Monday, November 11, 2013

My idea for a Roguelike game: SWERVE-QUEST!

Okay, bear with me. I was thinking about the Rogue game today. If you don't know, it's a simple computer game from the 1980's that has been modded and redone a billion times or so. Why look, here's a Wikipedia entry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_(video_game)

So think D&D style, turn-based with strategy involving weapons and magic spells, upgradable hit points, and letters in the alphabet to signify enemies.

ANYWAY, I thought, what if the main character were SWERVE from More Than Meets The Eye?

What if it were up to him to save the day?

I don't know programming so I don't know where to start. I did see a "how to code a roguelike game" page so I know there's info out there...but it's not as easy as just copying the code and replacing "dragon" with "Seacon" or something like that. And I'd reduce the number of items (like curing potions with various types of Energon) and cut out things like magic.

So I wrote down some ideas. Loose plot, who the enemies are, what kinds of weapons, things like that. It's all after the jump here; there are More Than Meets The Eye SPOILERS even though I take liberties with how things happen for this game idea.



adventure game with Swerve.

Setting: Swerve is on the Lost Light and needs to go from level to level to find stuff
to fix his bar to Blaster's comm room. On each level Swerve must first find/rescue an ally
ally will give Swerve location in level for item needed to open exit (to next level).

Item's will fix Blaster's interstellar comm unit, so that Swerve can contact his best friend, Blurr.

Enemies:
nanomites (light)
turbofoxes (light)
Rabid Turbofoxes (medium, hunt you)
sparkeaters (hard, hunt you: 1st boss)
Legistlators (hard, hunt you)
Deluxe Insecticons (medium, hunt you)
Lockdown (hard: 2nd boss
Ammonites (medium: defeat one, breaks up into six smaller enemies)
Terrorcons (medium)
Seacons (medium)
Overlord (light, boss: once shot with Binary Gun, has empty mind and then amnesia.)

Allies:
Rung (turns into melee weapon)
Whirl (gives Swerve bad advice, Shoomer weapon)
Tailgate
Brainstorm (gives Swerve My First Blaster)
Ultra Magnus (lends Atomizer's crossbow to Swerve, takes it back)
Cyclonus
Pipes
Trailcutter (gives Swerve shield power)
Skids (gives Swerve Binary gun)
Blaster

Weapons:
Rung (transformes into a club, very powerful, can only be used a certain amount of times, returns to robot form)
Rivet Gun
"Shoomer" weapon (deadly but takes away Swerve's HP with every use)
Crossbow
Ennui Gun
Binary Gun (has no effect on enemies except Overlord at end)
My First Blaster

Items:
Energon (for energy!)
various types of Engex 
Berzerker Buttons
Narrative bomb (causes enemy to stop fighting)
5 or so macguffin pieces to bring back to Blaster

That's right, Swerve is on a QUEST to help Blaster fix his interstellar comm unit, by finding a half dozen or so pieces Blaster needs. Swerve goes from level to level, and can't advance until he meets with one of his allies to reveal the location of the piece on that level, and occasionally they will give him a new weapon Swerve can cycle through and arm himself with (or use only once!). He'll start out with the nanobots that had infested Ultra Magnus, and then then there will be loose turbofoxes on the ship, some of which are rabid and more aggressive, ending the level with a Sparkeater between himself and the exit to the next level...

Standing between the last piece is OVERLORD, who chases Swerve back through the levels until Swerve sees Skids and grabs the 'binary gun' and shoots it at Overlord, because why not? And the gun shoots a blank, and this means something only if you've read MTMTE, and Overlord stops chasing Swerve.

The final bit is Swerve recounting his adventure to Blurr on the comm unit, only to find that the number he has for Blurr doesn't work.

Some weapons will work way better than others. Rung, for instance, would turn into a powerful club, but after a few turns he turns back into Rung's robot form. My First Blaster would do a lot of damage if it hits, but would miss most of the time. Things like that.

So I'd have to learn C or C++ or Python or something like that. Or have someone explain to me the Rogue source code online and the changes I'd have to make (# of levels, switching names of monsters in Rogue to names of Decepticons, removing traps and spells and renaming items, things like that).

And I'd have to do it. Because it's not like I have a billion other things I'm supposed to be doing. Only a million.

Anyway, what do you think?

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