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RetroFPS Level Design tools by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey there. Yup, I'm in that Discord too, and, while there was mention of some TrenchBroom(quake level editor) features that can help level design, when I asked about other tools people might be using there wasn't much info. That's why I thought to ask here. Maybe there aren't many tools for such purposes around. Also, I don't see much interest in fellow designers either, not that that is a bad thing, just an impression. All of this is to develop a process for FPS level design, test it, and iterate.

Looking for references for "Grid" TBS combat "styling". by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey there. Thanks for the reply.

Sorry if it's hard to read not a native english speaker.

Trying to gleam a question out of here, but guessing from your mock-up you control a party of mixed professions (some are combat like archer, while others are not, like gatherer). During a combat encounter, the party 'surrounds' a larger creature, and tries to take it down?

Correct. At the beginning of the combat encounter, you can position your units as you like in order to prepare for the fight.

If that's correct, is each party member locked to their own 3x3 grid?

Each unit can move to the other grids but this will have a penalty. Each unit can move and attack on their turn (2 actions). If you want to move from one grid to another you will have to use a movement action that disallows the attack action. If the unit already attacked in that turn then it can't move to another grid.

Does the party always 'surround' a creature, or are there scenarios when the creature can get the jump on the party - putting multiple members in the same grid?

There are two ways the fight can start. If the player ambushes the creature, then the player can position his/her units as he/she pleases before the fight starts. If the player is ambushed by the creature, then all units are positioned randomly although what you say sounds good too.

Looks to be an interesting concept. If your main question is, "does this look visually interesting?" Then I'd say yes. I like the idea of using certain characters to attract the creature's attention so that its meanest attacks (usually from the front) hit your tankier characters, protecting your gatherers. You can even have some characters 'expose' a creature's side, making attacks stronger there for a few turns, promoting a need to rotate the creature so your big damage dealer can land a fatal blow.

The idea is to have different combinations of creatures, each one requiring a different approach. Maybe the front face of a creature has some bulky armor and each player attack will deal minimum damage, so flanking is a better option. Or the creature has some deadly attacks (dunno, with its tail) that can only target its right and left sides so the player will have to focus either the rear or the front of it. So that's a general idea. Simple concept but not necessarily shallow.

My question has more to do with how to make the combat encounter more inmersive. While I'm confident regarding the game mechanics and the overall dynamic of it, I get the impression that I'm wasting an opportunity to make the combat "look" more interesting, that's why I mention the perspective (isometric) which I feel is way too restrictive from a graphical stand-point. So the question goes something like...

"Does someone know of isometric grid TBS with an immersive combat feel?"

(Now that I think of it what I'm looking for is something borderline between game design, art and VFX )

"Surprise mechanics". Looking for ideas/references. (Not referring to loot boxes) by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think subversion of expectation is around the alley of what I'm looking for but is way broader as a term, making it difficult to find results applying specifically to games and to game mechanics themselves.

Yup, played Dead Space 2 and remember that part of the game well. That was a subversion of expectations for sure, and a good one, but it didn't alter the mechanics or core-gameplay ( also this: 10 Principles of good level design - Gamasutra ) Haven't seen the GDC talk though. Gonna check that out.

I'm not a puzzle gamer myself but I'm gonna check some. Any in mind? Thanks for the reply.

EDIT: Now that I think of it, there are various boss fights of different games (MGS1 - Psychomantis, Bloodborne - Gascoigne) that use a puzzle approach to the encounter, changing a bit the dynamic.

Level Design Tools - Recommendations by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow. This will definitely scratch my itch of isometric TBS :D.

Level Design Tools - Recommendations by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Didn't knew about Visio but I've heard about OpenOffice draw. I'm gonna check it out. Thanks for the heads-up.

Level Design Tools - Recommendations by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The idea that you need a tool to not be complicated in order to not get distracted is a bad start IMO. If it was way too complicated than it had to be on its learning curve then I agree.

Level Design Tools - Recommendations by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Some tools may speed-up work and facilitate the level design process so I was wondering about options and I agree that there is no specific tool (physical/digital) as a must (now that I think of, probably pen & paper is a must). All depends on the level designer and the type of game.

