#41. Resources in JRPG

So I've been busy, especially after I was hired. It's just an intern, but it's still a job, yesno? Anyway, hired or not, I'm still a delusional daydreamer I used to be (and I don't think this will ever change) so here's another bullshit I've got to share with you. If you're there, that is.

One thing I really hated about JRPG as much I liked is the resource system, your typical, good ol' MP (Magic Point) system. The idea can't be simpler than this: You have a limited points which you use to use your skills. You regain a number of spent points with certain items or a good night's sleep or so. The reason I hate this catch-all system is that it somewhat limits the potentiall of all characters and skills, especially when you are running a long dungeon run. Chances are, you will preserve everyone's MP as much as you could, clinging on relatively weak default attacks (which often require no MP spend) until you face the boss, where you spend every single point of MP upon it. This may sound fair, but the frustration of MP starvation kinda gets in my nerve.

I recently play more of real-time videogames and tabletop roleplaying games, especially Heroes of the Storm and Dungeons and Dragons, and both games gave me some good ideas to improve my favorite videogame genre. I'm drawing inspiration from other games such as League of Legends, which I used to play as well few years ago. So here are some ideas on the "re-take" of JRPG resource system:

The problem of conventional MP system is, you don't get much chance to replenish it, and all characters share a single trigger for it. It's easier to develop and build, yes, but strategy-wise, it's getting rather old, and it somewhat makes characters identical, which is one of the reason JRPG is dying these days. So my re-take would focus on giving more opportunities to regain spent MP.

Rage. Barbarians from Diablo III (and Sonya from Heroes of the Storm), Fighters from World of Warcraft, and some champions from League of Legends use this particular resources. Basically, you regain a small number of rage every time you hit someone or you are hit by someone, but your rage will start depleting if you spend too much time being peaceful. This greatly increases the combat stamina because you don't need to stay out of battle waiting for your mana to replenish, but you will have to risk yourself by keep fighting for this stamina. This will work great with a decent fighter-type character, who won't need to recharge his/her "magical energy" to swing a sword, and will sustain oneself longer in the prolonged battle compared to squishy wizards.

Skill Momentum. It's not much of a "replenishing" than "saving", but this still counts. Basically, if you're going to spend a number of MP every time you use a skill, you'll get some "refund" by regaining a relatively smaller number of MP every time you do so. This will make a good skill spammer-type character, whose shtick is not relying on a single strong blow, but a weaker skill jabs that will keep enemies occupied.

Quick Rest. This attempt has been increased a lot these days, but I'll write this anyway. You have an extra skill that spends no MP and replenishes a large chunk of spent MP when used, at a cost of one full turn. In order to avoid abusing issues, this skill may have a limited number of uses per combat. This will work well with nuker-style characters, who will unleash a killing blow at one go and must stay low while he/she "reloads" the magical capability.

Choose Your Own Resources. This is a new take on "one character, one resources" type. Your character can choose which type of resources he/she will use during downtime. This means that a fighter can use Skill Momentum-type resource to utilize skill-based bruising or Quick Rest-type resource for one, big hit, a wizard can use Rage-type resources for battle mage-type brawling, and so forth. Since some type of skills work too well with some type of resources, maybe some skills will have reduced effect when used on a certain type of resources. The fastest idea I can have is that Skill Momentum resource will greatly reduce the effect of all skills, keeping up the spamming gimmick.

So that's it for now. I'm having some sleep deprivation these days, what with interns and all. Gotta put on my clown mask and rob a bank or two. End transmission.

#40. Real Time Tactics Idea

While I'm at it, here is an idea that kept circulating 'round my brain for some time:

So I wasn't a big fan of real-time strategy genre, mostly because my brain and fingers are not fast enough for that genre. (One of the reason I still enjoy Age of Empires II is because its pace is slow enough for me.) Then I was introduced with turn-based tactics genre, which is basically RTS minus all the buildings and tech tree stuffs. That sounded fun, but unfortunately there were not many games for it. So I decided, hey, maybe I can come up with some idea. So the brainstorming is something like this:

- I liked how Team Fortress 2, Overwatch, and Heroes of the Storm focused on mission objectives rather than mindless killfest. Yes, you have to eliminate your enemies during your missions, but in most cases, they are not the key point to your victory. You have to either secure a certain location or object, or activate some features on the map to push your way through victory. I think it's time for RTT and RTS genre to adopt this.

