Re:Here's a mad idea...
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Yes - 'sexualise'.
Those of you who read my postings on the 'Knightmare Crush' thread will already know my thoughts on the heavy psychosexual undertones running through the show. To this end, I was wondering if we should be tarting up or revamping the costumes to look cooler, slightly more contemporary (but obviously still medieval-looking), and, well....sexier.
I'm talking about the ethereal, balletic athleticism of Elita, the razor-sharp, dangerously sexy edginess of Stiletta, the dominating, metal-and-leather-clad Lord Fear.... I could go on, but I think I'll leave you guys to explore this bit further.
Does anyone else think this might be a good idea...?
And Darth Vader will not, repeat NOT, be making an appearance. Good God, have some pride in your work.
Skip
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Hey everyone,
Just so you guys don't start thinking I've abandoned the project, I thought I'd better let it be known that I'll be away for a few weeks. I've got some pretty pressing design work to deal with, and unfortunately it can't wait.
Never fear though, for I will be back before you know it, along with something altogether more substantial (hopefully) to show you all...like a KM game website, some mock-ups, animations and maybe, just maybe, something playable. Keep on dungeoneerin' til then, boys and girls.
Love
Skip
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It may be a bit late to post this, but if this ever gets picked back up, would be nice if we could have an option to choose between the S1-S5 lifeforce and the S6/S7 lifeforce or something... and also be able to turn off the skull death animation if we so wish. o_o hates the lifeforce skull, HATES the lifeforce skull
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That's a very good idea. In fact, I'm toying with a number of ways to represent the Life Force.
There's the classic 'peeling head', the Armoured Skeleton, the pie (not likely though). Other ideas I've had include a water bottle that slowly dries up, or a burning candle (as used to great effect in the old C64 game). The thing is, I really want to use the classic 'peeling head', but I'm trying to keep this as streamlined as possible, and to animate all that effectively would eat up resources hat would be better spent on game levels and playability.
One way around it would be this: instead of having the individual elements peel away, there would just be the three initial states (armoured head, bald head and skull), layered on top of each other. By gradually decreasing the alpha (transperency) of each level, the armoured head would gradually fade to a bald head, and then fade to a skull. Hmm. ANY ideas on other ways to represent the Life Force would be VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
Having said that, I've already mentioned that I'll have freeze-frame 'death events' should the dungeoneer come a cropper, but the old Life Force 'cracking skull' will, repeat WILL, be included. And THAT, my friends, is the bottom line.
And please DO continue to post up here, because this WILL, repeat WILL be picked up again. Trust me.
Tata,
Skippy
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Sorry Lord Fear, but I haven't got anymore demos finished yet. I'm currently working on a Timed Causeway and Corridor Of Blades, as well as a general isometric viewpoint demo. Unfortunately, as I've said, I have some other design commitments to take care of at the moment, but as soon as I have something new to show you I'll post it up here.
Zzt, I suppose that, for you, I could stick in a 'Life Force Skull ON/OFF' option, as ridiculous as that sounds. It might get to the point where you can pick what way you wish the Life Force to be displayed, and that will determine what you see upon the demise of your dungeoneer.
Hey, while we're at it, here's a mock-up list of potential customization options:
Video Options
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QUALITY [Low/Med/High]
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FULLSCREEN [Y/N]
Audio Options
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MUSIC VOLUME
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SFX VOLUME
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AMBIENCE VOLUME
Control Options
- (undecided at present!)
Dungeoneer Options
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HELM OF JUSTICE STYLE [Classic/Visor] : (not very likely! Classic rules!!)
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DUNGEONEER NAME
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DUNGEONEER GENDER [Male/Female/Other]
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DUNGEONEER T-SHIRT COLOUR [Red/Yellow/Green]: (note that blue will not be an option, haha)
Interface Options
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LIFE FORCE INDICATOR [Classic/Armoured Skeleton/Pie/Water Bottle/Candle]
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ALWAYS SHOW LIFE FORCE [Y/N]
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ALWAYS SHOW PLAYER INVENTORY [Y/N]
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SHOW CAUTION/DANGER INDICATORS [Y/N]: (this is part of an interface I'm working on, it will all make sense later!)
