task oriented
hey there little buddy
After more than a few of days marinating, I want to put together a top 3 features list for a level editor for WLDiG. This will be an important part of the loop; these little 2D levels will live in paintings that the player hangs in the 3D world, and provide them a bit of ownership over the space. Keep in mind that I already have a small-but-working prototype for what it looks like to have 3D worlds with 2D worlds within them (that can record themselves and loop back!).
Alrighty, so thoughts:
- Not fully customisable: I really like the idea of this being a journey towards mastery of an art form, and the game mechanics reflecting this. I imagine that in the first instance, there is fully procedural 2D level geometry and the player can place one thing in it; a little muse. From there, once they get enough inspiration points (INSP) they can customise reward placements, amounts, and types.
- Looping: This is a big part of the idle-esque nature of the game. I like the analogy of your previous artistic work providing you with inspiration for future works.
- Dioramic: I really like the idea of making the looping, customisable worlds look like little dioramas a la Paper Mario. Cute, and opens up the idea of some future gameplay branches.
Okay, so nothing too crazy right? Just a custom editor, that produces levels with objects that loopback, and looks like one of the more beloved Nintendo franchises. Easy. 🥲
feature lifts
Here I'm just going to brainstorm a list of stuff for myself for when I get back home:
diorama/levels
- First and foremost: make an example to see how hard it will be to achieve the effect I want.
- Tie level orientation slightly to player movement. Like a very subtle Monkey Ball, but not actually affecting movement.
- Paper-y/inky/watercoloury art style achievable with shaders? Maybe ask Lou how/to put basic shapes together.
editor
- Level geometry remains procedural generated tilemaps (for now).
- Player has 'points' to spend on objects.
- Objects are resources, challenges (enemies), and features that cost varying and generally increasing points.
- Retain ability to adjust geometry after initial procedural generation. This may be a feature later.
painting loop
- From conversations with Luke: can the activity be a loop? Do something and return to the start? Splashing ink around the painting world?
- As above, could it be a (weird) analogy to the creation of the painting. Player chooses an image and has to 'paint' it during the level loop. If it's complete, it is added to the gallery and can be looped by visitors (or you). If it isn't completed, the player has to clean the unfinished painting and prepare it for another try.
- Could really get stuck into decals/paint stuff with 2D. Objects could be things that are activated to spray ink, enemies could be placed to explode and paint things randomly, but more efficiently (and also risk killing the player).
gallery loop
- Players create frames and mix inks to prepare pictures for creation within the painting loop.
- Raw materials for frames/inks are collected by the player in a separate area (currently the boomer shooter).
- Once a painting is completed, the player can place it on a wall for viewing.
- While being viewed (literally, being looked at), the painting comes alive and the player sees their previous run being looped, providing INSP in some smaller quantity.
- Players can sit and view, or phantom visitors will also do so, in smaller quantity again depending on how many crowd around (which is in itself dependent on upgrades).
lorem notesum (miscellany)
- Aim of level is to optimise an exploration run; the more objects are placed, the more complicated the requirements become to 'complete' the painting level.
- Only completing the run finishes the painting and allows it to loop. Otherwise you get a one-off and have to re-make the painting. This introduces a pseudo-wager idea.
- As players unlock more INSP upgrades or use one-time items, they can alter the level geometry in minor ways to help make it easier, but never be in full control. This mirrors the idea I have of the player being on an artistic journey, where the practise is never guaranteed.
- For the level, I think tilemaps are going to be okay to start with, but there is an idea germinating in my head that I may want them to be Fez-able as a plot point.
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