Something new is coming... Probably :)

[Tahokon]

Hello, boys! How are u?
I need your help. So, maybe someone know that I'm a third-year student from Russia. I'm studying in applied informatics. In two years I need to present a graduate work. There are a lot of stuff I can do. It seems such but It's not the truth. I have decided to create my own game. I have the following requirements:

• I should use Unreal Engine 4. (Thanks to BluePrints I can create a game +-);
• The game must contain network interaction;

It seems interesting for me that's why I will do it. What help do I need?
I want to make this game interesting and don't want to abandon the game after perfoming the graduate work. In my mind, the game will be "a labyrinth" with traps and puzzles. It will be for 2 members. Seems like a cooperative mode. Every player can't get to the finish line of the level without the help of the second player. They need to communicate and to help each other but everyone has it's own way("road").
Now, besides creating the game, the second difficult aspect for me is to come up with traps, puzzles, the idea of the game and maybe something more interesting.

Just believe, your help will not be forgotten!​

If u have some interesting ideas or another stuff - I will definitely listen to u. Help me, please, I need only ideas from your side.
Sorry for my grammar and thanks for the future help

 

[little P]

I'll have a think about it Tahokon and get back to you when (if) I get any ideas

 

[Tahokon]

I'll have a think about it Tahokon and get back to you when (if) I get any ideas

Thanks a lot!

 

[ElektroVodka]

Great initiative there Tahokon!

Your plan sounds an awful lot like Portal, you familiar with the franchise?

 

[Kenadian]

Great initiative there Tahokon!

Your plan sounds an awful lot like Portal, you familiar with the franchise?

That's what I was thinking of as well when he mentioned two player Coop required. Another game that came to mind was Brothers: A tale of two sons as you need to control both to get through the puzzles.

If you were looking toward a particular game for inspiration in this project what would that game be so we can get a better idea of your end goal?

Lastly, are you married to 2 person Coop or would you be willing to consider 2 - 4 person Coop? Also you may want to consider some single player aspect otherwise you limit your audience a great deal by requiring 2 people minimum to play.

 

[Tahokon]

Great initiative there Tahokon!

Your plan sounds an awful lot like Portal, you familiar with the franchise?

Yeah, Portal is a great example. But there both players have another way of completing game. I will show u about what I say.
Below u can see comparison between, for example Portal, and my Project *New*. Traps and puzzles want to do for reaction, for memory and etc.

 

[Tahokon]

That's what I was thinking of as well when he mentioned two player Coop required. Another game that came to mind was Brothers: A tale of two sons as you need to control both to get through the puzzles.

If you were looking toward a particular game for inspiration in this project what would that game be so we can get a better idea of your end goal?

Lastly, are you married to 2 person Coop or would you be willing to consider 2 - 4 person Coop? Also you may want to consider some single player aspect otherwise you limit your audience a great deal by requiring 2 people minimum to play.

The first aim is to create 2 person Coop. I think that single player will be. In the future if it will be interesting I try to make 2-4 coop. That's a great idea.

What about game examples. I will think about it and reply soon

 

[ElektroVodka]

Ah i get it.

Well, how about different themes for each puzzle/level.
Like a steampunk map, a dungeon like map and a battlefield or whatever theme you come up with.
If the players are visible as well it might be an idea to change their skins corresponding to the themes.

 

[Tahokon]

Ah i get it.

Well, how about different themes for each puzzle/level.
Like a steampunk map, a dungeon like map and a battlefield or whatever theme you come up with.
If the players are visible as well it might be an idea to change their skins corresponding to the themes.

I so like the idea about different themes of each level. Really nice one! About skins... That's an useful way to Make the player spend more time in the game. But I think that it's one of the most difficult aspects because It's hard to create various player models. I will keep it in mind. Still a good idea too. But first of all we need to make the idea of the game and it's traps and puzzles)

 

[ElektroVodka]

Player models should be "static" their skin should be the thing that's changed, as it's essentially just a "picture" that changes.

