sixxgunner81 wrote:Chilly Willy wrote:sixxgunner81 wrote:
I'd probably have anti-bullying groups protesting outside our office
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Sounds a little like a game I worked on for the Atari 8-bit a LOOOOOONG time ago called Happy Birthday! It featured "Little Timmy" running around the house, eating slices of cake to regain health, while avoiding bullies (who gave noogies and wet willies) and Granny kisses, which sapped your strength. I never got past that point as I couldn't think of a goal beyond simply staying "alive". There were presents that had items to help deal with bullies and grannies, but I couldn't think of anything as a "boss" for levels. So it was just the above repeated over, and over, and over, and over... The only thing that changed was the layout for the house (one screen with floors, a little like non-scrolling platform games).
You know, that actually sounds really cool! Atari 2600 is written in 6502, is it not?
If we can come up with a good idea for a "goal" - any interest in selling that to me?
Atari 400 in 6502. It's been 30 years since I worked on it, so I'm sure I can do a better job on it now than the original.
I'm a firm believer in "ideas cannot be owned", so if you think you think you can do something with the idea, feel free. If you want me to work on it on a different platform, I suppose we could work something out.
I've given it a little thought... amazing how much more I can do these things now than 30 years ago... how about this:
Each level is a birthday, starting at six years old. Each level adds a candle (never had that idea myself, but it's a good one), and another present. The goal is to gather all the presents and then blow out the candles. The cake with the candles is guarded by the boss - Granny. Getting too close can result in Granny kisses, which sap your will-power. Candy, cake, and ice cream (scattered around the house) raise your will-power.
Guests come in two varieties: friends, who hold the presents you must collect, and non-friends invited by your parents because they're idiots, who want to give you wet-willies and noogies and birthday spankings. That forces you to approach characters, but you have to be careful as they might not be friends. You can hold off non-friends by approaching adults or distracting them for a short time with cake or ice cream.
Once you collect all the presents, you can blow out the candles, and once you do that, the party is over and you progress to next year. If you lose all your will-power, you have to retry the party from the start. Each year adds another present and candle to blow out, and you get stronger/faster each year.
If you want a non-violent version of the game, I suggest that non-friends instead drag you to Granny for kisses. That makes the game totally non-violent. Maybe make it an option in the game that can be selected depending on the age of the person playing.
You could make the level somewhat timed by having the candles burn down. You have until the candles go out on their own to blow them out. Maybe make the presents unlimited, and they count as your score for the level. So you spend as much time as you can get away with collecting presents before you blow out the candles.
I also think this style should really only go to 15 or 16. At that point, you're becoming a little old for that kind of party. Maybe switch to a new gameplay at that point... perhaps make the game extensible, with this new gameplay being the first extension of the game.
That's my current idea on the game... ideas are easy. That's the problem with patents on ideas (as most are these days) and writers who sue over anything remotely similar to their story. It's the EXPRESSION that's hard... the solution to the problem that is patented, the actual novel that is copyrighted... and the game itself - the artwork, sounds, music, and the code that drives the game. You can own those things, not an idea. Which is why it's funny when companies sue over copies of their game, and then lose. As long as they don't use the same artwork, sounds, music, or code, the courts have always upheld this fundamental truth - ideas can't be stolen as they can't be owned.