Re: Thoughts on a small format cross platform RL

On May 7, 11:17 am, Jeff Lait <torespondisfut...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I really think it is important to design a game around the playing
device. It is very hard to just throw a new interface skin over it.
POWDER has some very sub-standard behaviour in the Windows and Linux
worlds because of its origins in the GBA. Likewise, an attempt to
port nethack to a small screen will necessarily affect the gameplay.
An important part of the feel of nethack, IMHO, is that you are seeing
the whole dungeon and moving the @ around. As opposed to the crawl or
POWDER approach where your dungeon is moving around the @.

There are certainly classes which are similar. But even DS vs PSP?
The dual screen is a serious different approach that needs to be
addressed properly. Likewise the Wii - those controller beg for a
more sensible integration than just treating them like a mouse.


I'm writing a crpg for the gp2x which has some roguelike elements but
is more a trad CRPG (very ultima II'ish). GP2X first with PSP and then
PC last. Mostly because PSP shares same control layout as GP2X.
Even now the PC version only uses 6 'buttons' + cursor for input.

The biggest challenge is mapping user input into limited amount
of buttons etc and not have the user do a 10 combo button
press to do a single action.

My initial fear was memory size, but that turned out to be the
absolute least of my worries. Even the GP32 with 8mb is tonnes.
The GP2x has 64mb. (Right now I'm using about 75-80kb).

On the PC memory is taken for granted, on handhelds, you have
to really count all your resources carefully.

-stu


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