It's getting to be time for a new game (well past time, you might even say!), and in the interest of doing a game that can reuse our existing technology (and therefore is more likely to get done in short order), I've been using on how we might do a prequel to LRS.
Given that LRS was successful as an "open" development process, I'll lay out some initial thoughts right from the beginning, and am interested in any comments you may have.
Last Robot Factory is inspired by RoboRally, created by the guy who did a little game called Magic: The Gathering. I'm thinking of it as a merger of LRS and RoboRally.
It is another turn-based board game. The board is a factory floor where the robots of LRS were originally created. Factory floors are dangerous places...there are conveyer belts, machines that flatten anything that passes through them, laser beams, etc. The goal is to be the first robot out of the factory, so you can go on to be the Last Robot Standing.
Robots can shoot at other robots in line of sight (it may even happen automatically), and there would be little portals or "modification rooms" of some sort that would give your robot special bonuses, which could be a movement bonus or a new power. Probably only the first robot to reach a portal would be able to get the bonus.
My main question at the outset is whether to use the movement concept from RoboRally. In that game you get cards that have "Move 1" or "Move 2" or "Turn Left" and the like, and you put down a set of cards to "program" your movement for the next turn. Part of the fun is finding out that you screwed up your program and seeing your robot go awry...
Or perhaps for a video game it's better just to have you do the movement as the turns occur, as a more direct action thing. If so, it does remove the "programming" aspect of the game...
Any comments welcome. Does it sound like a game you'd play? What would make it interesting for you?
Jun 25 2007, 9:29 am
|
|
Ol' Yeller
 |
Yes please. LRS used to be my favorite game until it got *too* many cards. I know it sounds kind of awkward, but it just kind of ruined it for me. (I even suggested more cards too!)
|
Heh..."Too many notes!"
(There's a reference for you young'uns to puzzle out...) For the Wiz-War hardcore, the feeling is that LRS still has way too few cards...but I know what you mean. I think a definite difference in feel for LRF would be that each game would have many fewer elements. There'd still be lots going on, but it would be more directly on the board, and while there might be lots of different special items that could randomly populate the board, each game would only have a few of those. Hmm I'm wondering if it should be turn-based in the classic sense, or "quasi-turn-based" in that it's real-time, but a slow real-time. Basically a turn would last, say, 10 seconds, and during that time everyone could take one action. This would probably imply a "between turn" phase when bullets would fire and such. Hmm. | |
I think your decision here depends largely on what type of game you're looking to get ut of this one...
If you'd like it to be mostly action oriented, then allow normal direction arrow movement (perhaps limited like a boardgame with dice roll/card draw for spaces allowed?) But if you'd like to emphasize strategy, it might be better to stick with the RoboRally style of programming... This forces every movement to be deliberately planned... [Edit:] As for turn structure, I think it might be especially nasty (in a good way!) if it was set up so that there was a phase for "programming", and then a phase for "execution"... The nastiness being that these phases are for everyone simultaneously... Everyone picks their next actions (during a small timed period, so people can't stall the entire game thinking/being AFK), and then everything is carried out all at once... This would require a certain level of prediction and deduction... After all, you'd need to plan attacks without knowing for sure that a target will be there by then... | |
Everyone picks their next actions (during a small timed period, so people can't stall the entire game thinking/being AFK), and then everything is carried out all at once...
Yup, that's how RoboRally works. I think some experimenting will be called for to see what approach will be most fun in this venue. | |
The movement and turn structure sounds pretty similar to Mano A Mano, which was inspired by Robo Battle Pigs. Some people seem to like it, some people it drives nuts. :P
| |
Hmm, I like the idea of planning out a few seconds' worth of play and seeing what happens. It turns out that RR is similar to a game I loved on Amiga:
[Wikipedia] RoboSport is a 1991 turn-based strategy computer game. It was developed and published by Maxis. The player creates teams of robots and maneuvers them around a board to map out one "turn" of movement. The other players and AI do the same and then all movement is played out simultaneously. It bears a superficial resemblance to the Richard Garfield tabletop game, RoboRally. Maxis developed this game for DOS, Macintosh and Windows 3.x. In 1992, it was released for the Amiga. A really fun game. It was also kind of similar to PBEM X-Com, if you remember that! | |
The programming-movement thing reminds me of those little robots they have/used to have in schools. Turtle things.
Skies of Arcadia's ship combat involved you programming the next few turns and I thought it worked very well. | |
Hmm, I like the idea of planning out a few seconds' worth of play and seeing what happens.
This definitely allows for maximizing the social interaction in the game, which is one of the attractions of LRS... | |
I like the programming idea because it allows for a lot of spontaneous actions to occur. The emergent gameplay that exists in LRS is one of the things I like the most about it.
It's not really about screwing up the programming or not (although that might happen occasionally), but rather what unexpected event occurs in step 2 or 3 of your 5 step turn. Your robot may be running to one side of the map when, oops, some other robot presses a button that opens up the 1000 degree heat exaust vents, right in the path your robot was programmed to take. | |
I like the card idea. It seems more fun and unique than just choosing your direction with minimal limit.
| |
I like the multiperson preprogrammed turn thing it could definately be a change from LRS where you could wait for one player to weaken a second then on your turn capitalize on both. This way if you had a move planned to lets say move 3 spaces left and fire a heat bolt north because thats where you predicted another robot to go.... they dont go there and your bolt gets wasted
BUT SUDDENLY you are struck by an acid spray from another robot that predicted you would move there to attack! Having something like predicting another players prediction and using it to attack sounds like insane fun! and during the multi person turn where things are preprogrammed during the planning phase, the players could do all sorts of things that could never be done in the style of play that LRS is currently set in. Having this change from LRS could be a new and exciting way to play, and would make us appreciate both LRF and LRS for their ingenuity, and varying styles of play. | |
Sounds like something I've played before (and enjoyed). Was a while ago, though, and not very popular. You might want to visit www.robostrike.com for some ideas, since that seems a bit similar.
Yes, it sounds like I'd play it. | |
I'm thinking of some kind of slot system...that is, something like this:
- You have two slots available. - You can insert items into the slots that you get through cards and/or through getting them from the board in some manner (such as "mod shops"). - Slot items can enhance your movement, or give you extra weapons/weapon upgrades. The slot system would force some regular decisions as you play along... | |
I trust in DDT to make another wonderful game, and the only suggestion I have is to make sure Gazoot composes some awesome techno factory music.
| |
I love the idea! But for the name, how about just "Last Robot Standing 2 : Factory Escape"?
I'd probably keep the movements as they are in LRS, but that is clever. You should make it like a maze, so not only do they have to survive but must figure out what rooms lead where. Another Idea: Every 5 turns, a dice starts rolling around on all their screens. 1-6. Whatever it lands on, the player can win in boost movement or health if they are the first to answer a randomized quiz question. If they answer incorrectly, they cannot guess again. If they get it right, they get a choice of either boost or health. Whatever they choose is added and the game continues normally. ANOTHER Idea: Well, the idea of a bonus in a portal is clever, but how about once somebody has found it, it becomes unstable? Then if another player comes along and goes to it, they lose a turn? Yes, It would be a game I'd play, but do you think you could add medals? Me <3 Medals =-D | |