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SCARY DEATH SCENES [Y/N]: (this will determine wether the skull appears or not, hah!)
I'll get this all into a site and chuck it up here. Thanks for speculating!
Skippy
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DUNGEONEER NAME
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DUNGEONEER GENDER [Male/Female/Other]
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DUNGEONEER T-SHIRT COLOUR [Red/Yellow/Green]: (note that blue will not be an option, haha)
Skippy
Hang on...'other' gender?
I'd like my dungeoneer to have a sinister black t-shirt, if that's alright.
I'll congratulate you already for planning all this! Can't wait to see the final version (or even a playable demo)!
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Yes, 'other'. Why discriminate? That option in particular will determine how the other characters in the game address you. 'Squire', 'Master', 'Ma'am', 'stranger','my friend', etc.
I've thought a bit more, and now I'm gonna have an RGB slider for you to blend whatever colour you like for your dungeoneer T-shirt - including, yes, Sinister Black. I aim to please, after all. All the options you set in the game will be saved to your computer via your browser in the form of a cookie (I hope you know what they are), so that you can keep your preferences for next time you play.
As for the already much-maligned 'Pie Death', maybe the pie splatting against the screen would be comedic, yes. But if I was to have the final, small sliver of pie lying broken on a cracked plate, rotting, with maggots crawling out of it and mould consuming it from within.... I doubt you would find it so funny. Watch this space - there are no depths I am not prepared to sink to in my efforts to make you sh*t your pants playing this baby. I DID mention I was trying to make it scary too, didn't I...?
Speaking of playable demos, I'm currently working on a Dungeoneer Control demo. I'm STILL not fully decided on how to implement this. I reckon having full keyboard control would be too easy, and would negate a number of the dexterity hazards (like CoB - immediate control would make it a doddle). The option I'm working on is to have a small control panel (shield-shaped, probably ) which has various easy-to-reach clickable buttons for walk, run, turn, etc. Whatever method I use, it will be relative to the way the dungeoneer is facing - i.e. clicking 'Forward' will make the dungeoneer move in the directiion he/she is facing, NOT straight up the screen. It'll be much more like the show that way, I reckon.
Thanks for the kudos. Keep those ideas, questions and requests to omit crucial sections of the experience (Zzt, I'm looking at YOU ) coming!
Skip
PS I still haven't thought of a title for the game - any ideas?
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I can only imagine what a corridor of blades death would look like.... Splat
The control idea sounds perfectly fine. I'll probably be inept at the Block and Tackle (now there is a difficult room).
I can't think of any title other than Tears For Fears at the minute, and I can't help but think that sounds familiar.
I'd probably choose that pie death, to be honest. "A rotting pie! Oh no, I'm dead!"
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See? This is making the case for keeping the Skull all the more compelling. I mean, what is left of a human after dying? Their skull. I don't think I ever saw a performance of Hamlet where the eponymous tragic hero laments the death of Yorrick while tearfully clutching a plate of cherry tart, have you?
Hmm. Deaths aren't nice, and neither is the Skull, so it may have to stay in. Either that, or I could have it pop up at crucial moments just to put the fear right into you....mwahahAHAHAHAH!
By the way, no explanation has been given here for Zzt's intrnsinc loathing of the Skull. Let's have it, then I'll decide.
Skip
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Ok my 2p in the production:
How about this for a layout?
Cast:
Powers that be
Tregaurd
Pickle (Maybe Majida and have pickle making a return in the dungeon?)
