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avatar_reidrac

New CRPG (development)

Started by reidrac, 14:42, 26 July 21

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reidrac

Hi all!

I've started a new CPC project. I guess making a CRPG it is my personal white whale, and it is the type of project that may be too long and take a lot of energy, and yet may never be finished.

So I was hesitant to open a thread here, but I guess someone else would do it, so here we go!

[attach=1]

I don't have a detailed plan, but there are a few things I know:

  • It will be a classic CRPG in the spirit of Ultima series, although I will borrow from many of the CRPGs I played when I was a kid. I guess 8-bit JRPG "copied" Ultima for a reason.
  • I plan to implement (unofficially) D&D rules, probably their Open Game License stuff; one OSR I like a lot is the "White Box" ruleset. It won't be strict, though.
  • The technical bits are still unclear; I'd love supporting 64K of RAM and disc -of course it has to be a multi-load game, and support saving progress-, and probably fully M4 compatible so I can play it in my 464; but I may look at Dandanator as well. So perhaps the only thing is that I don't want to go 128K, but I may change my mind.
  • I'm more interested in having an engine I like, so I may release a "prelude" kind of game to test the tech. Then, if I want more, I will refine and release another game.
  • It is a game to scratch my own itch, so I don't know if anybody else will play or like it; but hey!

And, for now, it doesn't have a title. Some of you may know an experiment a run a few years ago called "Tales of Dunegon", but it didn't get far, so I may or may not recycle the name (it is growing on my, I must admit).

I'm posting things on my twitter and my blog, and hopefully here if there's interest.
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

reidrac

Also, it moves already!

https://twitter.com/reidrac/status/1419379220799700995

Very early, but It is starting to feel like something, which is a good thing.
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

manossg

Super exciting stuff!

ervin

That looks absolutely wonderful!
Looking forward to watching development of this one.

Targhan

Very interesting! I love that kind of game.
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SkulleateR

Love that style, keep it up  ;D

Gryzor

Wait! No explosions? Re-spawning enemies? Pixel-perfect passages? Platforms? Explosions? IS THAT EVEN A REIDRAC GAME?

Looking sweet. Can't wait to see what you come up with!

reidrac

#7
Thank you all for your encouragement :)

I'm still trying to find a good screen layout that allows me to cram everything in mode 0. I think I can use icons to save space in the "common actions", but it all depends.

[attach=1,msg205242]

I'm actually surprised how easy was to draw these :D

Basic actions: fight, cast spell, look/search, talk, use item, camp, disc menu (save, load, those things).
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

genesis8

Basic actions linked to Fx keys if possible ? Especially load/save.
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Sykobee (Briggsy)

Looks good. 9x9 map display is presumably for rendering speed?


Maybe the brick borders could be adjusted a little but I presume everything in good time.


I like the icons, if they are hotkeyed as well (F1..F7 perhaps). Next you'll replace GOLD with a coin, and FOOD with a slice of cheese, and have little car charts for the stats :p

reidrac

Quote from: Sykobee (Briggsy) on 13:08, 28 July 21
Looks good. 9x9 map display is presumably for rendering speed?


Maybe the brick borders could be adjusted a little but I presume everything in good time.


I like the icons, if they are hotkeyed as well (F1..F7 perhaps). Next you'll replace GOLD with a coin, and FOOD with a slice of cheese, and have little car charts for the stats :p

It is very early, but looks like that won't stop experienced game developers here :laugh:

9x9 is both for speed and because of usable space. If I go 11x11 there isn't room left to show the information I want to show.

I'm not 100% convinced the icons work, because during combat it will be a different context (are you talking to those monsters?). So I may need to change the menu depending on the situation, not impossible. Besides, there is no mouse, so it is really a menu.

It may be better to show a menu based on context. May be 8-bit console style is not a bad approach.

Anyway, as I say it is very early, so I can't say what's going to happen in two weeks time.
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

reidrac

I'm actually undecided. 11x11 uses a lot of space for the map, as seen here:

[attach=1]

The party info still fits, but it leaves only 15 columns of text, which isn't a lot. Plus I would need to use pop-up menus or similar to list actions. And the map it is a bit big and my current code starts to not be as fast as it should (this I could improve).

May be I don't need that text box and it is space for actions, and show text on a pop-up box when needed. Most notably when talking to people, but also the output of actions. I like the idea of a scrolling text wall.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback, but as you can see... I don't know what I'm doing (yet).
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

MiguelSky

The bigger game area, the nicer it looks  8)

XeNoMoRPH

Do you have a name for the game in mind, or is it still too early?
your amstrad news source in spanish language : https://auamstrad.es

reidrac

Quote from: XeNoMoRPH on 07:28, 29 July 21
Do you have a name for the game in mind, or is it still too early?

