Difference between revisions of "Chadius: SwordDraw PlayerExperience"

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==Terms and basics==
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==Terms==
This covers the basic idea, concept and terms used.
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This is the basic idea and concepts in the game. Whenever I say "you," I'm referring to the player.
  
 
===Endurance===
 
===Endurance===
This is the amount of time the player has to make an attack. Once it's gone, the enemy gets a chance to strike. Enemies can control how much time remains.
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This is the amount of time you have to attack with. Once it's gone, the enemy gets a turn to attack. The enemy controls how much time you have.
  
 
===Pattern Shape and Size===
 
===Pattern Shape and Size===
There are a seties of patterns that must be drawn. They come from a set, and are roughly ordered in terms of difficulty. The overall size of the pattern can also change. Generally, larger and more complicated patterns take longer to draw, and result in less damage.
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During your round, a series of patterns appear on the screen. They vary in shapes and sizes, and are ordered in terms of difficulty. Enemies control which patterns and which sizes you will see the patterns.
  
 
===Hit Points, Attack, Damage===
 
===Hit Points, Attack, Damage===
 
The player and the enemy have hit points, attack level, and defense level. These help in pacing the outcome of the round.
 
The player and the enemy have hit points, attack level, and defense level. These help in pacing the outcome of the round.
  
The player can gain stats by drawing over its symbol during the round. When the player defeats the enemy, the symbols change to healing ones.
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====Gaining stats====
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When you draw on the patterns, they will increase your stats. Red means it will raise your attack, and blue will raise your defense. Green restores hit points, and white does nothing.
  
 
====Hit Points====
 
====Hit Points====
Whoever runs out of HP first loses the round. The enemy should be the loser most of the time.
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Whoever runs out of HP first loses the round. The enemy will lose most of the time.
  
====Enemy Attack vs Player Defense====
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====Attack vs Defense====
If the enemy's attack is equal to or lower, the player takes no damage. This rewards the players' high defense. Otherwise, the damage is the difference of the two values.
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The amount of damage you do is affected by your attack versus the enemy's defense.
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*If they are equal, you will deal normal damage.  
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*If your attack is greater, you deal more damage.
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*If your attack is less, you deal less damage.
  
====Player Attack vs Enemy Defense====
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You must connect some part of the pattern, or you will deal half damage. The pattern changes color when this is done.
Special rules were placed to help the player if its attack was lower than the enemy's. If the player cannot overcome the defense, he does damage equal to half of the points connected. This encourages the player to slow down and connect all of the points in hopes that the player's attack will increase.
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To overcome the enemy's defense:
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This mechanic keeps you struggling to increase your stats, and gives positive feedback towards attacking.
*He must connect at least (enemy's defense) points in the pattern
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*His attack must be greater than the defense.
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===Overkill===
 
===Overkill===
When the player defeats the enemy, they spend the remaining endurance in overkill mode. When the player attacks in this mode, they recover lost HP. This is used to help players regain HP lost, and helps them feel good when they've squished a particularly annoying enemy.
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When you defeat an enemy, you spend the rest of the endurance in overkill mode. The patterns turn green, and filling patterns helps you regain lost HP. It keeps you alive, and makes you feel good for kicking a particularly hard enemy.
  
The player will always have a minimum amount of endurance to regain HP. This helps players get a breather when they have "just beat" an enemy.
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There is a minimum amount of overkill time. So if you beat an enemy at the last moment, you still get some time to overkill.
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===Stat Loss===
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Every five rounds, the player's stats drop by one. This prevents the player from building a high defense and cruising their way through the rest of the game. This is especially important when the player will spend several rounds against a relatively harmless enemy.
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 +
The player's attack is not reduced if it cannot penetrate the enemy's defense. The player gets more attack but no defense icons . These measures help the player gain more attack to defeat their foes.
  
 
==Experience during the course of a game==
 
==Experience during the course of a game==
  
This covers what the player should experience while playing Sword Draw.
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This covers what you should experience while playing Sword Draw.
  
