To see the text contained within this blog posting, feel free to select the text with your cursor. Be warned, it contains spoilers for a potential unlockable after you beat the game.
After you beat the game, I was thinking about adding a hard mode starring Mario. Not only would the enemies and the damage they do to you increase, but Mario is unable to use the Poltergust and use of the flashlight will be severely limited with fewer batteries and item boxes to get it from after Mario has taken a hit and lost it. The bosses, puzzles, and portrait ghosts will have to be modified or removed since Mario can't use the vacuum.
The story behind this is similar to Luigi's. Mario is pushing to escape from the maze. It is an alternate story that answers what if? Perhaps to assist Mario on the way with some mechanics, E. Gadd might offer FLUDD. I wonder what effects the elemental ghosts will have on it?
Course the main focus for Mario is to keep moving. In many ways he is helpless against the ghosts with so little battery power. This really will be for a veteran of the game who's gotten to know the layout of the Labyrinth. It'll definitely take some skill to get out alive.
For those of you who aren't peeking, I can tell you that I am currently working on the flashlight. Aiming and equipping it are in order, but I still need to work on ghost AI, stuns, and battery power before moving on to designing the first level of the demo. I am shooting for this year's NCFC with a well polished demo featuring the first portion of the game (subject to change at any time).
Press Paws is a blog about my game development projects and gaming in general. Stay tuned for more information!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Enemies
The Ghosts
The ghosts want revenge against Luigi and will do just about anything to get it. Ghosts are not affected by Luigi's jump, usually are startled with your flashlight, and will succumb to the Poltergust. . Because of this they will steal them from you at any given opportunity. They yield Eekto Matter as a reward based on their HP.
Common Ghosts
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001. Golden Horror
The Golden Horror haunts Luigi throughout the maze. Because it is weak, it often attacks in groups.
Flashlight reaction: Stunned, Hide
Vacuum resistance: weak
HP/Eekto Matter Value (to be reffered to as EMV for the rest of the document): 5
Animations: Idle, Scare, Startled, Laugh, Vacuum Resist, Sucked into Vacuum
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002. Purple Puncher
The Purple Puncher solves its problems with its fists. It doesn't give a @%$!. Damn specter, you scary.
Flashlight reaction: Stunned, Hide
Vacuum resistance: weak
HP/EMV: 10
Animations: Idle, Scare, Startled, Laugh, Resist, Punch, Sucked
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003. Grabber
The Grabber will never give you up, let you down, turn around and desert you. In fact, it will try to squeeze the life out of you. Try jumping to shake it off.
Flashlight reaction: Stunned, Hide
Vacuum resistance: weak
HP/EMV: 10
Animations: Idle, Scare, Startled, Laugh, Resist, Hold, Squeeze, Sucked
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004. Skinless Bones
Skinless Bones jump out of bone piles, bringing them to life. These skinny skeletons will throw bones at Luigi until you deal with them. They will also thwack him if you get too close.
Flashlight reaction: Stunned, Hide
Vaccuum resistance: weak
HP/EMV: 20
Animations: Idle, Scare, Startled, Resist, Throw, Thwack, Sucked
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005. Spark
The Spark float aimlessly until they explode. This blast will harm Luigi. If Luigi sucks a spark into his vacuum or runs into one, it will explode instantly as well.
Flashlight reaction: none
Vacuum resistance: none
HP/EMV: none
Animations: Idle, Explode
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006. Purple Bomber
The Purple Bomber appears from the ceiling, dropping bombs on Luigi from above.
Flashlight reaction: Stunned, Hide
Vacuum resistance: weak
HP/EMV: 5
Animations: Idle, Scare, Startled, Resist, Drop, Sucked
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007. Blue Mouse and Purple Mouse
These mice wander aimlessly and will damage Luigi if they run into him. The Purple Mouse will climb walls and ceilings, unlike its blue counterpart. They are pushovers, simple vacuum them up and be done with it.
Flashlight reaction: none
Vacuum resistance: none
HP/EMV: none
Animations: Walking, Poof
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008. Purple Bat
The Purple Bat clings to ceilings, waiting for Luigi to pass by. They swoop down at him when he is near.
Flashlight reaction: none
Vacuum resistance: none
HP/EMV: none
Animations: Idle, Swoop, Poof
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Unique Ghosts
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P001: Neville and Lydia
Neville and Lydia guard their baby's room. Neville throws books at Luigi as he approaches as Lydia hides behind him. Using your vacuum, catch a book. Getting behind them, shoot the book at Lydia. With her startled, she is vulnerable. Suck her up quickly as Neville will be angrily tossing books. When Lydia has been captured, he breaks down sobbing and is vulnerable.
