My Latest Project (or, excuses excuses...)

     Hello readers, I know that you had probably given up on seeing any updates from this blog, but it's not true! I've been very distracted lately, and haven't felt that I had much to say to you, so rather than pester you with filler, I decided to let it go for awhile. I admit, after this post, I may go silent for another while. However, let me fill you in on what is currently taking up my time!

     So, you may not have heard of lulu.com, but it is a self-publishing website. I had an idea for a book a few months ago, and have finally decided to get my butt into gear and start writing. The title of the book is The Expert's Guide To Getting Into (And Sometimes Out Of) TROUBLE I know, it's a long winded title, but I like it. Anyway, it's a book about projects for kids, from building treehouses to fun pranks to pull, to stories to tell younger siblings to torment them for years. It's basically a guide to all of the things that kids used to do when it was okay to climb trees and skin knees.

     For now, that's all I can really tell you, but I have already wrapped out about twenty pages (sans illustrations) and wanted to let you know that I am not dead, but rather, happily busy. Look for more updates on the book as I get closer to publishing, and thank you for being supportive!

An exploded view of the doghouse project from the book!

Hangout Games Pt. 2

Okay, where were we? That's right, my next step was explaining the builder portion of this game.
     Basically, the builder is a simple tile-based system. The creator chooses a size level at the beginning, and from there they are asked to choose an element/theme. This determines the tileset and sprites the creator will be able to use, such as volcanic mine, or dreary forest. There would be a large array of tilesets, and the library would be constantly expanding. The tiles aren't different physically, that is, a wall is still a wall, a rock is a rock, floors are floors, etc. Mostly, the difference is aesthetic. However, there would likely be elements from each them that would be unique, such as cart rails in the aforementioned mines, or foliage overhead in a forest. Every element would be able to be painted onto the map, and the edges would automatically align. So, when a player draws a pool of water, lava or acid (as examples) the edges of that pool would create their own shores. So, the player draws all the elements of their map, including multiple floors, stairs, walls, decorations, raised walkways, and bodies of water. Then the player moves to the puzzle layer of the editor.
     This layer takes care of the elements that adventurers interact with using the action button. The creator is given a palette of objects such as doors, switches and pushable blocks. Each of these behave in specific ways, and are aesthetically adapted to the them of the map.
     First of all, doors. Doors are pretty obvious, so I'll pair them with locks for simplicity. Whenever a player paints a door, lock, or locked treasure chest, they are immediately prompted to place a key for that object. The creators will be given the option to ignore the notice, if they need to, but will not be able to test or publish their dungeon without placing keys for every lock. They may place a key in a chest, in the open, as the solution to a puzzle, or even into the pocket of a monster (I'm getting there, I promise.) There may also be theme-specific components that they may place keys, like a minecart, for example, or the belly of some sort of machine.
     The second element of the Puzzle layer is the puzzles themselves. These are more complicated, if only because there are so many different types of them. In the editor, when the creator decides to place a puzzle, they must first select the obstacle that the puzzle removes. This could override a lock on a door, for example, or even walls. If the creator decides that their puzzle opens a secret passage through a wall, for example, they would draw a brightly colored indicator over which wall pieces would disappear when the puzzle is completed. If, on the other hand, the puzzle say, lifted a bridge from a pool of acid, they would first draw the bridge and then place the indicators over it. Then, after placing the indicators, they would be asked which state is natural, is the bridge there before the puzzle, or does is appear?
      Then they may begin building the puzzle itself, using switches and blocks, lasers, and who knows what all else. one of the tricks is that every switch has a series of options. It's a bit complicated to explain, but in a right-click window (as it would appear in-designer) the options would be simple. the creator would choose which puzzle the switch operates, they would choose which direction it works, (for example, pressing one switch might undo others) and they can decide if the switch must be held down for it's effect to remain. The switches can also be linked to specific indicator colors, so that when say, a player presses one switch, maybe a door opens, but the floor leading to it becomes covered in spikes, so that only a certain combination of switches will create the access the players need. Switches can also be triggered in such a way that multiple switches must be triggered at once to activate them. That would cause players to have to cooperate to solve puzzles. eventually, when the creator has satisfied their puzzle building needs, they can test-play it to make sure all puzzles are solvable. In the test-play mode, they are given "dolls" which they can leave on a switch as a person, so as to test multi-person puzzles.
    This layer also includes story-related events, including events triggered by being in a location, or conversations with npc's. these are created in almost exactly the same way as puzzles, using triggers and actions.
     Then, the creator moves on to the final layer of the editor; monsters.Every style of dungeon has it's own types of monsters that are location-specific. For example swamp-plants in a marsh, or goblin machinists in a factory. However, there are classic monsters that can be called on as well, spiders, lizard-men, slimes, etc. These can be placed one at a time onto the map, using a brush tool. they can be grouped into teams, so that  they wear color-coded clothes/accents and work cooperatively (obviously not all enemies can work together, since swamp plants are likely to operate on instinct). some enemies would come with objects rthat can be placed with them, for example, a Kobold machine-gunner would likely come with sandbags, and the Kobold might even be placed away from his den, to create a race-against the clock element. Another example (and a much more obvious one I should have thought of first) is spider webbing.
     Finally, the player creates a boss fight for the dungeon. The boss fight is created in a separate sort of editor, still part of the main one, but brought up in a new window. In this window, there is a viewing screen, where they can view their boss as it acts through its animations and attacks. Underneath that frame is the editor for it. First, the creator chooses from many sprites of enemy, and even types (Small fighter, classic serpent dodging around the room, giant stationary monster, giant walking monster, etc.) Then after selecting an enemy, and coloring it appropriately, they are given a timeline for it's actions. The timeline is based on hitpoints. For example, if the villain starts with 100 hp, the first portion of timeline could be from 100-75 hp. During that time in the boss' life, they would perform a certain type and number of attacks in a certain order, and move in a specific way. Then, after the hero has done 25 hp of damage, the monster would move into say, it's 75-50 range, where it would perform different attacks and movements. The boss' hp could be divided many times, creating a complex creature. Then the player could introduce Dialogue for the villain, and choose a loot category for it, determining the type of treasure that the villain can drop. In certain sized dungeons, specifically large ones, the creator would be allowed to insert a mini-boss partway through, using the same editor.
     The creator is also able to use pre-built rooms and enemies, which they could drop into place like tiles.

