So, it's taken a while but I've finally finished the prep work. So far I have the structure of the civilization, the two stages of the tutorial and 10 of the relics and their history in the main part of the game planned out.
'Concealed Spotting' has been changed to 'Knowledge', simply because it sounds better and still implies that you know what you're looking for.
As well as this, I've also finally figured out how to rearrange the menu to my liking (thanks to everyone that helped my foray into the depths of the JS files) which included:
Adjusting how much space the menu took up (it now takes up around 1/3 of the screen).
Displaying the stats (turns out that textManager doesn't have the parameters in by default, so they needed to be put in).
Removing commands that weren't needed.
Flipping the text in the gold box around.
and gotten around to creating the title screen.
The music is a slowed down version of Theme2, which I think suits the mood of the game pretty well. I would have posted a video but I can't for the life of me remember what software I used to do it before.
Next step is to work on the tutorial.
With any luck, I'll have them finished within the week and ready to be posted as a demo. It won't be polished by any means - it'll still be using RTP as I'm aiming for a MVP at the moment - but I'm curious on the feedback on the gameplay itself and if that needs improving.
That's pretty much it for the time being. Keep on rocking.
So, my previous project - Keeper of the Wards - fell short due to technical issues (both main SSD and backup HDD failed, and thus both the main file and the backup was lost).
Rather than starting all over again (there was about a month's work into the database alone), I've decided to move on for the time being and start a new project in MV.
New tool, new project, new start.
And so, without further ado, I present the basic outline to:
-----------------------------------------------
Relic Hunter: Legacy of the [TBD]*
-----------------------------------------------
Relic Hunter: Legacy of the [TBD]* is a puzzle game where the player hunts relics, researches their origins and then places them on display in their museum.
Uncover the secrets of a long-lost civilization.
Hunt relics and decipher writings to find out their origins.
Complete a museum exhibition showing off the fruits of your labour.
-------------------------------------
Developing your Character
-------------------------------------
Your character has three trainable attributes, all of which help in your pursuit of these relics:
Concealed Spotting
​Sometimes things aren't best hidden in plain sight. Raising this attribute helps you find concealed passages, rooms and switches. The higher this stat is, the higher the chance of spotting less obvious aspects of your surroundings.
[*]Trap Spotting
​What self-respecting ruin doesn't have a trap or two? Raising this attribute helps you spot traps to avoid them. The higher the stat, the less chance you have of triggering a trap.
[*]Trap Disarmament
​Sometimes avoiding the traps isn't an option, especially for passages leading towards the greater treasures. Raising this stat increases your chances of successfully disarming the trap.
-------------------
Relic Hunting
-------------------
After the tutorials, players start afresh in their own site. As the player hones their skills and acquires knowledge, so more of the ruins will become open to them.
As well as hunting for relics, disarming traps and wondering why it had to be snakes, you can also create charcoal rubbings of items too big to excavate - such as walls - but you feel could be important.
Who knows, maybe these can go on display too on the wall.
Speaking of traps, you really do need to be careful of them. Getting caught by a trap not only ends your session, but also results in you losing everything you gathered so far, meaning you'll have to start again.
-------------
Research
-------------
While parts of the game are dependent on your character's stat growth, deciphering writings and identifying the relics you find are all down to you as the player and how invested you get into the game.
In your museum you have a research room filled with reference materials of what is already known about the civilization that your researching, as well as various tools such as carbon-dating machines.
However, like most fields of study, advances are being made all the time, finding out new information and contradicting previous findings, paving the way to better understanding.
While not necessary, you may find having a pen-and-paper, or note-taking software such as Evernote useful to have on hand.
-----------------------
Placing Displays
-----------------------
When you feel confident, you're able to place items on display.
When doing this, you'll be asked to fill out a number of facts on the item in the form of choices. For example:
This item is a:
Ritual Dagger
Ceremonial Sword
Soldier's Sword
[*]dedicated to
he who served the King well
Atphos, God of the Sun
the fifth king of [TBD]*
[*]around
9 BC
53 BC
46 AD
The player will get a rating for each display based on how many facts they got right, which will be totaled at the end of the exhibition.
* [TBD] isn't actually the name of the civilization. I've currently working on this but aren't sure what to name it yet, so yeah; [TBD] it is for now.
----------------------
The Plan So Far
----------------------
The game will have a two-part tutorial to show the ropes.
I will be creating my own civilization: everything from belief system and history to alphabet.
The ruin will consist of one large location. Depending on potential lag with events, some areas may be made instanced.
In order to break the game-play up to stop players getting overwhelmed (I got HOW MANY relics to research?!), players will only be able to spend a set amount of time in the ruins before having to exit, whether that time is dictated by a timer of 'inventory space'.
The size of the exhibition will be 10 items, all of which can be chosen by the player without penalty.
The protagonist is a girl named Meliquie (Reliquie = Relic) Schatzsucher (Treasure Hunter).
Mel for short.
As always, any criticism and feedback is welcomed and encouraged
Thanks again