- Since RTT genre skips base building procedures, resources are pretty much obsolete. However, I still think resources could be useful in two ways: (a) it could be used as a mission objective (as in: "Collect 200 resources and deliver 'em to the center of the map") and (b) it could be used for some in-game upgrades, which grants flexibility for strategy. The traditional resource gathering mechanics is good, yes, but I think there could be more variations in resources as well. Maybe resources can be provided like Health Packs in FPS games.

- I think I can make good uses from some MOBA features, especially brush. Basically a brush is an environmental feature than conceals units from outer detection. In RTS genre, this is not very useful because you're controlling many units at a time. In RTT genre, however, this could be utilized as an important strategical feature.

- You have to configure loadouts for your squad at waiting room, just like you do in Team Fortress 2 and Dirty Bomb. First you choose your faction, then your "Commander" or "HQ" feature that determines the specific strategy for your units from your faction. I've come up with some sample factions and HQ features, heavily benchmarked from Starcraft and Warcraft series:

• Tribes: Local aliens of the planet. Average units, both in quality and quantity. Is the only faction that can use resources to build constructions for protection, sightkeeping, and defense.
• Builder: Focuses on turtling. More variety and upgrades for buildings.
• Hunter: Focuses on guerilla tactics. Faster and longer-ranged units, gains access to a type of building that enables fast unit transportation.

• Broods: Another local aliens of the planet. Horde units, very weak but immense in quantity. Has a "queen" that is greatly stronger than the rest of the units. Queen can use resources to create "minions", but you can only control a limited number of minions at a time.
• Broodmother: Focuses on even more hordes. Utilizes "nanny" that creates and maintains additional minions.
• Matriarch: Focuses on stronger units. More upgrades for minions and the queen, especially the queen.

• Visitors: A human expedition that has come to an alien planet for "frontier" purpose. Elite units, very powerful but small in quantity (4 or 5, at maximum). Comes with a spaceship that can slowly move across the map to provide additional sight, but cannot attack. Can use resources to call upon additional support from spaceship, either additional personnel or other supplies.
• Explorer: Focuses on scout and securing objects. Faster units, faster spaceship.
• Conquerer: Focuses on combat. Even stronger units, spaceship is slower but provides wider sight.

Well, that's it for now. End transmission.

#39. Videoludo en Esperanto

Saluton! Mi estas Ŭierdo, kaj mi amas videoludo! (Mi bedaŭras, sed mia Esperanto ne estas tre bona...)

So yeah, the moment I've heard of Esperanto I was fascinated at the very idea of it. Universal language! For world peace! No irregular verbs! It was this close before it finally become the universal language! (Curse you, World War II.) I already speak three languages, and I'm having a hard time learning the fourth (as I proved myself with French), but for Esperanto, I think I could push myself further than I would normally do.

What I find very frustrating is, however, that there are not much entertainments in Esperanto to enjoy. From my experience, the fastest and easiest way to learn a language is by enjoying anything on that particular language. When I started learning Japanese when back in my early teenager life, I found great help from all those otaku materials I could get my hands on. (I use to say this a lot, but if you can speak English and Japanese, you're pretty much speaking Latin in geekdom.) But I find so little things, let alone entertainment materials, ever written or spoken in Esperanto. Not only this makes it harder for me to learn and use Esperanto, this also gives me less motivations for learning it, apart from my passion on it. I mean, why learn a language when you can hardly use it in real life?

That's why, ever since back in my military service life, I was thinking of a way to make something entertaining, something interesting, in Esperanto. And since I am a helpless videogame nut, I would definitely like to see a videogame in Esperanto. So here is my idea:

- I'm not a big fan of so-called "edutainment" games, since there are not many good examples that appealed to both learners (mostly younger players) and hardcore videogame fans. I was and still is a big fan of Age of Empires II, I learned half of what I know (and misunderstood, for that matter) of Medieval Ages from it, but I didn't even try to learn English from it. The point is, you don't exactly have to aim for learning languages in videogames. All you need to do is make it fun enough, then videogamers would voluntarily learn the language (or hyping for translation, but still).