     The last and most important element of this designer (I know, I know, too long, didn't read) is the grading scale. After the creator has finished editing, the click "Publish" They will be prompted for a name, and a description, and given the option to include the dungeon into a quest. Then, the computer takes over. The computer would review the map, looking at things like the number of switches used to trigger puzzles, the total HP of enemies, the level of enemies, and the size of the map, and create a star rating for the difficulty of the map. This is crucial because if the maps aren't ranked appropriately, new players may find themselves trapped in a dungeon that is too powerful, and end up having no fun at all, which is the most important part of any game. However, the difficulty grading does more than that. It allows the designer to create escalation in a campaign, and also determines the quality of items inside of the dungeon. More difficult dungeons obviously earn players more powerful armor, weapons and treasures. Players can also upvote maps after having completed them, and provide reviews, which can also effect the overall rating of the map. The entire game is about creating a social experience that causes players to work together, either in a dungeon, or on a dungeon.
     Hopefully you managed to get through all that, I didn't realize I had spent so much time thinking about it between my last post and this one, but apparently, there was a lot going on in the back of my head. Anyway, I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on this or any of the designs I've posted, so feel free to comment! Thanks for reading!

P.s. If you decided to create this game, PLEASE let me know, and please give me credit for the original concept. If someone does make it, I'll do my very best to help you publicize, and I'd even be willing to collaborate, if needed. Thanks!

Hangout games pt. 1

 So, It's been awhile, but I did promise you at least three game ideas, so here, dearest readers, is number three.

