Inspired by Hero Quest, a game for Android and Windows Phone

[Sjeng]

@Conan: whoa there buddy! Calm down. I'd appreciate it if you added your contributions in one post. Just make ONE structured post instead of 20 seperate posts in succession. Double posting is not cool, and makes reading very difficult, as you're creating more pages in this topic. Next time, please keep it all in one post.

[nante]

The development is still in progress. I wish to create the best possible game as it's probably my last creation, unless I succeed.
Stay tuned

[nante]

QUEST SYSTEM
At the moment I would use a world map to indicate the location of the quests. The map has a certain amount of cities. Each city provides one primary quest, and several secondary quests.
The primary quest is usually longer (5+ dungeons), follows the game story line, and gives better drops/bonuses. Primary quests dungeons may be randomly generated or manually created.
The secondary quests are always randomly generated, they are usually shorter (1 to 3 dungeons), and they don't have a specific story line (except maybe the "help the village and clean the dungeons" kind)

QUESTIONS:
1. Is it possible to re-play the same quest more than once?
2. Are quests automatic leveled following the average level of the player's heroes (the better heroes, the harder the quest, the better the drops from searches and monsters), or they have a fixed level of difficulty?
3. Is it possible to access all the cities at the beginning or they are unlocked one by one, once the previous primary quest has been completed?

For now, I think the answers would be:
1. Primary quests are NEVER replayable, unless you start a new game. Secondary quests... I don't know!
2. Yes, they are always leveled accordingly to the player's heroes. This way it's always a challenge for beginners as well as experienced players. Obviously if you try to rush all the quests you may complete the game without seeing most of the best equipment.
3. No, you must follow a certain order. Each city is unlocked only after completing the previous one. (Completing a city = completing the primary quest).

Do you have any opinion? Especially with regards to point 1, are secondary quests re-playable?

[Goblin-King]

1. NO! You should not be able to just grind gold in a game like this. Though I very much appreciate that people would like to play a fun level once more.
Could it be possible to make it so that once you've completed the entire storyline you'd be free to replay quests? Even primary quests.

How exactly does a hero level up? Is it strictly monster killing? Or completing quests? Does equipment count as overall level? Is it possible to avoid leveling up?
I'm asking because if the dungeons scale with the heroes' level, which motivation does the heroes have to level up?
If the hero and monster level scale 1:1 you will never feel like you became stronger because the monsters are equally stronger.

[nante]

1. NO! You should not be able to just grind gold in a game like this. Though I very much appreciate that people would like to play a fun level once more.
Could it be possible to make it so that once you've completed the entire storyline you'd be free to replay quests? Even primary quests.

How exactly does a hero level up? Is it strictly monster killing? Or completing quests? Does equipment count as overall level? Is it possible to avoid leveling up?
I'm asking because if the dungeons scale with the heroes' level, which motivation does the heroes have to level up?
If the hero and monster level scale 1:1 you will never feel like you became stronger because the monsters are equally stronger.

1. Not even re-play side quests?

2. I didn't plan the leveling yet. The level of the hero will just be used to:
- Unlock equipment/spells/skills
- Calculate enemies level
There will be no attack/defense increase. This way the equipment will be the only way to increase attack and defense.

You should level up by getting XP, which can be obtained by:
- Killing creatures - AT THE END OF THE DUNGEON, ONLY IF COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY, Do you agree? - Or you think I should keep my XP even if I die?
- Completing the dungeons will give a bonus XP for everyone (otherwise some characters, like the Cleric, would not level up accordingly because they're primary helper characters)
- Completing the entire quest will give another bonus
I will find a few popular RPGs and copy they're scheme, it doesn't make sense to invent something new.

The problems of the monsters leveling up is a common problem is RPGs. Old style RPGs didn't have such feature. New ones have it, but usually it's limited to the area (some areas there are monsters Level 10+, other areas Level 20+, so that you just can't go there. But these are free roaming games, mine is not).
I totally agree, if you're always as strong as the enemies, where's the satisfaction.. but how else can it be done?? With fixed leveling and no re-play at all?

Any suggestion really appreciated

[DmitryM]

Hi all!
Please allow me to join your discussion.

1. NO! You should not be able to just grind gold in a game like this. Though I very much appreciate that people would like to play a fun level once more.
Could it be possible to make it so that once you've completed the entire storyline you'd be free to replay quests? Even primary quests.

I like this idea. This is some kind of infinite game, where you can keep your equipment and try another tactics in solved dungeons. Ofcourse monsters must be stronger this time.

If the hero and monster level scale 1:1 you will never feel like you became stronger because the monsters are equally stronger.

