Grand Knight History Project ~ Syntax Lines

Grand Knight History Project

Background Overview

After playing game called Grimoire by Vanillaware during my high-school years , I'm simply hook by the graphic and the art direction by George Kamitani. I found out they releasing a new game called Grand Knight History for PSP. However after translation issue the game does not have a English speaker. After couple of years, I able to play the game due to modders mod game to have a English translation. After a few days and completing few side quest, I find out the position does not play a role on the overall gameplay. Due to this reason I try create this side project is because

I wanted to create a turn base mechanic that require more strategy and planing.
To apply my base experience to this game development.

Case study

The following games the example of case study I did during this development.

Pokemon Game

A very popular turn base game, however since the first gen (generation) the game play does not evolve. In the latest iteration they include a double battle, and a group battle.

Pros	Cons
Special ability, example if a Pokemon have a levitation attribute. Most ground attack does not effect them. It play a huge effect when choosing Pokemon to battle Night and Day system.Different Pokemon encounter will appear	Most battle become a weakness exploitation. At the end, the gameplay become whose Pokemon have a better weakness exploiter rather strategic planning Lack of player agency during the battle phase. Creating a dull gameplay A few item is over power example full heal. It create balancing issue Although player able carry 6 Pokemon in one time, the combination does not play a huge impact due to 1 on 1 system

Pros

Cons

Special ability, example if a Pokemon have a levitation attribute. Most ground attack does not effect them. It play a huge effect when choosing Pokemon to battle
Night and Day system.Different Pokemon encounter will appear

Most battle become a weakness exploitation. At the end, the gameplay become whose Pokemon have a better weakness exploiter rather strategic planning
Lack of player agency during the battle phase. Creating a dull gameplay
A few item is over power example full heal. It create balancing issue
Although player able carry 6 Pokemon in one time, the combination does not play a huge impact due to 1 on 1 system

Darkest Dungeon

A kickstarter game by Red Hook Studio, a Lovecraft horror inspired art design and game mechanics. It is a 4v4 grid-turn base RPG game, where the player control a party of a character.

Pros	Cons
Stressful meter play huge role during exploration. It create a situation to continue or stop exploration same feeling occur when exploring Dark Souls (Soulike Game) Game Character position impact during battle phase, example few attack can be use if character at the right position. Each battle feel high stakes due to character cannot revive Camping feature creating a good immersion/lore gameplay Beautiful art style Small number attribute making more easier to understand.	In certain situation, RNG able break player strategies. Thus this can effect player strategies without player input Abounded of texts during battle phase In item/attack description, using different type of percentage Grinding character to replace the old character

Pros

Cons

Stressful meter play huge role during exploration. It create a situation to continue or stop exploration same feeling occur when exploring Dark Souls (Soulike Game) Game
Character position impact during battle phase, example few attack can be use if character at the right position.
Each battle feel high stakes due to character cannot revive
Camping feature creating a good immersion/lore gameplay
Beautiful art style
Small number attribute making more easier to understand.

In certain situation, RNG able break player strategies. Thus this can effect player strategies without player input
Abounded of texts during battle phase
In item/attack description, using different type of percentage
Grinding character to replace the old character

Persona Series

A RPG dungeon crawler game from Atlus, created by sub-division Persona Team. A high school drama /date simulator/fantasy game genre, where the player take control a student live to take battle with fantasy monster.

Pros	Cons
Weakness play a huge role on the character and a knockdown system create more strategies for the player. I would say it is a better system then Pokemon system. The 4 v 8 system create more creative group composition. 1 Character able be dedicate support,physical dealer and much more. With a substitute system, each group composition play differently In each iteration, Persona game give player easier ways to create a new Persona. Modify attribute to create a better Persona Each dungeon have a different art style and have a different soundtrack (Persona 4 and Persona 5). Making exploration more intriguing. Personal favorite Nanako dungeon(Heaven) Skip option.When battle a low level, player able skip using a skip button to fast forward Player can control other character or allow AI to control it.	Skill name convention could be more easier

Pros

Cons

Weakness play a huge role on the character and a knockdown system create more strategies for the player. I would say it is a better system then Pokemon system.
The 4 v 8 system create more creative group composition. 1 Character able be dedicate support,physical dealer and much more. With a substitute system, each group composition play differently
In each iteration, Persona game give player easier ways to create a new Persona. Modify attribute to create a better Persona
Each dungeon have a different art style and have a different soundtrack (Persona 4 and Persona 5). Making exploration more intriguing. Personal favorite Nanako dungeon(Heaven)
Skip option.When battle a low level, player able skip using a skip button to fast forward
Player can control other character or allow AI to control it.

