Ideas for part 2

[Robert Lee]

I've done some work on changing the attack bar for melee attacks to make it a bit less confusing.

With part 2 I want to focus more on status ailments as I believe part 1 was severely lacking in that area. Characters can now be paralyzed frozen and poisoned in addition to being confused (both friends and foes). For example, Alex's dream bolt will carry a small % chance of paralyzing the foe struck by it.

The game will be much longer and I plan to step up the scale a bit, the limiting factor in the first part was file size, but hopefully with some creativity I can stretch the game length without effecting the file size.

I'm going to try to make it welcoming to new players and returning ones alike, and it will feature a small cast of new playable characters as well as the old ones (don't worry, all the old characters will return).

The story will be self-contained but fit into the over all series, just like the original one did.

I wont give too much away but there will be a new antagonist separate from The Others, and both will play a major part in the game (and yes, Maxwell will return).

It will be a tad darker in theme, and deal with a few more serious issues but will still have the same feel of the first game, just a bit heavier.

I am very excited for this project and hope to keep you up to date on its progress.

[kaoy]

A suggestion I have is equipable skills. Granted, I don't have any ideas on how to fit it into the story, and I feel what fits the story should take priority over nit-picks such as this. Still, I feel it would be nice for us players not to feel like we made a terrible and irreversible mistake about who we taught a skill to at times. I felt that way a couple times on my first play-through even though, in the end, it worked out. It would be a welcome change if you could think of a way for that to work.

EDIT: Ah, an while on the topic of status effect, I don't think confusion ever did anything noticeable. I was a while ago I played, but I recall still having full control over characters that were confused, and they never attacked the wrong target or an ally so far as I can remember.

EDIT 2: One more thing, this time about Ignite. How did it work in the first game, exactly? I used it alot, but never really understood it. Were monsters coded to take between x and y uses to take damage, or was it that it raised the chance slowly each time? Did fire resistance/weakness play a part in how quickly/often it took effect? Maybe this time around, it could be more clear, like them starting to smoke more and more or it altering the monsters colouring a bit so that they look more red the closer they are to actually igniting. Some indication as to how close they are to burning would be nice.

[Robert Lee]

Sept 20, 2009 2:16:43 GMT -5 kaoy said:

A suggestion I have is equipable skills. Granted, I don't have any ideas on how to fit it into the story, and I feel what fits the story should take priority over nit-picks such as this. Still, I feel it would be nice for us players not to feel like we made a terrible and irreversible mistake about who we taught a skill to at times. I felt that way a couple times on my first play-through even though, in the end, it worked out. It would be a welcome change if you could think of a way for that to work.

EDIT: Ah, an while on the topic of status effect, I don't think confusion ever did anything noticeable. I was a while ago I played, but I recall still having full control over characters that were confused, and they never attacked the wrong target or an ally so far as I can remember.

EDIT 2: One more thing, this time about Ignite. How did it work in the first game, exactly? I used it alot, but never really understood it. Were monsters coded to take between x and y uses to take damage, or was it that it raised the chance slowly each time? Did fire resistance/weakness play a part in how quickly/often it took effect? Maybe this time around, it could be more clear, like them starting to smoke more and more or it altering the monsters colouring a bit so that they look more red the closer they are to actually igniting. Some indication as to how close they are to burning would be nice.

Confused makes it so the character has a 50% chance of doing nothing that turn, I don't like the idea of them hitting teammates like in other RPGs.

Ignite raises a variable inside the enemy called "temperature" if it goes over 100 the foe will suffer fire damage, each foe type has a set temp and fire weakness, for example the stop sign has a low temp but a high weakness to fire, so when it's temp does reach over 100 the damage dealt will be very devastating.

[nir]

when part 2 will come out?

[Mr Lou Cifer]

Hello,

I would like to suggest a few little things for a, maybe, tactical improvement like displaying a order of action for the characters to see easier which one will act first and wich one later, also maybe some kind of a "wait" option to let a quick character act later in the chain (could be important for healers and singers, to aid the team at the end of the round, especially if there are fast enemies which attack first at the next round).

For that matter a placeholder healthoptions would be nice, like "heal the most wounded"

I have noticed that a kid chooses a new target if the current one falls before its his turn, maybe they could also choose an alternate standard action (melee attack or block) if their target of a heal spell or item falls before its their turn? I think that would reduce wasted actions.