- Dr. L. L. Zamenhof (also known as "D-ro Esperanto") had a clear vision when he created Esperanto: World peace through language. I greatly support his ideas, and want Esperanto to be the language that could deliver that particular message. I mean, Incubus (Inkubo) was already enough to give us false idea on Esperanto, I don't want anything like that.

- Here is an idea that I came up with when I first thought about making an Esperanto videogame. So there was this show called RESTOL Special Rescue Squad, which was otherwise your typical mecha-based anime... Except that in this show, the eponymous squad works for rescue missions, instead of typical combat missions. Now I'm not a big fan of mecha genre in general, but I was fascinated at the idea that uses rescue missions and keep things entertaining. The message was nicely delivered, and I thought it would make an awesome feat with Esperanto's vision. I made a quick brainstorming via Google Docs here, so if you're interested in my idea, please check it out.

Apparently I wasn't alone with this idea: I found more than enough articles that share the similar, and even the very same, thought with myself. A Kinja article that suggests Esperanto as the official language for videogame, a Reddit post that suggests videogame in Esperanto, and even a videogame developer that supports Esperanto. I hope, as a new Esperantisto (pun intended), that this dream comes true. End transmission.

#38. How Can We Eat? Why Do We Eat? Where Shall We Have Lunch?

...Preferably not in the dungeon, actually. (Sorry, Douglas Adams, mayyourestinpeace.)

So I watched this awesome video on Nico Nico Douga, which explains and analyzes the variations of food system in various videogames. As a zealous videogamer and a tabletop roleplayer currently running a D&D5e campaign, the title alone grabbed my attention. And boy, this guy shows his (or her) works! Triggered by this awesome works, I decided to do my own analysis some usages of food in videogames.


a) Food for survival. When it comes to these games, you never live to eat, but definitely eat to live. You are given a "Hunger" status, which decreases as your adventure unfolds. When Hunger strikes zero you either starve to death at the exact point, or you may continue, although this time your HP will decrease, or you suffer from serious stat debuffs. Popular through (but not exactly first introduced in) Ultima and Rouge, currently used in many roguelike RPGs and some of the western RPGs. A variation is introduced in earlier Shin Megami Tensei games, where Magnetite substitutes Hunger for same purpose.

b-1) Food for HP. One of the classic usage of foods in JRPGs, but this is actually new compared to the food for survival shtick above. The premise is damn simple - you eat, you replenish your HP. So commonly found in many JRPGs, you will have some trouble finding JRPGs not using this one.

b-2) Food for anything else but HP. A variation of food for HP shtick above, this variation provides various benefits in the shape of cuisine. Most common benefits are MP replenishment or stat boost. May or may not stack with food for HP shtick. World of Warcraft and other MMORPGs now adapt this, and it is also commonly seen in many newer JRPGs. Persona series, especially 3 and 4, is somewhat a boundary case, for there are food items that replenish HP and SP, but the amount is mediocre at best.

c) Food for character buildup. Subtle one, compared to the rest of the variations, but still one of the most prominent usage in videogames. In this case, food is used to describe the character, from how someone loves a certain type of gourmet (as in "Flint loves cheese!") to how someone is discussed in regards of food and cooking. Many JRPGs use full potential of this shtick, from MOTHER series (famous for the game asking the player the favorite food) to Tales series to Persona series (how Shinjiro is a master chef, and how you do not want some of your classmates in the kitchen) and so forth.


So basically, it is all just a summary for the video linked above. But still, this must be worth a simple research. I hope. End transmission.

#37. Having Some Hard Times

The good thing of having a blog is, you can whine and make fool of yourself as much as you please to. Getting too sentimental is something I always have wanted to avoid at all cost, but hey, even a delusional schizophrenic can have some hard time, right?

So already more than a year have passed since I was discharged from my service. That is good. I was not a devoted fan of something too organized to begin with. But the problem is, I have not been improved myself for the last year and a couple months. I am, as far as I can say, exactly what I used to be during my service or, now that I think of it, what I used to be before my service.

