The Dink Network

It's not a DMOD, but a new develpoment file I'm working on atm. It's far from being finished (I just started on it yesterday), so I'll be keeping a log of what I've done and perhaps what needs to be done.

Planned Features:
-Up to 3 vs 3 battle
-Sample classes (generic healer, magician, warrior..)
-Multiple battle environments
-Sample spells/skills
-Sample items (potions mainly, possibly stat boosters)
-Sample enemy types (touchers, hitters, magic users..)
-Sample party members joining and leaving party throught story

Possible Future Features
(Acually me brainstorming.. Holding these off as to not get overwhelmed..)
-Possible summon/pet example
-Additional Party members that are "on the bench" that can be swapped into play.
-Throwing knives.
-More traditional rpg inventory/menu for using skills outside of battle
-Elemental weaknesses/advantages
-Multiple status effects/cures

Log:
*Layout of player/enemy placement has been decided.. players party on the right, enemies on the left
*Choice menu mapped out (although I may end up using a more traditional custom menu)
*Successfully scripted pillbugs attacking. Will use this for generic touch damage monsters.
*Coded gameover and victory scenario
*Moving now uses move_stop() in place of the buggy targeting. Works a lot better.
*Temporary healthbars added
*Bonca (generic hitting attacker) is virtually done. Distance is now done
*Movement system for touchers and attackers is completed
*Targeting complete for the player
*Successful simple battle using only attack vs selected enemy
*Player movement for basic attack completed.
*Escaping is successful.
*Brought the back players/enemies forward a bit.
*Stat recording done (also added a little healing script)
*Defend option works now and increases defense (1.5x)
*Simple mana using spell working. Player moves forward and casts a hurt spell.
*Life and mana bars added to the stat bar

Currently working on..
++Sample spell
+Buffs
+Healing items

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Screenshots:

(1)Choose your target

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Videos:

(1)Very early demonstration -

A couple of the basics, attack/run away options working. Turns are preset (yet to add a speed factor).
That's about all that's going on in this vid.

Are you familiar with the files that already did that? Someone's "Red Shield" had a turn based battle system, as did one of Christiaan's dmods. Then there's "Battlesys" by theprophet.

Good luck with this project, honestly looking forward to how it turns out

Don't be too influenced by already existing systems like the one you're building, put your own vision into practice^^

I am aware, but it's something I've always wanted to take a crack at

Plus I'm planning on making it semi-user friendly and adding an installation file. So maybe it'll do some good when it all comes together.

I always thought a battle system like Chrono Trigger's would be pretty cool in Dink.

It actually sounds heaps cool - like, it sounds like there's heaps of potential in it

The critical thing I learnt from my turn-based battle system is that turn-based is inherently extremely boring. Seriously. It really just can't get any more dull.

You can see that Square/soft/enix goes to massive lengths to ADD things to make the battle system interesting.. it is those things that make it bearable without pulling out your eyes.

Of course, one thing was the music.

The early (i.e. NES/SNES) went with the cutesy stuff. In Chrono Trigger there is constant cute animation.

The later stuff was less cute but more spectacular (taking advantage of 3D). And then there's those ridiculously lengthy and extravagant summons...

The complexities (elements, magic etc.) make it a little more interesting.

I'm not trying to be discouraging but hoping you understand this point, that turn-based is painfully dull and Square (and others) go to extreme lengths to disguise this fact.

This is not to suggest that turn-based is bad, but that you will need to go to lengths to add music, complexities, be concerned with the visuals, maybe add more sound effects etc. because those superficial details are actually what makes turn-based fun.

I have to agree that turn based can be boring. Even though I still get a kick out of playing Dragon Warrior on the NES, when it comes down to it, that game is boring.. One character, one type of damage, ect.. it's just lacking.

I think the problem with most turn based games (and a lot of other games) is the lack of strategy and logical challenge. Selecting attack everytime and using a potion when your life is low is not very exciting.. But by adding in some of the additional elements such as different classes and skills that excell in specific situations, and other things along those lines makes the game more complicated, and thus less boring because you're constantly creating new strategies and changing them as you progress. I'll do what I can to capture this.

I'm trying to keep most sounds/enemies the same and push them as far as I can, but I'm not bringing in anything new along those lines..(keep in mind this is a skeleton of sort for other people to use) I am definitely hoping to bring some of the strategical elements into play though.

This certainly sounds like a great idea, maybe you can create an entire battle-hud sort of status screen for combat situations to go with it and everything, or have help to do that part.

Another thing about turn based games was when Final Fantasy introduced an ATB system where your characters had individual wait times depending on some stat, and could be attacked twice by an enemy that was a lot faster than them. This greatly increased the challenges in a Turn-based game when said "turns" were modified in this way.

I also think there was a turn-based battle in CC2, but I'll have to replay that to confirm it.

Battle for Wesnoth is a good turn based game. Except its kind of boring waiting for the other teams to finish their turn. If you haven't already you might want to check it out to get ideas.
Should be good to see how it turns out.

Oooh...sounds great. i have always loved turn based...

Another idea would be to do some kind of turn-based, tactical combat system where you would move your party across the battlefield and utilized different attacks and positions to outmaneuver and defeat the enemy.

Chess-like?

That's starting to sound more like a "tactical RPG". (games like the Shining Force, Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy Tactics)

If someone made a dmod with a decent TRPG system, that would be pretty neat.

Recently changed the positions of the players/enemies slightly..

Old
New

Should I stick with the new, or go back to the old? Or should I make more changes?

Btw this is the current target selection (axe indicates target- will change later). And also, the health bars are temporary. Heck, just pretty much assume everything in the shots are temporary

Is that bonca holding a picaxe..?!

Would you prefer him to hold a pitchfork?

Old. It looks more roomy

Interested to see how this'll turn out

Out of those 2 screenshots I prefer the old version, it's less cramped (like schnapper said).

Also... a bonca with an axe tied to its tail could be fun - whirlwind attack!

Well I quit on this for a long time, but I'm back to work on it for the time being.
Just a tiny little bump with a couple things added.

This won't be like that pathetic mockery of this kind of system as appeared in CC2, will it?

Ahahahaha.

Someone missed the point entirely.

It's nice to see you're working on this again, Rabid.