So I at first sat down to create a design document for an Action RPG game I would like to make. The game basically was to be a Diablo II in space. (Of course not on the same scope of a million dollar project). But I wanted a fun action game in space. I got an engine, and started to code. Its a 2d top down space shooter engine that I was going to port to this action/RPG style. As work has progressed it has become painfully obvious that the game is tiliting more to action part, like the way I handle getting outfitted with weapons, the economics etc. I guess my question would be, how much RPG then should be in an action game? Currently since the face of the game''s genre is fastly changing it seems the only RPG is getting experience and talking to some NPC''s to get new missions which will take place in different areas of space(its very mission based) anyone have any good ideas how to salvage this game into more of an RPG without a lot of added work (as it is only me doing this game currently). I realize its silly to assign XP when there is no real benefit to gaining levels, that is where my question also stems from if anyone has any clever ideas on how to make a good action game with proper and easy to implement RPG elements. The trick is, that most the data structures are in place in the game to support RPG elements (not RPG elements on the really heavy D&D level) but some RGP elements as character (pilot/ship) abilities to be rasied, XP to be gained, and levels to be attained. I was going to make no inventory system (to ease the work on my end) in trade for a "Risky Weapon" system, when you kill an enemy and they drop a weapon, all the player can tell is the class of weapon...they can fly over it to try to pick it up but either it will be out of their level range, or they will pick it up and it could be worse than the one they had. I also wanted to give the ship upgrades, and have classes...Merchant, Scout, and Mercenary...but I do not see this really taking place as work progresses either. Anyone have some .02$ that they would like to add? Thanks, Shane

pretty much I would say, as long as the different choices you can make affect gameplay - and set you on different, but more or less equally difficult paths.

if your xp system would be something along the lines of linear development you might include it for show, but it will not have an impact on gameplay (as the enemies will progress with the player).

"Currently since the face of the game''s genre is fastly changing it seems the only RPG is getting experience and talking to some NPC''s to get new missions which will take place in different areas of space(its very mission based)"

Yeah, totally unlike Diablo.

(sarcastic dripping from typing hand...hope that''s sarcasm)

-Hyatus
"da da da"

i don''t know if you have implemented this or not, but what about allowing characters to move freely in the game universe. even though they have missions, they can decide whether to do it now, or later.

My compiler generates one error message: "does not compile."

They can get very similar without suffering in the slightest. I strongly recommend that you look at games like Deus Ex, Seiken Densetsu 1-4, and Star Ocean. Particularly Deus Ex.

Hmm some good points, I had originally intended to allow the players to go anywhere, plus bring up a starmap to warp to different areas (Sorta like Diablo II areas) and then freely roam, with some side thinsg thrown in (like if they did an emergency warp, ie not using a star map they would end up in dead space..usually no where in particular just littered with some enemies to fight, and once in a great while they would end up in a ship graveyard, where pearhaps some mission was to take place). I have my original design doc in word format, perhaps I should post a link to it... IN either case, the original design doc I fear if I am not careful is far outof reach of what is doable by one person working on this, namely me.

-Shane