I can''t think of anything specific to discuss on this subject. Any observations welcome! The ability to change into a different shape, ie. a different creature / machine, is one of the concepts that I think is pretty cool, but don''t see enough of (for my tastes). Shapeshifting gives the character that the player is controlling different -abilities -strengths and -weaknesses, ie. if she turns into a rat, she will be able to get into small spaces (but will have to be careful as most enemies will be bigger than her). Shapeshifting, allows different ways to solve obstacles that the player encounters, and in some cases can even change the whole way the game is experienced around. ie. playing as a rat vs. playing as a 10 ft tall troll. Sometimes, there may be a need to expend resources to change (or to stay in a certain form) -ie. magic points, whereas in other games you can stay as one character as long as you like. In some cases you can change form anywhere in the game, but in others such as Banjo-Kazooie, you have to visit a certain location.

If you haven''t done so, play Nethack. It''s a free RPG where you can be polymorphed into any monster / creature in the game. Even a dragon! Just one of the many things that makes Nethack so amazing. The graphics won''t impress you, though.. it''s all done with ASCII text.

mmmmm

Nethack.


Yummy.



BEST GAME EVER!

There was a game a couple of years ago who''s premise revolved around the idea of shapeshifting. I can''t remember the name off the top of my head ... and the Under Dogs site was down last time I checked (I''m supposing it''s still down).

The idea was that you could shapeshift into one of three creatures, each one with their own powers and weaknesses. It was a single-player action RPG, released shortlty after Ultima Underworld 2, I believe.

Jesse.

You''re thinking of Shadowcaster. It wasn''t really that good of a game, because if you got hurt, you could just wait for about 15 minutes and your health would regenerate. That was the only way I made it through the game.

One of the (many) game ideas I have been working on involves a character in a anchient fantsy oriental setting. The character has the ability to transform into various animals in the style of origami. As the game progresses the character learns new animals that can be folded onto. The game its self is pretty open-style adventure but the player needs to learn certain forms to overcome some of the obsticals in the game.

I dont know, shapeshifting sounds like something the enemy should have to make the game more chalenging, having the player either not shapeshift at all or have him learn the ways of the enemy in an evolution like way, or maybe having the main char be a half shapeshifter who doesnt know it, maybe shapeshifters are the dominant species and you must free your species from their tirany or something like that, I am just rambling though.

quote: Original post by Saluk
mmmmm

Nethack.


Yummy.



BEST GAME EVER!

Bah! My Angband beats your Nethack, hands down! Thoose are burn-at-the-pole words!

quote: Original post by Kwizatz
I dont know, shapeshifting sounds like something the enemy should have to make the game more chalenging, having the player either not shapeshift at all or have him learn the ways of the enemy in an evolution like way, or maybe having the main char be a half shapeshifter who doesnt know it, maybe shapeshifters are the dominant species and you must free your species from their tirany or something like that, I am just rambling though.

Oh YES you are! Ooh *YES* you are!!!



I think metamorphosis is a pretty good quest for RPGs in that it effects both the story and the tactical combatsystem to a high degree, and it connects the two in a very natural way. Variants of this theme is pretty common in adventure game (going back at least to Manic Mansion (ok, not metamorphosis, but choosing of abilities then)), and shows it self from time to time in RPGs (Diablo II''s druid for example) while it is pretty uncommon in an obvious way in FPSs. Platform games often have special abilities that could be called metamorphosis (Lick the mushroom Mario! Lick the mushroom!) and other special abilites. But in most games even the aquiring of something (like an ability/form/key) to perform a task before continuing with the rest of the game is very common. Nearly all scripted games have them, the exeption being strategy games like Civilization. And one could argue that the difference between getting that key and transfroming yourself into a troll to open the door/bash through the castle wall is not that big that it really makes a difference other than in the story you want to tell, and as earlier stated in RPGs.

Well, just some thoughts....

/Apoztel