And last,not so important but, what about a signal how close the enemys are to their ends? :-)

Just a few thoughts, i wish good luck and as much fun by making the game as i had by playing it.

[Robert Lee]

Oct 8, 2009 8:23:30 GMT -5 @nir said:

when part 2 will come out?

When it is finished.

[Robert Lee]

Oct 8, 2009 22:45:21 GMT -5 @Mr Lou Cifer said:

Hello,

I would like to suggest a few little things for a, maybe, tactical improvement like displaying a order of action for the characters to see easier which one will act first and wich one later, also maybe some kind of a "wait" option to let a quick character act later in the chain (could be important for healers and singers, to aid the team at the end of the round, especially if there are fast enemies which attack first at the next round).

For that matter a placeholder healthoptions would be nice, like "heal the most wounded"

I have noticed that a kid chooses a new target if the current one falls before its his turn, maybe they could also choose an alternate standard action (melee attack or block) if their target of a heal spell or item falls before its their turn? I think that would reduce wasted actions.

And last,not so important but, what about a signal how close the enemys are to their ends? :-)

Just a few thoughts, i wish good luck and as much fun by making the game as i had by playing it.

My concern with many of those things is that having the player select 'secondary' options would slow down gameplay a lot and take away the from some of the simplicity and pacing. Imagine having to make two selections for ever character when all you want to do is have them attack.

Characters currently attack according to speed, which sometimes does mean the don't go in the order you want them to but players should be able to become familiar with their characters order fairly simply. As it stands the only advantage going out of order would give you is the case of using Jacob's calling (a fast character might sign before a slow character uses the IP crystals they needed the song to recover for them) however that only matters if the crystals are all full anyway, making the disadvantage of having to go in order very minimal anyway.

Allowing the characters to "auto heal the most wounded" or heal at the end of the turn would be a bit of an unfair advantage and would take away from the player's responsibility as a decision maker.

There will be a way to tell the enemies HP in the next game, however it will come at a price (such as an item, song or ability).

[guest]

First off great game Robbie. the few concerns i had were the menu database tho. can we have something i.e. hitting the "m" key to bring up the map as opposed to having to go into the menu and scroll down to the map option? and also the inventory. maybe be able to scroll left to right as well, instead of having to go down down down down to get to the next screen of items? - maybe even a feature where they condense after an item is used? the character stats would be nicer if if did'nt reset back to the main menu, solely for quicker comparison when deciding formation not trying to nit pick just making suggestions.

[nomiscloud]

The game was especially perking my interest, because the antagonist is a girl and this game is in the modern world. This is totally mind blowingly awesome. For new characters, I suggest more girls xD

[mar]

are all the characters going to get intruments cuz i have both predictions and sudjestions here it is
Alix already has a guitar
Chadd already has drum sticks
Kyle is going to get a bass guitar since he wielded his bat the same way Alex wielded her shovel
Bella got me on that one maybe singer
Cindy should get a cricket bat and latter a keyboard guitar

note: antagonists are bad guys, protagonists are good guys

[kaoy]

The idea of all characters getting instruments seems interesting and plausible. They might even go into different creative fields, since its about having imagination, not just music. Assuming they are all instruments though, Bella strikes me more as a standing bass/cellist or violinist/fiddler. Even assuming all characters stick to just rock styles, that is still possible, since both are used heavily in Ska and Irish Punk. I don't think singer is really an option, since they are all singers. Also, even with the sticks, I sort of have a hard time imagining Chadd carrying a full drum kit with him at all times.

As for Cindy, I have a feeling she might not ever come back to the party. She already stood out so much in the first game as she was the only one to use real weapons. She will probably stay on that route and, as such, I don't think we will ever see her with an instrument.

[mar]

cindy is kyles little sister your thinking paige

and i said he already has his instrument the drum sticks he wont actually carry a drum set around

[D M]

I have a suggestion.why not make you able to choose who you want to recruit? In the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red/Blue Rescue Team, you can visit the pokemon you have defeated, and then you can recruit them.so for example, after defeating a Raboid, you can go to a special place where you can visit them after unlocking them which costs some money, and make them alleys or pets.

[D M]

Also, Confusing makes you... well, for example in a battle with a Groowze, if confused, it is about 60% chance to that character will stop the Flee! option, and you will stay, and you have wasted one round. But still, use Flee! wherever you must!

[D M]

And Paige is a traitor, she never wanted to save the world, neither did she care about the others on the planet.she just wanted to save herself, and gaining power.I wonder if she will ever turn good?