Castle Paradox

Ssalamanderr · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:28 pm Post subject: Split Personalities

Ok, I wasn't really sure where to put this. It could probably go in announcements, OHR general discussion, story time, or here.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/ssalamanderr/3787.html?mode=reply

Basically I'm starting a new project. The main character has multiple personalities and innate magical abilities. Whichever personality you choose to be dominant at the time (represented by an equippable item) changes how you fight as well as how you interact with NPCs.

How it effects battles is as follows: The character has four spell lists (one for each personality) each of which has spells based on a certain stat (one based on attack, one on dodge, etc). The equippable item that represents the dominant personality gives a huge boost to one stat, making those spells much more powerful (it may also reduce the other three stats). That's basically it. I'll probably also have the item change the character's battle graphics (same character design, but different poses to represent how the personality feels about fighting).

So, today I wrote up some basic personalities I might use. They are:

1. Base Stat: Attack
Personality: Reckless, headstrong, selfish, impulsive
Philosophy: The best defence is a good offence; if you want something, you must take action!
Spells: High damage, some may cost HP, beserk effects, revenge effects...

2. Base Stat: Defence
Personality: Withdrawn, cautious
Philosophy: Don't leave yourself vulnerable, look before you leap, slow but sure, don't take risks.
Spells: Healing, defensive, lower enemy attack...

3. Base Stat: Magic
Personality: manipulative, thirsty for knowledge
Philosophy: Confusion is the best weapon, knowledge is power, always know the odds.
Spells: manipulates enemy stats, status effects...

4. Base Stat: Dodge
Personality: Easygoing, trusting,
Philosophy: live and let live, don't worry about it, fight like an empty jacket, don't look for something, let it come to you.
Spells: Dodging and jumping, no delay, multiple attacks...

I still think these could use some more definition though, and I'm having trouble coming up with more than a few interesting attacks for each. Please comment/suggest/criticize/whatever.
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Fernurion · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 7:03 pm Post subject:

this Belongs on the plotscripting board I think. Anyway...

The easiest way you could do this is to have several items that change personaity on use. To do this, create an item that shows a textbox that has a script attached to it. this script shoulld do the following things:

-Remove all equiped items
-check to see if the level of each personality is the same. If not, it should fix this
-swap heroes.

This will mean cloning the same hero several times, but it will make it easier to give it different spell lists, apperance, ect. Also, the player would have to re-equip all the characters items. This could be a good thing if different personalities benefit from different equipment. I can't give an example of the script right now but I will make an example if you want.

Did you get any of that? I hope that helps

Edit: Fixed incredible goof up at start. sorry.

The Drizzle · **Who is the Drizzle?** Joined: 12 Nov 2003 Posts: 432

Game Design Discussion:

Ssalamanderr · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:16 pm Post subject: My posts keep getting longer....

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

Fernurion: I considered making each personality a different character, but my idea was that while the dominant personality is the most powerful, you can still use the other's abilities. This is mainly so I can avoid tons of plotscripting, but also because I want my battle system to be less generic. Basically one personality is dominant at any certain time, and the others can only watch, occasionally exerting a little bit of influence.

The Drizzle: Yeah, its been used before. I hoped the magic and possesion parts would make it more interesting. At least its not "THE CHOSEN ONE" right?

Voluntary switching... its true that in reality people dont' really have control of switching but it makes for more interesting gameplay. I still need to work on the actual characters, but I think they'll have a common goal, if differing ideas about how to achieve it. Maybe in stressful situations I'll have sort of a mini game where you have to "fight for control." That'd be interesting before boss battles and things where you want a certain personality, but the others think they can handle it better.

The reason there are 4 personalities is because there are only 4 spell lists. I also don't want to make a zillion characters, I want to be able to finish this. As for adding differences between personalities, thats the main reason I posted here. I want the spell lists to have different specialties (1 has attack spells, 2 has healing spells, 3 has enemy stat manipulation, 4 has self stat manipulation) but other than that I'm not really sure what to do.

Once again thank you both for the input. I want to plan this game out fully so it doesn't end in frustrated failure like my last project did.
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Moogle1 · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:22 pm Post subject:

Ferny, was your keyboard broken for that post or something? O_O

Anyway, it sounds like a good concept, though it'd really only be somewhere to start from, not something you'd want to base the entire game around. Too many amateur games think too small. Professional RPGs almost always have something unique like this in their battle system, but the game is not centered around it.
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Ssalamanderr · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:28 pm Post subject:

I am stalking this thread as I have nothing better to do right now.

