Dueling Design Challenges...

Cue the dueling banjos... two design challenges are now running side by side. One at Game Career Guide which was started by James Portnow and is now overseen by the GCG staff, and the new one starting at Edge Magazine's site Next-Gen. You can never have too many challenges. The latest two I might as well link on here.

Game Career Guide's Challenge
Next-Gen/Edge/JP's Challenge

On here I'll be posting my submissions, thought processes behind them, results and then how I could have done better. I'm no expert, but I am working towards it.

JP got to me first, so he gets the top of the post. Check the above link for the actual challenge.

So designing an NPC and Lair, not so much game design. Also, for a 2d fantasy side scrolling MMO. I don't know how JP came up with that idea but I'll explain my inspirations according to his criteria.

• 2d (I always think sprite based when I think 2d)
• A console MMO (Only ones I can think off that did well, Phantasy Star Online and Final Fantasy XI)
• Fantasy themed (Easy Enough, probably look up some WoW, FFXI and D&D monsters for inspiration)
• Side-scrolling (This part threw me for a loop, but I kind of think of this as the battle system from Tales of Phantasia for the SNES)
• Free to play/micro-transaction based (ability to buy weapons, bonus content through real money or just get rid of banner ads)
• Rated Teen

So one thing I've always wanted to see personally was the Gelatinous Cube from good ole D&D days be introcuced into an MMO setting, perhaps in such a way that it could actually suck up characters, so the ones that had the most hate would end up getting sucked in and roatated out once another person got sucked in. Maybe only a 2 or 3 person limit inside the cube at all times and those people wouldn't be able to do anything while in there. So keeping that in mind...

Ancient Gelatinous Mass
In your home city you hear of a monster that has done unspeakable crimes, eaten many townsfolk and caravans and now the Town is paying copius amounts of rewards for whoever can fell the beast (Early on, in a 1-75 game, this would be 20-25 level minimum and maximum). So you gather some parties and decide to go on the hunt. The townsfolk call it Slugula, after an ancient demon slug that secretes acid. Upon arriving in the Cave of Slugula (which is found by accepting the quest and following the slime path from a local campsite), you realize you're up against something huge.

The path to Slugula is long one, plagued with undead newbies and wildlife alike. Nothing like an Undead Killer Rabbit (see: monty python) to spice up the den of a killer slime. Anyway as you traverse the dark cavern you find yourself between multiple paths, dead bodies, even a large killer slug (to throw you off and actually drops an item that can be taken back for reward and a return quest later to kill the ACTUAL threat). The cavern itself is lit with green flames, and slimy everywhere. The finally, the main event. In a huge room, with platforms and the such the large gelatinous ooze sits in rest until someone starts the attack. After the ooze wakes up it sucks up the person with the highest stat average until people start bringing on the hate. When people are attacking the ooze it can attack and suck up at the same time, with AOE attacks of Goo Rain and sucking HP off the people inside. Also while it can be attacked the people on the inside get any AOE or Elemental damage, so hope they have some elemental absorption *hint*hint*. The Gelatinous Goo God should take 30 minutes to beat on average. Here are it's stats!

Gelatinous Goo Of Doom
Attacks:
Melee Hit - The Goo attacks with a long whip like lash. Does a 10% additional goo damage and has a 25% chance of sucking them into the cube.
Whirly Goo - The slime spins causing damage to all within a radius (probably half the width of the slime on either side and the front) cause knockback as well.
Fling - The slime throws one of the members in the cube in a straight line causing damage to all in the path and the person thrown.
Flaming Goo - Retribution attack, if fire is used on the goo (which is it's weakness) it rains down sticky flaming goo on the map that sticks and causes fire damage for a period of time to characters and flames on the ground.
Absorb - The goo will suck health from as many as three people (who ever is in the cube at the time it's used) thus recovering the health at a 1 to 1 ratio.
Entrap - This is the goo's move to suck up whoever has the most hate at any given time, but the goo keeps people inside until it's close enough to use the move.
Slow - Spell, slows down party member actions.

That's it for now, thanks for stopping by! There will be more added later with regard to the Game Career Guide challenge!