Future of Warden

[Rufus]

Hi!
Warden hasn't been moving forward for some time, mostly beacuse I have been getting accustomed to university, and secondly, becasue I have been unsure of what direction to move in, along with a lot of issues that came up along the way.
I made a list of things that should be fixed before the campaign can be considered "finished" (aka Warden 1.0).
I'd love to hear what you think is good, what could be improved or maybe new ideas. Fire away!

So, here is the general plan for the project:

1. Recreate the first map (Starglade) to be kind of a tutorial. It will be much more straightforward, without submaps and quests. The new map will need:
   • New terrain (can take pieces out of old terrain)
     
   • New bossfight
   • A few adjustments to story
   • Point 2-5 will have to be taught to the player in the tutorial, along with other basic controls such as movement and attack.
2. The Warden will have a new way of using Soul (it will now be called essence instead). Essence is gained by striking enemies, or by picking up essence shards. You will no longer regenerate this resource.
   
3. Health will no longer regenerate, and can be regained by picking up life shards, or by using Focus (a special ability that heals 40% of your health after 1 .5 seconds of channel).
4. The warden will initially have only attack and dash.
   • Other abilities such as stun, hookshot, rewind etc, can be learned by praying to a nightelven idol.
     • Those abilities and health and damage upgrades will last till the end of the level only.
5. The revive system will be different. Instead of having a limited number of revivals per submap, you will have infinite revivals, but will be revived at a ressurection stone. However, in bossfights and in other special events you will revive on the spot.
6. The submaps will not be available in the missions themselves, but will be accessed after the mainlevels has been finished, via a "portal hub".
   • The story is that Shalis manages to open the portal, but in order to go to the distant Outlands, she will have to imprison greater souls (such as bosses from submaps) in the soulgem. Once two grand souls have been gathered, Shalis will be able to continue.
7. There will be four main maps (Starglade, Outland, Destructed Starglade and Ghostfire Tunnels), and 7-9 submaps (5 are completed with minor upgrades needed, 2 are in progress).
8. Monsters and bosses needs an update in general, to be more smart, and preferrably not being able to hit you if you are skilled enough.
9. When all is done, Warden 1.0 will be released, and more submaps can be added over time, along with mastermode (special challenges for each map), and other various upgrades.

Tell me what ya think!

 

[deepstrasz]

Other abilities such as stun, hookshot, rewind etc, can be learned by praying to a nightelven idol

So you don't get them after finishing levels anymore? I remember that being the original idea. So, how does this new concept work? Detail a bit, please.

Those abilities and health and damage upgrades will last till the end of the level only.

Aw... you'd have to regain them every level? That would be kind of... repetitive, wouldn't it?

Recreate the first map (Starglade) to be kind of a tutorial. It will be much more straightforward, without submaps and quests. The new map will need:

If you think it's necessary to replace it, then so be it. But if you can modify the existing, would take you less time.

Focus (a special ability that heals 40% of your health after 1 .5 seconds of channel).

That comes from a set amount of gathered soul shards? Or is it just cooldown based? Total not current health, right?

nstead of having a limited number of revivals per submap, you will have infinite revivals, but will be revived at a ressurection stone. However, in bossfights and in other special events you will revive on the spot.

Yeah, but if you have infinite lives that means progress is still kept when dying. I guess you could do some sort of waypoint system? I mean if you're fighting a boss and revive infinite times, there would be no challenge. What if you revive and the boss gets some of the HP back depending on which phase of the boss fight you died?

 

[Rufus]

So you don't get them after finishing levels anymore? I remember that being the original idea. So, how does this new concept work? Detail a bit, please.

Nope. This way I can control better what abilities can be used in each level, which also means more abilities (that won't interfere with each other). Details why under the next quote.

Aw... you'd have to regain them every level? That would be kind of... repetitive, wouldn't it?

Hopefully not, as they will be introduced in a different way. Hopefully, it won't feel like you lose something.
However, this is necesary. If the character were to develop and grow in strength, balancing and making it working decently would be a nightmare. I'm going with the easier option here. Maybe, some time in the future, I will add level progress again.

If you think it's necessary to replace it, then so be it. But if you can modify the existing, would take you less time.

I think the upgrade will fit the campaign needs a lot better, as well as making it look a lot more beautiful and detailed. Also, I have someone that helps me with this.

That comes from a set amount of gathered soul shards? Or is it just cooldown based? Total not current health, right?

No cooldown. Requires like maybe 30 essence (out of the max 100 essence pool). Heals 40% of total health, yes.

Yeah, but if you have infinite lives that means progress is still kept when dying. I guess you could do some sort of waypoint system? I mean if you're fighting a boss and revive infinite times, there would be no challenge. What if you revive and the boss gets some of the HP back depending on which phase of the boss fight you died?

Yeah, I think I will add a chekcpoint system. So, the punishment for dying is to do some obstacles again.
In boss fights, I think I will make it work differently. You revive as you ahve done before (come back after 1 second with 2 seconds invulnerability), but you can only revive X times before you respawn at the checkpoint and have to start the bossfight over.

 

[deepstrasz]

Also, I have someone that helps me with this.

Don't forget to credit

but you can only revive X times before you respawn at the checkpoint and have to start the bossfight over.

That's a good idea too.

No cooldown. Requires like maybe 30 essence (out of the max 100 essence pool). Heals 40% of total health, yes.

Can be used during battle?

 

[Rufus]

Don't forget to credit

I'd never!

Can be used during battle?

Yup, but the problem will be to use it at the right moment, so the enemy don't deal even more damage that you heal. You will also have to recognize wether you should heal, or save the essence for other abilities.

 

[deepstrasz]

You will also have to recognize wether you should heal, or save the essence for other abilities.

You can still see the healthbar or something that shows your current HP, right?

The campaign's preview image is broken.

 

[Rufus]

The campaign's preview image is broken.

Just on Hive, right?

You can still see the healthbar or something that shows your current HP, right?

Yup!

 

[deepstrasz]

Just on Hive, right?

What do you mean? I've seen that in your resources tab.

 

[Rufus]

Ah, ok. I thought you meant in Warcraft III, that the campaign preview was broken.
Yeah, I'll fix that someday.