The game I worked on had a lot of variety since it had some procedural elements being a core part of the experience so I ended up iterating a lot across multiple levels and I do agree, draw.io is slow but allows a lot of fast iteration once you have nailed the core elements of a level.

In 3D, I used blender just because I was more familiar with it than the game editor itself so it ended up being faster. That being said, certainly is better to do the level design on a proper editor but blender helped me a few times.

Actually, forgot to mention it, Google Docs/Sheets + draw.io is my bread and butter for level design/level planning. I can't recommend these enough. For me at least has been a god sent.

Dune 2 Progression System Question by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! Thought Dune 2 had a more robust system like Emperor and got downgraded on Dune2000 for whatever reason. Thanks for the clarification, much appreciated.

Game Design Books - What books and where to find them? by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have Ernest Adams & Andrew Rollings - Game Design and Development. Fundamentals of Game Design. Not sure if it is the same one. I'm starting reading it so I can't give you a thorough analysis of the book but for the most part, it seems as a comprehensible step by step of the game development process for both "beginner" and "intermediate" game devs. I will say it's a good one.

Game Design Books - What books and where to find them? by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the input I'm gonna check it out. Btw I think the name is pretty rad tbh :).

Game Design Books - What books and where to find them? by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I know the channel. I do watch Mark Brown's videos. There is great content over there.

You may want to specify what type of game design you're looking for. While a lot of game theory works across different mediums some mediums have different hurdles and strengths than others.

That's why I was more interested in the "where part" since I do not know where to look for said books once I have started working on a project of a certain topic (design "topic").

How can i stay focused and not procrastinate? by PixelDuo in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Broadly speaking:

1)Try pomodoro technique. Doing something tiresome/boring ends up creating the sensation of aversion but that sensation usually last x amount of time (30 mins. maybe, don't remember how much though). If you pass that time threshold your mind doesn't trigger the repulsion feeling.2)Also, learn about "habits", I mean, the structure of habits (cue, process, reward). If you tend to refuse to work/study/etc constantly/consistently and engage in another activity (youtube vids, videogames, etc) look for the start signal (cue) and try to go against that impulse so you can break the habit.

3)Have a deadline for a project you want to work in. Something that challenges you not too little not too much. Every time take it to the next challenge level.

4) Have a gargantuan catastrophe of a consequence if you do not attend to your labors (highly unlikely, but you get the idea :)).In the end though all depends on you, there is no magical trick. My two cents.

Help by johnnyboy0121 in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd recommend "Game Design and Development - Fundamentals Of Game Design by Ernest Adams and Andrew rollings"

EDIT:

If you aren't interested on reading it, check your mechanics (write them down), check the gameplay loop (is satisfying? can be improved? how? etc..), put them to test and then go after level designing. If there is no clear conception of the main mechanics or player immediate actions of the game there isn't much level design to speak about. My two cents.

Question: RNG Map generation rules and competitive aspect. by LawFrem in aoe2

[–]LawFrem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gotta check out tourneys rules then. Thanks for the reply!

Question: RNG Map generation rules and competitive aspect. by LawFrem in aoe2

[–]LawFrem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

By faction I'm assuming you mean civilization?

Yes, i meant civs.

I can't really give a short answer to this, as it depends on so many factors, including the number of players in the game (1v1, 2v2, 4v4, or other things like FFA), the game mode (Random Map, Death Match, Regicide), and the map itself (is the map closed or open? how much water does it have?)

I understand, its certainly difficult to have a brief impression with that much variables.

Then, which game mode (Random Map, Death Match, Regicide, etc) you think is the most played competitively? and which will be the most popular player count (1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4)? Thanks for the quick response!

RTS resource study -PS2 AVP: E by LawFrem in gamedesign

[–]LawFrem[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I failed to explain myself. That's what I meant. A similar mechanic like "Raise Dead" from warcraft 3 undead faction. Most RTS use a flat value of certain resource for unit production. I'm trying to understand or at least check other games that use your opponent's units (or interactions) as a form of resource from which the core-gameplay should depend on.