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Introduction of Brands
Milennin- 08/13/2015 04:08 PM
- 4560 views
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CloseCan you add a Brand to a weapon? Because that's typically what forging is all about (I would assume you'd set limits on not doing it with rare weapons "because that's too rare to mess with" what actually means you don't want to have to do it for most items just the common)
Milennin
2060
No, at first I wanted something that explained why all weapons in the world have a hidden power within, but I ditched that and just went with the it's just a game mechanic. Blacksmiths in this game's world have the skill and knowledge to separate that hidden power from weapons.
Brands, in short, are simply equipable skills that you must first take from weapons you find.
The reason why I didn't want a system similar to the one you mentioned (in which one forges Brands onto weapons) is because it's less convenient, gameplay-wise. You have to go to a Blacksmith to get a weapon branded. Then you're either stuck with the skill on your weapon that's going to be outclassed after the next dungeon, or you have to keep returning to the Blacksmith to remove the Brand and place it on the next weapon you find.
The current system lets you swap out Brands whenever and wherever you want out of combat, and once you have one, it's yours for life (isn't that sweet?) They won't be necessary to complete the game with, but using them wisely will give you an edge in combat.
It's also designed to be compelling for the completionist kind of player, since you can view all the weapons you've found so far (gotta collect 'em all) and whether or not you've already extracted a Brand from them (gotta extract 'em all).
Brands, in short, are simply equipable skills that you must first take from weapons you find.
The reason why I didn't want a system similar to the one you mentioned (in which one forges Brands onto weapons) is because it's less convenient, gameplay-wise. You have to go to a Blacksmith to get a weapon branded. Then you're either stuck with the skill on your weapon that's going to be outclassed after the next dungeon, or you have to keep returning to the Blacksmith to remove the Brand and place it on the next weapon you find.
The current system lets you swap out Brands whenever and wherever you want out of combat, and once you have one, it's yours for life (isn't that sweet?) They won't be necessary to complete the game with, but using them wisely will give you an edge in combat.
It's also designed to be compelling for the completionist kind of player, since you can view all the weapons you've found so far (gotta collect 'em all) and whether or not you've already extracted a Brand from them (gotta extract 'em all).
The alternative then is that blacksmiths have (hey it's a choice thing after all) four options.
Buy Brands
Brand Weapon
Remove Brand
Brand Fusion
(Cancel to quit store)
You're gonna want a way to add brands to weapons because people like me, who pull it out and then are like "oh crap, I really wanted that weapon more than I want this brand." Or "Oh crap, I really want fire weapons for this next dungeon, but I can't afford the latest gear. I might be to afford to brand my cheap weapons from two dungeons ago, though." They're gonna be underclassed, but if you've been using ice weapons against ice enemies, yeah, even weak branded weapons help while you get some money. Also, most people like enchanting weapons more than they like pulling stuff out (it's cool but not as much as making a +2 fire sword, as I managed in D&D games). Also, it makes more sense that a blacksmith with a branding iron would be above to give the sword a lightning bolt than somehow take it off (how does that work, exactly). My assumption is that on the weapon, it makes it basically a boosted weapon (either elemental, or a bonus to weapon stats). In which case you would make a skill when equipped to the hero, and a boost when equipped to the weapon. Done in this way, it will be a trade off where you can have either element weapons, or a skill. And it gives the player options (Rule #8 of game fun is always give options).
Brand Fusion is basically, well, I assume you have some of the brands as basic, and get a fire brand. A fire brand mixed with a certain other brand would solve the above problem, by giving a flame brand, then mix again for an inferno brand (it should take some experimentation to keep you from maxing stuff out, and maybe certain stuff has issues where you need some special items to merge certain brands together). There might be brand "recipes" to allow you to keep up with the times, by giving you more knowledge on how to mix. There might also be junk brand fusions that produce a worse mix than the sum of their parts, making it a tricky prospect.
