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Announcement

SIC Reimagined: Syma

So, I released two versions of SIC within days of each other and had plans for further advancements onto it, including extra paths and bosses.

Now, I really like the concept of it all and am having fun with the sci-fi fantasy mix (even if most of it is just a conceptual difference rather than a practical one) but the problem is that SIC was really just designed as a single level thing and crowbarring more stuff in would inevitably just ruin the contained feeling I was going for.

So instead, what I've decided to do, is reimagine the whole thing. Rather than a single level game with gradually increasing number of paths and bosses being crammed into the same tileset and clunky class-switching structure, I went with a hub-based mission system. Plonk your bum in your Hub where you can select classes, gear up and prepare your team, then jump into the level. From that, I can just staple on as many extra levels and features as I come up with (or get suggested to me) without it ever feeling like it's defeating the style of the game.

I could have just rebuilt it entirely, but since SIC is pretty much finished and is fairly balanced (as far as I'm aware), I figured it'd be better to make it a whole new project. This also gives me the opportunity to refine some details like stats as well as find shinier new graphics and improve the weaker features that SIC had.

So, Syma is the new version: SIC 2.0! Let's compare the two?
:Same visual style for battles.
:Same classes, same skills, same battle layout.
:Same "watch your ammo" structure, as there are no healing items or recovery points.
:Shinier graphics and more tilesets.
:More than one level will be added over time.
:Two whole new classes: Sorceror and Magictechnician!
:Class-switching script to ease class decisions.
:Expanded equipment system with more tiers of gear.
:Levels are now possible, but serve only as very, very small bonuses.
:Damage Calcs have been refined and the UI neatened up.

Syma.

Announcement

SIC v1.2 - Survival Mode + Optional Bosses

Have jiggered about with the stats and skills a touch to try and balance things a bit better, as well as visually tried to neaten some areas. The encounter rate region tiling has also been expanded slightly, so you won't get attacked in or outside of rooms; only in corridors.

Survival Mode has been added, which pits you against an endless supply of baddies with random bosses thrown in the mix.

v1.0s secret boss is still there and the password is still unlockable through Boss Rush, but it's been changed a bit and is now slightly harder!
Two new optional bosses have also been added. The first can be found and optionally fought after defeating the General, and has more health than any other boss before him, so isn't to be taken lightly after fighting the General. Defeating him will allow access to the final optional boss!

Announcement

SIC v1.0 out now - Complete!

v1.0 of the game has been released now. It appears to be bug free and runs smoothly enough. After several test runs and countless boss checks using various combos, it appears to be balanced enough across the board. All bosses in the game are defeatable with all combinations I tried (including the new secret boss!) and the Boss Rush is now possible to complete.

I'll leave up a page for bug reports and one for anyone interested to mention what class combinations they used and succeeded with. With ten classes pr character I've far from tried all combinations possible!

Anyhoo; the download is up here on RMN and there's also a Mediafire mirror.

Game Design

Platforming Removed.

The whole jumping/platforming system has been reemoved. The system itself wasn't bad or broken (albeit was left fairly unexplored and simple) but for whatever reason, it's clashing with the far more important "tech points" script. Every time the player had any interaction with the platforming script, all tech points were instantly and fully restored.

Which kinda destroyed the whole "be careful with your supplies" aspect as it made marines, grenadiers and power claws essentially free to use forever.

Running through the maps will be a bit more boring, but I've done what I could to try and keep those maps visually intereesting. I just dono't know enough about scripts to try and fix the compatibility issue; seems so random to me.

Either way.

Progress Report

Just doing final checks to balance it out before release~

As title, really.

Everything's actually finished by now. All the maps, monsters, enemies anddd scripting/eventing (what little there is) is finished andd playable already.

But my first playthrough I absolutely pissed through it from start to finish in twenty minutes without any deaths! The intention was that it last closer to 30~40 mins and include a death or two at least.
The bosses are fine actually; they have varying skillsets, stats and tricks to use, but it's the random enemies.

See, the intention was all about carefully conserving your supply so that you have enough stuff left for bosses, but with the normal enemies being fairly easy to push through it's not hard to be fully stocked by the time you reach the bosses.
Most of the difficulty on the bosses really is meant to come from having a limited supply, more than them actually being difficult themselves.

All the classes seem fine though; is more just about the classes as a whole being a bit too strong.
What I've done so far is reduce the total number of ammo for tech skills and increase mp costs for magic, while nerfing the basic attack a bit. Enemies have received a buff in basically all their stats and enemy encounter rates have been increased (since it was possible to go several small maps with no attacks!)

Will update again soon :)
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