Announcing a rogue-like RPG for the Atari Jaguar

[phoboz]

9 hours ago, KidGameR186496 said:

And hopefully, this will be the first of many to come...

It seems RPGs take more time to develop. This is also a fact with new consoles, you don't get the RPGs right away (unless a game from another console is being ported). I looked at the list of cancelled Jaguar games, and there were actually quite many RPGs in the pipeline for the Jag.

I get 15 hits for "Role-playing game" in this list, at least 7 of them seems to be unique (most notably Centipede 2000):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cancelled_Atari_Jaguar_games

 

Even if RPGs are not necessarily more technically advanced than other games. It is usually expected that they have more content, more options etc.

Edited November 30, 2020 by phoboz

[agradeneu]

3 hours ago, phoboz said:

It seems RPGs take more time to develop. This is also a fact with new consoles, you don't get the RPGs right away (unless a game from another console is being ported). I looked at the list of cancelled Jaguar games, and there were actually quite many RPGs in the pipeline for the Jag.

I get 15 hits for "Role-playing game" in this list, at least 7 of them seems to be unique (most notably Centipede 2000):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cancelled_Atari_Jaguar_games

 

Even if RPGs are not necessarily more technically advanced than other games. It is usually expected that they have more content, more options etc.

Take that list with a grain of salt, e.g. Phantasy Star 2 port for the Jaguar, no actual development started, only a license deal.

Ishar 3 and Legion of the Undead looks legit, Dungeon Dephts was announced but development never started as well.

Centipede 2000 does not look like a RPG. 

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by agradeneu

[Mikebloke]

Homebrew rpgs on any console is impressive. It's certainly uses more technical aspects and if limited on space careful use of bytes. This is why quite a few rpgs have exploitable bugs - there is card and encounter manipulation on final fantasy 8 (originally ps1) based on walking and running steps. It's amusing to watch on speed runs. Others aren't so great, a tile based tactical rpg also on ps1 only ever randomised the hit ratio once a turn, meaning if a unit with 95% hit chance missed, every other unit with 95% or less would also miss! Hacking of these games is getting better, a number of ps1 games have fixes, hard modes and hidden content reunlocked, but that is still working off the back of a premade game originally with a team of developers. 

 

For a one person project to make a competent fatal labyrinth clone, that's some doing. 

 

Ps: surprised by phantasy star 2 being allegedly licensed.... Quite a core sega brand at the time. Though by 1995 the mega drive release had been and gone, pretty sure 4 was out by then as well. I could see it I guess though being on jaguar. I wonder if they would have "improved" it in anyway. 

[JagChris]

If I remember right ishar 1-3 were done on the Jaguar but lost. Same guy who did Robinson's Requiem.

[KidGameR186496]

13 hours ago, phoboz said:

It seems RPGs take more time to develop. This is also a fact with new consoles, you don't get the RPGs right away (unless a game from another console is being ported). I looked at the list of cancelled Jaguar games, and there were actually quite many RPGs in the pipeline for the Jag.

I get 15 hits for "Role-playing game" in this list, at least 7 of them seems to be unique (most notably Centipede 2000):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cancelled_Atari_Jaguar_games

 

Even if RPGs are not necessarily more technically advanced than other games. It is usually expected that they have more content, more options etc.

Yeah, I'm the one who did that humongous list... Damn, sometimes I wonder what the hell did I smoke when I made that...

10 hours ago, agradeneu said:

Take that list with a grain of salt, e.g. Phantasy Star 2 port for the Jaguar, no actual development started, only a license deal.

Ishar 3 and Legion of the Undead looks legit, Dungeon Dephts was announced but development never started as well.

Centipede 2000 does not look like a RPG. 

 

That's the reason why I put notes/reasons into the list, to denote what the hell happened to those titles. Can we keep this thread focused on phoboz' RPG?

5 hours ago, JagChris said:

If I remember right ishar 1-3 were done on the Jaguar but lost. Same guy who did Robinson's Requiem.