 

[Kenadian]

What's so difficult about this @Tahokon is you're just giving us very broad strokes of an idea but without some measure of direction we're always going to be giving you input on things we'd like to see without knowing whether or not these ideas work for you.

For example the way I interpret your sketch of a Portal Level vs your Project is that your level design is more complex however it also appears to separate the Players into their own puzzles which I believe is a very big mistake. The whole idea of playing Coop is to be in the level problem solving with the other Player preferably in as close a proximity as possible and ALWAYS within view.

This is what made Portal and Portal 2 so brilliant IMHO as it was a visual Coop System where you always see your friend. Personally I think you need to consider a system where both players are always in close proximity or at the very least able to see one another at all times.

Given the only true example we have is Portal does this mean you're looking for verticality in other words to the puzzles go forward, backward as well as up and down?

It would also be very cool if a puzzle could be completed a few different ways as this would help with replayability.

Are you looking for Player Control via Keyboard/Mouse or Gamepad?

One thing I would love to see that I can't ever remember seeing ingame is use of both arms separately. In other words I'd love to see a level where you need to turn one wheel in one direction to lower a draw bridge (for example) while use the other arm to do something else allowing the other Player to cross the bridge.

In fact if you can control arms separately why not devise a system where we have to walk by controlling our legs separately?

The game mechanics and movements themselves are complex enough where puzzles can literally be move here move there and that's enough given the complexity of moving your character.

This would save you tons of time not trying to reinvent the wheel with puzzle design while creating something truly unique.

Anyway just some food for thought.

 

[Tahokon]

Given the only true example we have is Portal does this mean you're looking for verticality in other words to the puzzles go forward, backward as well as up and down?

Not fully understood this part.

I'm looking for a keyboard+mouse control. DId I understood u right that U want to make a game with a difficult control of your character? Is it one of the schticks of the game?

I knew 1 game where 4 players control a robot and fight against another one. It looks nice but I think it will be boring soon. But still this idea is interesting because it can be a part of some levels where 2 players have to control 1 "special" character to complete a task.

What about the interaction with the bridge, for example. I like that.
I have said that I will write with what games my project can be look like but I really don't have any ideas that's why I create this topic. I have only a task and simply no ideas. It can be later.
I offer u to create an interesting game. Seems that my fantasy doesn't work when it necessary. Let's discuss it if it's not difficult for u. Thanks

 

[Tahokon]

Player models should be "static" their skin should be the thing that's changed, as it's essentially just a "picture" that changes.

Understood u but still think that it can be like an additional stuff later. Not in the beginning

 

[Tahokon]

Let's think about the final product. Will it be interesting to create a game only with levels that contains puzzles and etc? I suppose not. Still thinking about a main idea WHY every player should continue solve puzzles to complete all levels. Yeah, it can be a beautiful product, optimized and etc but without any exciting, intriguing "idea" this product will be a bullshit.
What do u think about that?

 

[Kenadian]

As I pointed out and you reiterated @Tahokon, there isn't a lot of direction in this thread so we're going to give you ideas based solely off what we think would be interesting with most of it not aligning to whatever it is you ultimately want.

What you need to do is give us full direction and then have us help fill in the blanks. Creating a compelling game off a hand drawing of a Portal Level vs yours isn't going to help us help you.

I can see from above you're not happy with my puzzles idea but it's inclusion is based off your original post:

Now, besides creating the game, the second difficult aspect for me is to come up with traps, puzzles, the idea of the game and maybe something more interesting.

Clearly you think the idea is crap which is ok but to think a good product can't be made of it is a bit silly imho. Take a look at anything Telltale Games make, they are story driven point and click with Quicktime events thrown in and they're very popular games.

You say you're a 3rd year Student in Applied Informatics but that means nothing to me personally. What is it you've done to this point, what is it you're capable of doing and what is it more that you need to learn?

Do you have any examples of things you've done to this point?