Not yet, but I'll try to come up with something ASAP.

It should be, hopefully, the name of a series using more or less the same engine, and then the episode.
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

reidrac

Last night I tried something and I think I like it, even if that means the icons are gone.

[attach=1]

It is using 9x11 tiles for the map. The party information is compact, still have space for actions as text, and a text wall on the bottom.

Only 3 lines of text, but it may be enough. Besides, being on the bottom, I can get creative with raster effects. We'll see!
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

Gryzor


Sykobee (Briggsy)


Lots of options still IMO Gryzor.
They could pop up (hit ESC and they appear, for example), or be underneath with a screen split / raster thing (although that uses a bit more memory).
I'd personally be happy to lose the bottom line of bricks for another line of text. Also could possibly lose the map name line to get another (it could be embedded in the top row of bricks perhaps but might look messy, or it could be part of the text box scrolling commentary "You enter the Woods of Doom").

reidrac

#18
Quote from: Sykobee (Briggsy) on 12:01, 29 July 21
Lots of options still IMO Gryzor.
They could pop up (hit ESC and they appear, for example), or be underneath with a screen split / raster thing (although that uses a bit more memory).
I'd personally be happy to lose the bottom line of bricks for another line of text. Also could possibly lose the map name line to get another (it could be embedded in the top row of bricks perhaps but might look messy, or it could be part of the text box scrolling commentary "You enter the Woods of Doom").

I'd like to see that game!

Meanwhile, I'll keep iterating. There's space for options and text. And I like the bricks. No worries.

EDIT: actually, you're pretty much describing the SMS version of Ultima IV...
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

Sykobee (Briggsy)

Heh, it's your game and you have the game dev credentials and it's your design for sure, so they're nothing more than mere musings on my part.


I wasn't aware of the SMS Ultima IV, but that has a neat pop up text menu over the stats I see - https://www.mobygames.com/game/sega-master-system/ultima-iv-quest-of-the-avatar/screenshots

reidrac

Quote from: Sykobee (Briggsy) on 14:50, 29 July 21
Heh, it's your game and you have the game dev credentials and it's your design for sure, so they're nothing more than mere musings on my part.


I wasn't aware of the SMS Ultima IV, but that has a neat pop up text menu over the stats I see - https://www.mobygames.com/game/sega-master-system/ultima-iv-quest-of-the-avatar/screenshots

Ideas are always appreciated. I may or may not use them, and that's fine! :)

Yep, I'm a big fan of the SMS version precisely because it is the most faithful adaptation yet it is playable without keyboard.

I think I'm going to go that route: big rooster for the party (up to 6 PCs!), 4 lines of text on the bottom, menu replacing the rooster when actions are triggered.

I may be I'm posting too many screenshots, but this is where I am at the moment:

[attach=1,msg205331]

I still like my bricks, but there will be changes as at least I need to squeeze the time somewhere (the map name was a placeholder and it is gone now).

I think it will work fine!
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

Fessor

Ultima has an 11x11 viewport and always keeps the character centered in the middle.
What is meant by time? Why not like Ultima and use a small area above the viewport. Maybe not show a time directly, but if you want to have day and night cycle, let a moon and a sun wander through alternately.

reidrac

Quote from: Fessor on 00:21, 30 July 21
Ultima has an 11x11 viewport and always keeps the character centered in the middle.
What is meant by time? Why not like Ultima and use a small area above the viewport. Maybe not show a time directly, but if you want to have day and night cycle, let a moon and a sun wander through alternately.

Yes, my game does the same but when the character is on the limit of the map, is obviously not centred.

In Ultima you have a clock that you can check, in you inventory. You definitely need to know the time (besides if is day or night) because otherwise you can't tell for how long you want to camp. I don't need to show you the state of the moons (no moongates, for example); so showing the time is enough.
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

zhulien

Looks like the perfect game to become or have a MMORPG version.   Need any help on the server-side?

reidrac

Quote from: zhulien on 03:13, 03 August 21
Looks like the perfect game to become or have a MMORPG version.   Need any help on the server-side?

Thanks! I love your enthusiasm but this game will be single player and CPC only.
Released The Return of Traxtor, Golden Tail, Magica, The Dawn of Kernel, Kitsune`s Curse, Brick Rick and Hyperdrive for the CPC.

If you like my games and want to show some appreciation, you can always buy me a coffee.

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