Licks and Slugs

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lemm
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Licks and Slugs

Post by lemm »

I am starting to code the lick and slug part of the game. There are five states keen can be in: 0 = has nothing, 1 = has pepper, 2 = completed pepper, 3 = has cola, 4 = completed cola. (You can't do both) Need some input on following:

How is level entry handled in each of the five states? For example, keen cannot complete slug city before getting pepper.

I see two solutions:
1) Restrict level access at world map level. If keen tries to enter a level he is not allowed, a message box pops up. There could also be tiles/sprites that appear on the map depending on state and block progress. Alternatively, both slug/lick camps could have giant walls surrounding them, and exit from slug crossing to get pepper places you inside lick wall on next world map spawn (ie. the slugs sneak you in). Once a level is completed, it is never re-enterable.

2) Compare state at level exit. Levels are always enterable, however, how they can be completed depends on keen's state. For example, lick moat is always completable in normal fashion no matter keen's state, and not re-enterable. However, lick castle is different. If you have no pepper, you exit and level is still re-enterable), but it is not re-enterable if you exit it after throwing pepper in cauldron.

Option 2 is more natural, but it is also more complex to organize. If you exit a re-enterable level, is any inventory or score you accrued during that level kept? Also, how will slugs and licks behave depending on state? In option 1, they are always friendly in bridge levels, and hostile everywhere else. In option 2, every state for every level has to be considered. If you visit slug village as a slug operative, surely they wouldn't be hostile. Also, how will either side react before you choose a quest?


Options 1 and 2 aren't mutually exclusive either. Also, no matter how we structure the rest of the slug/lick area, once the player chooses a faction, the opposite side's bridge level not be enterable at all (message box pops up on attempt to enter saying "Get Lost.")

So, any thoughts? If not, I'll just make something up and that will be that.
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Deltamatic
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Post by Deltamatic »

Option 1 avoids the problems Option 2 has, and also keeps the player from getting infinite points, so I like it more.
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CommanderSpleen
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Post by CommanderSpleen »

First problem, you need to be able to have pepper and cola at the same time. Both are removed upon completion of either quest. I was thinking we'd use the existing ship parts system as a base.

Ideally, you should be able to enter the crossings at first, and a trigger provides you with a dialog, the item required to complete the quest, and a return to the map, whereupon the crossing becomes unenterable.

Though, perhaps the level entry and trigger can be skipped, and the first dialog and item assignment comes up immediately upon trying to enter from the map, just like the BWB message.

OR we can put a level before the crossing which provides the item and dialog with a standard level exit. The crossings themselves could then just be message popups until completing a quest (and change to a different message when the opposing quest is completed).

The lick castle and slug city would use the same map popup message style. It then becomes a plot issue--giving Keen a reason for being unable to access the level besides "I I DON"T KNOW ABOUT TEH QUEST YET LOL I"D BETTER GO CATCH IT"

The best solution presently on the table for this is to have the first slug village and the lick moat as the blocking levels, requiring a certain form of identification or token of good faith before granting passage. These would be meta-items that go hand in hand with the prank items.

I would imagne something like a password or number/shape/creature combination for the lick moat. The slug village seems more like a place that would have some manner of toll booth.

Hopefully you can follow that. Is it feasible?
lemm
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Post by lemm »

Scrap the keen has five states thing. For the bridges then...

Code: Select all


cola and pepper replace ship parts, they are variables from 0 to 2
0 = not in possession of item
1 = in possession of item
2 = completed quest using that item

// ENTERING SLUG BRIDGE
if (cola == 2) message and no entry allowed; "get lost!"

else
  if (pepper == 0) level entry; pepper = 1 on level exit;
  else if (pepper == 1) message and no entry allowed; // "go complete quest!"
  else let keen through bridge

// LICK CASTLE
if (p == 1) AND (step on trigger) {
  throw pepper in cauldron;
  p = 2;
}

// And vice versa for lick bridge/ slugcity

When you say meta items, you mean that if keen gets pepper from slugs (p == 1 or 2), keen can enter blocking slug village, otherwise (p == 0) there is a world map message saying you can't enter? And same thing with the licks, effectively forcing the player to get both items?

As for lick and slug sprites being hostile/friendly in game:
if (p == 2) licks hostile; else licks friendly;
if (c == 2) slugs hostile; else slugs friendly;
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CommanderSpleen
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Post by CommanderSpleen »

<Speeln> Ooh, ingenious combination of item and quest status.
lemm wrote:When you say meta items, you mean that if keen gets pepper from slugs (p == 1 or 2), keen can enter blocking slug village, otherwise (p == 0) there is a world map message saying you can't enter? And same thing with the licks, effectively forcing the player to get both items?
ZACLY

i.e. COLA == cola + toll item; PEPPER == pepper + password;

I'm still not so sold on the slugs or licks becoming neutral depending on which quest you complete. But we could always try it with the patch and see how it goes. It certainly would be a nifty gameplay element if it works. The slugs would require extra balancing though, as their slime can still kill you even if they're on your side.
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