- In my opinion it's the common feature of all board beased games. They're pretty random. Only way you can feel you bacame stronger is to have more available dices on movement and action, but even then there is no garantee that you will succeed. For example many times in Arcane quest my Warrior has been beaten by an Ogre with 5 attack die vs 3. Simply in attack i had 5 shields, and no one in defence. Look on BG, icewind dale or NwN, there is the same random part in them. So I think in this kind of games You must not feel yourself stronger then enemy, but be equal and in no case the worse. Also, maybe you should think about some chance modifiers to get better result on attack and defence. I have no the advanced hero quest (2009), but as I have read, in this edition d20 dice and critical hit/miss chances are used.

In other way,we can play with equipment. e.g shield which reduces by half an enemy's next attack when in defence all dices are white shields. Or maybe some kind of two handed sword or a hammer which allows to have an extra attack action with reduced number of dices in same turn if on the first attack hero has all skulls. maybe some mob bosses might have the same equipment.

1. Not even re-play side quests?

- It could happen a situation when player has a "wrong" party and can't complete quest because the monsters are so strong or just "lucky". So to imrove his chances he needs the better equipment. Side quest is the good way to earn more money, but they should be limited. For example if in one province there are 3 separated parts of main quest with 7+ dungeons in each part. During one part player can complete the fixed number of side-quests, and they will turn unavailable until the part of stolryline is complete.

You should level up by getting XP, which can be obtained by:
- Killing creatures - AT THE END OF THE DUNGEON, ONLY IF COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY, Do you agree? - Or you think I should keep my XP even if I die?
- Completing the dungeons will give a bonus XP for everyone (otherwise some characters, like the Cleric, would not level up accordingly because they're primary helper characters)
- Completing the entire quest will give another bonus
I will find a few popular RPGs and copy they're scheme, it doesn't make sense to invent something new.

- It's fair enough to gain XP only at the end of dungeon. And what about heroes who died in? Will they have a penalty to xp, or will not have xp at all? In ad&d based NwN all characters, even who did not participate in quest gain levels simultaneously, exept if they have a racial bonuses/penalties or different level tresholds.

The problems of the monsters leveling up is a common problem is RPGs. Old style RPGs didn't have such feature. New ones have it, but usually it's limited to the area (some areas there are monsters Level 10+, other areas Level 20+, so that you just can't go there. But these are free roaming games, mine is not).

- If I understand correctly, in second part you have a global map, and in some (final) point there is the root of world's evil. So we could imagine that as more far from the root area is, as less skilled and disciplined monsters are. They are worse equiped, less coordinated to each other. So we could encounter a different types of one kind of monster. in the beginning there are goblins in rags with clubs, but further they have maces or rust swords, then some armor, and even shield. Equipment itself gives them bonus dices to atack and defence. And monsters became stronger. In all dungeons with soldiers there must be a commander more skilled and equiped.
Also, your map is not like a tunnel. every geographical area could be occupied by different types of allied horde troops. In one province will be more goblins, in another orcs, and elsewhere the army of undead has risen. I think it's more logic, because creatures are living in tribes. Except undead, they have no mind and their army have those creatures that necromancer could find on his way. And after the first story quest player might have a few available locations to deside an order to complete them.

[TMU]

Welcome to the forum DmitryM!

[DmitryM]

Thanks!
Hope, my ideas will be useful for Nante's project. And maybe somewhere else.

upd. Some notes about gameplay. Is it so necessary to show rolling dices each time? Some times it's just annoying thing. of course dices are the core part of the whole game, but in my oppinion in video game animated scenes of rolling dices are useless and just slowing the gameplay.
Battles could become more dynamic with BG like system, when attack and save throws occures simultaneously and player sees already calculated result.
Optionally it could be two different modes. Blitz without dices for quick battles and oldschool with dices for deeper immersion and slow measured gameplay.

upd2. I have a question about search. How does it work?

[nante]

I'm back from my holidays and will start working again on the game.
I've been focusing on the graphics, I have most of the heroes ready, then it's monsters turn.
The I will proceed with the map and quests system.
The gameplay will follow, together with the first selection on spells and weapons.
I can estimate a first beta release will be ready within 2-3 months.

I also found a story writer that will help me design the main quest (for free! ), which will be much more complex than the first game (which basically was: there's the bad guy, kill everyone then kill him, you saved the world)

Thanks!
upd. Some notes about gameplay. Is it so necessary to show rolling dices each time?
upd2. I have a question about search. How does it work?

1. Yes, the dice system is the core of the game, otherwise it would be just another dungeon crawler (and a bad one too). The dice will be made much faster, and as someone suggested before, they will be shown together (atk+def on the same screen)
2. It's pretty basic, there are fixed probabilities to find each item. The chances are affected by the hero or items equipped (luck factor)

[nante]

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Does it still make sense to keep the "Search for secrets" and "Search for treasures" actions separated?
Wouldn't be simpler to have a "Search secrets and treasures" action?