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Crackdown!

  • Marrend
  • 01/03/2017 02:25 PM
  • 6915 views
First, allow me to apologize profusely for this game's perpetual hiatus. I'm not going to tell you how much good stuff has been done with this game in the background, because there is no news to tell. However, I will do as much with this game as possible, and aim to be finished by the end of the first quarter of the year, as per my resolution! I hope this is acceptable.



As something of an aside, I've not been entirely idle just mostly so. For an idea of what I've been up to, allow me to refer you to this thread.

Posts

Pages: 1
unity
You're magical to me.
12540
Always glad to see news about this! ^_^ No matter how quick or slow you're able to work, best of luck :D
Dragnfly
Beta testers!? No, this game needs a goddamn exorcist!
1809
People here will generally give you however long you need so long as the end result is good. No worries.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
Thanks for the support! It means more than you think.


Anyway, I do have a little bit of news. I've been going through the game a bit here, and I'm kinda thinking I can be a bit more lenient with handing out money. Experience hand-outs can probably stay as-is. I've also cut the animations portion of the database to what I was actually using, and allow Tsukihime's resource-checker to be more effective when the time comes to release this in full.

I should be about ready to test-battle the second mission. The victory condition is to defeat all enemies before 10 turns elapse. There's a thought to an alternate story-path if players fail this condition. However, it's also true that the ten-turn limit is an off-the-top-of-my head number. That's part of why I want to test this battle: to see if I should make it longer or shorter. Of course, I am largely assuming certain equipment is carried, so we'll see how it works out!

*Edit: I can clear the map in about 7 turns. So, I'm thinking 8 turns minimum might be where this map wants to be. However, there's no indication of how many turns remain, so, displaying a message as a reminder is in order. Right now, I've got it set up so that it displays every two turns, but, I might limit it to having it start to display on turn 6, and each turn after that.


Of course, I wanted to make sure this loss condition works, and testing that was interesting. I set the turn limit to something stupid-short (so, like, 4) for testing. The counter I set up definitely displayed 0, and I think I got two turns after that.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
More testing results!

So. The map did, in fact, end in four turns like it was supposed to. However, I never saw a GAME OVER. In fact, the way the game responded was as if I won. I mean, I received the associated end-of-map rewards, so, this doesn't give me much confidence in this loss condition.

This will simply not do. While the condition made sense with how the story was set up, it looks like I'm going to have to dance around this issue. So, the thought is that, rather than outright loosing the battle after eight turns, the enemy can start getting reinforcements. Maybe multiple reinforcements to solidify how important it was to clear the mission before those eight turns are over?

This can still fit into how the story is written, but, I've become rather frustrated at this system. Perhaps it is this frustration talking most, but, I'm very much considering making Mission 3 the last mission of the game.
Dragnfly
Beta testers!? No, this game needs a goddamn exorcist!
1809
There's nothing wrong with an endless wave of high-level enemy reinforcements instead of a game over. While the game over is quicker and more convenient, having the unbeatable reinforcements gives a sense of dread and remorse.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
I've done a little testing with the reinforcement idea, because I wasn't 100% sure how they would work with how I've had them set up. Normally, a certain unit calls for reinforcements. Usually, this is a boss-unit, and there's a script in place to have said reinforcements appear anywhere within a two-square radius of that unit's location.

However, what if that unit wasn't on the battlefield anymore? I've gotten around this issue before by making the victory condition "beat the boss". However, Mission 2 is a different set of circumstances. While there is still a boss in this fight to make trouble, defeating it is not this mission's win-condition.

From what I've observed, the units that appear still spawn within a 2-tile radius from the target unit's position. Which is interesting to note. While I might like the units to spawn based on an active unit, I don't really want to mess with re-configuring my hack code at this time.


*Edit: Though, I'm happy to note that spawning two units appears to work like I thought it would. It's literally just another call to the spawn-script!
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
I'm mostly happy with Mission 2's events now. I'll give it one more run-through at some point just to be sure, though.

Mission 3. Hey, it might be stream-of-consciousness time!


So, our intrepid heroes just escaped from the Lintis system, and have ended up somewhere in the Rylah system. Which is totally a name I'm pulling from one of the characters in Star Fall ;)

Anyhoo, either the Kamiyama is going to get ambushed, or I allow a little bit of down-time. In the first case, the event processing would be very much like Mission 2: the story lends itself to a sense of urgency, and there is no "down time" implied (even if it's implemented). In the second case, the sense of urgency isn't there, and the mission would become available after talking to Captain Izo.

This next mission, they are up against the Hrist. So far, the bosses of this game have built with one of the standard classes in mind. So, the Silmeria was build with the engineer class in mind, and the Lenneth was built with the scout class in mind. Which means the Hrist is going to be built with the trooper class in mind. Which means it will have a focus on dealing as much damage as inhumanly possible.