Flashlight reaction: none
Vacuum resistance: moderate
HP/EMV: Lydia - 25 Neville - 25
Animations: Neville- Idle, Scare, Throw, Angry, Sobbing, Resist, Sucked
Lydia- Hide, Startled, Resist, Sucked
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B001: Chauncey
The temper tantrum throwing crybaby has returned. With his ghostly rattle, he throws various objects in his room at Luigi. Occassionally Chauncey will grow and bounce around the room as well. Luigi may use those balls he's throwing against him. Using the opportunity to vacuum the cranky fellow.
Flashlight reaction: none
Vacuum resistance: strong
HP/EMV: 100
Animations: Idle, Startled, Scare, Rattle, Throw, Resist, Grow and Shrink, Bounce, Sucked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Enemies
These enemies are native to the Mushroom Kingdom, but the ghosts have meddled with and changed them somehow. These enemies are not affected by the flashlight or Poltergust. Luigi's jump should take care of them in most cases.
Common Enemies
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
001: Possessed Goomba
This Goomba has been possessed by a ghost. Stomping the ghost out seem like the most practical solution. Beware however, the Goomba bounces off its head at you rather than its usual simple pattern.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
002: Haunted Koopa Troopa
The Koopa is being chased by its own shell and is running towards Luigi. Without its shell, the Koopa is easily taken care of. However, if you simply stomp its ghostly shell, the Koopa will just keep running and won't do you any harm. The shell itself floats through the air towards you but will be usable once you stomp the ghost out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ghosts want revenge against Luigi and will do just about anything to get it. Ghosts are not affected by Luigi's jump, usually are startled with your flashlight, and will succumb to the Poltergust. . Because of this they will steal them from you at any given opportunity. They yield Eekto Matter as a reward based on their HP.
Common Ghosts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
001. Golden Horror
The Golden Horror haunts Luigi throughout the maze. Because it is weak, it often attacks in groups.
Flashlight reaction: Stunned, Hide
Vacuum resistance: weak
HP/Eekto Matter Value (to be reffered to as EMV for the rest of the document): 5
Animations: Idle, Scare, Startled, Laugh, Vacuum Resist, Sucked into Vacuum
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
002. Purple Puncher
The Purple Puncher solves its problems with its fists. It doesn't give a @%$!. Damn specter, you scary.
Flashlight reaction: Stunned, Hide
Vacuum resistance: weak
HP/EMV: 10
Animations: Idle, Scare, Startled, Laugh, Resist, Punch, Sucked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
003. Grabber
The Grabber will never give you up, let you down, turn around and desert you. In fact, it will try to squeeze the life out of you. Try jumping to shake it off.
Flashlight reaction: Stunned, Hide
Vacuum resistance: weak
HP/EMV: 10
Animations: Idle, Scare, Startled, Laugh, Resist, Hold, Squeeze, Sucked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
004. Skinless Bones
Skinless Bones jump out of bone piles, bringing them to life. These skinny skeletons will throw bones at Luigi until you deal with them. They will also thwack him if you get too close.
Flashlight reaction: Stunned, Hide
Vaccuum resistance: weak
HP/EMV: 20
Animations: Idle, Scare, Startled, Resist, Throw, Thwack, Sucked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
005. Spark
The Spark float aimlessly until they explode. This blast will harm Luigi. If Luigi sucks a spark into his vacuum or runs into one, it will explode instantly as well.
Flashlight reaction: none
Vacuum resistance: none
HP/EMV: none
Animations: Idle, Explode
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
006. Purple Bomber
The Purple Bomber appears from the ceiling, dropping bombs on Luigi from above.
Flashlight reaction: Stunned, Hide
Vacuum resistance: weak
HP/EMV: 5
Animations: Idle, Scare, Startled, Resist, Drop, Sucked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
007. Blue Mouse and Purple Mouse
These mice wander aimlessly and will damage Luigi if they run into him. The Purple Mouse will climb walls and ceilings, unlike its blue counterpart. They are pushovers, simple vacuum them up and be done with it.
Flashlight reaction: none
Vacuum resistance: none
HP/EMV: none
Animations: Walking, Poof
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
008. Purple Bat
The Purple Bat clings to ceilings, waiting for Luigi to pass by. They swoop down at him when he is near.
