68 replies to this topic

[Doctor Potts]

I'm actually into the idea of an instant death, be it through no heart containers or through enemies all doing insane amounts of damage.  It would certainly render the question of health drops moot.   However, designing for this would be a whole other challenge.  

 

I think challenge is a really important aspect to any game, because there is character in challenge and in difficulty curves.  There are all these factors.  It sounds to me like you're interested in the player building a great deal of skill in order to beat the game.  Like this may be the driving force for your game design.    

 

My next question would be how you want the game to progress.  Like, will it be terribly difficult at the beginning, mellow out a little as you gather more items, and then ramp up difficulty at the end in an utterly chaotic exercise in pain.  Or would you be more interested in dangling the carrot just out of reach, a steady increase in difficulty, every dungeon just a bit more heinous than the last.    It's very exciting, to say the least, perhaps more so because I am so new to Zelda Classic.  .  

 

However it goes, I wish you the best!  

[anikom15]

I've been thinking of adding a lives system to the game. I don't even know if that's possible, but what would you all think of that? The ideas is that if you run out of lives you have to restart at your last save.

[Doctor Potts]

It occurs to me that the finer points of difficulty balance may come out in play testing.  Especially regarding the strength of enemies, number of hearts Link has, drops, etc.  

[Alucard648]

I've been thinking of adding a lives system to the game. I don't even know if that's possible, but what would you all think of that? The ideas is that if you run out of lives you have to restart at your last save.

Here we GO!

//Player Lives & Continue
const int CR_LIVES = 8; // Define Lives counter
const int CR_SCORE = 7; // Reserved for future use
const int SFX_1UP = 20; // Define 1UP jingle
const int STARTING_LIVES = 4; //Define starting amount of lives
bool Savegame = false;

global script Init{
	void run(){
		Savegame=true;
		Game->MCounter[CR_LIVES]=99; //Set maximum amount of lives Link can have
		Game->Counter[CR_LIVES]=STARTING_LIVES; //Set starting amount of lives
	}
}

global script Active{
	void run(){
		Waitframe(); //Wait until onContinue runs it`s code
		AfterGameOver(); //Define what happens if player hits "Continue" after game over or F6.
		Savegame = false; //Make sure the fact that the game has been loaded from save does not become permanent.
		while(true){		
			LivesUpdate();
			Waitframe();
		}
	}
}

global script onContinue{ //ONCONTINUE GLOBAL SCRIPT RUNS ONLY AFTER LOADING FROM SAVE NOT EVERY TIME LINK DIES!
	void run(){
		Savegame=true;
	}
}

void LivesUpdate(){
	int continuedmap = Game->LastEntranceDMap; //Load "Checkpoint" screen (Screen Data -> Continue screen)
	int entScreen = Game->LastEntranceScreen;
	if (Game->Counter[CR_LIVES]>0){ // Check if Link has more than one life.
		if (Link->HP<=0){ //Check if Link`s HP dropped to 0
			Link->HP= Link->MaxHP; // Restore Link`s HP.
			Game->Counter[CR_LIVES]--; //Reduce number of lives by 1
			Link->Warp(continuedmap, entScreen); //Warp to checkpoint.
		}
	}
}

void AfterGameOver(){
	if (!Savegame){
		Game->Counter[CR_LIVES]=STARTING_LIVES;
		Game->Counter[CR_RUPEES]=0;
	}
}

//This script if assigned as Triforce fragment pickup script awards Link with extra life if he manages to get Triforce with full HP. 
item script TriforceFullHP1UP{
	void run(){
		if (Link->HP== Link->MaxHP){
			Game->PlaySound(SFX_1UP);
			Game->Counter[CR_LIVES]++;
		}
	}
}

[anikom15]

Thanks for the script but that's not what I was asking for.

[TheLegend_njf]

You're just trying to be funny.

[anikom15]

What?

[Shane]

You're just trying to be funny.

This helps the thread how exactly?

 

Just make sure you don't make a "James" quest. Make it playable, please.

[TheLegend_njf]

The last few posts of his in this topic, I took notice that it would indicate that he isn't looking for any help what so ever, just an excuse to be sarcastic towards the ones that are helping him.

Pointing that out in my opinion is very helpful.

[anikom15]

I'm sorry if I appeared sarcastic. I wasn't being sarcastic, and usually mark sarcasm with a (!) . This is a genuine discussion on the topic of difficulty.

 

If you are referring my response to Alucard's script, well, I wasn't asking for a script. I was just asking for opinions on having a lives system.

[Shane]

I took notice that it would indicate that he isn't looking for any help what so eve

Exactly. He isn't looking for help, he's looking for opinions. Although it's truly kind that many of us are willing to help, I don't think this is what anikom15 was looking for. And trying to steer the topic off completely wouldn't help the sake of this thread neither.

 

Annnnnnnnnnnd I got ninja'd by the OP man himself. Back to Ninja school it seems.

Edited by Charizard, 15 March 2014 - 06:54 AM.

[DarkFlameWolf]

Hmmm....I'm wondering if there would be interest if I converted a quest or two of mine into a 1 hit KO quest. That might definitely appeal to the hardcore crowd of expert Zelda players for sure...

[TheLegend_njf]

Ouch!! DFW wants to hold our manhood in her purse.

Edited by NewJourneysFire, 29 March 2014 - 01:17 PM.

[anikom15]

DFW's a girl? and that might be a good idea. I'd try them, though I haven't played any of your quests yet, so I might do the originals first.

[Timelord]

One thing you may want to consider, is to include slow HP/MP regen, so that the player  can regain health and magic over time, if they avoid using it. Yes, it can be abused, but a game that only uses potions would probably be pushing difficulty too far; unless you make them a counter item, and allow at least four.

 

No F6 is also a problem, if the player finds some way to trap themself, due to screen design, or dungeon design flaws. If you want a balance for this, an onContinue script, that carries the existing HP/MP through to the continue, may work for you.

 

Setting current HP and current MP as variables to continually update, in your main while loop, would allow you to use these for an onContinue script, without blocking F6.

 

@DFW: As if your quests aren't already difficult, and aimed at the hardcore crowd?

 

One-hit-deaths, I believe, are on the AVGN list of VG sins.

Edited by ZoriaRPG, 02 April 2014 - 08:52 PM.