Cyril Cogordan was the one doing Ishar 3 for Jaguar Chris, not 1 and 2... Well, there was a fourth one intended for the Jaguar but IIRC, the ideas envisioned for that particular project were reused for another Silmarils title...

[JagChris]

I'm aware of who Cyril is. 

 

But like I said IIRC 1-3 were finished but may have only been #3. Same guy who did RR for the Jaguar. At least one Ishar was finished and lost.

Edited December 1, 2020 by JagChris

[KidGameR186496]

1 hour ago, JagChris said:

I'm aware of who Cyril is. 

 

But like I said IIRC 1-3 were finished but may have only been #3. Same guy who did RR for the Jaguar. At least one Ishar was finished and lost.

My bad Chris! But IIRC, wasn't only Ishar 3 being ported to the Jaguar? I knew about 3 but not about Ishar 1 and 2...

[JagChris]

That's why I said IIRC.

 I may not be.

[phoboz]

6 hours ago, KidGameR186496 said:

Can we keep this thread focused on phoboz' RPG?

I might as well describe the rules of the game. In principle, you don't need to know them to play the game. However, you can archive better results by knowing them. I also want to write them down, before I forget myself

 

What you see below is the training menu.

The first column shows the skill name, the second shows the required experience points to reach the next level, and the final column shows the current level. The yellow stars you see next to the skill name tells the game that this is a skill you want to improve (e.g. your gained experience points are distributed to advancing the skills you have marked with a star) You may put several stars on one skill, and you have up to 3 stars to distribute. You can change your training settings at any time during the game. Changes won't affect the level you already reached for a certain skill.

 

1. Strength - When performing a melee attack, a high strength level improves your chances to hit your opponent.

2. Intelligence - Your initial intelligence affects your initial searching skill level (see the last skill)

3. Dexterity - When an opponent performs an attack against you, your dexterity level improves your chances to avoid being hit. (equipping an armor, and a shield further improves your chances to dodge the attack)

4. Toughness - Your initial toughness affects the initial hit-points you get, toughness also helps you to survive hunger for a bit longer (e.g. until you hopefully find more food).

5. Mana - Your initial mana affects your initial searching skill level, whenever your mana level exceeds the mana requirements for a spell in the game, you automatically learn that spell. (you can also learn spells by finding, and reading scrolls)

6. Hitpoints - These are the maximum number of hits you can take before it is game over... Your hit-points can be restored by consuming potions (red), or by executing the heal spell on yourself.

7. Magical Power - When casting a spell, a certain amount of power points are consumed. If you have less power than the requirements of the spell, you cannot cast that spell. Your magical power can be re-filled by consuming elixirs (blue)

8. To-Hit Bonus - This skill directly increases your chances to hit your target (also see skill 1)

9. To-Damage Bonus - This skill adds additional additional points to the damage your equipped weapon causes to your opponent.

10. Searching - When you destroy a destructible object, or push-pull a rock for the first time, you may find an item. Your searching skill increases your chance of finding an item in such cases. This skill also affects the amount of gold, food, and the level of certain items you find.

Edited December 1, 2020 by phoboz

[agradeneu]

3 hours ago, phoboz said:

I might as well describe the rules of the game. In principle, you don't need to know them to play the game. However, you can archive better results by knowing them. I also want to write them down, before I forget myself

 

What you see below is the training menu.

The first column shows the skill name, the second shows the required experience points to reach the next level, and the final column shows the current level. The yellow stars you see next to the skill name tells the game that this is a skill you want to improve (e.g. your gained experience points are distributed to advancing the skills you have marked with a star) You may put several stars on one skill, and you have up to 3 stars to distribute. You can change your training settings at any time during the game. Changes won't affect the level you already reached for a certain skill.

