For the progress, I'm just starting to pick up Java since last night... never really had the motivation or a real reason to before.
But, in light of my profession, and the fact that I want to make a Zoids MMO as well, I decided to start learning it.
I do plan on working on Zoids first though, at least until I get some more people interested in this, and a couple people to help with some matters.
One of the matters I want to address, is people to chat with about it on Skype or something, to brainstorm ideas, such as what you were talking about with how to get morphs, exc. Something this big, designing a complete system, isn't really a process one or two people can do, even if doing full-time.
But in short, there's many concepts I have for how to have it work.
Since I'm looking at having it browser based, I do have a few "templets" I'm considering to use...
My top thought so far, is a Mafia Wars or Dawn of the Dragons style, where you get certain morphs from certain quests.
You use energy (recharges with time) to do quests, missions, battles, exc.
The different missions have different strengths and weaknesses, such as one is done at dark, and to be more successful, you must have and use a morph to see in the dark, to get better rewards, or naturally be a race that has better dark vision... so Hork-Bajir would get fewer rewards on the quest to obtain a panther morph, and less likely to obtain the morph, as let's say human, who can see better in the dark.
Andalites, however, may have better chance at scouting in the forest (4 eyes), almost as much as a flying bird... meaning less used stamina to morph.
But this type of system heavily depends on other people to help design the variable arrangement of levels.
So, I'd either give them a "templet" to fill out a few of, where they just fill in the blanks, something like
Code: Select all
if (player.property = "[this type]") {rewards +x%;}
if exists (this.obtainable.morph)
{if (player.property= "[this type]"){this.chance = +x%} }
So, instead of being so reliant "equips", you have "states", including morphs.
For the example above, let's say you're doing a quest to fine a Yeerk Ship at night:
If you use owls, you may be able to find it much easier, and get something.
But if you use a wolf, you may be able to have a "random encounter" with a panther in the woods.
If you do, you lose health trying to run away. But you have to run or fight it.
If you subdue it without killing it, you can reverse your morph to absorb it's DNA.
However, to complete the mission and still get the rewards, you have to have enough stamina left to morph back.
Then, it wouldn't take more ENERGY to finish the quest, but if you fail the mission, you may lose something.
In short, if you're short on stamina, always take the safe route.
The help I'd need, it making/organizing graphics, filling in blanks like in the code above I send, and naming the missions, and other such stuff.
It wouldn't be under production right away of course, because I still need to study more Java, and plan to start the Zoids project first...
After all, that system's already wires, and I just have to reprogram it, not figure out what to do to balance things better.
With enough interest though, I may start working on Animorphs after I create a simple version of Zoids on my site.
I was planning on making Zoids more tactics-based, where you could actually move one square a turn (GBA game, you're there for the battle),
and to create a larger field, more squares. With enough hits on my site coming for Animorphs, messages about it, and posts here,
I'd likely put that second part on the back burner, if I already had people message me that they're willing to help.
So, if you're interested in helping, please let me know if:
You're at least slightly exposed to programming, to know how to edit things like above.
Are good with photoshop or other image-editing software.
Are good with making and editing music/beats.
Have played many platform and RPG games, enough to understand "balanced system design".
I'm already re-working my site some, to reflect the potential changes...
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