#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So I thought, what made people think point-and-click adventure games "outdated?"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.

#34. Persona Fangame Idea As Promised

Yesterday I remember babbling on posting Persona fangame idea draft. Well, I am truly nothing if not for keeping my words and keeping myself delusional, so here it is.

Here is the Google Drive link on my version of Persona fangame idea. You may not edit this draft, I haven't prepared any copies for now, but I will appreciate any comments from you, or at least your interest on the subject. If you are interested in in my ideas, please let me know. As I said yesterday, it is always a good thing to know that I am not the only one.

So... that's it for now. Again, if you are interested in this, please, please let me know. End transmission.

#33. Long Time No Post... With Yet Another Draft

What the title says. It's been like, what, eight months since the last post, and unfortunately, I am far from becoming a more competent being I was hoping myself to be. I was rather busy with wasting my life on the internet, playing videogames and having a strong delusion of becoming a videogame developer one day and whatnot. Oh, and my final went haywire. Just like my life.

Angsting never helps. I know that. I just don't know any other ways to keep me running.


Fortunately, I am still thinking of a few ways of making an interesting videogames. You know, there was this draft I worked on back in my service (I had some time in my hand at the moment, just don't ask) and I happened to re-read it a few weeks ago. It was not as quite as it looked back then, but I say hey, a silly draft is better than no draft at all.

So this one was Persona fangame idea, quite typical now that I look back, but I had to admit, this is perhaps one of the best I can afford for now. I would like to post this one in a meantime, but here is the summary: You play as an ordinary high school student who just moved to a small city of Amagi, Japan, where you find the "dark side of the city" and a bunch of other students fighting agaisnt mysterious hordes of shadows themed after Zodiacs. Your persona, as well as the others', are based on constellations, and you will start with Polaris. If you happen to be interested in this one, please let me know. It is always a good thing to know that I am not the only one.


Really need to do whatever that is at least practical, I guess. Perhaps I should doodle with Blender? Well, that's it for now. End transmission.

#32. Write About Myself

Happy new year, anyone reading this post. It's 2nd, January 'round here, although I'm pretty sure some part of the Earth is still 1st by the time I write this thing.

You should be knowing this by now, but... I'm far from what I'm planning - or rather, daydreaming - to do. There's a saying "When stuck, write about yourself."[citation needed] So, hey, I'm more than stuck here, so that's what I'm going to do right now.

I tell you, it's not pretty.

I am a male human being with Asian appearance and most probably (and stereotypically) Asian virtues and mindset, whose age is currently sprinting toward the middle of twens. I am overweight, possibly obese, and my eyesights are only redeemed by a pair of spectacles. My strength is below average, but I'm pretty sure I have decent endurance and stamina - that makes me half a Fighter, only if I was on a character sheet and every actions I take with the slightest chances of failure was followed by a roll of d20.

Now that I think of it, I was always at the bottom of wherever I am, and I felt comfortable down there. I did things because I had to, or, I thought I had to. I see some things are there just because they have to be there, and some questions must be answered in certain ways just because they have to be that way. What I think of the subject matter is irrelevant, I have to do as it has to be. This is probably the best thing I can afford as my superego.

People around me says that life hits its zenith at twens. I say my life has hit one back in my teenager life, and at this very moment I am at best standing on a plateau. Sooner or later it will all fall, and I am wondering if there's anything I can do about it. Perhaps I am already falling down, but it's either too gentle to notice or too steep to feel at all. Perhaps I may have another chance to rise, but when?

My neural system runs on a specific chemical we are all familiar with - caffeine. I blame the night shifts back in my army days, but here's a tip, from a serious case of a caffeine addiction: Never drink down more than two canisters of energy drink a day. The heartbeat alone can drive you nuts, and don't get me started with shaky hands and insomnia.

I am as sexual and attractive as an empty file cabinet. Sometimes I confuse myself as an asexual, but I'm pretty sure I didn't hit on that girl thrice in a row just because I had a sudden urge to get ditched thrice in a row. I have a rather firm belief that I am not attractive, and if I ever get a chance of date it's either one of those not-wet dreams with a twisted sense of joke, or the date needs someone better than myself but fails to realize.

I speak, read and understand three different languages, and I translate some role-playing game materials for the hell of it. As Saitama would put it, I'm "just a guy who's a translator for fun." In fact, this is mostly what I've learned for the last twenty-something years, and as far as I see it, this is the only thing I'm better than anyone else around me. People know me see me as a walking dictionary, and treat me as such.

I have a secret passion of becoming a videogame developer. Nothing lures my heart like old 8-bit and 16-bit pixel graphics and chiptune soundtracks. Part of my imagination and inspiration comes from Japanese franchise like Digimon and Kamen Rider, another part comes from Dungeons & Dragons, mixed with Lovecraftian horror and served in a dish of old-school videogame. Oh, and here's a funny part: I cannot write a single code without reading one from a textbook, I cannot draw a same thing twice, and I cannot even play a single note out of anything instrumental. If I somehow make a videogame right now (perhaps I can bark with a text-to-speech device?) that will make me the most incompetent game developer the world have ever seen.

There's one thing I can do, and it is writing. I write, because it has no other way to find its way out of this neurotic brain of mine. Most of my writings have heads and tails, but no bodies, and I don't feel like filling the middle part. Some of my older writings still get me in the least expected, and make me get a time-machine, go back in the past, find my younger self in that time-line, and punch him in the face.