 
===Beginning===
 
===Beginning===
 
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You should build up stats rather quickly.
Player should build up attack and defense quickly.
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Enemies should die quickly.
Enemies should be low damage, to encourage playstyles and give users their 90 seconds of enjoyment.
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Enemies should die quickly, not lasting more than 2 rounds.
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===Midway===
 
===Midway===
 
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You've noticed that you have to improve your stats to keep up with your enemies'.
Player should notice that he needs to keep up his stat levels.
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Sometimes there's a particularly pesky enemy that does a lot of damage.
Player should lose slightly more than he gained.
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Enemies can last between 2-3 rounds.
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===End Game===
 
===End Game===
 
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You're having trouble keeping up with the enemies' stats.
Player should need many levels of attack and defense.
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Enemies are being real jerks: High damage, confusing patterns, not much time to do much.
Enemies should have high attack and defense levels. They shouldn't take much damage from the player, but should be able to dish it out.
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Enemies should last for up to 5 rounds, giving the players hell until the end.
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==Player Choices==
 
==Player Choices==
 
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Here are some of the split-second decisions you have to make.
These are issues the player should have to keep interested in the game.
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===Speed vs Accuracy===
 
===Speed vs Accuracy===
Should the player try to quickly trace the pattern, or slowly and accurately trace each dot?
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Should you finish patterns quickly, or should you try to fill the entire thing out first?
 
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'''Speed'''
 
'''Speed'''
*The user can quickly finish attacks, increasing attacks over time.
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*If you can finish the pattern in a single stroke, do it quickly!
*Better used if the pattern can be finished in a single stroke
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*Overkill mode comes faster if you immediately dispatch the enemy.
*If the enemy is finished off quickly, the user can spend the remaining time healing.
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*Difficult obnoxious patterns can be skipped if you just connect the endpoint.
  
 
'''Accuracy'''
 
'''Accuracy'''
*Connecting all of the dots maximizes damage potential, and gets the best stat gains.
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*More stats are gained if you trace over the whole pattern.
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*Each hit does more damage if the pattern is full.
 
*Better used for complicated patterns.
 
*Better used for complicated patterns.
 
  
 
'''Side Effects'''
 
'''Side Effects'''
  
The user will draw quickly in the beginning to cover the small, simple lines. By endgame, the users will have to slow down to cover the complicated lines.
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In the beginning, speed is better because the patterns are simple. By endgame, though, you had better slow down and make every hit count!
  
 
===Premature Attacks===
 
===Premature Attacks===
 
Attacks can be finished prematurely for less damage.  
 
Attacks can be finished prematurely for less damage.  
 
  
 
'''Benefits'''
 
'''Benefits'''
 
*The player can quickly finish attacks to deal damage.
 
*The player can quickly finish attacks to deal damage.
 
*The player can discard pesky patterns immediately, instead of wasting time tracing it over.
 
*The player can discard pesky patterns immediately, instead of wasting time tracing it over.
 
  
 
'''Disadvantages'''
 
'''Disadvantages'''
*If the player does not overcome the enemy defense before finishing off the pattern, they take a huge damage penalty.
 
 
*The enemy takes less damage from the attack, reducing damage over time (efficiency.)
 
*The enemy takes less damage from the attack, reducing damage over time (efficiency.)
 
*The player may have gotten more stat boosts if the pattern was completed.
 
*The player may have gotten more stat boosts if the pattern was completed.
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*High Endurance Drain.
 
*High Endurance Drain.
  
Fairies are meant to be annoying. The player needs to make sacrifices and finish attacks when he's done just enough damage to make it worthwhile.
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Fairies are meant to be annoying. The player needs to squeeze out attacks whenever the opportunity arises.
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===Slime===
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*High hit points.
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*Big patterns.
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Slimes wear the player down; it's simply a battle of attrition.
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===Armored===
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*High Offense.
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*High Defense.
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Armored characters (like golems and Black Knights) punish those with low stats.
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===Wizard===
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*High Endurance Drain
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*High Damage
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Wizards punish those who are slow.
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===Thief===
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*Complicated Patterns
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*High Damage
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Thieves force the player to draw the whole pattern and nothing but the pattern. Missed draws means the enemy gets extra attacks, which leads to big damage.
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===Dragon===
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Dragons are the all-around badguys: Nothing in particular stands out about them.

