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The Old World is a top-down 2D Sandbox RPG focused on a dynamic game-play as well as creating a rare interaction with the environment and AI inside the game. The World is randomly generated, allowing for a fresh new start of an adventure every time you choose to create a new character. With an ever-changing World where history is made every second of game-time. You're apart of creating that history, every choice you make will have an impact on the world, Whether it is a good or bad impact is your choice to make. Villages may arise from only a handful of people and may in time either grow and bloom into a larger settlement or crumble and fall. You have all the choices in the world and more, nothing is nothing pre-determined. Everything is yours to change if you so wish. The World is yours for the taking. No Limits, Pure Sandbox.

Post news Report RSS The Old World: Stealth System Suggestion & Empire System Update.

Stealth Mechanic Suggestion that I'd love to get some feedback on. Improvements to the Empire System.

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Introduction

Heyo, I've finally bounced back from being ill and I've been hard at work for the past few days. Mostly focusing on improving some internal code and progressing the Empire system.

Empire System in a Snowy Area

So lets jump into this update!

Stealth System Suggestion

I would love to get some feedback from this suggestion, if this is a good or bad suggestion for a game mechanic.

Way back in my decently early gaming years I played a lot of Metal Gear Solid on the PS and one of my many favourite games is Thief: The Dark Project. What I loved about these games were the really good stealth systems in these games (Especially Thief.). I really enjoyed how footsteps could be heard and alert NPCs, how arrows and objects could be used to distract or trick NPCs.

Since I've previously been mostly focused on Magics and Melee/Ranged combat I'd like to throw another combat mechanic onto the table, Stealth.

So here is my suggestion, I'm thinking of a Stealth system that is decently similar to the Thief game(s).

I'd like to implement LoS for NPCs, footsteps can be heard by nearby NPCs but also decreased from sneaking or perhaps crafting some special shoes that decrease the sound from walking, perhaps putting out torches/lights will decrease NPCs LoS, staying in shadows will decrease detection, being able to silently steal/pickpocket etc.

Of course a lot of testing would go into such a system in order to make it fun, because even if it's the greatest and realistic stealth system, if it's not fun, I will not release it.

So my question is, if implemented correctly, does this sound like a fun and interesting game mechanic?

Empire System

As I said previously I've been working on improving and progressing the Empire System this week and I have made some major improvements.

Resource System

Among these improvements is the Resource system.

I've completely rewritten this system (Without even touching any other system, Good Engine design ftw.), It now works a lot better and can detect some pretty awesome stuff. Such as, if someone steals resources the Empire will notice this and the resources will be updated.

But this also means that if you have a Quest for an Empire to hand in, X amount of Wood, you can just dump it into a storage chest and it will be tracked correctly.

Project System

One of the major improvements in the Project system is Citizen Assigned to Projects. This quite actually surprised me, it made the AI seem a lot more intelligent.

It also improves the ability to handle random events, such as, NPCs are constructing a building and an annoying Player puts down a Doodad in the way, then the AI will register this and actually clear the Doodad unless it's in the blueprint for the Building.

This also means that if you want to help the Empire to construct buildings, you can.

Workshop built into Hillside.

New Buildings

I've added two new buildings to the Empire System.
Workshop (Used for creating Tools etc.)
Blacksmith (Used for creating Weapons and Smelting Ores.)
Everyone can use the Doodads inside these buildings, even the Player.

So if you were to be lazy or perhaps do not have resources, you could simply walk in and use these things, that is if you're not hostile with the Empire in question.

Workshop & Blacksmith

Miscellaneous

In other news besides the major strides of progress I've added a fancy Loading screen while a Map is being generated.

Loading Screen

Post comment Comments
Rick98
Rick98

stealth sounds good

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Code_Assassin
Code_Assassin

+1 for that nice loading screen ;)

First off, I want to congratulate you on such an amazing job you've done so far - this game has really caught my attention!

- In terms of the Stealth System you suggested implementing, I think you should totally go for it! I think it'd be pretty cool to sneak around and pick pocket unwary NPC's :)

- Good Luck,
Tweak

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Joxno Author
Joxno

Cheers!

Might have to chance the green text to a darker colour since it's really hard to read with a white background.

Exactly what I was thinking as well and it gives a nice balance to players that like being Stealthy more than using Magic or plain brute force warrior style game-play.

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maheusz
maheusz

About Stealth - it does indeed sound good, but please elaborate:

- will you put in monsters immune/very sensitive to sneaking attempt (or do you want to implement it to only human oponents);
- does pickpocketing work only on small items or will we have a chance to literally steal everything NPC have (like clothes or weapons);
- special quests involving stealing/scouting? Or a Thieves Guild in every town?
- will there be a 'cheating' invisibility potions? How will it affect whole LoS system?
- Solid Snake boxes? :>

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Joxno Author
Joxno

Exactly the feedback I wanted to get, Currently the stealth mechanic is just a rough draft in my head.

- I would like to add it to all kinds of NPCs, sneaking up on unwary chickens, sneak past a pack of wolves etc.

- Pickpocketing works on everything the NPC carries in its inventory, However I might implement a way of making Items such as clothes have a higher chance of detection compared to smaller items.

- Generated quests involving Stealing/Scouting will be available, Not sure about Thieves guilds in towns but maybe perhaps as groups in forests but I'll have to give it a few design iterations before I set it in stone.

- I would love to have such an Elixir so that even people who like to dabble in Magics and Alchemy more than Stealth to be able to somewhat sneak past guards and the like.

- Hehe, maybe not a cardboard box, but perhaps a small wooden crate would be pretty neat.

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dark_matter_mobius
dark_matter_mobius

I also support the idea of stealth. It only makes sense that certain situations can be resolved with stealth.

Also, this is just a suggestion, but for large equipable items, such as breastplates or other such things, you'd need to knock out your intended target to actually 'pickpocket' them. In Skyrim and other such games you could steal large items that were practically straped onto a character, which, to me, just doesn't make sense.

This could also tie into quests: kidnapping or retrieval quests. You have to knock out and then transport unwilling targets.

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Joxno Author
Joxno

Exactly, I feel that I want to support any type of game-style people have, some people really like to be stealthy and some people just like to run in like a barbarian.

That sounds like quite a good system, although might be hard to differentiate for the "in the middle items" like a Hatchet but it is a better system and a system that makes more sense than stripping them of their clothes without them even noticing.

I hadn't even thought of these types of Quests, I am most definitely implementing this.

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