My arch-nemesis is my sloth, procrastination, self-hatred, and therefore, myself. When I look into a mirror I see a young, lazy, incompetent and whiny man, aging day by day, into an old, lazy, incompetent and whiny man. I have this disturbing feeling toward my own name, which is partly the reason I'm happy with this unfortunately lame alias. I see myself as it is, and couldn't find a better name to describe it.

This, so far, is a man I know as Weirdo Whoever.

Now that I finished writing on myself, I can see myself clearer. Please don't get started with self-esteem issues and all, I know I might be having one but still think I'm not working hard enough to deserve one. Better start with my good ol' Unity 3D lessons. End transmission.

#31. Stealth Game Idea (Based on the article by Yahtzee)

Guess what? I'm back, finally, from my service. Now I'm back to my ordinary daydreaming and time-wasting routine, so here we go:

Few weeks ago I found this article from The Escapist by none other than Yahtzee himself. Now, I'm not a big fan of stealth-based games if anyone asks, and my latest experience on sneaking in videogame was that curtain scene from Super Mario RPG. Still, the genre is quite attractive, and I'm quite sure I'm not the only one. So, hey, why not? Maybe I can come up with some neat ideas, based on Yahtzee's suggestions.


The cheapest way to stealth-based game plot seems to be something dirty and fishy, such as espionage and burglary, so I'll take some shortcuts. Imagine there's a team of not-so-law-abiding citizens whose lifestyle is literally based on someone else and unwitting, and give them the title of protagonists. We shall call them The Team.

Yahtzee suggested three types of non-lethal stealth characters: The Sneak, The Spy, and The Conman. The Team is composed of these three, and player should make good use of them. Well, duh. It's a videogame, what did you expect?

Here's the catch: You don't go directly to your target location to take stuffs, hack computers, and leave without a trace. The Job will be composed of Pre-Job, In-Job, and Post-Job, and every part should be taken seriously. In Pre-Job you pay visit to the site, either public or incognita, to locate your target and study the surrounding environment. You will make a map based on Pre-Job part experience, and this will keep you moving during In-Job part. The Spy and The Conman can just walk right into the building, look around, and walk out of the place, without getting any suspicions. If the target is in somewhere out of reach, or the target is protected with maximum security, The Sneak can jam laser traps or cut some wired in Pre-Job part for other teammates.

In-Job part is the main event, where you reach to your target. If the process involves crawling through air vents or moving through shadows, The Sneak will be your choice. If it is mainly taking some super-important intelligence and walking away, The Spy and The Conman can pull it up nicely.

So you snatched that diamond, uploaded that database to your Google Drive, but that doesn't make everything all clear. This is where Post-Job part comes to play. In this part of the game, your work is known, but your existence is not... yet. You expected no one would find it strange when a diamond that big is gone? Your objective in Post-Job part is to avoid suspicion, whether by putting a fake diamond in original's place or blaming someone else for network breach. This is the part where The Conman shines the most, as (s)he can convince the others more actively and effectively than the other two.

Okay, that's it for now. Special thanks to Yahtzee for his brilliant article that sparked my brainstorming. End transmission.

#30. Sudden Brainstorm: Turn-Based Strategy Game

Weirdo Whoever here, back for a long while. I'm still at my service (Gah!) but at least I'm almost always online, it's just my slacking nature that keep this blog more or less un-dead.

So I was doodling with (yes, again) Kriegspiel the other day, and came up with an idea that, if I get the hang of it, might be more interesting to someone else than myself. I'm a big fan of turn-based games in general (you should be knowing this by now) and I was always fascinated at how X-COM: Enemy Unknown pulled it nicely. Add that with Warhammer 40,000, Infinity Wars (fun fact: I must be the only one around here who knows this game), and for some reason Dungeon & Dragons, and the result is something like this:

- I chose the overall motif as Dice. I'm really into tabletop RPGs and board games, and want that spirit in this game.

- The map is made out of hexagonal tiles. Some tiles may have covers on their sides, some tiles may have heights, and some tiles may be left blank, which needs Flying ability to access.

- Players build their Rosters before the game, but they can improvise their armies before the main game begins. A Roster is consisted of Slots (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20, continuing the dice motif) on which the player places one type of Units or Abilities on each. You may abandon some slots if you find it unnecessary (e.g. you want your army more elite) and you may receive additional points for your choice. My current idea for slot-point system is something like this: You receive 10 points per slots, and you receive additional points equal to your maximum slots for each slots you abandon. (e.g. if you start with 12 slots, and you abandon 2 of them, you receive 24 points.)

- Units are, well, exactly what it is. Your army needs at least one type of Units. Units have stats, which defines them in many ways. Here are some ideas I have for now:
　- Name. Exactly what it says on the tin.
　- Type. Self-explanatory. Examples of Type will be Infantry, Vehicle, Human, Beast, Psychic, etc.
　- Initiatives. Every Units and Abilities have Initiatives, which defines their priority when battle starts loose. Units with high Initiatives strike first, but they also get hit first.
　- Attack. There are three types of attacks I have prepared so far - Melee, Ranged, and Artillery.
　- Save. There are two types of saves I have prepared so far - Cover and Reflex.
　- Health. You lose your Unit when it hits zero Health.
　- Special Ability. This is tricky one, I'll let you know when I'm ready.

- Abilities are, well, this one's just the same, only Abilities are fire-and-forget type, i.e. you can only use your Abilities just as much you have prepared. I'm taking some leaves out of D&D rulebook - Vancian Spell is just awesome!

- I'm currently considering D20 for battle system. Yes, that D20. I'll explain this later when I'm more confident with my decision.


I'm still working on this one, I'll let you know when it's more complete. End transmission.