Buy Brands
Brand Weapon
Remove Brand
Brand Fusion
(Cancel to quit store)
You're gonna want a way to add brands to weapons because people like me, who pull it out and then are like "oh crap, I really wanted that weapon more than I want this brand." Or "Oh crap, I really want fire weapons for this next dungeon, but I can't afford the latest gear. I might be to afford to brand my cheap weapons from two dungeons ago, though." They're gonna be underclassed, but if you've been using ice weapons against ice enemies, yeah, even weak branded weapons help while you get some money. Also, most people like enchanting weapons more than they like pulling stuff out (it's cool but not as much as making a +2 fire sword, as I managed in D&D games). Also, it makes more sense that a blacksmith with a branding iron would be above to give the sword a lightning bolt than somehow take it off (how does that work, exactly). My assumption is that on the weapon, it makes it basically a boosted weapon (either elemental, or a bonus to weapon stats). In which case you would make a skill when equipped to the hero, and a boost when equipped to the weapon. Done in this way, it will be a trade off where you can have either element weapons, or a skill. And it gives the player options (Rule #8 of game fun is always give options).
Brand Fusion is basically, well, I assume you have some of the brands as basic, and get a fire brand. A fire brand mixed with a certain other brand would solve the above problem, by giving a flame brand, then mix again for an inferno brand (it should take some experimentation to keep you from maxing stuff out, and maybe certain stuff has issues where you need some special items to merge certain brands together). There might be brand "recipes" to allow you to keep up with the times, by giving you more knowledge on how to mix. There might also be junk brand fusions that produce a worse mix than the sum of their parts, making it a tricky prospect.
Milennin
2060
author=bulmabriefs144
You're gonna want a way to add brands to weapons because people like me, who pull it out and then are like "oh crap, I really wanted that weapon more than I want this brand."
No one's stopping you from not extracting a Brand from a weapon.
author=bulmabriefs144
"Oh crap, I really want fire weapons for this next dungeon, but I can't afford the latest gear.
The thing is, my game doesn't have an elemental weakness system. Combat revolves around reacting to what's going on, rather than playing rock, paper scissors with elements. Basic gear (armour, weapons) isn't actually that important as long as you use your Skills wisely.
Also, this is something I'll be going into more detail about in a later blog post, but I'll be making sure that a player never has to worry about money when it comes to upgrading Armour and Weapons. By the time you reach the first village, you should have enough money to at least buy the new Armours and Weapons, even if you rushed through the game and didn't find any hidden treasures.
Players who got more money than the minimum can spend their leftover money on Brands, additional Auras and Consumables.
author=bulmabriefs144
I might be to afford to brand my cheap weapons from two dungeons ago, though." They're gonna be underclassed, but if you've been using ice weapons against ice enemies, yeah, even weak branded weapons help while you get some money.
I don't see how this would apply to my game, nor as an argument for taking enchanting over extracting.
author=bulmabriefs144
Also, most people like enchanting weapons more than they like pulling stuff out (it's cool but not as much as making a +2 fire sword, as I managed in D&D games).
Source for that statement? I'm personally fine with either system, as long as you get something worthwhile out of it.
Brands aren't about giving your characters extra stats, though. They're only there to expand a character's Skill set.
author=bulmabriefs144
My assumption is that on the weapon, it makes it basically a boosted weapon (either elemental, or a bonus to weapon stats). In which case you would make a skill when equipped to the hero, and a boost when equipped to the weapon. Done in this way, it will be a trade off where you can have either element weapons, or a skill. And it gives the player options (Rule #8 of game fun is always give options).
Once again, Brands are about expanding the Skill set, not about adding extra stats or boosts to a character.
author=bulmabriefs144
Brand Fusion is basically, well, I assume you have some of the brands as basic, and get a fire brand. A fire brand mixed with a certain other brand would solve the above problem, by giving a flame brand, then mix again for an inferno brand...
While the idea is cool, it would allow for way more Skills (something in the hundreds if you'd make every Brand fusion-able with another) than I could be bothered to create and balance. Besides, the gimmick about Brands is that they let you use Skills that monsters possess, not to create new Skills altogether.
The thing is, my game doesn't have an elemental weakness system. Combat revolves around reacting to what's going on, rather than playing rock, paper scissors with elements. Basic gear (armour, weapons) isn't actually that important as long as you use your Skills wisely.
