Fighter + RPG = Good Idea?
by Brian Rollins · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 12/12/2003 (11:25 am) · 4 replies
I've been toying with this as an idea for a game:
Your character begins as a student in a martial arts school. There are several different disciplines to choose from, so you customize your character as the game progresses. These affect your fighting style and "special attacks." Each school has its pros and cons.
Ideas based on old-time elements:
* Air - Fast moving, weak attacks. Jumps higher
* Earth - Slow moving, strong attacks, great defense.
* Fire - Medium speed, very strong attacks. Infravision. Heals poorly.
* Water - Fast moving, weak attacks. Swims faster, heals quickly.
The game itself is an action/adventure type where you progress through the story by fighting and solving puzzles to deal with an invading highly-advanced technological threat.
As mentioned above, the different disciplines grant advantages in how the character moves and attacks, so there will need to be multiple ways to get around a given obsiticle (think System Shock 2).
Example 1: Bridge needs lowering to progress. Air can jump the chasm. Earth could knock the bridge down. Fire and water may have to find the controls.
Example 2: Fiery reactors block access to a key point. Fire and earth could walk through, where Air and Water would need to them shut down to pass.
As a result, few player experiences will be similar. This adds challenge and replayability.
An added bonus: Multiplayer. Imagine deathmatch games in hand-to-hand combat with multiple characters. Each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Couple that with environments that challenge each different discipline in different ways and you've got an extended gaming experience with an incredible number of combinations.
So, am I smoking something, or does this sound like a lot of fun?
Your character begins as a student in a martial arts school. There are several different disciplines to choose from, so you customize your character as the game progresses. These affect your fighting style and "special attacks." Each school has its pros and cons.
Ideas based on old-time elements:
* Air - Fast moving, weak attacks. Jumps higher
* Earth - Slow moving, strong attacks, great defense.
* Fire - Medium speed, very strong attacks. Infravision. Heals poorly.
* Water - Fast moving, weak attacks. Swims faster, heals quickly.
The game itself is an action/adventure type where you progress through the story by fighting and solving puzzles to deal with an invading highly-advanced technological threat.
As mentioned above, the different disciplines grant advantages in how the character moves and attacks, so there will need to be multiple ways to get around a given obsiticle (think System Shock 2).
Example 1: Bridge needs lowering to progress. Air can jump the chasm. Earth could knock the bridge down. Fire and water may have to find the controls.
Example 2: Fiery reactors block access to a key point. Fire and earth could walk through, where Air and Water would need to them shut down to pass.
As a result, few player experiences will be similar. This adds challenge and replayability.
An added bonus: Multiplayer. Imagine deathmatch games in hand-to-hand combat with multiple characters. Each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Couple that with environments that challenge each different discipline in different ways and you've got an extended gaming experience with an incredible number of combinations.
So, am I smoking something, or does this sound like a lot of fun?
#2
I know System Shock 2 has something like this. Anyone know of a similar game? If not, I guess, so much the better huh?
12/15/2003 (8:37 am)
What I'd like is for the different fighting abilities to be part of the puzzle-solving, not just for puzzle-solving. And really, calling them puzzles isn't fair. They're more like obsticles.I know System Shock 2 has something like this. Anyone know of a similar game? If not, I guess, so much the better huh?
#3
That is jumping from wall to wall, backflips, brifly jump of walls e.t.c
If you could limit each obstacle so that the Ai skill allows you to run up and backflip whereas the earth might have to perform some attack to break the obstacle e.t.c
Of course im picturing alot more imaginitave obstacles thena simple war but you get my idea :)
In fact Prince of persia style control would fit perfectly. Just less tomb raiderish jumping, lots more fighting with lots more variety in styles.
12/16/2003 (4:36 pm)
This is a great idea. Would be even more specially if you could get a Prince of persia style obstacles thing happening.That is jumping from wall to wall, backflips, brifly jump of walls e.t.c
If you could limit each obstacle so that the Ai skill allows you to run up and backflip whereas the earth might have to perform some attack to break the obstacle e.t.c
Of course im picturing alot more imaginitave obstacles thena simple war but you get my idea :)
In fact Prince of persia style control would fit perfectly. Just less tomb raiderish jumping, lots more fighting with lots more variety in styles.
#4
02/20/2004 (4:25 pm)
I agree lan,there shouldnt be any platforms to jump on because those are annoying but im really talking about the frusterating ones.You should be able to use real martail arts techniques and as you level up you unlock more combos and diffrent types of artial arts.from the old traditional way to the modern way of each msrtail arts.Like one of the kung fu combos are the jumping front kick and the levels should be the bewlt color.like level 1 would be begining white belt novice,and you would go on until your a advanced at that belt until your next level up would be the next belt.i dont know if this should be after but like in kung fu after the black belt you get to learn the art of the sword and you can choose if you want to learn the knuck chucks or not.i hope this gives you some ideas on making a relistic martial arts simulation role playing game. 
Steve Fletcher
Puzzles that just guard special areas can be well-nigh impossible, but puzzles you have to beat to continue on in the game have to be something that people can figure out.
It sounds like you want to add alot of different types of puzzle-solving disciplines. If so, the player has to be able to figure out which ones can be useful for a particular puzzle.