Idea in development for a 2D online deathmatch game....
by Shayne Guiliano · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 08/05/2003 (10:11 am) · 4 replies
I've been working on a game with my partners, Chris Davis and Reneldy Senat, for the last seven months and wanted to see what you guys thought of the design as it stands so far....
Here's the basics on the design for 2DClash:
-2DClash's website was designed so that 2d artists interested in creating their own mods and/or characters will get exposure for the work they do. The website is heavily data-driven so that we can allow modders to upload concept art and screenshots and banners and characters and mod content for community exposure and distribution.
-I designed the game, with the help of Chris Davis and Reneldy Senat, so that mod developers can create their own characters, projectiles, explosions, levels and game rules.
-The levels can be fairly dynamic and support "regions", which would allow modders to put "doors" in the level that switch between regions.
-The two basic character classes are flyers and jumpers. Flyers use some form of verticle propulsion...we support insect characters, jetpack characters, floating-meditating aura characters and whatever else can fly....and jumpers have a tremendous ability to jump in the air and jump off of walls to get verticle.
-Characters can aim and shoot in any of the 8 cardinal and sub-cardinal directions with a diverse selection of weapon classes to choose from.
-I designed an algorithm that simulates line of site in 2d games. I call it 2D real-time fog of war. It determines what parts of the screen the user's character should not be able to see because of a wall or other obstruction, and renders the area behind the obstructions dark or foggy so that enemies can't be seen. It will create a sense of close combat that I think has never been seen before in 2D action games.
Anyways, the game is really starting to crystallize and we are starting to get the word out to anyone who might be interested in modding for it or just interested in what the game might become to give us feedback.
You can go over to the forums we have setup...
gamers forum
www.2dclash.com/gforum
modders forum
www.2dclash.com/mforum
There is a link on the gamers forum to the prototype for the website, if you're interested in checking that out. And please post on the modders forum if you have any ideas you think might be cool for a mod or character...
And if you want, you can just put us through the fire here, so we can see if these ideas resonate with anyone out there....
Here's the basics on the design for 2DClash:
-2DClash's website was designed so that 2d artists interested in creating their own mods and/or characters will get exposure for the work they do. The website is heavily data-driven so that we can allow modders to upload concept art and screenshots and banners and characters and mod content for community exposure and distribution.
-I designed the game, with the help of Chris Davis and Reneldy Senat, so that mod developers can create their own characters, projectiles, explosions, levels and game rules.
-The levels can be fairly dynamic and support "regions", which would allow modders to put "doors" in the level that switch between regions.
-The two basic character classes are flyers and jumpers. Flyers use some form of verticle propulsion...we support insect characters, jetpack characters, floating-meditating aura characters and whatever else can fly....and jumpers have a tremendous ability to jump in the air and jump off of walls to get verticle.
-Characters can aim and shoot in any of the 8 cardinal and sub-cardinal directions with a diverse selection of weapon classes to choose from.
-I designed an algorithm that simulates line of site in 2d games. I call it 2D real-time fog of war. It determines what parts of the screen the user's character should not be able to see because of a wall or other obstruction, and renders the area behind the obstructions dark or foggy so that enemies can't be seen. It will create a sense of close combat that I think has never been seen before in 2D action games.
Anyways, the game is really starting to crystallize and we are starting to get the word out to anyone who might be interested in modding for it or just interested in what the game might become to give us feedback.
You can go over to the forums we have setup...
gamers forum
www.2dclash.com/gforum
modders forum
www.2dclash.com/mforum
There is a link on the gamers forum to the prototype for the website, if you're interested in checking that out. And please post on the modders forum if you have any ideas you think might be cool for a mod or character...
And if you want, you can just put us through the fire here, so we can see if these ideas resonate with anyone out there....
#2
08/05/2003 (12:06 pm)
Thanks for pointing that out Animesh....hopefully we can have a little more luck with succes then they did...
