First of all, this is my first post so hello! I kinda lurk a lot and read some of the posts here when I'm bored and my favorite CYOA authors don't update their stories... Seems like a lot of friendly and good people here too so I hope to get along with the community here
I apologize in advance for making my first post a huge wall of text, but it's just how I write
Secondly, I was wondering what people think of using Game Maker to create game projects.. It's what I've been using lately, and from the few courses I've taken in computer programming, has a very similar coding structure to Java, but includes a lot of features to aid in visuals and game-related functions...
Well, all that aside, I've decided to try to introduce my idea for a Touhou platformer fangame I have been working on for a very long time mentally, and started coding late last year, and see how much interest there is in such a project. I figure I'm going to have to post this sooner or later, and I'm banking on the chance that I can garner enough interest to keep me motivated long enough to finish the game. Not really asking for help necessarily but if anyone does happen to want to help with anything I'd be very happy!
Commencing information dump......
(If this post is too long or anything I can post it on an external link if necessary..)
Gameplay & Technical-ish stuffInspired by Megaman Zero gameplay mixed with RPG-style elements, it will be a stage-based game with a limited amount of free-exploration. Basically the stages will be laid out on a World Map similar to Super Mario World or Super Mario 3, except the game will be almost 100% linear until beating Keine, allowing the player to re-visit stages with her history manipulation.
Each stage will consist of 2 or more parts. From the beginning of the game you'll only be able to use Marisa for the entirety of a stage, but eventually you will unlock sub-characters who will help Marisa in the stage; essentially, you take control of the sub-character for the first sub-stage, allowing Marisa to fly up ahead and take over once it's completed.
The next 5 paragraphs are summed up and demonstrated in a gameplay mid-development demo, found at youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0h29gF9yhoThe actual gameplay during the stage resembles Megaman X or Megaman Zero the most. It could also be compared to Castlevania I suppose; basically running, jumping, and dashing through the stage. Attacks are done with two buttons: one for melee attacks (A) and one for shooting (B). Pressing (A) consecutively will execute a melee combo, and holding the (B) button will charge up a heavy danmaku shot. In addition, there are separate attacks for air- and dash-attacks, as well as special abilities and spellcards which are executed with input commands and A/B.
In addition, the player can temporarily hold a Graze button to become immune to most danmaku, at the cost of reduced movement and the inability to attack or avoid melee attacks. I chose to do it this way to resemble classic Touhou gameplay a bit more while enforcing the weakness to melee attacks while grazing, just like how melee attacks counter dashing in IaMP/SWR.
Holding a graze will slowly drain a graze meter, and each time a bullet is grazed it drains the meter further, the amount based on the bullets properties. This, again, was intended to be a nod to the Touhou shmups, in that memorizing where a boss' danmaku patterns are weaker will allow the player to survive better.
The Graze meter, along with HP and MP (for spellcards/special attacks/charge danmaku) can all be modified by equipment and permanent stat boosting items like in many RPGs. Other stats determine the other properties of the character like Strength for melee attack power.
Also, your character can be further customized with the Skill system (originally a Card system). This resembles SWR, in that the player can swap skills in and out at will at the pause screen, resulting in changes in their attacks and spellcards when used. Pretty much any attack in the player's arsenal can be changed. Skills can be learned from cards, or be given to the player during certain events in the game.
The Story, currently ("currently" because it's quite subject to change, and a lot of the details haven't been worked out yet but I'm going to post this in case people are interested)
The story is based loosely around canon, but certain characters and events have/will take place that are original and personally created fanon.. I suppose. Also there are 2 original characters being introduced that will play major roles in this game's plot (I know some people won't like that :/), but I won't reveal them quite yet. Note that this will be a bit messy since this is the first time actually transferring the mass of ideas from my head into text..
It's 5 years after the events of Subterranean Animism. After many endless nights searching for Alice after she mysteriously disappeared with the sudden idea to go train one day, Marisa began to spend more time with Reimu Hakurei. They've been living their lives out in a lazy peacefulness in Gensokyo, throwing parties and such every few nights when they get bored. Although Alice's absence made things a bit more lonely, most of the youkai that were invited came, so it made for some pretty fun entertainment.
During one of the feasts, Reimu noticed an unsettling feeling overcoming her. After stepping away from the party for a bit, she seemed to feel better, but decided to go for a night-time stroll/flight to try to cool off more. Marisa, only a little worried, let her go. However, Reimu didn't return until early in the morning, when the party had already ended and Marisa passed out on the floor of her shrine.
The next morning, the delivery of the rather skewy Bunbunmaru Newspaper, written by the recently promoted leader of the Storm Tengu clan, arrived at the Hakurei Shrine with a hasty force that jolted Marisa awake. On the front page, written in capital letters, is an eyewitness report that Reimu Hakurei was suspected of the murder of Rikako Asakura and several members of a scientific expedition into Makai. Without even enough time to do much more than skim through the article comes a stern knock at the front door of the Shrine. It is none other than Shikieki Yamaxanadu, who shortly takes Reimu Hakurei away for questioning.
Reimu knows she had only taken a long night-time flight at the suspected time of the murder, but the strange feelings she had been experiencing that night makes her unsure. However, using her powers to find the truth of guilt or innocence, Shikieki's deduction points in one clear direction: Guilty. Reimu allows herself to be taken into custody, much to Marisa's protest. Marisa argues and pleads so much that instead of carrying out an immediate sentence, Shikieki allows Marisa 72 hours to find a way to contradict her judgement.
With this series of events comes with several changes in behaviour of various youkai around Gensokyo, perhaps due to simple shock at the situation or something more involving.
Remilia Scarlet has completely walled herself in her mansion, shrouding it in red mist, while the minor youkai in surrounding areas have gone berserk. Likewise, Princess Yuyuko has been seen less and less often outside of her home lately, even before the recent chain of events; Youmu believes she may have become sick, but no one is sure. The mountain youkai seem to be continuing as normal, and have always sort of kept to themselves, but Marisa has questions for Aya and any others there who might be able to help. Similarly, the Princess Kaguya has almost never been seen outside of her mansion. Seeing how she was responsible for the mid-night incident just over 5 years ago, could she have been pulling the strings from afar once again?
The game centers around Marisa's attempts to find clues that would prove Reimu's innocence in order to preserve the peaceful life she desires to live out in Gensokyo. However, with Reimu out of the picture, no one is around to enforce the safe spellcard rules of safe danmaku battle...
And just some random tidbits about characters and story elements:
The game is split up into four chapters at the start: Path of the Devil, Path of Longing, Path of Zeal, and Path of Lunacy. Try to guess what they correspond to
At least 2 characters die in addition to the prologue.
Yuuka plays a major role, and shows much umbrel but as friend or foe?
Alice has her own dedicated side-arc.
EX-Rumia and EX-Cirno as EX-bosses.
Yukari has her own dedicated side-arc which shows her past, when Yuyuko was alive, and before she had Ran as a shikigami.
If possible I'm going to try my hand at animated cutscenes in Flash or something for major story elements; if not I guess I'm going to have to stick with using sprites in-game.
I'm going to stop typing, otherwise I think I'd scare away too many with the hueg wall of text