 

1. Strength - When performing a melee attack, a high strength level improves your chances to hit your opponent.

2. Intelligence - Your initial intelligence affects your initial searching skill level (see the last skill)

3. Dexterity - When an opponent performs an attack against you, your dexterity level improves your chances to avoid being hit. (equipping an armor, and a shield further improves your chances to dodge the attack)

4. Toughness - Your initial toughness affects the initial hit-points you get, toughness also helps you to survive hunger for a bit longer (e.g. until you hopefully find more food).

5. Mana - Your initial mana affects your initial searching skill level, whenever your mana level exceeds the mana requirements for a spell in the game, you automatically learn that spell. (you can also learn spells by finding, and reading scrolls)

6. Hitpoints - These are the maximum number of hits you can take before it is game over... Your hit-points can be restored by consuming potions (red), or by executing the heal spell on yourself.

7. Magical Power - When casting a spell, a certain amount of power points are consumed. If you have less power than the requirements of the spell, you cannot cast that spell. Your magical power can be re-filled by consuming elixirs (blue)

8. To-Hit Bonus - This skill directly increases your chances to hit your target (also see skill 1)

9. To-Damage Bonus - This skill adds additional additional points to the damage your equipped weapon causes to your opponent.

10. Searching - When you destroy a destructible object, or push-pull a rock for the first time, you may find an item. Your searching skill increases your chance of finding an item in such cases. This skill also affects the amount of gold, food, and the level of certain items you find.

Yes its working nice!  The game could be something, filling a huge gap in the Jags library. I'm happy that finally someone is doing this.

[phoboz]

A longer video of Kings of Edom, so you get to see a little bit more of the game-play.

I got lucky this time and got a quite strong character from the beginning.

Enjoy:

 

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by phoboz

[joeatari1]

This is looking great @phoboz!  I love the music and sound effects.  Sorry if I missed it before, but will this have a game save feature?  Will it be via password or chip?  Day one purchase for me.  Thanks!

[+CyranoJ]

I might suggest having a mix of ambient sounds or putting a longer delay between the repeat, or an option to turn them off, or they are going to get very annoying very quickly. 

[Machine]

1 hour ago, CyranoJ said:

I might suggest having a mix of ambient sounds or putting a longer delay between the repeat, or an option to turn them off, or they are going to get very annoying very quickly. 

 

Yeah the ambient sounds are neat, but they need a much longer delay so it does not get "old".

[The Helper]

I love the game so far but don't see any fire in it like torches or campfire.  It also it would be a nice touch if you had weather and night and day effects.

[phoboz]

Thank you for all the suggestions on what to further add/change.

I will look into these, and see if it fits into the game.

Currently there is no save feature, it would not make sense just save a snap-shoot of the progress, as all is lost when you die (e.g. it is a rouge-like so you have permadeath)

But I will save something to chip, in order to keep the player motivated to go back for another round...

(maybe not to go as far as they did in "Dead Cells", but I will think about something in that direction)

Edited December 8, 2020 by phoboz

[+CyranoJ]

1 hour ago, phoboz said:

Thank you for all the suggestions on what to further add/change.

I will look into these, and see if it fits into the game.

Currently there is no save feature, it would not make sense just save a snap-shoot of the progress, as all is lost when you die (e.g. it is a rouge-like so you have permadeath)

But I will save something to chip, in order to keep the player motivated to go back for another round...

(maybe not to go as far as they did in "Dead Cells", but I will think about something in that direction)

Maybe:

Longest time alive
Shortest time alive

Most X collected
 

[phoboz]

11 hours ago, Chris Brockman said:

I love the game so far but don't see any fire in it like torches or campfire.

Torches...like this?

(completely random placement)

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by phoboz

[phoboz]

7 hours ago, CyranoJ said:

Maybe:

Longest time alive
Shortest time alive

Most X collected
 

I implemented a rouge-lite element (non rouge-like), that when you die, your remaining gold is stored to chip (EEPROM).

The next time, when starting a new game, the new player "inherits from his father" some of the remaining gold.

