Re:Here's a mad idea...

SkipTheDreadnort · Post by **SkipTheDreadnort** » 13 Jun 2004, 00:23

I've decided that I'm going to use the Life Force clock the way the original programme makers intended - as a device to speed up the player when necessary. I've realised - and it's a credit to the makers of the show that they knew this themselves from day one - that many of the dungeon rooms don't do an awful lot, but by adding the Life Force clock to the screen, the place suddenly seems like a deathtrap.

For an absolutely perfect example, think of either the very first Corridor Of The Catacombs in Series 1 Episode 1, or the 'divining rod' death from a few series later. Both these examples are bare, static rooms with a few basic audio cues. By themselves, they are plain, boring even. Throw in our grinning skeletal friend the LF Clock though, and it adds tension, urgency and a palpable sense of danger (which of course turned out to be well-founded in the latter 'divining rod' starvation death).

So to clarify, the Life Force will only appear at key moments, and will not be diminishing 'in the background' while the player progresses through the game. And that's that one sorted out.

Don't believe me if you don't want to, but there will be a demo of some sort for you in the next week or so. Promise.

Skip

Pipmuk · Post by **Pipmuk** » 13 Jun 2004, 07:15

Great! I cant wait for that demo!

Yeah, I think you have the right idea with the LF clock... tricky riddle.... but i think thats the best option

SkipTheDreadnort · Post by **SkipTheDreadnort** » 13 Jun 2004, 14:02

Good, I'm glad we're in agreement. As I've stated countless times, I want to remain as true to the spirit of the show as possible - and what better way to do that than by employing the same art techniques and dramatic devices as the original makers?

The forthcoming demo will comprise some early graphics treatments, a test menu interface and maybe some interactive content. However, I haven't got round to animating our dungeoneer friend yet. Also, the demo will be of extremely rough quality and is not to be taken as indicative of the final product blah blah blah.

Skip

Skarkill · Post by **Skarkill** » 13 Jun 2004, 19:50

Looking forward to the demo Skip.

I have a feeling that it and the finished product will be.

VERY LOVELY.

keke · Post by **keke** » 13 Jun 2004, 19:55

really looking forward to it

oh yeah and to be really mean if a player goes way off the path then the swinging axe puzzle from series 4 episode 1 credits could appear. mwahaha that would be cool

LordF · Post by **LordF** » 13 Jun 2004, 21:58

Skip,

You know in the Corridor of Blades theirs 2 blades, one goes along the top and one goes along the bottem.

Could you make on go along the middle of the Corridor's wall.

Now that would give them something to move for or duck for.

SkipTheDreadnort · Post by **SkipTheDreadnort** » 14 Jun 2004, 20:02

It's nice to see that some of you are as sick-minded as me when it comes to re-imagining the classic Knightmare obstacles. Here's my own take on a potential Corridor of Blades:

The conveyor will be divided into three, with two runners between them, along which will fly poles with rotary blades on 'em. The blades will be rotated 90 degrees from the original CoB, so instead of spinning parallel with the floor, they will spin parallel with the walls (flipped on their ends, if you will).

The rotary blades can be spinning on one or both sides of the pole, and can be at head height or knee height (like in the original). Head height ones can be ducked, while the knee-height ones will obviously have to be sidestepped. I'll try and put a small diagram here to show you what I mean later.

To make things really evil, the poles may shift position when they're halfway down the corridor! A head-height one may suddenly drop to knee-height, or a blade on the left of a pole may suddenly whip round to the other side.... if anyone makes it through this, they deserve to win.

Any more hot ideas?

keke · Post by **keke** » 15 Jun 2004, 18:06

whoah if you put that in then its gonna be realy hard. make sure its towards the end so then when u die on it u have to go all the way back to the start.

how about a room with a thin path at the start and end and they both lead to a small maze of paths(not big at all) but as you near it the bits of path of the maze shift positions so you have to keep thinking and u can't plan a route. if you missed the next piece of path then u fell ahhhhh. i'll probably do a drawing and put it up as i am bored

tomyboy · Post by **tomyboy** » 15 Jun 2004, 20:14

I've just put that same idea on the Video Game thread! I would play if it was a modern flash game. Since my video game plan went downhill a online game is the next best thing!!!! It's got to have good graphics for a online game! I don't like the old-faishioned graphics!! (It is the 21st century!!!)

LordF · Post by **LordF** » 17 Jun 2004, 22:39

Skip, I have another idea

You know Block and Tackle from Series 4 and the Fireball room from Series 8.

Why don't you mix them together so you get the Fireballs raining down and takeout the floor while the side blocks come along and try and whack people to death.

Now that's what I call "LOVELY"

Raven · Post by **Raven** » 18 Jun 2004, 10:50

When you die have 'ooh nasty' on the screen.
Anyway, if you can, make it so that you can have three advisors just to help out. This could be done with them being able to view your character and using a chatroom style board talk to each other and to you. It would make it more authentic.

Fidjit · Post by **Fidjit** » 18 Jun 2004, 10:58

Is it an internet game or a genuine PC game Skip?

But from the sounds of it you could encourage a new Knightmare game, well done and good luck...

Fidjit

SkipTheDreadnort · Post by **SkipTheDreadnort** » 18 Jun 2004, 17:58

Whoa. I'll answer in reverse order:

Fidjit - if by 'internet game' you mean 'can be played between more than one person via modem link-up', then it certainly isn't. If, however, you mean 'can be played in a browser window without having to download it', then as I've said before, it certainly is.

Casper Key - 'Ooh nasty' will almost definitely make an appearance. Your 'advisors' idea, as inventive and cool as it is, will not be included. This is because, as previously mentioned, YOU as the player will be the sole 'advisor' of the on-screen dungeoneer, and as such will have no-one to help YOU help the dungeoneer. There will, however, be the occasional hint or warning from the game (possibly, but NOT definitely, using a Treguard-type figure).

Lord Fear - the Block And Tackle AND the Fireball Room will both appear in the game, and I was indeed entertaining a similar idea of combining certain hazards. The Fireball Room will be changed slightly though, in that the block about to be destroyed will 'heat up' a second or two prior to the fireball being launched, to give the player time to get out of the way (IF they're quick enough). Unlike the TV show, the launching of the fireballs will be completely random, and having a player struck down by a fireball out of the blue is neither fun nor fair.

Tomyboy - if by 'old-fashioned graphics' you mean the kind of graphics used in the Spectrum Activision game we've been playing of late, then do not worry. It would take a considerable amount of skill to get graphics that primitive going in Flash. The graphics will be kinda cartoon-gothic, with moody shadows and lots of colour and animation, but I have to stress that since this is a browser game, graphics have to take second place to bandwith and download times. If you're expecting Thief III or something, I suggest you look elsewhere.

Keke - like the maze idea, I will be including a maze of some sort, and I'm always a sucker for hazards that involve plummeting to your death. But as I said, it would need to be carefully designed to give the player a decent [but slim] chance of survival. With a game this hard, I want the player to lose because they weren't quick or smart enough - not because the floor gave way beneath them with no warning whatsoever. Keep working on it!

This weekend, with God (or something) as my witness, I'll have a simple graphics demo up for you. Believe.

Skip

Raven · Post by **Raven** » 18 Jun 2004, 18:00

Good luck, I'm looking forward to playing it.

HarveyTowers · Post by **HarveyTowers** » 18 Jun 2004, 18:51

Sounds great - let us know when it's ready1