https://www.kickstarter.com/project...aledorn-old-school-hardcore-rpg/posts/1166031
About the game mechanics, with game designer Pt1
During our Kickstarter campaign, we´ll present to you some of the core game mechanics that will accompany you during the gameplay of DoA. Some of the following details may seem a bit too technical, but we´ll also try to disclose some practical use of these features that will hopefully get you excited about them.
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Game user interface types
The first part of mechanics update will concentrate on the user interfaces throughout the game. The DoA story and gameplay experience will be presented to you via multiple GUIs (graphical user interfaces) and some of them are very different in nature - there was actually no way around this, due to the fact that we´re combining distinct core features such as a first person exploration, top down combat and map tracking during travel. Each of them enables you to execute various actions and in following paragraphs you´ll get a hint about their purpose and function.
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First person GUI
A greater deal of the game will be played in a first person view. It´s the default GUI for player´s interaction with the world, as you´re used with dungeon crawler layouts. It will serve for various non-combat actions such as exploration, the opening of treasure chests, searching for secrets, interaction with NPCs and the gathering of herbs etc.
We like this view not only for its good level of immersion for the player into the game-world, but also because it allows us to place tons of secrets and objects to interact with throughout the game, and have a good control over what player sees (and doesn´t see) during their exploration.
Many of you will probably recall the thrill during playing Legends of Grimrock, when you stumble upon a secret button on an ordinary looking wall, and just wondered what exactly it will do. This is definitely what we´re striving for in our game, but with the difference, that rather than pixel hunting, you´ll have to invest into the skills of your characters to be even able to see these objects in the first place. Doing a run with full-warrior group might make most encounters a bit easier, but you´d be probably missing a lot of content, due to other classes having significant bonuses for this purpose (details about classes are coming soon in following updates).
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Battle GUI
This is GUI for all battle encounters and it will switch on automatically upon exceeding the limits of "shadow bar" (not yet visually implemented in demo, will be disclosed in further in part two) or it may be entered willingly in order to gain the element of surprise or to attack neutral NPCs.
Combat GUI will offer a full spectrum of tactical options. The battles are played on hex fields that will be automatically generated from the first person-GUI positions of world objects, player characters and their enemies. There are no boundaries to the hex field, as it expands when its borders are approached. This may cause many interesting situations to happen, but not necessarily only the pleasant and advantageous ones.
An absent-minded fleeing character that enters new location might find their self in another battle by encountering new enemies. But then you also have the option to lead one group of enemies to a foreign faction of enemies in vicinity and let the problem take care of itself, and that´s only the start of a long list of possible situations.
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Travel GUI
The travel GUI will activate upon leaving the actual location and it will be displayed as a half-blind map, complete with marks representing already discovered locations and the player’s group location and tracking of their movement. Upon entering a new location or random encounter, the game then switches back to first person-GUI respectively in a case of an imminent encounter into battle GUI. The actual world map areas differ in chances of encounters, hunting opportunities, speed of travelling progress and so on. Get ready for dilemmas such as; faster travel through dangerous lands or rather a detour the group and go the long route but with a chance to starve on the way?
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GUI for camping management
This will be an optional GUI, available only for the higher difficulty option. Basically, it´s an activities schedule of each member of player´s group. Here you´ll be able to decide who will do what and for how long. The number of possible activities will definitely exceed the number of party members, so you´ll have to correctly assess your actual needs and, more importantly, choose wisely. The results of the chosen activities will depend heavily on character talents and skills and partially on actual statuses of characters, map location and luck.
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Other GUIs
There will be of course many sub-GUIs, such as inventory, characters list, journal, spell book, menu, alchemy submenu, dialogue and trade GUI, mini-games. Their names are self-explanatory, and we´ll gladly address your questions and tips in a comments section about the features that are important for you within these standard GUIs (e.g. is it possible to make personal notes in local maps (hint: It actually is!) etc.).
We´re also looking forward to your suggestions about all mentioned mechanics - what do you like and dislike about them and why? See you at the next update and thank you for your support and pledges. With your help, we can make Dungeons of Aledorn a reality!
TEAM 21
Short interview with game designer
Teh possibilities!1! I keep filling out my "ideal RPG characteristics" checklist with this stuff. First person, switches to overhead grid combat on the same map, and you can run around wherever you want like a headless chicken.