Latest revision as of 00:52, 29 December 2005

Terms

This is the basic idea and concepts in the game. Whenever I say "you," I'm referring to the player.

Endurance

This is the amount of time you have to attack with. Once it's gone, the enemy gets a turn to attack. The enemy controls how much time you have.

Pattern Shape and Size

During your round, a series of patterns appear on the screen. They vary in shapes and sizes, and are ordered in terms of difficulty. Enemies control which patterns and which sizes you will see the patterns.

Hit Points, Attack, Damage

The player and the enemy have hit points, attack level, and defense level. These help in pacing the outcome of the round.

Gaining stats

When you draw on the patterns, they will increase your stats. Red means it will raise your attack, and blue will raise your defense. Green restores hit points, and white does nothing.

Hit Points

Whoever runs out of HP first loses the round. The enemy will lose most of the time.

Attack vs Defense

The amount of damage you do is affected by your attack versus the enemy's defense.

  • If they are equal, you will deal normal damage.
  • If your attack is greater, you deal more damage.
  • If your attack is less, you deal less damage.

You must connect some part of the pattern, or you will deal half damage. The pattern changes color when this is done.

This mechanic keeps you struggling to increase your stats, and gives positive feedback towards attacking.

Overkill

When you defeat an enemy, you spend the rest of the endurance in overkill mode. The patterns turn green, and filling patterns helps you regain lost HP. It keeps you alive, and makes you feel good for kicking a particularly hard enemy.

There is a minimum amount of overkill time. So if you beat an enemy at the last moment, you still get some time to overkill.

Stat Loss

Every five rounds, the player's stats drop by one. This prevents the player from building a high defense and cruising their way through the rest of the game. This is especially important when the player will spend several rounds against a relatively harmless enemy.

The player's attack is not reduced if it cannot penetrate the enemy's defense. The player gets more attack but no defense icons . These measures help the player gain more attack to defeat their foes.

Experience during the course of a game

This covers what you should experience while playing Sword Draw.

Beginning

You should build up stats rather quickly. Enemies should die quickly.

Midway

You've noticed that you have to improve your stats to keep up with your enemies'. Sometimes there's a particularly pesky enemy that does a lot of damage.

End Game

You're having trouble keeping up with the enemies' stats. Enemies are being real jerks: High damage, confusing patterns, not much time to do much.

Player Choices

Here are some of the split-second decisions you have to make.

Speed vs Accuracy

Should you finish patterns quickly, or should you try to fill the entire thing out first?

Speed

  • If you can finish the pattern in a single stroke, do it quickly!
  • Overkill mode comes faster if you immediately dispatch the enemy.
  • Difficult obnoxious patterns can be skipped if you just connect the endpoint.

Accuracy

  • More stats are gained if you trace over the whole pattern.
  • Each hit does more damage if the pattern is full.
  • Better used for complicated patterns.

Side Effects

In the beginning, speed is better because the patterns are simple. By endgame, though, you had better slow down and make every hit count!

Premature Attacks

Attacks can be finished prematurely for less damage.

Benefits

  • The player can quickly finish attacks to deal damage.
  • The player can discard pesky patterns immediately, instead of wasting time tracing it over.

Disadvantages

  • The enemy takes less damage from the attack, reducing damage over time (efficiency.)
  • The player may have gotten more stat boosts if the pattern was completed.

Enemy Design

Each enemy type should punish a player mentality. The player should be able to switch tactics when faced with certain types of enemies.

Fairy

  • Complicated Patterns.
  • High Endurance Drain.

Fairies are meant to be annoying. The player needs to squeeze out attacks whenever the opportunity arises.

Slime

  • High hit points.
  • Big patterns.

Slimes wear the player down; it's simply a battle of attrition.

Armored

  • High Offense.
  • High Defense.

Armored characters (like golems and Black Knights) punish those with low stats.

Wizard

  • High Endurance Drain
  • High Damage

Wizards punish those who are slow.

Thief

  • Complicated Patterns
  • High Damage

Thieves force the player to draw the whole pattern and nothing but the pattern. Missed draws means the enemy gets extra attacks, which leads to big damage.

Dragon

Dragons are the all-around badguys: Nothing in particular stands out about them.