Puzzles!

[devonm0 37]

One puzzle I really like, that I think can be accomplished in the RPG Maker comes from Lufia II.  In the game's seventh dungeon there is a series of three rooms that are the last obstacle before the dungeon boss.  Each of these rooms contains a block puzzle consisting of yellow and red blocks, and the concept is that any red blocks that form a line between two yellow blocks become yellow, and vice versa.  The objective of each puzzle is to make all blocks in the room yellow in a certain number of moves, specified as moving only so many red and so many yellow blocks.

[lonequeso 1,921]

Ooo! That is devious! It would be a pain to set up, but it's doable. Does the player have to complete it in an exact number of moves or is there a move limit like under 10 moves?

Edited September 15, 2015 by lonequeso

[Dymdez 77]

Interesting I like that idea -- the accomplish a puzzle in the least mathematical amount of moves .. hmm

[devonm0 37]

Well first off, there is something I forgot to mention.  It isn't a push block puzzle, but rather a pick up/drop block puzzle.  As for number of moves, I suppose you could do a less than scenario, but because of the nature of the puzzle, you can't supply too much of a surplus of moves or else it would be impossible to fail.  Also, the moves are specified as so many reds and so many yellows, so if you have 2 yellow and 2 red moves and you move 3 reds, you have failed to solve the puzzle.  In the game that this idea is from, the first puzzle, which was a kind of hands on tutorial, had to be solved by moving 1 yellow block.  A movement of a color of block is referred to as picking up and dropping one of those blocks.  The second puzzle required moving 1 red block and 1 yellow block, and the third had you move 1 red block and 2 yellow blocks.

Edited September 15, 2015 by devonm0

[lonequeso 1,921]

Okay. I follow. That's an interesting puzzle. I can think of all sort of ways to combine that with other puzzles to drive the player insane 

[Point08 219]

I've always liked puzzles where the answer is available within the dungeon, but isn't necessarily obvious. I don't remember what game it was in, but there was this puzzle where there were various lines on floor tiles (each tile had I think 1-4 different lines on it) and you had to rotate them form an image, which would then open a door. In a later dungeon, you had to do the same thing, except the tiles could be turned in such a way as you could form 3 different images (only one at a time) and each image opened 1 of 3 doors. The images, iirc, were engraved on pillars in a different part of the dungeon. They didn't especially stand out in the design of the dungeon though, but there was some type of hint that made the light bulb go on, and got me to go back and look at them. I also think, either in one or both of the dungeons, the engravings were damaged in some places, so you either had to find a whole one, or find ones that were damaged in different parts to get an idea of what the whole image looked like. It was a great puzzle. I wish I could remember what game it was from, but I only remember (other than that puzzle) that the game sucked.

 

@KilloZapit: I seem to remember you being a fan of the old Ultima games...remember having to decipher the runes in those games? All hail Lord British!

[Kayzee 4,032]

WHAT!?! A FOLLOWER OF THE BEAST BRITISH! *is from Serpent Isle* Hehe kidding. I think there is a fairy in Ultima 7 that tries to kiss you! :3

 

I always preferred puzzles that are about figuring out an mechanic rather then just finding the right answer. I kinda like it when they have some randomization to it just so you can't memorize the answer.

[lonequeso 1,921]

@Point08- I've played a few games with those. That could actually be done fairly easily with pictures in RPG Maker. Too bad I suck at drawing :/ 

Those would be a fun to incorporate.

 

@Killozapit- Random puzzles would be fun. You don't see those as often. I'm honing my puzzle making prowess. Hopefully, soon I'll be skilled enough to make a really good random one 

[Point08 219]

I have no idea why I thought of this, but you could make a similar puzzle by having a sandy floor, and the player is able to pick up a stick and use it to draw a line, and thus eventually a specific design. One button would draw a horizontal, another a vertical, or you could set it up so it drew a line in which ever direction they pressed to move. I honestly think it's a terrible idea though, as a puzzle like that would probably infuriate me. I only mention it because I like to share my horrible ideas, that way if I ever come up with a really good idea, people are that much more impressed, since it differs so much from my usual mediocrity.

[lonequeso 1,921]

Lol! You're essentially talking about a variation on the picture puzzles. It could work. Only thing is with me, it reminds me of an extremely frustrating quest in Runescape. I was already fed up it's clunky interface, and that quest was the final straw. I stopped playing after that. 

 

Also, I had an idea of combining the picture idea and making a random puzzle out of it. Something like there's three different pics you can make, but only one is the correct one and it's chosen randomly. Bad things happen when you make the other two. 

 

A not so random one, each of the three pics open different areas, but they can only be completed in a certain order. 

 

Yay ideas! Btw, Point08, the picture drawing puzzle would would really great for like a Nintendo DS game. Don't sell your ideas short. 

[Cadh20000 249]

 

"Push the Block" A very basic puzzle to set up. I'm sure you've seen 'em before in Zelda and various RPGs. Simple goal. Push the block into a pit or onto a switch to open a new path.You can get surprisingly complex with these. I have a couple that require pushing a block down a hole on one floor to activate a switch on a lower one. I'll likely add one or two that involve sliding 'em across ice.

 

I've got one of this type that covers 2 floors, you have to get this machine out of a room on the second floor and to the stairs, through the ground floor to the front porch, and out the door. Pretty simple, but the same concept as what you described here.

