Comments on: Ambitious garbage http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/archives/29 Games. Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:48:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Hempuli http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/archives/29/comment-page-1#comment-42 Hempuli Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:51:24 +0000 http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/?p=29#comment-42 Now that was in-depth! A nice read for sure. :) I hope I had your guts to create such a huge game. Now that was in-depth! A nice read for sure. :)
I hope I had your guts to create such a huge game.

]]> By: Del Duio http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/archives/29/comment-page-1#comment-41 Del Duio Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:01:40 +0000 http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/?p=29#comment-41 Yes sir, it's a complete game. (The full version at least was). The demo let you play for 6 of the 30 days (in-game days) but you could probably see 80% of everything or so if you know where to go. It's been awhile but if you get the boat rental you can go to another continent and a lot of smaller islands. There's also 6 stone portals you need to find and activate in order to break the seal to the cellar at the castle near the start. You don't find out about this until later but that won't stop you from activating them anyhow. Each represents one of the 6 player stats and gives a +10 bonus to that stat when you activate it (aside from the six of them unlocking the seal). The game has a lot of good ideas in it and especially an end game sidequest that's pretty big to get the ultimate weapon. You don't even find out about it until the 2nd to last dungeon level. I was really proud of that and it's something I didn't add until a lot later on. The item system was very much like Diablo 2 because that's what I was really into while making it. You have a bunch of normal items, then your uniques, and then your randomized items which would be like Diablo 2's rares. The randomized items had a crapload of different possible mods with the potential of getting a weapon or something better than the best unique from any monster in the game. This includes the "yard trash" enemies like rats and owls. I think once an owl dropped a battleaxe and although that makes no sense it was pretty cool. A lot of the enemies also carried specific drops unique to them and of course you had the castle's blacksmith who turned raw materials into gear that can't be had otherwise. I had started the sequel of EV back before I started Hasslevania called Equin Legacy which was going to take all the stuff I liked about the game and make it better, especially looks-wise. In fact that ultimate weapon from Equin Village's sidequest played a big part of Equin Legacy's storyline. The hardest part of EL was making the same inventory system from Visual Basic and somehow get MMF1.5 to do the same thing. That sucked actually haha. On the subscreen you could also see your equipped gear on your guy like the paper doll thing a lot of games use. I only really got one shop, the overworld map (uses the same layout as Equin Village but it's much zoomed out), one starting area with no enemies and the subscreen completed before I gave up on it. The game was to focus a whole lot on factions or which there are 3 you could've partcipated in. In one of the shots of EL below you'll see 3 flags with numbers on them and that's what that is. Also the combat although still turn-based had more flash to it. You could see your whole actual weapon swing by when you attack instead of just an enemy hit sound and a brief flash. But for shits and giggles and comparison's sake: Here's an overworld shot of Equin Village- http://del_duio.sitesled.com/COTG%20Screenies/EQV/EQV_outside1.JPG And here's an outside shot of Equin Legacy- http://del_duio.sitesled.com/EQ3L/exploration.PNG Here's Equin Village's subscreen- http://del_duio.sitesled.com/COTG%20Screenies/EQV/EQV_subscreen3.JPG And Equin Legacy's- http://del_duio.sitesled.com/EQ3L/inventory.PNG Combat screen of Equin Village- http://del_duio.sitesled.com/COTG%20Screenies/EQV/EQV_fight4.JPG Combat screen of Equin Legacy- http://del_duio.sitesled.com/EQ3L/combat.PNG And here's a shop for Equin Village- http://del_duio.sitesled.com/COTG%20Screenies/EQV/EQV_store1.JPG And the shop for Equin Legacy- http://del_duio.sitesled.com/EQ3L/shop1.PNG And EL's overworld map (which you can kind of use as a basic guide to Equin Village since the layout's a lot alike)- http://del_duio.sitesled.com/EQ3L/MAP.PNG You're right it's much easier to say you're going to do something than to actually be able to do it! Sorry for the giant post but I got nostalgic haha. Yes sir, it’s a complete game. (The full version at least was). The demo let you play for 6 of the 30 days (in-game days) but you could probably see 80% of everything or so if you know where to go. It’s been awhile but if you get the boat rental you can go to another continent and a lot of smaller islands. There’s also 6 stone portals you need to find and activate in order to break the seal to the cellar at the castle near the start. You don’t find out about this until later but that won’t stop you from activating them anyhow. Each represents one of the 6 player stats and gives a +10 bonus to that stat when you activate it (aside from the six of them unlocking the seal). The game has a lot of good ideas in it and especially an end game sidequest that’s pretty big to get the ultimate weapon. You don’t even find out about it until the 2nd to last dungeon level. I was really proud of that and it’s something I didn’t add until a lot later on.

The item system was very much like Diablo 2 because that’s what I was really into while making it. You have a bunch of normal items, then your uniques, and then your randomized items which would be like Diablo 2′s rares. The randomized items had a crapload of different possible mods with the potential of getting a weapon or something better than the best unique from any monster in the game. This includes the “yard trash” enemies like rats and owls. I think once an owl dropped a battleaxe and although that makes no sense it was pretty cool. A lot of the enemies also carried specific drops unique to them and of course you had the castle’s blacksmith who turned raw materials into gear that can’t be had otherwise.

