BOSS BATTLE DESIGN CONTEST - KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

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LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
We get a lot of mapping contests around here. We get lots of events to spur people to create art, or music, or writing. Oddly, though, there aren't many contests where people design gameplay. So this month, let's do one!


BOSS BATTLE DESIGN CONTEST
Knowledge is Power

Goal
The goal of this contest will be to design a boss encounter. This actually requires designing not only the enemy, but the party members as well! A good boss encounter is designed with the party members' abilities in mind.

Theme
The theme this time is "knowledge is power". Try to incorporate this idea heavily into the boss strategy somehow! It can be part of the player's abilities, the boss's abilities, or both.

Rules
- Any engine is fine.
- The battle system should be a primarily menu-based RPG battle system, not an action-driven battle system. ATB, turn-based, and tactical RPG battles are all fine. A full-fledged ABS is not appropriate for this contest.
- Obviously, the boss should not be one you've already made for another game. Nor should the player party.
- However, using battle systems and scripts you have lying around from another game is fine. In fact, it is strongly encouraged. This contest is not about designing a battle system, it's about designing a battle.
- Ideally, make the game contain nothing except the boss battle, which automatically begins upon starting a new game.

Submission
Unlike a mapping contest, a screenshot is obviously not a viable method of submission here. We're going to need to play it.

Be sure to include all files the game needs to run. But... I don't really want a 40 MB download for each submission. If you just cut out the music and battle backdrops you're not using, it'll cut the RTP size by a third. Try to cut out other RTP stuff that you don't use, if you can.

Upload the game to your locker or to a file-sharing service like Megaupload and send it to me via private message. Do not post it in this topic, because the games will be anonymous for the sake of judging.

You can submit multiple boss battles, or change boss battles after they're submitted, as long as you meet the deadline.

Judging
Judging will be done via a voting process by anyone who wants to help judge. You don't have to submit an entry to be a judge. You can't vote for your own submissions.

The criteria for judging will be entirely based on gameplay. Is the boss battle too easy? Too complex? Does it get cheap kills? How much problem-solving is involved? How much sense does it make? How well does it adhere to the theme? Does it create an exciting and difficult but undoubtedly beatable and fair challenge?

Graphics, animations, sound, music, etc. will not be judged and will not affect your score. Use the RTP or whatever you have lying around.

Deadline
Deadline is two weeks from now, Nov 27, 2011, at 11:59 PM server time (US mountain time, GMT -9:00).

Prizes
Fame and bitches.
First place winner also gets to pick my new avatar, which I will keep for a whole month.
We might also get some makerscore up in this bitch, if I can bribe kentona.
Craze
why would i heal when i could equip a morningstar
15150
- The boss should consist of a single enemy.
- The player party should consist of at most two members.

What.

I'm close to being in this, but, uh, why is the above there?
Interesting, I will participate for once, since I am never in any contests.

One question: When you mention "multiple boss battles" am I allowed to put more than one boss battle into one game or do I have to separate bosses for each game?
You have to make separate games for every boss battle.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
author=Craze
- The boss should consist of a single enemy.
- The player party should consist of at most two members.
What.

I'm close to being in this, but, uh, why is the above there?

Really, this is just to give the contest some vague sort of structure. To make it "design this general type of boss battle" instead of just "design any kind of battle you want". The rules for a mapping contest, in comparison, would have maximum dimensions, a much narrower theme, possibly a specific tileset or a limit on number of NPCs, etc. Stuff to distinguish it from other contests.

If I get more complaints I will get rid of that rule, though.
If anything, I think those rules limit creativity, instead of creating structure that requires creativity to circumvent. I agree with Craze.
Craze
why would i heal when i could equip a morningstar
15150
Your theme is "knowledge is power," not "1v2 boss."

EDIT: I am fine with "1v2 boss" in the future, but for the introductory event? Naht-so-mooch.
Yeah. Get rid of these rules ^^
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
OK then! Changed.
I want to join, but do we need a map and walk up to the boss and start the battle like that? Or is it just, enter the battle, start playing, win/lose, then the game is over and that's it? Are we allowed to use maps during this?
Craze
why would i heal when i could equip a morningstar
15150
LockeZ
OK then! Changed.


Then I'm in.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
author=LockeZ
Ideally, make the game contain nothing except the boss battle, which automatically begins upon starting a new game.


The contest is just to design a battle, not maps or events. There is no need to make a map, unless the battle system you're using requires one (a tactical battle system or a Chrono Trigger battle system, for example).
author=LockeZ
author=LockeZ
Ideally, make the game contain nothing except the boss battle, which automatically begins upon starting a new game.
The contest is just to design a battle, not maps or events. There is no need to make a map, unless the battle system you're using requires one (a tactical battle system or a Chrono Trigger battle system, for example).

O.k., because what I'm thinking of doing not only needs the map, but also an actual battle to go with it, this system is a merge of what you would think to be just a run around after the bad guy, and the original battle system...but when you see this, you may be wandering,"What the heck was he thinking?", in either a good/bad way! I'll get started.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
You can do that, but be aware that all the judges will be informed to ignore everything that happens outside the battle and to make sure your score only takes the battle itself into account.

If the scene beforehand is somehow "part of the battle" and actually adds gameplay, then that is different, and might be interesting and worth seeing.
Are we really not allowed to use previous assets and characters/party members? I was thinking I could use my current project and make a boss battle for this event, completely new of course.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
There is no knowledge that is not power.
There is no power without control.

I wish I could remember where I got this from.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
Skie, you can absolutely use previous character names, graphics, animations, etc. You can even use an existing battle system. What has to be new is the battle itself.

The enemy is only one of the participants in the battle though. If 4/5 of the battlers are ripped directly out of a game you've already made, complete with all their stats, skills and tactics totally unchanged, then I feel like you're not making a new battle at all. You're only making 20% of a new battle.
author=LockeZ
First place winner also gets to pick my new avatar, which I will keep for a whole month.


This is the most motivating thing I have heard in my entire life. The passion of a thousand molten suns has been ignited in my heart.

I have already started.
I'm not crazy about the idea of just making a boss battle in a vacuum, without any context or insight into to your characters' abilities from the outset, but I might try cobbling something together for this.
author=LockeZ
You can do that, but be aware that all the judges will be informed to ignore everything that happens outside the battle and to make sure your score only takes the battle itself into account.

If the scene beforehand is somehow "part of the battle" and actually adds gameplay, then that is different, and might be interesting and worth seeing.
Nevermind about the map idea, you'll be suprised when I try out my new one...hopefully. Unless it blows up in my face/doesn't work/makes me have to restart the creation of the battle.