Elita
Hordriss
Sidriss
Brother Mace
Motley
Smirky
Mellie
Merlin maybe? (Hordriss found a way to get him back, or maybe Sidress by mistake)
Opposition
Lord Fear
Skarkill
Sly (eugh) Hands
Pookas
Skulls
Malice*
Morghanna*
Mogdred*
One wall monster
*Working for Lord Fear, or maybe rivalling him?
Plot:(suggestion)
Treguard calls in a dungeoneer after LF has reopened the dungeons, bigger, better, harder. LF has merged his power with the 3 Ms (mogdred, malice, morghanna). Not only that, but frightknights and the like have invaded all three levels. Oh, and certain characters have been kidnapped. Only Merlin has the spell to rectify things, and he needs to merge with Hordriss and needs the magic of all 4 quest objects. The 4 objects are stowed away with 4 kidnapped characters (Elita - to get smirky, Pickle- for guidance through the elfenwoods, Motley - Joker card for reward?, and finally Hordriss - for completing the game). With this plot, and all the bomb rooms, and causeways, floor puzzles etc. would make it quite a long game, and enthralling - perfect for a title "Knightmare - The deeper dungeons"
Like it? If you do, ill add some more. Might need to be edited a bit but it has potential
Hope you like it!!
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Wow!
It's a pretty good premise, Pipmuk, you're certianly full of enthusiasm. To answer your question, yes, it will be free. Unfortunately, this means that any design work I have commissioned in the interim will immediately take precedence over the game. I'm sure you understand.
I've been coding various little games and trinkets since I was a kid, and as I've said, it's about time there was a piece of interactive entertainment that did justice to the show...and we're the people to deliver it, I reckon.
The actual plotline is very solid, it's definietly a good starting point. As for the cast, well that isn't finalised yet. There has been a bit of talk about using characters from the KMRPG (which I'm not sure if you're familiar with yet - if not, check it out immediately!) to populate the game world. The actual characters aren't the issue though - the issue is the creation, drawing and animation of them all. So I'm throwing out a challenge to all you budding artists out there - I know there's a fair few.
I would very, VERY much appreciate any drawings or photographs you have of your favourite KM characters. We'll get into this once we finalise the cast. This is just the experimental phase at the moment. For those of you who want to submit their own characters, I would like to see black ink line drawings, on blank paper - no shading, no motion blur, no extraneous detail at all - which I could vector-trace, colour and shade, etc. I just want one or two at the mo, that I can work on, post up here and get your feedback on.
Who's up for it?
All this feedback is incredible, thank you all so much for your comments. I promise I'll have something new to show you in a short while. In fact, stick up any requests you have for small demos or locations you would like to see a demo of, and I'll see what I can do.
As regards the structure, it will probably involve the classic 3 levels, with 10-15 locations in each. I want the game to take a pretty good time to defeat, in fact it will probably take even the most committed player several attempts to even reach Level 2. So as I've said before: it will be extremely unforgiving, with no continues, no extra lives, no save games, no resurrections, no second chances, no last-gasp grabs...no mercy.
I'm sure you wouldn't want it any other way.
Skip
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One thing - as regards casting spells, I think that the player should be made to actually type/click on the letters of the spell (i.e. no list of spells given, the player has to note them down when a character gives them out and remember it for the appropriate situation). This way, there is no 'clicking through' that often happens at the end of levels in, say, Ali Everett's challenges. Ditto with passwords given togurads/blockers. I also think that the player should actively take the food from the clue table rather than this being done automatically.
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I absolutely agree, that was always the way I was going to do it. There will be a SPELLCAST button on the control interface which will bring up a small typing box. As you say, the player will have to type the spell into the game for it to work.
What do you think should happen if the player mistypes it? Hmm...
Same with passwords, although the results of typing the wrong word in are obvious, and more than likely fatal. Haha!
Skip
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And as for the food, I'm aslo in agreement. When the player walks up to a clue table, there will be a small zoom-in which shows all the items on the table. The player will have to specify which objects are picked up manually - there will be no automation.
I told you, this is gonna be tricky.
Skip
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