I had started the sequel of EV back before I started Hasslevania called Equin Legacy which was going to take all the stuff I liked about the game and make it better, especially looks-wise. In fact that ultimate weapon from Equin Village’s sidequest played a big part of Equin Legacy’s storyline. The hardest part of EL was making the same inventory system from Visual Basic and somehow get MMF1.5 to do the same thing. That sucked actually haha. On the subscreen you could also see your equipped gear on your guy like the paper doll thing a lot of games use. I only really got one shop, the overworld map (uses the same layout as Equin Village but it’s much zoomed out), one starting area with no enemies and the subscreen completed before I gave up on it.

The game was to focus a whole lot on factions or which there are 3 you could’ve partcipated in. In one of the shots of EL below you’ll see 3 flags with numbers on them and that’s what that is. Also the combat although still turn-based had more flash to it. You could see your whole actual weapon swing by when you attack instead of just an enemy hit sound and a brief flash.

But for shits and giggles and comparison’s sake:

Here’s an overworld shot of Equin Village-
http://del_duio.sitesled.com/COTG%20Screenies/EQV/EQV_outside1.JPG

And here’s an outside shot of Equin Legacy-
http://del_duio.sitesled.com/EQ3L/exploration.PNG

Here’s Equin Village’s subscreen-
http://del_duio.sitesled.com/COTG%20Screenies/EQV/EQV_subscreen3.JPG

And Equin Legacy’s-
http://del_duio.sitesled.com/EQ3L/inventory.PNG

Combat screen of Equin Village-
http://del_duio.sitesled.com/COTG%20Screenies/EQV/EQV_fight4.JPG

Combat screen of Equin Legacy-
http://del_duio.sitesled.com/EQ3L/combat.PNG

And here’s a shop for Equin Village-
http://del_duio.sitesled.com/COTG%20Screenies/EQV/EQV_store1.JPG

And the shop for Equin Legacy-
http://del_duio.sitesled.com/EQ3L/shop1.PNG

And EL’s overworld map (which you can kind of use as a basic guide to Equin Village since the layout’s a lot alike)-
http://del_duio.sitesled.com/EQ3L/MAP.PNG

You’re right it’s much easier to say you’re going to do something than to actually be able to do it! Sorry for the giant post but I got nostalgic haha.

]]> By: Hempuli http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/archives/29/comment-page-1#comment-39 Hempuli Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:45:19 +0000 http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/?p=29#comment-39 Thanks for sharing thoughts! Yeah, Equin Village was cool, though the lack of visual feedback took something away from the experience, I think. But that'd be exactly what I mean; being able to easily add endless amounts of items/monsters/teapots would be rad. I'm not sure if I'm going to do this, though; we'll see. It's quite easy to say 'Imma do a big game' than actually doing it ;) By the way, was Equin Village completeable? Never got to the other islands, unfortunately. Thanks for sharing thoughts! Yeah, Equin Village was cool, though the lack of visual feedback took something away from the experience, I think. But that’d be exactly what I mean; being able to easily add endless amounts of items/monsters/teapots would be rad.

I’m not sure if I’m going to do this, though; we’ll see. It’s quite easy to say ‘Imma do a big game’ than actually doing it ;)

By the way, was Equin Village completeable? Never got to the other islands, unfortunately.

]]> By: Del Duio http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/archives/29/comment-page-1#comment-33 Del Duio Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:34:45 +0000 http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/?p=29#comment-33 Oh and for a ridiculously huge and funny plot you should check out the Disgaea games. Oh and for a ridiculously huge and funny plot you should check out the Disgaea games.

]]> By: Del Duio http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/archives/29/comment-page-1#comment-32 Del Duio Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:32:19 +0000 http://www.hempuli.com/blogblog/?p=29#comment-32 Almost sounds like Equin Village! I too had the basic game and engine and kept adding to it. The way the map editor was set up could also also for expansion. For example included in each "grid" or whatever of squares was the exit info for north, south, east, and west. So when you'd make an area called "DESERT1" you could have the south exit be "DESERT2". And when you were traveling south it'd load up "DESERT2" automatically. The only trick was to make sure the ends of the overworld wrapped around so it'd give the appearance of a round world. The item system was also set up with another editor, where 3 basic strings were tied to a single item and you could mess with it at runtime for random stuff. The first string was the item's name, the 2nd was a big list of stats strung together that were added when it was equipped (and the item type, W = Weapon, S = Shield, etc) and the 3rd was a string of which of the characters could equip it. Again it used to be this basic text list but eventually I went back and added to it to give each item a graphical representation. Having the thing set up so that it could be added to or altered later was really cool and the game was better in the end because of it. Anyhow I can blab about this stuff all day if you need help or something. Almost sounds like Equin Village! I too had the basic game and engine and kept adding to it. The way the map editor was set up could also also for expansion. For example included in each “grid” or whatever of squares was the exit info for north, south, east, and west. So when you’d make an area called “DESERT1″ you could have the south exit be “DESERT2″. And when you were traveling south it’d load up “DESERT2″ automatically. The only trick was to make sure the ends of the overworld wrapped around so it’d give the appearance of a round world.

The item system was also set up with another editor, where 3 basic strings were tied to a single item and you could mess with it at runtime for random stuff. The first string was the item’s name, the 2nd was a big list of stats strung together that were added when it was equipped (and the item type, W = Weapon, S = Shield, etc) and the 3rd was a string of which of the characters could equip it. Again it used to be this basic text list but eventually I went back and added to it to give each item a graphical representation. Having the thing set up so that it could be added to or altered later was really cool and the game was better in the end because of it.

Anyhow I can blab about this stuff all day if you need help or something.

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