So, yes, the Hrist will probably have the highest damage output, and require the most damage to take down, among the enemies players have fought thus far. I figure it will also use Defense Break every now and again to make it's attacks even deadlier.

Part of my reasons for making the battle against Hrist so damn deadly is to make the "Redeploy" skill/program an actually viable skill to use/purchase when it becomes available after Mission 2. Though, if the battle is intended to be so bad that a resurrection-like effect is a better idea than to restore damage, I feel like I should give players some kind of warning? I dunno.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
I hope to polish off Mission 2's events soon-ish. With any amount of hope, I should have a demo ready by Saturday! Keep your fingers crossed!

*Edit: At some point, I may want to think about the Crew Quarters and the Med Bay. Like, there was brief thoughts to having some manner of affinity system that included Naora taking an injury. At which point, the character with the highest affinity would be looking after her.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
I forgot I was going to be busy on Saturday. So, have the demo today instead! As before, it will need the run-time package for VX Ace to run. Which one should be able to obtain here. Let me know what you think!
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
I've finished up the preliminary work on Mission 3: the map and associated troops have been set up, but have done no testing of the battle itself. As I've not quite come up with a proper story yet, I've decided put the map into Toshie's simulator. However, there's probably going to be at least one "setup" map for the situation on the surface of Rylah... 5? Not quite decided on which planet in the Rylah system, but, that seems the least relevant detail at the moment!
Dragnfly
Beta testers!? No, this game needs a goddamn exorcist!
1809
19. Make it a completely BS huge solar system.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
I really don't know how much BS a 19-planet system actually is! I mean, it might be possible that Mission 1 occurs on Lintis-19 rather than Lintis-4.
Dragnfly
Beta testers!? No, this game needs a goddamn exorcist!
1809
From what we know, 10 is the max probable (with 8/9 being the confirmed max). I figure that a star that could hold 19 planets, without them being so close they'd whap into each other, would be too big to actually do so.

Of course that's just our current understanding. I'm a firm believer that we don't know crap yet.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
As something of an aside, I've been thinking about the Redeploy program, and kinda thinking I could move it's ability to bring back fallen allies onto a consumable item instead. The skill that would take it's place would turn into a repair-frame skill that also removes Armor Break and Weapon Break (Reforge?).

Though, I seem to vaguely recall kory_toombs complaining about consumables not working in regards to his GTBS games? Something I'll have to double-check when I have the time.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
I've managed a bit of testing in regards to items in general. GTBS did, in fact, throw an error when I tried to use an item, but, I think I've rectified it.

As for Redelpoy as an item, yes, it brings a fallen unit back on the battlefield. However, a fallen unit's graphics are either set to have 0% opacity, or straight-up set to having no graphic. This setting does not change after a unit is resurrected, and I have no idea where to start how to set up restoring the graphic.


I suppose I can ditch the idea behind "Redeploy" altogether? Sending a unit out alone is still very much a risky move, but, if you can't just bring them back...
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
Download updated!

Mission 3 should now be included, and should be accessible in Toshie's simulation list after beating it. If this is not the case, please let me know.

I cannot approximate how long the next update will take, or if there will even be one. The one idea I have for a "final mission" would essentially be a boss fight against all three of the Valkyrie. With how work is slamming me, that might take a few weeks, maybe more? I dunno. It's hard to approximate.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
I'm updating the download as I type. This should be more or less the complete game, minus any use of Tsukihime's resource-checker. To be honest, I would like an external playtest of the entire game before I do that. I'll be checking the Dev tool thread for assistance, but, I would appreciate if this game's subscribers could pitch in, if possible.
Dragnfly
Beta testers!? No, this game needs a goddamn exorcist!
1809
No problem. Life in insane for me right now but once I catch up with my current promises, I'll dive in.

EDIT: yeah it completely fell by the wayside. Sorry.
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21781
This mostly fell by the wayside on my end as well, to be honest. However, I did manage to get some help from Kylaila some time ago, and wrote some quick notes based on her feedback.

I've since managed to revisit said notes, and made what changes I could. I was also inclined to give myself a challenge: to complete the game with as few visits to the simulated battles as possible. It was manageable up to Mission 3.

As a reminder, that mission pits the players up against A Boss-Trooper, four regular Troopers, two Scouts, and an Engineer. So, the damage capacity of the enemy party is insanely huge to begin with. Gennai must have died on three different occasions.

I did, eventually, manage to complete the play-test with only two visits to the sim-room. However, I gave Naora, Toshie, and Izo a new "innate" skill (ie: a skill they can have access to so long as they have the "Action" skill category) that I've probably mentioned a few times before: Redeploy. The way I've set it up is that it takes 35 Energy to use, but brings back a fallen unit to the battlefield to full capacity.


I don't know if including Redeploy is merely a bandage to an issue that I didn't necessarily need to worry about to begin with, or if I'm just worried about nothing again.

I suppose I'll hold back a bit more on this game until Mechanima is done.


*Edit: Yay for months-later posts/edits/updates!
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