[lonequeso 1,921]

Lol. I reached my quota for "likes" I didn't know that was a thing. Fine I'll make my own.

 

 

"Lonequeso likes Cadh20000's Post in Puzzles!"

[Dymdez 77]

Here's one for you guys. You combine puzzles, so take the slippery floor puzzle, it makes the player slide in one direction, right?

 

Imagine the player is being chased now, and the player gets to a watery/damp ground and is always caught by the "bad guy" or rolling boulder or whatever... The player has to figure out how to get out in time. Before the triggers the chase, she freezes the ground which then causes it to be slippery and will allow her to slide out just in time

[lonequeso 1,921]

Good idea. It's the opposite of my chase scenario. The player gets chased instead of doing the chasing. I've only seen that a couple times. One just so happened to be a huge boulder, Indiana Jones style. 

 

There's also a very simple one, I don't think I added yet. Sliding spike traps. Just like the ones in Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time- most Zelda games really.

Remember those metal blocks with spikes coming out of everywhere and they'd slide from one end of a room to the other? Yep those.

[Dymdez 77]

The boulder chasing you requires a event spawner script, maybe I should make tutorial for that...

[lonequeso 1,921]

Wouldn't be a bad idea. It sounds like that can be done with good ol' events, too. A script would probably be easier for what I have in mind.
 

Edited September 27, 2015 by lonequeso

[Dymdez 77]

Sure, I mean.. if you guys insist...

 

Here it is: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g0wnlbw2y8xrmqr/Boulder%20Chase%20Demo.exe?dl=0

 

No cheating, try to beat it then see how its done.

[Sixth 113]

There is this topic I came across some time ago discussing some puzzles.

http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/38126-puzzle-time/

Check it out, maybe there is something new there too.

[lonequeso 1,921]

@Dymdez. Very cool! I can defiantly find a use for that! 

 

@Sixth I don't think we covered the Mirror Move Puzzle. Lol Another one found in Zelda. That series has pretty much every sprite based puzzle there is.

I didn't realize there was a script for ice floors. Not surprised. I'm finding there's a script for pretty much everything. Eventing it would be pretty easy, too. A scriipt would likely be more efficient and reduce lag. Especially if it's a huge area.

[lonequeso 1,921]

I added the new posts as well as a couple others to the main list on the first page. Enjoy! 

[devonm0 37]

I remember an old NES game called Star Tropics, that combined the dungeon platforming of Zelda II with the top-down play of every other 2D Zelda. Thinking back to that reminded me that it was the inspiration to a certain dungeon room in my game so far where certain pieces of land rhythmically sink below the lava in the room and likewise emerge from it, requiring timing to make it across the room.  Anyway, I was thinking of combining that with simple puzzle mechanics, like hitting a switch to make the piece of land pop up in the first place, and then have it follow the sinking/emerging rhythm. The hitting of a switch could also open a door and simultaneously trigger another thing I'm planning on making use of that I learned from Star Tropics, which is causing the floor to fall apart one tile at a time, in a specified order of course.

Edited October 13, 2015 by devonm0

[Cadh20000 249]

I remember an old NES game called Star Tropics, that combined the dungeon platforming of Zelda II with the top-down play of every other 2D Zelda. Thinking back to that reminded me that it was the inspiration to a certain dungeon room in my game so far where certain pieces of land rhythmically sink below the lava in the room and likewise emerge from it, requiring timing to make it across the room.  Anyway, I was thinking of combining that with simple puzzle mechanics, like hitting a switch to make the piece of land pop up in the first place, and then have it follow the sinking/emerging rhythm. The hitting of a switch could also open a door and simultaneously trigger another thing I'm planning on making use of that I learned from Star Tropics, which is causing the floor to fall apart one tile at a time, in a specified order of course.

I've got that game somewhere around here...

[devonm0 37]

Not sure how much of an actual puzzle, but how about an enemy that is fought in real time, that has a puzzle element(s) as being the key to fighting them, that damage the player by making contact.  An example would be Three-of-a-kind from Zelda: Link's Awakening.  In a turn based RPG, I don't know to what extent this could be considered an enemy, hence why I'm bringing it up here.

Edited October 13, 2015 by devonm0

[lonequeso 1,921]

I used to love Star Tropics. It was a such a great game. I don't remember the lava puzzle. Not surprising since it's been around 20 years since I've played it. The main character had a yo-yo like Ness.  I wonder if they're related... There's a lot f versions of that puzzle. Essentially anything with tiles that that appear and disappear fits. 

 

I'm more familiar with the disappearing floor rooms from Zelda. I actually added that one two the list last time I updated it.

 

Puzzle bosses count. It has the word "puzzle" in it  I can't really think if any off the top of my head. I'm going to add a general description of what it is.

 

Two more to add to the list. Thanks, devon!

[devonm0 37]

The difference between (most) Zelda and Star Tropics is that in Zelda, if you misstep you're sent back to the room with less health, but in Star Tropics if you idle on a timed platform or make a wrong jump, you die.  I remember there was a dungeon in Star Tropics that had three boulder chase rooms.  It's in Chapter 5 and I hate it so much.  Anyway, there was a blue boulder, a green, and a red, in that order.  The blue one rolled back and forth along a set path, as did the green (I think).  The blue one had hiding spots, and the room with the green one had to be enter and exited twice from different locations.  The red one had hiding spots too, but it didn't go back and forth along its track, instead opting to track you as best it could.

Edited October 13, 2015 by devonm0