Flashlight reaction: none
Vacuum resistance: none
HP/EMV: none
Animations: Idle, Swoop, Poof
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unique Ghosts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P001: Neville and Lydia
Neville and Lydia guard their baby's room. Neville throws books at Luigi as he approaches as Lydia hides behind him. Using your vacuum, catch a book. Getting behind them, shoot the book at Lydia. With her startled, she is vulnerable. Suck her up quickly as Neville will be angrily tossing books. When Lydia has been captured, he breaks down sobbing and is vulnerable.
Flashlight reaction: none
Vacuum resistance: moderate
HP/EMV: Lydia - 25 Neville - 25
Animations: Neville- Idle, Scare, Throw, Angry, Sobbing, Resist, Sucked
Lydia- Hide, Startled, Resist, Sucked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B001: Chauncey
The temper tantrum throwing crybaby has returned. With his ghostly rattle, he throws various objects in his room at Luigi. Occassionally Chauncey will grow and bounce around the room as well. Luigi may use those balls he's throwing against him. Using the opportunity to vacuum the cranky fellow.
Flashlight reaction: none
Vacuum resistance: strong
HP/EMV: 100
Animations: Idle, Startled, Scare, Rattle, Throw, Resist, Grow and Shrink, Bounce, Sucked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Enemies
These enemies are native to the Mushroom Kingdom, but the ghosts have meddled with and changed them somehow. These enemies are not affected by the flashlight or Poltergust. Luigi's jump should take care of them in most cases.
Common Enemies
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
001: Possessed Goomba
This Goomba has been possessed by a ghost. Stomping the ghost out seem like the most practical solution. Beware however, the Goomba bounces off its head at you rather than its usual simple pattern.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
002: Haunted Koopa Troopa
The Koopa is being chased by its own shell and is running towards Luigi. Without its shell, the Koopa is easily taken care of. However, if you simply stomp its ghostly shell, the Koopa will just keep running and won't do you any harm. The shell itself floats through the air towards you but will be usable once you stomp the ghost out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Demo To Do List
This To Do list reflects what is needed for the first demo to be released at NCFC this year.
A. Game Play Engine
All of this is subject to recurring improvement and bug testing.
1.Basic movement such as walking and jumping is currently in place.
2. Additional controls such as using the flashlight and vacuum are in place but in need of drastic improvement.
3. Health and "powerup" systems need to be implemented.
4. Battery Power needs to be implemented. Eekto Matter will not be used meaningfully in this demo.
5. Enemy AI. See the Enemies document for specific details.
6. Pipe section engine is in place.
B. Level Design
See the Level document (also not yet written) for specifics on level design. Implement Luigi's Pipe Panic for pipe sections. Two pipe sections are currently complete.
C. Graphics and Presentation
Many graphics will be placeholder graphics for this demo. The graphical style is yet to be determined.
1. Luigi sprite is needed. Animations needed will be listed in the Luigi document when it is written.
2. Flashlight and Poltergust sprites are also needed.
3. Special effects such as the vacuum swirl from the poltergust and the light from the flashlight are needed.
4. Level tiles and backgrounds are needed. See Level document for more info.
5. Various enemy sprites and their effects are needed. A lot of concept art will be needed for enemy design and animations needed will be listed in the Enemies document.
6. HUD graphics such as battery power, eekto matter, coin count, score, lives, etc. are needed.
7. Graphics and engine are needed for menus such as the title screen and the 2DS Thriller screen.
8. Graphics for text dialogue is needed. Storyboard drawing(s) will be placeholder for the intro cutscene/animation.
9. Finish writing the dialogue for this demo. A decent portion of it is in place at the moment.
D. Music and Sound Effects
Both music and sound effects will be used from online resources such as vgmusic.com and mfgg.net. All individual sources for them to be listed in the Credits document.
A. Game Play Engine
All of this is subject to recurring improvement and bug testing.
1.Basic movement such as walking and jumping is currently in place.
2. Additional controls such as using the flashlight and vacuum are in place but in need of drastic improvement.
3. Health and "powerup" systems need to be implemented.
4. Battery Power needs to be implemented. Eekto Matter will not be used meaningfully in this demo.
5. Enemy AI. See the Enemies document for specific details.
6. Pipe section engine is in place.
B. Level Design
See the Level document (also not yet written) for specifics on level design. Implement Luigi's Pipe Panic for pipe sections. Two pipe sections are currently complete.
C. Graphics and Presentation
Many graphics will be placeholder graphics for this demo. The graphical style is yet to be determined.