Yeah, I really only have a very skecthy outline of the game as of now. I was actually planning on making this fairly short, as I think I was overambitious with my last project (non-linear story, different battle mechanic for each character, huge world) and I think that is what ultimately killed it. That or not enough planning. Perhaps I should combine this idea with one of my other battle systems from that game (multiple weapons would seem the most likely candidate).
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Gizmog1 · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:15 pm Post subject:

The game sounds a bit like Capcom's upcoming Killer Seven, which is excellent, because that game sounds and looks pretty neat, and so this could prove to be just as neat. Why, however, have multiple personalities, instead of multiple people? If there's no reason, and just because, okay, it could be a good game. But, if there's a reason, you could probably have a lot of fun exploring the whole theme of multiple personalities, and two-faced people, in various villains, places, and even weapons. Really looking forward to this, and wishing you all the luck in the world.

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YEah, Killer 7 really looks promising....
The only game I played with split personalities is Clock TOwer 2.... Oookay...

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Ssalamanderr · Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 2:51 pm Post subject:

Forgot about Killer 7, I guess this does kinda sound like that. Looks like that will be a cool game.

That's a good idea Gizmog, I should have more stuff relating to the theme. I actually have a boss battle with two identical enemies that revive each other if you don't kill them at the same time. That could work. This game is gonna be wierd.

I had a few more ideas for the personalities on the way back from school. Unique out of battle abilities! These are just ideas for now, I'm going to need to do some balancing. I'm also going to post what I want the battle pictures to look like for each personality.

The character's body is going to look kinda wasted (he's going crazy!). I think he'll be a knife fighter as he's more of a mage than a warrior. He'll probably have armor made of seperate plates of metal strapped together (kind of like Geddoe from Suikoden 3). I find it hard to explain stuff like this.

Base Stat: Attack
Ability: Not sure for this one. This guy is more about brute strength and instinct. Maybe the ability to push around boxes to solve puzzles? That sounds kinda boring though.
Battle Graphics: Very confident, possibly charging forward, knives held out in front...
Colour: I'm considering colour coding these guys until I have names for all of them. The most obvious colour for this one is red.

Base Stat: Defence
Ability: I have no idea. This ones all about caution and thinking. I can't think of anything right now.
Battle graphics: "don't touch me" One arm out in front as if to ward of attacks, but knife held at the ready. I might give this one a shield (probably a magic one, the others don't want to lug one around).
Colour: Green

Base Stat: Magic
Ability: This is the stealthy, secretive guy. Either he'll be able to hide from wandering enemies or he has a chance to assassinate an enemy before battle starts (should be possible with lots of formations and before battle scripts).
Battle Graphics: Crouched low, knives held back, ready to strike. More annoyed than afraid.
Colour: Blue

Base Stat: Dodge
Ability: Probably will be able to run faster than other characters to escape wandering enemies.
Battle Graphics: Unworried, leaning back slightly barely watching enemies (facing the player), knives at sides.
Colour: Yellow

Of course this is only if I decide to use knives, which isn't 100%.
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Septimus · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 9:04 am Post subject:

split personality sounds really good man, especially with the different magic abilities for each personality.
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chris98 · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 9:24 am Post subject:

reminds me of Identity where *SPOILERS*

All the people at the motel are simply alternate personalities of a mental patient, and the little boy is the evil one who kills all the others. On a side note I love the final scene in the car:

*In patients head*
*Only surviving good personality weeds her imaginary garden. Turns around to see evil personality*
Evil Personality: Whores don't deserve a second chance. * Guts good P. with rake
* Back in Car*
Patient while evil P. is gaining control (During the scene above):
Whores don't deserve a second chance... *Garrotes driver who is also his psychaiatrist. Car crashes.*
(/Movie Spoilers)

rpgspotKahn · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 11:02 am Post subject:

I'd say that the movie "Secret Window" fits this game perfectly. A writer who gets hung up in his mind about two characters and lives his life in two personality's (Without acctually knowing it)... Cool movie.
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no_shot · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 4:35 am Post subject:

I think Fight Club was a lot like that, too.
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Tsunamidog · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:47 am Post subject:

Yeah, I also think in "The Shining", Jack Torrance had a split personality if you look at it a certain way.
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