You mention you like the drawbridge idea but that came solely from the idea of using a controller, not a keyboard/mouse. I supposed it could be done with a keyboard/mouse but the idea is tied into the idea of controlling limbs (left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg) separately.

To expand on this idea I thought a way to make it more compelling was to include failure states that ended in hideous death for your character. Failure states makes everything more compelling particularly when you don't want your character to come to harm.

So I started thinking of a few characters that would be easily controlled by front legs/back legs and mouth yet be something you could care about enough to not have die ingame.

It may sound ridiculous but the first thing that came to mind was a a bunny rabbit.

Then I started thinking that in Coop something that would be more interesting is to have two completely different control schemes which lead me to creating another different character with different traits.

For this I came up with a bird. I also thought the inclusion of the bird would allow for a measure of verticality so you could make smaller levels just designing them upward.

So you could used two different inputs to make the bunny hop and you could use a slightly different control schema to make the bird fly.

The bird would be able to use his beak and the bunny would be able to use his paws.

...and when they die they die poorly.

Both can have their heads ripped off.

The bird could have one or both wings ripped off or incinerated.

The bunny could have any or all of it's paws ripped off or incinerated.

I know this idea sounds ridiculous but I think it has reasonably good appeal.

My guess is you'll hate it which is perfectly ok.

What we NEED from you in much more information such as:

• Examples of what you've done in the past
• An exact idea from an existing game of what it is you're looking for
• A favorite movie or TV show that may play into your idea

If all you have is a blank slate then all we're going to do is go back and forth repeatedly and get nowhere.

 

[Tahokon]

For a start, I don't think definitely that your or any other idea is a crap. Nope. All is fine.

I didn't do anything serious before like a game, I can only say that I'm a guy that so like to learn something new. This process is so enthralling for me.

What can I say about your idea of various controlling different "parts" of character. This thing I find very unusual and think that some part of the community will like it but not sure that a big part will do that and not sure that I can realize it. I'll keep in mind what u said.

That's my plan of developing the game. First of all, i think, it's necessary to think about "story". Really don't know how to explain it. Why players should play it. What will return them in the game everytime. Records? Only compliting levels? For sure, they want to finish all levels but something should be with this task. A story line will be a great one. Or it can be a individual concept of the game.

@ElektroVodka said about "different themes for each puzzle/level." I like it so much but still there is a problem that nothing connects with it. I mean we have different levels but and so what? Why there are some different themes? Why do a player need it?

I think that I need quintessence of such game as

• Portal/Portal 2(cuz of it's interesting puzzles),
• DeadCore(cuz it has some interesting ideas. I mean this game can contain some speed traps/puzzles. I want to make varied because I want that everyone found something interesting for themselves.) Do u find it's foolish that I want to please everyone?
• The Talos Principle(cuz soem puzzles are really nice. One player make something like in Portal to allow another player go to the next part of the level to solve the puzzle or to go through a trap to allow the first player come to the next part. That was difficult to explain in English... Hope I could explain. If it's not - write me. And levels are simple. Some ideas can be borrowed. It's not a copy paste - just how everything is done. Still I want to make a labyrinth / corridor level type)
• The Witness(it's a great example of "story", need more suitable word, u need to complete all levels to unlock the final one. That can be used in my project and I want to realize that +-)
• Quantum Conundrum(This game has some interaction with objects. Move them, lift them, let them go, just for example. I like that and what to realize)
• Running Fred. The game for Android and iOS(probably). U're running everytime and have a lot of traps that u should avoid. I don't want a full time running character. Just some traps for example. It can be a funny moment that sometimes u just need to complete a special area for limited time with a lot of various traps.

Does it seem like a bad project? I mean there a lot of various stuff in it.

 

[ElektroVodka]

It doesn't seem like a bad project at all, big names have started with nothing, so why can't you

With examples like that there should be enough "input" to have a raw idea of what you want.

The themes don't have to connect to each other, just take a look at Nintendo's original "Mario" With the Land, Air, Dungeon and Sea themed maps.