Skull Helmet Intro: A young man open his eyes, he's now awake. It's rain, he can feel gentle drops tickles his face as he watch the sky. He hasn't memories from his past... just a basic conscious of being, and, existence of things around him. He's watching the sky laying inside a open coffin placed in a open grave. "There's still something missing" he thought, he lowered his gaze: his crossed hands on his chest is holding something. Rationale: We control our hero (Ethan) in a 3D world but from a fixed view from above. Ethan wander in a closed field surrounded by enemies; his only weapon is a skull which (usually) he wears as helmet. The skull is magic, but it's power works only when it's cast in air so Ethan can't use it to cudgel while holding it. Each time the skull is thrown need to be re-collected from the ground: only one ammo, no inventory. The level is completed when all enemies are killed and so our hero can access to the next one. video ----------------------------- Gameplay and mechanics Ethan stances Ethan, the character under player control, has different three behaviours depending on how and if he's holding or wearing the skull (see control section to see how player switch between stances). He can wear the skull over his head [wearing.skull], holding in his bare hands [holding.skull] or he doesn't have the skull at all [no.skull]. When player is in [wearing.skull] he can strike with his head: headbutt is effectively to push away enemies, but it's not lethal nor cause further damage. Ethan can run while is [wearing.skull] but not when he's [holding.skull] video When holding the skull in his hands Ethan is ready to throw it (if he's still wearing over his head he need to remove and switch to [holding.skull] first) but in order to do so, he need to walk sideway; during so he moves dangerously slowly. After thrown the Skull, obviously, Ethan is left unarmed [no.skull] and need to recollect as soon possible from the ground. Throw and regaining the skull The only way to destroy Ethan enemies it's hitting throwing the skull at them. The skull itself it's magic: when it's not touching anything (animated or not) it's devastation power increase: more time time it stand in air, more powerful it becomes. So, naturally, the more far is the enemy you're aiming for... the more devastating will be the shoot (and thus, hit closer enemy does less damage). Since the skull is the only ammo Ethan has, every time he need to recollect it from the ground. In order to simplify this process Ethan has Telekinesis power which bound only between Ethan and the Skull. video There's no distance limit for Ethan's telekinesis power, but more far it's the skull... the more slow it's the recollecting speed. -------------------------------- Controls Default key configuration it's the common WASD keys + mouse. With WASD player can move the hero in the eight direction while mouse it's used to place the target cursor Ethan always run when is [wearing.skull] and has [no.skull] and always sidewalk slowly while [holding.skull]. Mouse Mouse control the target cursor used for the direction of the skull throw meanwhile the distance between Ethan and the cursor has no effect. The use of Left Button (LB) depend on which stance Ethan is: [wearing.skull] - Gives headbutt [holding.skull] - Throw the skull [no.skull] - Use telekinesis (see: Throw and regaining the skull) Middle Mouse button is used to switch between holding or wearing the skull ([wearing.skull] and [holding.skull]). Right mouse button it's currently unused evaluating if which kind of impact would have in the gameplay between have it as "Action Button" or "Jumps" (for jumps can be used [SPACE] anyway) -------------------------------- There's still some undisclosed features about the gameplay here, this because I don't want to focus too much on a single project until I don't actually find some help (see the actual thread). Once other developer will join me for an agreed project: I will totally fix my interest in that single one (and, thus, adapt it to the dev team skills). So, for those who may be interested my email andress is: alessandro?gmx.ca ...or contact me on this forum and/or on the official one

is this supposed to be an action-game like mario or more a puzzle game ?

i do think that either way you're not giving enough options to use the skull, you only have throw, maybe learn different skills with it, just brainstorming a bit but here are a few:

- boomerand; the skull will move in an arc when thrown

- push; the skull will push a creature it hits

- damage; the skull will damage enemies it hits

- two ways; the Ethan will jump the other way when throwing the skull

- magnetic; the skull will move toward ethan when Ethan is close to it after it has been thrown(i know it s already in there in slightly different form, but in this form you d have to choose to either use this skill or another when throwing)

-explosion; the skull will damage all nearby enemies when it hits one

 

is this supposed to be an action-game like mario or more a puzzle game ?

Purely action game with some "strategic" addition within the level design. IE


(the usual trick with the lever to hit)

i do think that either way you're not giving enough options to use the skull, you only have throw, maybe learn different skills with it, just brainstorming a bit but here are a few:

The way thought it was more like "your skills are in the level".
Sort of thing you may have see in portal 2: your basic tool is one (the portl gun) meanwhile you can obtain some skill with the level design (the blue, red and white fluid used to paint the wall).

I wasn't expected to explain this feature now, but since we're talking about it. In Skull Helmet your power is giver by the corpses of your enemies, here how it works

You hit the enemy and (sometime, not always) the skull penetrate inside the corpses


now the skull (inside the corpse) is blinking and Ethan is "locked up" with telekinesis (notice the blu enemy which is charging Ethan)


The green enemy (fire drake) has fire power... and so with telekinesis power now Ethan is able to light up a fire wall

the blue enemy (water or another kind of power like that) is now burned and, meanwhile the firewall is lite up we can still regain the skull... if we're enough fast to re-collect and throw again the skull in the firewall we get the ultimate fire power


Several enemies "hide" special powers in their corpses. But no skill or power up is planned for Ethan: it's just between you and the hidden powers in every level.


- boomerand; the skull will move in an arc when thrown
I didn't think about this... maybe Ethan can someway alter the skull direction in middle air with telekinesis power: for a lob shot to bypass obstacles too?

- push; the skull will push a creature it hits
Not sure about this: Ethan has already push power when wearing the skull afterall

- damage; the skull will damage enemies it hits
Yeah, that's what you're supposed to to. Maybe you're referring to some sort of "resistance" (enemy needs more hits before get killed?)

- two ways; the Ethan will jump the other way when throwing the skull
I can think this useful for, maybe, a super jump (throw the skull in the ground at his feet... use reverse telekinesis on the skull at the same time to cast himself into air)

- magnetic; the skull will move toward ethan when Ethan is close to it after it has been thrown(i know it s already in there in slightly different form, but in this form you d have to choose to either use this skill or another when throwing)
The magnetic power I though should works more as sort of "invisible rope" between Ethan and the skull.. IE:

He throw the skull into a hole above him

then he use the telekinesis power to drag himself over him


-explosion; the skull will damage all nearby enemies when it hits one
Acid poisonus power, flame, electric thunder explosion and sort of stuff.. that's the powers within enemies corpses (yeah, it's supposed to be a dark toon videogame)

oh that's pretty good, skills dependant on the level.

the damage-thing, well. like i said, i was just brainstorming, but having to hit(maybe knock unconscious for a short time) one enemy so you can hit another can give the player a very nice challenge.

i am gonna point out that the game seems even more like a puzzle-game now, that 's not a bad thing though ;)