Game Mechanics¶

This document outlines the game mechanics.

2-player system¶

The game can be played with either one or two players on a single
computer (no network computing; this would be too complex to
implement). Each player receives its own view of the world, but the
make progress they have to work together.

Below, specificalities of 2-player mode are mentioned where appropriate.

Camera¶

The camera will be hooked up above and behind the player. By pressing
a button, the player can switch to first-person view.

2-player mode¶

In two-player mode, each player receives its own camera and window. If
a machine has two monitors, it should be possible increase both
windows to full size, each on one monitor. Each player's
camera-related actions only relate to his own window.

Cinematic scenes are always shown on both windows. If text is shown in
such scenes, both players have to press the "accept" button for it to
vanish, which is indicated with colours at the bottom of each text
box.

Steering¶

The game is to be played with a game pad. In single-player mode, the
player can choose which character to play (Freya or Benjamin) and
change at any time. The other one is taken over by a very simple
algorithm which works as follows. On switch, the player chooses one of
two options: standstill (1) or follow (2). In standstill mode, the
character simply stands still. If a monster approaches, it will defend
with a simple algorithm, but the player is alerted in some way so he
can switch back; normally, monsters should ignore the standing
character. In follow mode, the character follows the player's
character simply by going the closest way towards him. If the distance
between the two characters gets too high, the algorithmically steered
character shouts and switches to standstill mode. If the player climbs
up platform or does similar difficult things, the other character
immediately enters standstill mode. Switching characters should come
with some nice animation and sound.

Both characters always have to be on the same map (except where
divided for story reasons). To leave a map, in single-player mode it
is sufficient if the only player moves to a teleportation point; the
other character is warped right behind the camera and then also moves
through the teleportation point.

2-player mode¶

In 2-player mode, each player simply plays one character. To leave a
map, both characters need to enter the same teleportation point.

World Navigation¶

There is no world map. All areas are connected directly as only this
generates the necessary feeling for the covered distances in the
world. Without this, there would be no use for the Mail system.
The typical overworld area should be rather small, so that a feeling
of many and different areas arises (contrast this with the quite
boring central Hyrule Field in Zelda's OoT). The world is not to be
constructed in a star form (again, see OoT, where everyhing emerges
from Hyrule Field), but in a more organic mannor with multiple
possibilities to go to places (within story bounds).

In a 2D world, implementing this is easy because one can easily make a
screen identical with a map. This is more complicated in a 3D world,
because the player may at any time enter first-person view and look
into the distance horizontally, which makes it impossible to use
camera bounds for map bounds. Instead, different concepts need to be
used. The basic idea should be to load adjascent maps once the player
approaches a teleportation point, but keep the map freezed until it is
actually entered. That should make it possible to implement a
reasonably smooth switch between overworld maps. Combined with
distance fog it should be possible convey an impression of an organic
world.

As for the actual map design there should be plenty of inspiration
available in real-world places.

Time system¶

The game has its own time flow which is decoupled from the PC clock. A day in the game world lasts significantly shorter than in real time. For comparison, OoT's days lasted 2:30 minutes (nights 1:30 minutes), MM's days and nights were each 10 minutes long. OoT's variant is probably too short, but it should be bearable for the player to wait until night approaches during a single playing. The time's velocity should be chosen in such a way that travelling between the larger cities
takes several days.

On day/night switch on the overworld a standstill picture of the sun is shown while some sound is played; for morning dawn the new day's date can be shown as well. This little trick allows to exchange NPCs and other elements on a map without he burden of having to animate their coming and going. In areas where this is not important (most notably dungeons) a simple message can be printed onto the screen on
day/night switch.

Inventory and Equipment¶

Restrictions on equipment carrying; Mail system¶

It is not possible to always carry around all equipment items. The
player has to plan forward, namely for dungeons. Equipment can be left
in taverns or similar places, where it can later be retrieved to
exchange the inventory.

Since the world has a certain size, it is annoying to travel large
distances just to retrieve equipment left in an entirely different
place. Maybe one even forgot where it was stored! The Mail system
comes to the rescue. In any Mail Office one can request the items to
be send here. Thanks to a well-engineered horse relay station system,
all ordered equipment will always be available at the post office on
the next day to retrieve.

NPCs¶

2-player mode¶

TODO: Define how text-based talking works in 2-player mode. Maybe
display other user's text at the edge of the window?