Grimrock

I have some rather specific ideas about the top level that I'm very willing to collaborate on. Don't want to give away my room, especially since I'm not entirely sure I can actually create it, but open sky above would be nice in some areas.

@Flatline, sure... we can see what we can do, but having open sky far above for those who want to, on editor level 1, should not be too much of a problem.

In other news, ciccipicci now has the main file, good luck to him .

I have now started designing room 1 in current latest file as a side-track (I promise I won't mess up the merger this time). Some notes about it:
(as this will be the start of the whole dungeon)

- Player will start alone (1 character) in a prison cell
- It will be storydriven with choices
- there will be no combat and minimal puzzles
- during prison break player will unite with the others (rest of crew gets unlocked).


Anyway I'll do this in evenings and it will take a while, I will let Diarmuid know when it's done, so I can merge it with latest files at some point.

Hoy!

Don't wanna spoil much, so if you are not developing, don't read below. Could have sent this as a PM, but I also want others to see this and be able to tell what they think, as I am not sure what they think about the plot idea.

My room is also prison themed and lightly story-driven. It is number 15, pretty much in the middle of the dungeon. You might want to check it out as you develop the first room. If you want to have some connection between the two, feel free to create it, given you don't make drastic changes in my room. (changing the details of the notes or something like that would be fine)

Just wanted to post my opinion on the dungeon cell as the first room...

1. I like the idea overall. Think it's nice to start with a bit of an introduction (instead of just spawning in a corridor). In fact, the room itself can explain the need to find Spiral Keys all over the place to reach the top floor. Maybe you find your first key here, but it's very easy to find (so the player knows what he is searching for in the rest of the dungeon).

2. It's not clear from your post what the intention is. But I vote for the player being able to fully define their party. Then, at the game start you disable the other 3 characters and just re-enable them when you free them (as opposed to fixing the other characters in the dungeon).

JohnWordsworth wrote:2. It's not clear from your post what the intention is. But I vote for the player being able to fully define their party. Then, at the game start you disable the other 3 characters and just re-enable them when you free them (as opposed to fixing the other characters in the dungeon).

My thoughts exactly

I also understood it as

1. The player defines the whole party himself
2. 3 are disabled at the start
3. They are reenabled on room exit.

There was some concern that this would make the first room "mandatory", while all the others are potentially optional (you can choose which one to go, you need to do 3 out of 4). It can however work if we consider this as a kind of "starting point" rather than a formal room 1.

One way to do it (another JohnW idea) is to allow the party to escape the cell and go in the main dungeon without having found the swirl key (ie, room is not completed). The escape would be easier, while getting the key would require some more involvment, and with the whole party.

Or, as John pointed out, it could also be an "easier" first key that serves as a tutorial for the dungeon. Let's see what others think...

PS: Ciccipicci has completed his room!

Urrah!

Diarmuid wrote:I also understood it as

1. The player defines the whole party himself
2. 3 are disabled at the start
3. They are reenabled on room exit.

There was some concern that this would make the first room "mandatory", while all the others are potentially optional (you can choose which one to go, you need to do 3 out of 4). It can however work if we consider this as a kind of "starting point" rather than a formal room 1.

1,2,3. This was the plan.
I had not planned to include a swirl key into the room at all (room would be more like an introduction), however I can add a key as a "tutorial" when room is finished (I will not do additional puzzles to get swirl key, but I can add it into the escape story). And we can of course do the decision once my room is ready (if player starts there or not).

My room might be a perfect optional exit for the story.