having multiple characters introduce a heavy puzzle aspect that I really cannot ignore. As I started out wanting to make a strategic face-paced platformer than a puzzle platformer, I am quite reluctant to make it a puzzle game.

Ok. Then maybe you can use a set of "shallow" fast choices but in a different way.
For example if a set of characters can jump and a set of characters can run, having 2 characters of the 1st set implies we have to do 2 jumps.
And, if the two jumps are separated by a long corridor, this might require to separate the two jumps by a run.
Maybe the player could have say, 10 seconds to build a sequence of characters at beginning of the level then make them "run". At this point it's pure platforming, with all the choices removed and the level is a single "run". Characters ~ actions.

Do you think this is a better fit for your idea? It still breaks the pace on level change but hopefully this is not much worse than the level change itself.
So we get two real phases, the initial "think" phase, followed by a second "button push" phase.

I have been thinking about these feedback for the past few hours, and I have a new idea.

What if i say, make the game extremely fast paced , like RTS. So instead of enforcing a time limit, there is almost no time limit on the game.
However, the players need to control all characters and make sure they are safe. At the same time, each area will have enemies that need to be taken out and perhaps only a few characters can fight.

For example, say we set the game in a setting that you need to infiltrate a building(Think Ocean Eleven). So we might have say , a hacker(for disabling cameras, traps etc), a gunman(with limit bullet), an assassin (closed combat). The enemy will move from places to places such that the characters need to be placed in safe location to ensure their safety. For example, while you are controlling X , perhaps a guard is approaching Y and you need to switch your control to Y to run but maybe at the same time control X to back-stab the guard.

Another way to see this, maybe think of commandos series but instead of a top-down bird eye view, think of it as a side-scroller view.

Maybe this idea might be better off as a bird eye view ? Or maybe action platformer with multiple characters is not viable in the first place ?

Are there any multiple characters platformer that sounds like this ?

Are there any multiple characters platformer that sounds like this ?

Worms, by Team 17, with unlimited character changes. It's still turn based, but it does not change much for the purpose of this discussion.
To be honest, I think allowing unlimited, instant character switch would result in consistent ease of the puzzle elements. I guess that would be what you're looking for!

Not that I know of, but your idea seems interesting and commandos is a great game to get inspiration from

Commandos, by Pyro studios does not have explicit planning phases but the phases naturally emerge. The game is mostly slow-paced, sequences requiring careful timing and fast-paced actions (as far as I remember) can be easily interrupted as most levels offer plenty of safe zones.
It's also worth noticing most levels I recall started from a safe state. This effectively allowed an initial "plan" sequence which is ideally as above described, albeit implicit.
It allows unlimited character switch and still retains a strong strategic/tactical element. Completing even the simplest missions could easily take 10+ minutes.

Slick,
I'm afraid you might be misunderstanding the meaning of the terms I'm using in my previous post.

So it seems like not many tried this yet =/. I will probably have to prototype this a bit more =).

Will post more if i get something nice up.