1. Luigi sprite is needed. Animations needed will be listed in the Luigi document when it is written.
2. Flashlight and Poltergust sprites are also needed.
3. Special effects such as the vacuum swirl from the poltergust and the light from the flashlight are needed.
4. Level tiles and backgrounds are needed. See Level document for more info.
5. Various enemy sprites and their effects are needed. A lot of concept art will be needed for enemy design and animations needed will be listed in the Enemies document.
6. HUD graphics such as battery power, eekto matter, coin count, score, lives, etc. are needed.
7. Graphics and engine are needed for menus such as the title screen and the 2DS Thriller screen.
8. Graphics for text dialogue is needed. Storyboard drawing(s) will be placeholder for the intro cutscene/animation.
9. Finish writing the dialogue for this demo. A decent portion of it is in place at the moment.
D. Music and Sound Effects
Both music and sound effects will be used from online resources such as vgmusic.com and mfgg.net. All individual sources for them to be listed in the Credits document.
Storyboard and Dialogue So Far
1. Prologue
[Luigi awakens underground, surrounded in the darkness by plumbing and confused about how he got there. He doesn't remember anything and while looking around is startled by a ghost, he runs screaming deeper for a pipe nearby.]
<Cue introductory room. Classic level design from Super Mario Bros. 1 (World 1-2) with added ghost chase. Attempting to take the shortcut earns Luigi a 1up. The pipe leads to the same room as the one below, however.>
[Luigi stops to catch his breath and feels his 2DS Thriller, given to him by Professor E. Gadd, vibrating as a familiar song plays. Luigi answers it.]
E. Gadd: Well, well, well, thought I'd lost you. The 2DS Thriller gets horrible reception down there. You appear to be in quite a lot of trouble, Luigi. Someone or something broke into my lab, no small feat mind you, and made a mess of things. You probably know well by now that the ghosts have been released once more. Yes, even King Boo and his minions are gone. I'd wager that they were behind your kidnapping. After vengeance, I'd assume. Don't worry, my boy, I will provide you assistance.
As for where you are now, you appear to be in a separate dimension, a giant maze crafted for your defeat by the spooks. Unfortunately I can do little for you until you find a stronger signal. Watch the signal bars on your screen for signal strength. For now, you must utilize your flashlight and use it to startle the ghosts. It will buy you some time. The flashlight has limited battery power, so you must use it wisely. If you run across any coins, I have modified your flashlight to use them to recharge. All of my inventions are environmentally friendly, after all!
I'd bet that the ghosts will take your flashlight from you and leave you vulnerable if you aren't careful, so stay sharp!
[E. Gadd signs off and Luigi puts the 2DS away.]
2. Signal Get
[E. Gadd is buzzing Luigi on the 2DS.]
E. Gadd: Luigi! You did it! The signal is strong enough for me to send you the Poltergust 3000! Set the 2DS on the ground and back up!
[Luigi sets the 2DS on the ground and backs away. A fanfare plays and the a portal is opened from it, bringing with it the Poltergust 3000. But it is caught in midair by ghosts and carried off. Luigi picks up the 2DS.]
E. Gadd: Oh dear! They remember the machine, you should have been quicker on your feet! Oh well... I'm sure you'll be able to find it if you open the item boxes. When you do you should remember how to use it, it's like riding a bike! There has been an upgrade though! My research indicates that these ghosts are made up of Eekto Matter, so I've modified the machine to harvest it from captured ghosts. I'd like for you to collect some and send it back to me for investigation.
[E. Gadd signs off and Luigi puts the 2DS away.]
Luigi's Pipe Panic
This was created for the minigame competition at MFGG.net and I'm liking it a lot. Been considering adding this in the form of pipe travel between sections of the maze.
In Luigi's Pipe Panic, you must escape the pipe and move on. Unable to jump, you must utilize powerups to avoid obstacles. In this demo, the haunted arrows (Upsie and Downsie) will allow you to switch between walking on the bottom and top of the pipe. This allows you to maneuver around the bones which will kill you when you touch them. Simply press up and down when you are near them. Be careful of hitting those spikes when you switch gravity. In level two, you'll find one that allows you to repeatedly shift gravity either as defense or to get more coins. Watch out for that boo! Even though it is shy when you are looking at it (and it's in range), it may catch you off guard.
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/947xlwht31kth0k/LPPDemo02142012.zip?dl=1
I think that I shall use each Minigame Competition to advance my progress in some ways such as this. Course, it will only be elements created during the time of the competition, but still.
The Items
Luigi begins with the flashlight. It is his only defense against ghosts at the start of the game. By pointing your flashlight at a ghost, it will startle the ghost and scare it back into the darkness momentarily. Use this as your opportunity to clear the room's puzzle and escape. The flashlight uses battery power.