     A lot of people have heard of Google Plus, and may be familiar with one of its big components, hangouts. However, for those of you who are unfamiliar, let me sum it up. Hangouts is a chatroom with video for up to ten people to video chat on, with adaptive screen scaling, and a developer component called Hangouts with add-ons. That's the part that matters here, because it allows web developers to make apps for hangouts. The idea behind my game is to create an add-on that serves as a full blown game, using hangouts to play. My idea is a dungeon crawler, in the fashion of diablo, where the players co-operate to battle through the dungeon, and must solve puzzles in collaboration. The game uses simple action mechanics, walk, fight, and push, like an oldschool adventure game. Think Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, as far as mechanics, but with ten players running around at the same time. Obviously, It's a lot for developers to work on, because to develop puzzles for that size group, there's a lot of thought involved.
     That's why the second half of the game is based around building. On a website separate from the played game, players will be invited to create dungeons. The computer will assess the difficulty of the puzzles, as well as the enemies, and pay the player for their maps in in-game gold.
I'll focus more on the dungeon builder in my next post, but I wanted to give you a taste of it.
     As far as plot goes, I actually imagine this game as fairly classic. It's an adventure game set in a somewhat steam-powered fantasy world. Swords and sorcery and steam, if you will. There are five types of class: Fighter, Healer, Mage, Thief, and for lack of a better term, a red mage. The fighter, obviously is geared toward combat, healer toward healing, and mage toward magic. The thief has abilities more geared toward status effects, stealing and light damage, while the red mage is a fair balance between magic and fighting. Each character has two assignable attack slots, one for left click, and one for spacebar. The left click would be especially suited for things like arrows, throwing knives, or spells, which would be aim-able via the mouse. While the spacebar would be good for short-range attacks. However, when the player is standing next to a chest, door, person or switch, the spacebar would become the "Action button" allowing them to acivate those things, or to speak to a person.  Movement would be controlled by WASD.
     I think that most of the plot would be devoted to being roving adventurers, saving princesses, defeating monsters and saving villages. However, through the building system, some dungeons could be linked together into campaigns, with full-blown story archs. It would allow people who are drawn to the dungeons and dragons  to create a full story for their friends to play, without having to worry about managing dice rolls and mechanics, since the game will handle all of that already. Players could even divide the task of dungeon building in an arch, so that no player knows all of the dungeons, and everyone could play together.
     As I said earlier, I'll get into dungeon building in my next post. Hopefully you enjoy the concept so far, I have a lot of Ideas for this game, and would love to work with a team to create it.

P.s. If you decided to create this game, please let me know, and please give me credit for the original concept. If someone does make it, I'll do my very best to help you publicize, and I'd even be willing to collaborate, if needed. Thanks!

The ghost's castle

     So, I spend a lot of time thinking about games, and about game design. Maybe you've noticed. Anyway I've decided that since I never seem to have the time to actually execute any games, and haven't really had time to create anything playable (after all, I barely take the time to update this blog) I've decided to share some ideas for games and see if the ideas get picked up by anyone with the time and knack. So, here we go!

     The first concept is an exploration-based adventure game. The protagonist has been kidnapped by otherworldlies, say fairies, or spirits, and dropped into an old castle, drifting in and endless space, to teach the hero a lesson about his/her life. The castle is vast, with gardens, towers, grand halls, and a multitude of varied rooms. Many, maybe most of these rooms, are empty when the hero first enters them. But, after solving a few puzzles in some of the fuller rooms, the hero finds the first of several masks. The masks resemble people from his life, possibly through one characteristic, definitely not through facial emulation, because that's creepy.  Anyway, The hero finds the mask, and puts it on, and in doing so, the castle changes before them. Suddenly, rooms that were empty are furnished, there are more puzzles to solve, and from time to time, people pass through the halls.
     The hero tries to address the people in the halls, but the figures just carry out their actions. They act out scenes from the hero's life, moments of regret, choices made, etc. They are all dressed in fancy clothing, ball gowns,  suits, and masks, as if they are all attending a masquerade, which they are. All of the figures are fairies, or spirits, playing their part in the heroes' past. As the hero progresses through the flashbacks and puzzles, he or she eventually finds another mask, which reveals a different set of full rooms, events and the like. The hero eventually finds a total of say, seven masks. Each one reveals a different set of rooms and puzzles, and helps the hero understand their mistakes, and eventually, to come to understand what they must do to set things right.
     The important thing about the masks is that they don't change the castle, they just reveal what is there. From the very start, just about all rooms are accessible, only one or two doors are ever locked, and they are unlockable by things hidden by the masks.

Now, I just realized that I had planned on spouting out about three games in this one post, but since I ended up writing a whole big chunk about that one idea, I've decided to break this up into a few different posts. So, expect the second in a week or so.

P.s. If you decided to create this game, please let me know, and please give me credit for the original concept. If someone does make it, I'll do my very best to help you publicize, and I'd even be willing to collaborate, if needed. Thanks!

Pumpkin Rising!

