Suggestion for inclusion of new style of game

Point-and-Click

from Stardock.net Forums

I would like in the future, if possible, to add the point-and-click game style option similar to the LucasArts SCUMM engine, because I believe that VGM has the potential to absolve and deliver this style with mastery.

A great example is the acclaimed The Secret of Monkey Island released in 1990.

The Secret of Monkey Island Game

46,524 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock.net Forums Top

Oh yeah, this would be great. TVGM is already close to this with adventure.


You could easily take the adventure template, add a ruleset of "left to right only", and put dialogue triggers on a bunch of objects in the room to get close.

Thinking about this, the missing functionality would be:

  • Full Inventory (still needed for fleshing out adventure anyway, has been discussed elsewhere)
  • Setting up dialogue triggers to only occur when you use certain inventory items on it.
  • Maybe allowing for multiple interaction types per trigger? (for look at/talk to/push/etc verbs) Might not be needed if you allow inventory interaction, as you could probably just add items for the different verbs.
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Reply #2 from Stardock.net Forums Top

Oh man, I was all about Maniac Mansion back in the day :)  We'll see what we can do...I don't know if we'd do a whole 'genre', but like Silver-Streak said, a lot of the foundation is there.

We'll keep this request in mind going forward.

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Reply #3 from Stardock.net Forums Top

Quoting ScottTykoski, reply 2

Oh man, I was all about Maniac Mansion back in the day :)   We'll see what we can do...I don't know if we'd do a whole 'genre', but like Silver-Streak said, a lot of the foundation is there.

We'll keep this request in mind going forward.

So, that's actually a thought. You have the "adventure"  genre already, right?

What if you add rules to it to change the "Type" of adventure.  Add a rule switch for "Full inventory", which makes Q or E pull up a full inventory screen you can select from. 

Just that switch alone gets you real close to newer "Action adventure" like Link to the Past.

Then maybe later on a rule switch for "Verbs" which adds inventory items for "look (eye symbol), talk to (Mouth symbol, although might not be needed with dialogue), grab/push (hand symbol)" and add some kind of "verb action trigger" gizmo which lets you set up different links or actions depending on the verb? Might be too complex, but just a thought.

The same type of "Subgenre rules" could help you make a lot more options without having to make the base editor over complex. For the platformer genre, want to make a Megaman game? Add a rule trigger of "Weapon select", "level select", "boss enemies" and "enemy weaknesses".

  • Weapon select adds the adventure style weapon select (or maybe you set up an inventory here, as well)
  • Level select lets you choose from the list of levels,
  • Boss enemies would let you set an enemy to have more HP without being big.
  • Enemy weaknesses lets you set a weapon type that gives double damage to that specific enemy.

This can also apply to stuff like the scrolling shooter genre (ruleset for vertical or horizontal, etc)

 

Again. I'm probably just adding hours of headaches for the team if you start implementing, but it seems like an easier way of adding more flexibility without adding billions of genres.