Poltergust 3000
Later in the game, by finding a stronger signal for the Gameboy Horror, E. Gadd will transport the Poltergust 3000 to you. However, ghosts immediately sense the danger and snatch it up to hide it in an item box somewhere. When you retrieve the Poltergust 3000, you may suck them up and store them to unlock doors with specific amounts of Eekto Matter. With the Poltergust 3000, you may also interact with various objects in the environment. Elemental upgrades allowing you to tackle new puzzles and ghosts will be available later in the game.
The 2DS Thriller allows you to get hints from E. Gadd. It also allows you to send and receive items from E. Gadd in rooms where the signal is strong enough. Finally it may be used to check various statistics and allows you to see the various ghosts you've captured in the Photo Album. The game is paused while you are using the 2DS Thriller, so no worries! Take your time! Hints may cost battery power if used excessively.
Battery Power
Battery power powers up your powerful flashlight and 2DS Thriller, allowing you to continue using them by collecting coins to recharge it. All E. Gadd equipment is "environmentally friendly, turning those coins into abundant energy, yatoyato ooh ooh". Still, when you don't need your flashlight, it is not a bad idea to turn it off and save the energy. Don't overuse the hints, either!
Eekto Matter
Eekto Matter is obtained by vacuuming ghosts. It can be used to unlock doors, power spooky contraptions, and persuade suspicious ghosts to do your bidding. E. Gadd may also reward you for sending him samples to examine. Don't be 'fraid of no ghost, because you're gonna want to suck em up.
Health and "Powerups?"
Luigi's health is similar to the system in Luigi's Mansion, however there is a twist on it. If you are equipped with your flashlight and Poltergust 3000 and are attacked successfully by a ghost it will carry the item off instead of damaging you. The following priority is in place when a ghost attacks:
1. Poltergust 3000 2. Flashlight 3. Health
You will have to find the stolen items in an item box to get them back or pay a certain ghost to bring them to you. It eats Eekto Matter and will progressively increase the amount needed the more you use its services. When you require its services, you will have to find a telephone, they are fairly common. It has other services that will be discussed later. Anyway, during some ghost encounters (such as bosses), a few item boxes will be available to you in the room to retrieve them quickly so that you are not left defenseless and trapped.
This "powerup"/health system shall keep things interesting and discourage players from taking damage. Losing the Poltergust 3000 and flashlight can make things quite a bit hairier for Luigi.
The Idea Behind
Prologue
Luigi wakes up underground, confused about how he got there. There is no time to worry about it as he is soon chased deeper into the underground by ghosts.
While searching for a way out he remembers the 2DS Thriller and uses it to contact Professor E. Gadd. E. Gadd explains that Luigi appears to be trapped in a giant maze crafted by "supernatural forces". Even worse, this maze is in a dimension separate from their own and he is unable to aid Luigi at the moment. E. Gadd tasks Luigi with finding a better signal (shown with bars on the HUD) so that he may transport "suitable equipment" to him. So Luigi proceeds further into the maze...
The Idea
Each level is filled with ghosts, other enemies, puzzles, with multiple exits that take the player further into the giant maze. As each level is connected with multiple paths, finding the right path to the goal can prove challenging. To assist with this either an on screen map or a pause screen map will be provided, highlighting the areas you have already visited.
While scanning the map, the player may figure out the proper path but will find that they are unable to progress without collecting a specific item such as a key. It goes without saying that careful exploration is key and that the hints provided by Professor E. Gadd will keep Luigi going. If the player encounters an area of note that he or she will have to come back to later, a marker can be placed on the map with a custom note as a reminder.
With ghosts on his trail, Luigi will at first come equipped only with his basic walking, running and jumping moves but will later acquire the Poltergust from the Professor, allowing him to clean up their act. Until then, Luigi will have to resort to evasive maneuvers and light puzzles to fend off the ghosts.
Behind the Idea
Luigi's Mansion is one of my favorite games of all time, so I've always wanted to do a fangame with similar mechanics to it while still adding my unique spin onto it. I'm hoping that although this game is likely to be a 2D platformer, I can still bring the atmosphere from Luigi's Mansion to life.
Following Development and the Purpose of this Blog
I will regularly update this blog with progress, issues, screenshots, and demos as they are available.
Giving myself adequate time for this project, and shooting for Halloween 2015 as a potential release date. At this moment, just getting my thoughts together on what I want this game to be.
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