Skill name convention could be more easier

Suggestion Mechanics

The following is a suggestion mechanics to be implement.

Create a combo system. If a character able deal more than one hit, they will receive a extra action point (AP).
Skill that have vertical and horizontal attack. Example in Darkest Dungeon, this allow battle to finish much faster while gaining more EXP due to number of enemy vs battling a single enemy.
Allow character save AP for more powerful attack. Rather each character have their own mana pool, all character share the same mana pool (in this project called AP (Action Point)). This allow player to bank/skip character move to other option.
Player require move enemy character to a certain position to be attack more efficiently.

Project Planing

The following is the project plan for this project.At the end I hope I able create a alpha/proof of concept on the game mechanic I'm creating

Days	Development
Day 1	For project planing, I try create a simple design for grid base RPG game. The first thing I design, how gridlayout component able react to the player and how to phase able switch to other phase.
Day 2 and Day 3	Im start create gridComponent, columnComponent and gridlayoutComponent, focusing on it since all three module work close together
Day 4	On day 3, I start create character module, Character ui, attribute and etc. Create character skill component as a temp skill holder.On day 3, I start create character module, Character ui, attribute and etc.
Day 5	On the same time, I create the main program application. In match component will handle when the required process to be called.
Day 6 and 7	On the 6 day, I continue upgrade the overall game UI(character UI,Player Ap,Main Title). Beside that I develop the phase module, the purpose of the phase module is to create a handler on the each phase.
Day 8	I send to my friend to do a quick black box testing.
Day 9 and 10	To conclude the development phase, I ended with the documentation. Base on the QC report, I arrange with bugs with priority and non priority.

Project goals

Create a proof of concept
Create a an interesting game mechanic for RPG scenario

Modules/Component

Gridlayout component

The gridlayout component is where the character will be stationary. On enemy side will be 4x4 while on the player side will be 4x2. The reason enemy is have more bigger gridlayout is allowing the player to get more combo to retrieve more AP. The gridComponent is an intractable component to the user. In prefab (unity level), 4 gridcomponents is store inside a columnComponents, after that all 4 columncomponents then store into 1 gridlayout. During the start phase (unity level), the gridlayout will go one by one checking gridComponet. This allow to set gridComponent neighbour (top,front,back,bottom), this able shorten time to search near by gridComponent by just checking is it null or not. The gridComponent also have component to store a character, this allow to check if the current gird is occupied or not. The grid also have a different type of highlight, the highlight is will be depend on the character action.

Character

Character component is the action be provide. Each character will have a different name,speed,class type and much more. Character will be holding number of skill component.

Match Component

Match component is where the main application is conducting. In the update level (unity level), there is a main switch function. The main purpose of the main switch is, the switch will call function/procedure on certain case.

Character Database

Character database is where all character will be store. When the match component request a character, the database will give a new character on each request.On the each request character database index number will be increase, this allow to check if a new round is started.

Skill Component

On each skill component it require a skill name, ap requirement to be use,skill description, damage element and target. On each skill have a sub component where it called "skillComponent", damage,heal and status. This able create one skill with multiple sub component. Example one skill can deal single grid then cause damage to enemy and heal self.

Flowchart

Version 0.01

Combo mechanics

Single Grid Target

In this version (0.01), when the player is attacking. The targeted character grid will be change and character will be less transparent.

There are also a knockback system. Example if the target character have back grid, the character will be move to the back grid. If the grid is occupied then both character will be move back. If the from target character grid to the very end is occupied thus more bigger damage will be apply. Also when knockback occurs player will AP bonus point.