| Prototype Combat Part 1 - Overview |
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| 5/31/2011 01:29:00 AM | By Rene -
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When we decided to do a complete style makeover for Bijoux Red, we also decided to redo the entire game from the ground up. The programming and the combat style for Bijoux Red's ARC Combat System have been completely redone to maintain the same spirit of fast-paced menu-based combat while being more intuitive and user-friendly.
What we're working on at the moment is a stand-alone Prototype Combat program that we'll be using for testing and tweaking while we build the world map, world menus and mission portions of the main game.
Below is a brief overview of some combat basics as they're being developed.
Units engaged in combat do battle in the Combat Screen. Units initiate combat from the main map by interacting with adjacent units, similar to other tactical RPGs.
When units are ready to act, the Command Menu will appear. Players will be able to select from an assortment of attacks and abilities equipped to that unit for use in combat.
Executing attacks successfully will inflict damage to enemies.
Players will sometimes be prompted to React to their opponent's attacks. Reacting successfully could help mitigate damage, or to avoid harm entirely.
As units grow, earning greater attributes and combat abilities, more combat options will become available to the player. Techniques, Defense Breaking, Chain Attacks and more will encourage players to take advantage of the variety of units in their army, creating a strong and versatile team.
The main focus of the new game design has been centered around ease of use. Bijoux Red's ARC Combat System is meant to be a versatile combat system that will give the player a large number of choices in battle. What we've learned that this means however is that players will become easily overwhelmed by the breadth of their options. By keeping actions contextual and giving the player more room to think, the streamlined Prototype Combat program is quickly growing into the type of combat system that we'd originally envisioned.
For every day this week, there will be a post on Prototype Combat - which will give us a chance to explore our progress, and to reflect on our current work.
Anybody interested in seeing what the original ARC Combat Prototype was like can find it here. The demo is still available online. Because it's so different from the direction we're headed in now, I'm not sure whether or not to remove it from the site entirely.
Rene Shible
Director - Bijoux RedLabels: gameplay, prototype combat |