     So! Haunted House Update! The design for the haunted house has been through about a hundred re-drafts, but we've settled on a design, and I've gotten started on a few Props. Included In those props, in case you hadn't noticed, is a giant pumpkin, which I managed to make for the cost of glue. It's hard to get scale out of that picture, but it's about five feet tall, and made entirely out of cardboard from a dumpster next door. Anyway, I've gotten sidetracked, I decided that now that all the design is done, I'd talk with you lot about the challenges specific to this haunt, and how I'm working to handle them.

     First of all, a lot of haunted houses depend on gore to scare people. It's hit or miss, usually, since some people are completely grossed out by the blood, but a lot of people are desensitized to gore. Either way, it's not applicable here, because my haunted house is taking place on an elementary school campus. I'd never do blood with elementary kids, that's just wrong, and the principal of the school asked for us to avoid it anyway. I took that, and added a few more rules for myself:
1: No blood
2: Don't show any scenes of violence, that is, nothing in the haunt should involve humans hurting humans.
3: Spooky, not Scary

Those are the rules. As it turns out, those nix a LOT of classic haunted house gags. the problem I face is that I have an audience ranging in ages from five to ten. Anything I could do that would be genuinely scary to the fifth graders could permanently scar the kindergartners. Trust me, I had that happen to me at a fair. I still don't like using chainsaws... TANGENT! sorry. Because I'm aimed at a young group I had to go for spooky, in the style of Disney's Haunted Mansion ride. There will still be scares, but i'm making sure that none of the scares are outside of human judgement. Any time a big scare will happen, it'll be a classic jump out and yell "BOO!" That way, we can make sure not to scare any first-graders so bad that they wet themselves.

     So, with those rules In mind, I'm going to drop a room list on you all, and I'll go into greater depth on them over the next few days.

First, a seance, where a gypsy will greet our guests, and forsee a dangerous adventure in their future!

Secondly, a Warning from a mysterious ghost, the classic "Turn Back!"

Third, a swirling vortex, as visitors are thrown into a dangerous otherworld

fourth, a mysterious cave, where they will face haunted mirrors, and a Giant Black Widow

Fifth, a Haunted forest, with skeletal trees, talking crows, and something lurking in the distance...

sixth, a spooky pumpkin patch, complete with gravestones, and a scarecrow handing out candy.

then they are cast back into the seance room, where the gypsy congratulates them on their survival, and gives them the boot.

That's the narrative for the haunted house, nothing too scary, but there's more depth to it than there seems, and I'll be getting into that in a few upcoming posts.

A poem.... er... paragraph?

     So, readers I am working hard on the haunted house, and have a meeting coming up for the Christmas play I am putting up. But for now, no interesting developments on those yet.

Instead, I'm going to share a pinch of fiction I just whipped up.

I read a prompt on Google+ from Lee Shelly Allen, suggesting that I write a poem based on five elements of a T.S. Elliot Play. Those Elements were: 

The Burial of the Dead
A Game of Chess
The Fire Sermon
Death by Water
What the Thunder Said

I completely forgot that a poem was the goal, and accidentally wrote a pair of paragraphs instead. So, here they are!

     The young man clenched the cold rail of the balcony, sliding side to side, and watching the patterns left in the drops of water there. The rain pressed down on him, heavy as the decisions ahead of him. The clouds flashed above him, casting his shadow straight down. the roar of the thunder started him out of his thoughts. He took a moment to view his surroundings. He was a quarter of a mile above the street, looking over the city he now ruled. Another burst of thunder, this time from over the bridge, reminded him of how it had all happened. The bridge was still smoking, dripping rubble and steel from the terrorist bomb that had killed hundreds, including the old mayor. Like so many others, she had died trapped in her car, after the bridge had collapsed, sunken in the river. The young man swirled the water on the rail again, and it made him feel ill.

     He was pulled from his thoughts by a shout from an advisor, calling him inside from the glass door of the balcony. The young man put on a strong face, and walked inside, his suit clinging to his skeleton. He was shuffled into a tall chair by a fireplace, and several advisors began to talk to him, planning the memorial. He tried to listen, tried to show his best side, but he was lost in his head. The flames held his eyes, whispering, “you’re not ready, boy.” They were right, of course, he knew he was too young for what was coming to him. Then the thunder roared again, as if to cry out “nonsense! You are greatness!” He didn’t know what to believe. This job was supposed to be an opportunity, but suddenly, he felt like he was trapped, with crushing pressure around him. The pressure pushed through the windshield, and his lungs filled with water. The fire popped, and he was back in the meeting.

Hopefully you enjoyed that. Also, feel free to follow me on Google Plus!