[SIMPLICITY] Ideas for Alternative Modes of Play

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AgentSpork
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[SIMPLICITY] Ideas for Alternative Modes of Play

Post by AgentSpork »

About a week and a half ago, I began to add in a scoring system in my megawad, Simplicity. Once I got that working, I felt it necessary to make a new Intermission script (mildly reminiscent of Quake). The intermission system gives you extra bonus points depending on a few circumstances:

Destruction Bonus - 100 points - Kill all the monsters in the map.
Item Collector Bonus - 75 points - Find all of the items in the map.
Secret Finder Bonus - 75 points - Find all of the level's secret areas (easter eggs included)
Speedrunner Bonus - 100 points - Beat the level's par time
Spoiler:
What purpose does this score system serve? I mean, you'd probably think it's pointless, and for the most part, it is, at least for the time being. One thing I had planned for it was to have some sort of special thing you receive if you beat an Episode with really high score, but that's still something I'm working on.

Now, on to what this thread is really supposed to be about. After I had made the score system and intermission system, I began to ponder about some ways that I might be able to make gameplay more interesting, by possibly including some alternative modes of play that you can choose from.

One of the original ideas I had was to make an arcade mode in which you'd have a limited number of lives with which to beat the episode. I had even made the scripts for it and everything, but it was then that I realized that the number of lives was not kept when you restarted the level. That, and I wasn't even sure how I would force restart the episode if the player ran out of lives. So, there goes that idea down the drain. I think it would have been pretty good had I gotten it working, though.

A couple of the ideas I already have implemented and working are a Time Limit Mode and a Health Drain Mode. These two modes enforce limitations on the player in order to get them to be more careful about their actions. In time limit mode, you must beat the level before the set time limit runs out, otherwise you die and you must restart the level. In Health Drain Mode, you lose 5 health every 4 seconds throughout the map, unless you have 25 health or lower (so in other words the health drain itself can't kill you), but you also start each map with full health. These gameplay modes are of course optional, and are selectable when you start an episode.

My question to you guys is, what do you think would make a nice alternative mode of play, if anything, for Simplicity? (Keep in mind it has to be possible to achieve with ACS scripting) I'm trying to make this WAD the best it can possibly be, and I think adding some extra game modes would boost the replayability quite a bit.
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Tormentor667
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Post by Tormentor667 »

I am sick of simplicity
...I really had a laugh when I read that over at Doomworld ;) Well honestly, I habe no other ideas for you because this really depends on the maps itself what is possible and whatsnot :(
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Post by chronoteeth »

Unrelated note: um if you need a secret boss, remember those worms I sent you? :D
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Alterworldruler
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Post by Alterworldruler »

What about boss rush mode? it would be cool to see fightning all bosses in a row!
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AgentSpork
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Post by AgentSpork »

Tormentor667 wrote:
I am sick of simplicity
...I really had a laugh when I read that over at Doomworld ;) Well honestly, I habe no other ideas for you because this really depends on the maps itself what is possible and whatsnot :(
There's actually a bit of truth in that news post on the Simplicity page, but for the most part, yeah, it is a lame attempt at an april fool's joke. As for the ideas, primarily it would be simple stuff that has no real dependance on the levels.
What about boss rush mode? it would be cool to see fightning all bosses in a row!
You know, that's actually a pretty good idea...
chronoteeth wrote:Unrelated note: um if you need a secret boss, remember those worms I sent you? :D
Heh, I already have the boss made (partially), and I doubt the Fire Wyrm would fit in the second secret level at all (trust me on this one).
Last edited by AgentSpork on Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Caligari87
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Re: [SIMPLICITY] Ideas for Alternative Modes of Play

Post by Caligari87 »

AgentSpork wrote:What purpose does this score system serve? I mean, you'd probably think it's pointless, and for the most part, it is...
A pointless points system? How does that work? :razz:

Anyway, sounds cool. I'd say go for it.

8-)
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Tormentor667
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Post by Tormentor667 »

AgentSpork wrote:There's actually a bit of truth in that news post on the Simplicity page, but for the most part, yeah, it is a lame attempt at an april fool's joke. As for the ideas, primarily it would be simple stuff that has no real dependance on the levels.
So, what about an EXCESSIVE Mode? All enemies fire twice as often and projectiles are twice as fast, are much stronger concerning health but your complete weaponry is also stronger, faster and do more damage and you have more health. Shouldn't be too hard to do with ACS and DECORATE but would make a lot of fun :) I always loved these EXCESSIVE mods for Unreal Tournament :)
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Alterworldruler
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Post by Alterworldruler »

the score system and boss rush mode mades simplicity more arcade!
and what about monster arena mode? mode which launches in big arena with many phases ending at mega 200 monster in a room?
and why original simplicity at idgames are 2-episode only?
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AgentSpork
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Post by AgentSpork »

The original Simplicity with two episodes is from the first time I cancelled the project, due to lack of interest. For whatever reason I decided to pick it back up again and finish it off. If you haven't played it already, I would highly recommend you do not, as the current release of it is likely to give you a bad impression. The final release will be much, much better.
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Giest118
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Post by Giest118 »

Scoring systems serve no purpose other than to be a reflection of how much time the player spent searching for secrets and more monsters to kill. Unless there's also a time bonus. In which case it tests how fast the player can search.

*wonders if it's possible to keep track of how many shots the player fired in relation to how many shots actually hit an enemy, for the purpose of having an accuracy bonus...*
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Graf Zahl
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Post by Graf Zahl »

I'm not a fan of scoring systems in Doom. It should at least be optional.
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AgentSpork
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Post by AgentSpork »

Ask and ye shall receive... Of course, even with the score display disabled, it'll still calculate score in the background, you just won't get any notification of it or any of the bonuses you receive. Otherwise you won't have any chance of getting to some of the secret goodies I'm sure I'll throw in for those that get high scores.
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Setzer
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Post by Setzer »

I'm not quite sure how seriously this suggestion shall be taken, or whether the seriousness of the suggestion exists in the first place, but as they say, don't ask and ye shall receive anyway.

This mode is inspired by Devil May Cry 2's "Bloody Palace" mode... I call it "Bloody Palace". Basically, you're in a single room, and you fight wave after wave of monsters, in all sorts of crazy combinations and the like. However... you only get one life. If you die, that's it. Game over. Of course, health (and ammo, consequently) spawns every once in a while, giving you a fighting chance... hopefully!

It may not be as creative as any of the other ideas, but seeing that when I'm not here I basically eat, sleep, and breathe DMC, there's not much else I can say. ;)
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chopkinsca
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Post by chopkinsca »

Just a suggestion, but maybe the points you get for bonuses should be higher. Maybe a multiplier of the level score instead of a bonus?

Maybe have a minimalist mode. Score points at the end for any remaining ammo or medkits lying around. Whether or not monster kill still give points is up to balance. If they do give points, the points for not picking up ammo would have to be higher to promote leaving it there instead of using it.
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Alterworldruler
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Post by Alterworldruler »

Well there are any secret levels?
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