The Survey Thread!

[Art_of_camelot]

Hmmm... I choose to view results first and now it wont let me vote... I would go for the "Other" option though. I agree with Ph34r, Items should expire at different rates depending on what the item is, and how much you spent on it(Obviously more expensive items would last longer, and a description indicating how long they last in the "shop" window would be nice). I also like the idea of being able to store equipment in a static storage facility where they do not degrade. Will enemies be wearing equipment also ? It only seems logical to give the enemies as boost well (At least bosses anyway). I would also say that 6 slots for equipment seems like overkill, perhaps you should limit it to about 2 or 3 slots to allow people to pick and choose more carefully how they want to customize their character.
*Edit* Oh yes, I almost forgot. I'd probably have equipment expire by level rather than a specific time limit.

[trevmeister66]

Yeah I agree with camelot, there should only be 2 or 3 slots so we can still have somewhat powerful characters, but not be unstoppable so that there is still a challenge. I agree that it should also be different time lengths for different items.

[DigiTan]

[Art_of_camelot]

The system you described there is pretty much what I was envisioning. The higher the rarity of the item=better stat increases,increased duration until it expires, and of course increased price. I think that would definitley be the way to go. I'm not sure how you are going to implement aquiring items, but i would assume;
1.) All items have a drop rate based on how rare they are.
2.) Different items are avalible in different towns/regions.
3.) Special items??? Would appear only in specific instances. (IE certain boss in side quest always drops equipment x, or you have to choose one equipment of say 3 after a side quest is completed. Number 3 is all speculation of course, because I don't know if you have or plan to include any side quests/mini quests/mini games.

[DigiTan]

1.) Yep. A vast majority of victories result in a coin & skill reward. Occasionally, one will drop common, low-grade equipment. And very rarely, they'll drop 1 of 5 rare gemstones. Depending on the color of the gem (red, yellow, green, blue, white) you can sell it in one of the 5 cities for a huge cash reward. Or you can sell somewhere else for a lesser reward.

2. That's also correct. Grand Grove, for example is an agrarian, peace-like society. So they sell homegrown equipment like "Enzyme" and "Herb." The 4th level is a super-fortress, so you'll find battle items there like "ATK Boost" and "DEF Boost." And Oceanside is a major city that has just about everything.

3. Also true. It has a mission mode where you can accept a quest from random citizens. They mostly consist of battling high-powered enemies, locating people, or escorting objects/people. As reward for completing the contract, you get a cash payout, a skill bonus, or a high-grade item.

[bananaman]

To restrict someone from stacking 6 super ATK boosts and making an amazing character, you should place a limit on how much of each item you can have equipped at once.

[DarkerLine]

Same-typed bonuses probably shouldn't stack at all, in fact.

[DigiTan]

So far I have it set up to where having more than one has no new effect. There is only one except, which is a puzzle item.

[DigiTan]

New Poll: When should Dynamic Camera be used?

As you know, the small screen is a problem that's plagued us since the beginning. RW2 is no exception. Because of the main screen was reduced to 72x64 to make room for the status bar, it was common to have enemies go out of view for various reasons. For the most part, this was just an annoyance. But for bosses like the Marauder (Skull Monster), or the Ironclad Tank; you want to watch their attack patterns from a distance.

The Dynamic camera is a new tool that fixes this. When these bosses are present, the screen will follow them and keep them visible from afar. As a bonus, when the enemy does manage to get off-screen, the shifted view tells you their general direction.

.....
Left - Normal Camera. Right - Dynamic Camera.


The dynamic camera does have a few disadvantages...

• Slightly disorienting. The screen can move in directions you aren't expecting.
  
• "Tunnel vision." The shifted view will conceal other enemies that are in the opposite direction.
  
• "Where's Waldo?" Since Edgar is no longer in the center of the screen, it's easy to lose him in dark backdrops.
  
• Number of enemies. Letting more than 1 enemy to request the camera at a time introduces numerous practical problems.
  

The Poll

• Should it only follow bosses?
  
• Should it follow bosses and major enemies like the car shown above.
  
• Or should it follow all enemies?
  

[Weregoose]

Are major opponents generally isolated, or are they sometimes surrounded by weaker enemies?

[tr1p1ea]

Perhaps there could be a dynamic camera toggle? Kind of like the z-targeting toggle found in Zelda games.

[DigiTan]

[TheStorm]

[DarkerLine]

[Liazon]

[nitacku]

Have 3 options:

Auto: The dynamic camera will be activated automatically only for boss battles
Dynamic: The dynamic camera will be always on
Normal: The dynamic camera will be always off

This should satisfy every user and allows the user to change the setting at any time.
By default, the game should have the camera set to Auto.

[luby]

I'd say only major enemies and bosses because sometimes players will want to just avoid the small ones.

[bananaman]

I think that when running around the stage it would be annoying if it switched to dynamic for the small enemies. Bosses and major enemies, it would be useful.

I do understand that it would be nice to have something like locking on in zelda. Where it doesn't automatically dynamic to a small enemy, but if you press a button it would lock onto the closest enemy.

[DigiTan]

Those are pretty good ideas. I like the idea of having the user option. For the TI-82 version, it will probably be fixed in the "auto" setting.

One of the cool things I like about having it run less often is the epic feel it gives boss battles. And having the camera follow something makes the enemy seem more high-priority.

[Art_of_camelot]

I say boss battles and major opponents. I agree with what others said; If there are more than one major opponent you should be able to toggle between them.
*Edit* The screenie of the camera following the giant skull looked great btw.