I''m about to take this game to the next level (gathering a development group together), and of course we will only do a demo of the game on the PC to, at the very least, pad a few resumes. I was wanting some feedback though, and thought I might workshop this on an old forum before I start getting others involved. Thanks for your time and comments. Introduction Arcadan Ninja is a 3d rendered, side-scrolling action arcade game that encourages finesse, depth, and aesthetic style and details one ninja''s epic struggle against a corrupt corporation-based world government. Description As you sprint through the Nikada Forrest, you can''t help but notice light shimmering through the branches above, illuminating wind blown blades of grass that colapse noiselessly under your feet. Ahead, two Corp Corperation Enforcers, in battle worn armor, advance toward you. Though obviously well trained and experienced, you see the green highlights of their uniforms and know they are only grunts, doomed to fall by your blade. You quickly draw your sword and lunge forward as the first Enforcer prepares to strike. His hydrolic powered suit is formiddable, but you have come to rely on speed and instinct, knowing he is no match for your sword and agility. You slash cleanly through his suit and before he has fallen to the once serene forrest floor, you roll forward and thrust your blade into the second soldier. As the second Enforcer falls away, you see three more Corp soldiers running up the path. You spring upwards and grasp a low branch. You swing once around it and, with increased power, rocket toward your new enemies with sword once more drawn. You diagonally slash through the first as you land in a crouching stance on the ground. Immediately, you kick upwards, spinning with sword extended, and see another Enforcer fall under your onslaught. Before you land, you throw your sword at your final enemy, piercing his right breast. You fall into a roll, retrieve your sword, and fly forward into yet another endless stream of Corp Enforcers -- your sword almost invisible with speed, yet impossibly beautiful sunlight still glinting at its edge. Key Features Deep Combat System: Arcadan Ninja will support many "moves" that will link together into combos based on position, drastically increase speed and effectiveness, and utilize the environment (e.g. signs, branches, crates). Aesthetic Award System: Higher points will be awarded to creative and lengthy combos, encouraging a fast-paced playing style that will attract a crowd. 3D Engine: The restricted camera of the side-scroller will allow increased detail in models and textures, with the lack of fog in an arena fighting game, and the expansive journey of a first-person shooter. Camera tricks such as zooming and slow motion, only possible in 3D, will greatly contribute to an action arcade feel. Evolving Difficulty: Levels will be dynamically "linked together," taking better players to tougher opponents and special locales while creating an incentive to hone the skills of a new or average player. Light Story: Ninjas have become cliche, and with this in mind, Arcadan Ninja will humorously play upon these cliches in short cinematic sequences that serve only to break up levels and enforce an arcade-style, "throw caution into the wind," fast-paced gameplay and mood. Genre Action Side-scroller Platform Arcade

Sounds like a good start for a game. Reminds me of Ninja Gaiden a few years back that focused on gameplay related to different skills. Do you have any more information about the game? Good luck


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I think you should stay away from using arcade as the primary platform. It''s kindda sad they''re so rare these days.

hmm... maybe it''s just this board (people here make their own games on PCs, play alot of FPSs and RTSs and RPGs and thus program only variations of those genres and therefore are rather cold to an arcade game concept) but this idea doesn''t seem to be sparking the same kind of interest it has among other gaming communities. strange.

Doesn´t sound too bad, although the arcade theme would be better suited for consoles. It´s a good starting point (especially if this is your first, or your first bigger project), but don´t expect anything further since sidescrolling arcade titles are simply not happening on the PC at the moment.

The features seem to be good so far, however I hope that you are aware that what you are proposing (especially the combos) is going to require an awful amount of animation work, so before you start I´d write up a short concept or gd to be able to estimate the amount of work you´re going to have to put into it before it´s playable.

btw: the titles for "introduction" and "description" should be exchanged, also it wouldn´t hurt to use a spellchecker.

Hase, thank you. Introduction and Description were taken from a sample game concept doc i had read on gamasutra. not technically being in the "industry," i used the titles verbatim, afraid that changing them (though the content is still of the same intent as the sample document) would be more likely to illicit a "neophyte" status. i believe i did spell check that document, but nevertheless i'll run it through again and do a little manual editting for good measure.

it's not only the animating that will be time consuming, but a fully 3d game, in the environments of a standard sidescroller, requires alot of modelling work -- something i'm not sure an amateur modeller would be capable of.

my situation seems unique compared to the majority of game concepts posted on this board. the design is for an arcade game (or yes, console as well... though the gameplay is specifically tailored to 'showing off') yet neither console or arcade hardware would ever be legally available to anyone on this project. therefore, an interactive demo on the PC is the current extent of my ambition. i know such a demo would beef up anyone's resume, but would it help sell the idea to a larger publisher? (pipedreams, i know. but the game in my mind, unfortunately not necessarily represented by the concept doc i have posted, seems it would be quite sucessful given the proper professional treatment)

as an afterthought, hase, what aspects of design said "first project" to you?

[edited by - mtdew on May 22, 2002 2:34:06 PM]

If you want it cliche and humorous, I''d like to suggest that in your cut scenes, when they''re speaking keep their lips moving after the words finish( a la Godzilla).

sure, the modelling work will be significant too, but it is nothing that is easily underestimated, especially if you´re going for a playable demo (player, one enemy, floor tiles, several objects for decoration, background). animations however will quickly become a problem area, as you can´t really scale down the effort by much (at least not if the combat system as you have described it is one of the key features).

if you actually complete something playable it will of course look good in a resume (showing off an engine, models and animation), but I doubt that you could sell it to a publisher, even if you had a playable demo. As for selling "the idea", forget that, what you might get is a contract after you have a good demo. But what´s more likely is that (assuming you make it that far) after the demo is more or less complete your team will quickly lose interest, because after the key features are done the work will become repetitive.

and I assumed it was a first (or early) project because arcade games are usally good starting projects, and if you had done something like that chances are that you would have wanted to try something more complex.