#3
The main difference is that Nox was set in a fantasy world, and thus used different classes. Also, Nox used a control scheme which is so intuitive and wonderful it must be used to really be understood. The right mouse moved you in the direction that the mouse pointer was on the screen, left mouse attacked in the direction you were facing or picked up items, the wheel scrolled to select from your five different "Hot belts" of spells, and then asdfg were used to cast the spells and abilities.
The spells and abilities also added huge layers of depth and strategy to the game. For example, if an opposing Magician stuns you (to prevent you from moving) and cast Fist of Vengeance on you (a large stone fist drops from the sky to smash you), if you were a Wizard you could Blink (teleport randomly) away, Counterspell to stop the Magician's spell, or even cast Swap Location and switch places with the Magician so that the stone fist killed him! Really, Nox has balance that all other games I have played cannot even hope to achieve; each class (Wizard, Magician, and Warrior) has myriad answers to every problem, and the game is raw, unbridled fun based on skill and tactics.
Really, I can't help but feel as though I am not doing this game justice, but if you want to make a 2D Deathmatch game, you owe it to yourself and your project to pick up Nox. Nox is my favorite online game of all time, and it should cost you no more than $15 US nowadays. So pick up a couple of copies for you and your friends/team members and play a few games of deathmatch. You will be impressed, I guarantee it.
Regards,
-Alex
EDIT: Hmm, well, I poked around your site a bit more and realized that it looks like you are making a 2D side-scroller deathmatch game rather than a 2D ismoetric deathmatch game, but I nevertheless recommend Nox, as the game is brilliant and everyone should play it to see what a well thought out and balanced game should feel like. Perhaps it can be of some use still...
08/05/2003 (3:17 pm)
You may also want to check out a game Westwood made called Nox. To be perfectly honest, the single player experience in Nox sucked, but the multiplayer component was isometric deathmatch and a thing which no other game has even come close to matching. It was written off by a lot of people as a simple Diable clone, but it was a much more interesting game than Diablo ever was to me. And it does a lot of what you speak of incorporating, such as the 2D line of sight system (Which, by the way, worked magnificently in Nox to do just what you seem to want to do).The main difference is that Nox was set in a fantasy world, and thus used different classes. Also, Nox used a control scheme which is so intuitive and wonderful it must be used to really be understood. The right mouse moved you in the direction that the mouse pointer was on the screen, left mouse attacked in the direction you were facing or picked up items, the wheel scrolled to select from your five different "Hot belts" of spells, and then asdfg were used to cast the spells and abilities.
The spells and abilities also added huge layers of depth and strategy to the game. For example, if an opposing Magician stuns you (to prevent you from moving) and cast Fist of Vengeance on you (a large stone fist drops from the sky to smash you), if you were a Wizard you could Blink (teleport randomly) away, Counterspell to stop the Magician's spell, or even cast Swap Location and switch places with the Magician so that the stone fist killed him! Really, Nox has balance that all other games I have played cannot even hope to achieve; each class (Wizard, Magician, and Warrior) has myriad answers to every problem, and the game is raw, unbridled fun based on skill and tactics.
Really, I can't help but feel as though I am not doing this game justice, but if you want to make a 2D Deathmatch game, you owe it to yourself and your project to pick up Nox. Nox is my favorite online game of all time, and it should cost you no more than $15 US nowadays. So pick up a couple of copies for you and your friends/team members and play a few games of deathmatch. You will be impressed, I guarantee it.
Regards,
-Alex
EDIT: Hmm, well, I poked around your site a bit more and realized that it looks like you are making a 2D side-scroller deathmatch game rather than a 2D ismoetric deathmatch game, but I nevertheless recommend Nox, as the game is brilliant and everyone should play it to see what a well thought out and balanced game should feel like. Perhaps it can be of some use still...
#4
Yeah, you hit it right on the nail. It is a sidescroller, though I like to think it's as much a verticle scroller as it is a sidescroller...haha
I'll definitely check out Nox, though.
08/05/2003 (6:05 pm)
@AlexYeah, you hit it right on the nail. It is a sidescroller, though I like to think it's as much a verticle scroller as it is a sidescroller...haha
I'll definitely check out Nox, though.
Torque Owner Animesh Karna
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