Also, this is something I'll be going into more detail about in a later blog post, but I'll be making sure that a player never has to worry about money when it comes to upgrading Armour and Weapons. By the time you reach the first village, you should have enough money to at least buy the new Armours and Weapons, even if you rushed through the game and didn't find any hidden treasures.
Well then, I'm making a weapon enchant system. This will cover how my characters get elemental weapons.
While the idea is cool, it would allow for way more Skills (something in the hundreds if you'd make every Brand fusion-able with another) than I could be bothered to create and balance. Besides, the gimmick about Brands is that they let you use Skills that monsters possess, not to create new Skills altogether.
I assume you can control both what skills are made, and how powerful things are. Plus, part of the balance is that you can mess up and create brands that just give cheap state bonuses. While I can definitely see your point with putting elemental traits in weapons, I figure by the end of the game you will likely have those extra monster skills (some of which would be boss exclusive, like the meteor).
Milennin
2060
author=bulmabriefs144
Well then, I'm making a weapon enchant system. This will cover how my characters get elemental weapons.
Cool, looking forward to seeing it. That'll be in Tales of the Reaper?
Mmmm, yea. It will probably be pretty minimal (I'm thinking of starting with pretty much one item to be enchanted, because the scythe is the only item reapers carry and they don't get any stronger, so much as the reaper gets stronger). The item that enchants the weapon is a stone, which can either be used as an item, merged with other stones (failure destroys both, and two combos result in reversion). I think this might take me awhile...
Also, I will probably need to make a custom shop menu. I'm not using conventional money.
Also, I will probably need to make a custom shop menu. I'm not using conventional money.
Milennin
2060
You should look into simplifying it if you think it's going to be too much work. Also got to consider how many people will actually make use of the feature to make it worth all the time and work.
I'm also going to need a custom shop menu for FADE as I want to limit the amount of stuff players can buy from shops. Having control over what the interface looks like is also nice to have, even if it does take a fair amount of extra work. I'll probably make a new blog post when I've made some shop menus to talk more about the economy.
I'm also going to need a custom shop menu for FADE as I want to limit the amount of stuff players can buy from shops. Having control over what the interface looks like is also nice to have, even if it does take a fair amount of extra work. I'll probably make a new blog post when I've made some shop menus to talk more about the economy.
It wasn't as much work as I thought. The shop menu is an easy picture menu that counts how much of an item (scrap of paper that are collected as proof of battles). Reapers don't get money from monsters, they get proof of kills.
I have alot of basic items sold, and then they get stones from random drop. The stones enhance the rest. (That is, we don't have elemental weapons in stores, you have to make them) I have it somewhat easy, as I have a chapter system, and can simply limit items to "past chapter 3" if I want.
I have alot of basic items sold, and then they get stones from random drop. The stones enhance the rest. (That is, we don't have elemental weapons in stores, you have to make them) I have it somewhat easy, as I have a chapter system, and can simply limit items to "past chapter 3" if I want.
Milennin
2060
author=bulmabriefs144
I have it somewhat easy, as I have a chapter system, and can simply limit items to "past chapter 3" if I want.
How does this make it easier than putting it in a full game?
It is literally a precondition like If Chapter is Greater/Equal to 3.
The game is full, I just divided into sections, after each section, it cycles back to a book opening and closing, and it tells the chapter. This allows me to break it up without creating separate game files.
If I finish a section of the game out of order, it cycles back to chapter one (which probably isn't switch/variable friendly). I can probably work on that...
Anyway, done with shops, so later I'll work on the smith.
The game is full, I just divided into sections, after each section, it cycles back to a book opening and closing, and it tells the chapter. This allows me to break it up without creating separate game files.
If I finish a section of the game out of order, it cycles back to chapter one (which probably isn't switch/variable friendly). I can probably work on that...
Anyway, done with shops, so later I'll work on the smith.
Milennin
2060
I'm still working on the interface of mine, but I've been slow with it since I have a hard time deciding on where exactly I want to put everything, lol. :(
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