Been a long time since my last post, but I got a new game design idea I''m tired of First Person Shooters where the only puzzles are "jump here" and "Find the key" kinda stuff. So when designing a storyline for a new FPS I came up with a new kind of puzzle, and this one has the potential to be really fun and challenging. I call it an "Action Puzzle." The characters in this particular third person FPS/RPG are all Genetically/Chemically/Robotically enhanced. So super-fast combat with swords/guns/fists(karate) is achieved. This new puzzle starts when the action really starts to heat-up. Time will slow down as chemicals are injected into the brain, creating a dramatic effect. This is where the puzzle comes in. The character faces impossible odds (but he''s a super hero, so nothings impossible) He''s running down a catwalk chased by a troop of armed guards, suddenly he sees the end of the catwalk, there''s no where turn. The game slows down representing the characters chemically enhanced awareness. The camera changes location showing a grenade being hurled towards the hero, then again to reveal a chain dangling off the end of the catwalk. These are the clues the player needs to solve the action puzzle. The solution to this particular puzzle is to jump off the end grab the chain while drawing a pistol and shooting the grenade in air as you swing away to safety. There are limitless applications for this type of puzzle where time slows down and clues are given. The player must think quickly to find the correct solution, or be doomed to repeat from the last save. Also, this adds to the cinematic effect of the game and the player is rewarded visually. With the polygon''s being cranked by modern cards this could be visually stunning "matrix" -like kinda stuff Lemme know what you think, and gimme suggestions for more of these action puzzles. Use the WriteCoolGame() function Works every time

Isn''t "third person FPS" an oxymoron?

The game slows down, you say? Hmm.. your game isn''t called Max Payne is it?


No, but I see where you''re going, and that could be a good puzzle way of utilising bullet time - although would reduce replayability a LOT.

What would be good if you could watch it in dramatic 3rd person afterwards.

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hmm Max Payne, nuff said

"What would be good if you could watch it in dramatic 3rd person afterwards"

I agree, and I think they should build in a VCR interface for FPS multiplayer games: You could replay a recorded game, pause the playback, and move around the environment with an omni-cam (ala being dead in Counter Strike) and see what occured in the game, and also edit a dramatic bullet-time playback. This kinda of thing was done with the very first Red Baron.. I think I spent more time making movies of my dogfights than actually dogfighting This way you could truly have cool bragging rights by sharing your movies of your internet Deathmatches, CTF matches ect.. and this kind of thing could also be utilized as a training tool for clans/teams/tribes ect.

I think I might post this as new post in some other forums and see if any programmers know how this might be implemented in FPS mutlitplayer. Any programmers out there know how this might be done.. BTW .. read my new post on a cool next-gen battlecruiser sim idea in the Lounge. I could use some help with that as well.

Hey, that sounds like a cartoon called Action Man. Everything slows down as he calculates all the angles to do a particular stunt or whatever. Not that I watch it or anything. Well, maybe just a little while waiting for Big Guy and Rusty to come on... Anyways, cool idea. Kinda like a faster version of Dragon''s Lair

Thanks for the comments-

Third person FPS, hehe, woops -make that a Plain old third person shooter. I can''t beleive i let that one slip. ;-)

Anyway, as for those of you that pointed out Max Payne, I''ve never played it(i can''t scrape together the $50 for it with meager K-mart pay. lol) So i read the Gamespot review and it does use the slow down thing, but in a different way as from what i''ve read. Max Payne slows it down to make it easier to kill enemies, mine uses it as a scripted tool(not user controlled, but story driven) to provide you time to solve a puzzle by linking certain objects together on the fly given to you by camera location changes. Given the objects shown to you by the camera, you have to quickly choose the appropriate actions to escape a seemingly impossible situation(but you''re a hero, remember? Nothings impossible. typical Hawkeye/Natty Bumpo kinda stuff)

Another device i planned in this game for super-fast-action-packed-combat, instead of slowing it down(like max payne) you pump more chemicals into your computerized brain and the computer will help guide blows and blocks and bullets in a rapid manner under your supervision to mimick lightning fast john-woo action.

And, lastly-EnderBean - I love the idea for a vcr kinda interface-that''s EXACTLY what it needs. Thanksalot!
I hope i din''t use any more oxymorons in this post.hehe

Use the WriteCoolGame() function
Works every time

I like the hyper-thought idea. It could make the action truly insane.