This you only get to do one time, so after the inheritance is done, the gold is reset back to zero in the EEPROM.

This potentially gives the player motivation to play "just one more game", if previously collecting a lot of gold, but didn't manage to spend it before dying.

[phoboz]

I have finally come up with the idea what the objective of the game should be.

There are 11 "super rare" crowns in the game, which you may (or may not) find during a game round, if you are lucky, and depending on how far you get in the game that time. When you find a crown, it will be saved to chip (so it's remembered even if you turn your Jaguar off)

 

After you have played the game a LOT of times, you might be so lucky that you eventually find all the eleven crowns of the former kings of Edom. Then you should head for the pentagram at the entrance, and initiate the ritual to evoke the 11 kings of Edom.

 

 

These are the 11 kings of Edom:

Timna

Alva

Jetet

Oholibama (this one should be familiar to some of you )

Ela

Pinon

Kenas

Teman

Mibsar

Magdiel

Iram

 

[Shaggy the Atarian]

I really like that idea, gives it replay value. Not sure if I've played a rogue-like that has something like that before (granted, most I've played are from the 80s/90s)

[JagChris]

2 hours ago, phoboz said:

I have finally come up with the idea what the objective of the game should be.

There are 11 "super rare" crowns in the game, which you may (or may not) find during a game round, if you are lucky, and depending on how far you get in the game that time. When you find a crown, it will be saved to chip (so it's remembered even if you turn your Jaguar off)

 

After you have played the game a LOT of times, you might be so lucky that you eventually find all the eleven crowns of the former kings of Edom. Then you should head for the pentagram at the entrance, and initiate the ritual to evoke the 11 kings of Edom.

 

 

These are the 11 kings of Edom:

Timna

Alva

Jetet

Oholibama (this one should be familiar to some of you )

Ela

Pinon

Kenas

Teman

Mibsar

Magdiel

Iram

 

This is what I'm talking about. This is where we get to explore the creators imagation. 

 

BTW I love how the sound and everything is turning out

[phoboz]

8 hours ago, Shaggy the Atarian said:

I really like that idea, gives it replay value. Not sure if I've played a rogue-like that has something like that before (granted, most I've played are from the 80s/90s)

The first time I saw things that are preserved after permadeath (e.g. between game runs) were in Dead Cells. It gives a very good replay value, that you actually can farm progress by playing the game multiple times. I don't know how many runs I did of that game, but it was crazy.

 

6 hours ago, JagChris said:

This is what I'm talking about. This is where we get to explore the creators imagation. 

Yes this is now turning out to be a mix of rouge-like and traditional RPG (were you can farm things that are preserved permanently, and to have some story elements)

 

[Mikebloke]

Definitely like the idea of cross-play through gameplay! Sounds very cool. 

 

Will there be a 'wipe' feature for new playthroughs? 

 

Also, is areas 'endless'? A lot of these games have a set number of floors (was it 25 on fatal labyrinth? 40 on azure dreams) which is fine for story gameplay - but an endless mode (or extended) with increasingly difficult monsters is always fun for increasing replay ability. 

[Hyper_Eye]

14 hours ago, phoboz said:

The first time I saw things that are preserved after permadeath (e.g. between game runs) were in Dead Cells. It gives a very good replay value, that you actually can farm progress by playing the game multiple times. I don't know how many runs I did of that game, but it was crazy.

Have you ever played Rogue Legacy? In that game you can spend currency between games to improve some persistent character attributes (each run is with a different character with unique traits... death is permanent), make different pieces of gear available, purchase said gear for the next run, purchase spells for the next run, and you can choose to spend a certain amount of currency to have the previous game generated again (lock the castle). Before you start the next run you have to hand the remainder of your currency over to the doorman so you go back to 0. I'm not suggesting that you do any of this but it's pretty cool and could provide some inspiration.

 

You are making great progress on this. It looks fantastic!

Edited December 10, 2020 by Hyper_Eye