Now that is the problem. Because I am aware that I am stagnant, but cannot do shit about it. Something in my mind keeps bothering me whenever I get the vibe to make the better of myself. Coding? Unity? Blender? Pfft. I underestimated myself when I thought I am lazy. I am clearly despised of myself when I have to announce that I am now officially lethargic.

I have not read a single book for the last few months. I have not written even the shortest stories for the last few weeks. I have been slacking off for the last few days, even when I absolutely have things to do.

I am well aware that writing this post is only as good as making a big damn fool of myself in public. But I cannot stop. At least someone should know there is a pathetic whiner in the world.

So that is it. Nothing else. End transmission.

#36. Point-and-Click Ain't Dead

I've just scooped this post from the draft - it was abandoned for about a month or two. New year, new post. Better late than never. You know the drill.

Recently I played some point-and-click adventures, namely the Deponia trilogy (or quadrology, I haven't bought Deponia Doomsday yet) and an idea struck in my mind. You see, point-and-click adventure was one of the most mainstream genre in videogame industry in past few decades, but it was all downhill since then. I have heard of some of the classics, such as The Uninvited and Shadowgate (I bought the remake version on Steam, although I am far from done) and, as always, decided, hey, it's too soon to just call this genre dead. It has a very distinctive taste, and it is a waste of a genre to ignore it.

So I thought, what made people think point-and-click adventure games "outdated?" Take the examples of some of the masterpieces by LucasArts, for example: The Monkey Island franchise is a prime example of golden oldies, and Grim Fandango was a breakthrough, yes, but if you ever attempted to run through the whole game without a single glance of walkthrough, you will get what I say. The puzzles are so non-linear, so outrageously hilarious or hilariously outrageous, that a single look will let pretty much everyone confused or frustrated, or both. I mean, how would anyone get that in first go? Sure, it's a gem of the game, but videogamers were trained to get everything short and simple, while puzzles in point-and-click adventure genre remained non-linear and esoteric. It is a great shame for the genre, actually.

So here is what I suggest. If the game could get the puzzles linear enough, so that a single, blind run is rather challenging, but at least possible, it will make a big difference. The recent remake of Shadowgate was, I think, is a charming example of both preserving the original flavor of the genre and adding some of the new, sleek renovations.

Special mention goes to the Life system: In most point-and-click adventure games, there is no "game over" to speak of. There may or may not be some of the most challenges face your character, but in most cases, they would not brutally harm your character to the point that you cannot proceed further. Of course, some of the games are rather merciless - the (in)famous Scarlet O'Hara scene in The Uninvited, or stabbing yourself with anything in hand in Shadowgate, or even that one part that you can actually drown in The Secret of Monkey Island. I think it is best to implement this system, at least in "three strikes" version, to keep the player tense. You can always die in actions, shoot 'em ups, and even turn-based, so why not point-and-click?

I am always aware of the fact that everything is easier said than done. Really should make some things on my own, fast. End transmission.

#35. New Year... New Determination

Long time no post, skip the usual I was busy routine, the world knows that it's just me being a hopeless slacker. So the year 2016 is only a couple of hours left to go, at least in the part of the Earth where I live, and after that slim amount of time we all will be celebrating a whole new year of 2017. Yay, woo-hoo.

So I've been asking myself some not-so-philosophical questions these days: What the hell am I? What the hell could I do? No, seriously, this have been bugging me for the past few weeks like nothing ever in my comparatibly short life. I mean, I've got only a few years before I introduce myself as thirty-something; I'm now this close to graduation; all I have is three languages and no technical or even practical skills at all, not to mention zero social skills; and seriously, where do people these days even get a job? Know thyself, a good man once said, but hey, I've got no clue whatsoever on who or even what the hell am I. Apart from the fact that I am a total weirdo, that is.

What I want to say is, that I want to find out what I'm made of - I still believe that there are more than just chemical and biological stuffs in me, other than 70 percents of water, a dash of protein and vitamin, and so forth. I want to find out who I am, what I am, and therefore, what I am really supposed to do. If that means I should quit all delusions I had for the last few years, so be it. It's already 2017 - there are still plenty of room for me to change. It may be already too late for me, but you know the saying goes, better late than never.

So yeah. See you next year, I'll be there few hours early. (Unless you live somewhere east from where I am, herp derp.) End transmission.