Heropath Dev Log #1 – First Sights, First Steps

I’m excited to share my first development diary entry for Heropath. Thanks to Chris DeLeon’s course ‘Code Your First Game’ I’ve gotten an introduction to game coding. His course starts off with pong, then breakout, followed by a car racer, and then ends with a graphic adventure game. The graphic adventure game would provide the launching point to create the style of game that I intend for Heropath to be, a top-down strategy-adventure.

DeLeon’s code would provide four critical mechanics: 1) Draws a grid map with different objects on it, 2) Move the player’s character around, 3) The character can pick-up items located on the map, 4) Use those items to pass obstacles on the map. Below you can see a screen shot of DeLeon’s adventure game.

DeLeon’s adventure game

One of the first things I did to make DeLeon’s game my own was update the graphics. I did this for three reasons: 1) It was super easy to do, 2) Gave me a sense of momentum, 3) Gave me enthusiasm seeing aesthetics that resonates with me.

The graphics come from an outstanding homage/update to Atari 2600 Adventure and are an inspiration for Heropath.

Heropath First Sights Screenshot

The above screenshot is the modest first sights and first steps of Heropath. This alpha demo is an exceedingly simple puzzle game with a fantasy theme. You can play Heropath version 0.0.0.2 with a web browser and keyboard here:

https://heropath.com/demo/alpha-v0.0.0.2/heropath.htm.

Instructions: You control Sir Bloc with the keyboard arrow keys. You need to collect the keys to unlock the doors to get the chalice.

Version 0.0.0.2 currently has the following features:

– Load grid map
– Load character
– Load objects (keys, doors, chalice)
– Logic for character movement
– Logic for key pickup and door unlock
– Logic for capturing chalice resets map
– Updated graphics
– Updated demonstration map
– Updated on-screen instructions

Updates for Heropath can be found at the version history and will include improvements and new features such as:

  • Fix collision detection as the walls and doors feel squishy which contradicts their appearance.
  • Add a nice UI with a character traits panel.
  • Have characters carry the key graphically.
  • Have the doors be replaced by an open door graphic instead of vanishing.
  • Add a monster that chases the character.
  • Add a weapon to defeat the monster.
  • Add encumbrance so when the character picks up an item the character’s movement slows down.
  • Have characters be able to drop the carried key and the object remains on the screen. This changes the item from a grid item that vanishes to an object that has some persistence and is interacted with.
  • Expand the setting with new maps.
  • Add win and end screens.
  • Add a ‘possession’ mechanic that will centre the plot and story.
  • Explore variations of game development fundamentals like camera-usage and time (real-time vs turn-based).

As I think about these improvements, I am considering adopting a game development engine like Godot or Unity to implement these things. While I can learn how to do this in JavaScript it will take a longer time, time that could be better spent developing skills with one of those engines.

Is Heropath a CRPG?

I’ve defined what a Heroic Strategy-Adventure in a previous post and in many ways it looks like what a Computer Role-Playing Game (CRPG) is. So I thought it would be useful to define CRPG and see if Heropath fits in that genre. Here are some of my favourite definitions of what a CRPG is:

A game is a computer RPG if it features player-driven development of a persistent character or characters via the making of consequential choices. – Sinister Designs.

A computer role-playing game (CRPG) is an approach to ludic narrative that emphasizes computational simulation of the storyworld over set-piece, “canned” design and narrative elements. The CRPG generally offers the player a much wider field of choice than other approaches, albeit often at the cost of narrative depth and the scope of narrative possibility it affords to the designer. – Digital Antiquarian

1. There must be some form of character development, which might include increases in hit points, spell points, experience, levels, attributes, or skills. Basically, the character has to get intrinsically stronger and tougher as you play the game. Improvements in inventory do not count.
2. Combat effectiveness (including accuracy and damage) must be dependent to some degree on character attributes. Again, these could include standard Dungeons & Dragons-style characteristics, like strength and dexterity, or a skill-based system as in Skyrim. Combat effectiveness based solely on inventory or player dexterity with a controller does not count.
3. Characters in the game must have flexible inventories that are not based around solving puzzles. Characters should find some variety of weapons, armor, potions, and magic items during the game, and the player should be able to choose what the character wields and when he uses various items. – CRPG Addict

Western CRPGs & JRPGs: These will be treated as strategy games with an added exploration aspect… Insomnia via Archive.org.

I’ve long believed that CRPGs are fundamentally strategy games where resources are gathered through world exploration from the perspective of the protagonist. So with those definitions being laid out, I’d like to offer my own:

CRPGs are strategy games that emphasize protagonist trait-advancement, tactical combat resolution, inventory management, and world exploration.

So will Heropath be a CRPG given my definition? It won’t be in the beginning.

Heropath will definitely have CRPG elements in later chapters but like all Video Games it will emphasize certain certain motifs to create a distinct presentation. Heropath will differ from CRPGs in the following ways:

  1. You will command larger units in future chapters: CRPGs typically leave out control of larger units like squads, armies, castles, cities, and kingdoms. You visit these things but you don’t usually control them. Heropath eventually will expand to allow you control of more than your avatar.
  2. Dexterity challenge resolution in the beginning chapters: CRPGs can incorporate dexterity/action resolution (known as Action RPGs) and Heropath will follow those games to start with. Defeat of obstacles through character levelling, spells, and defeating monsters will not be Heropath’s initial focus.
  3. Deconstruction of the genre: One of the core design ideas for Heropath is to deconstruct what a CRPG is. I plan to break the genre down to its essential building blocks to savour these ingredients being added over time. I appreciate CRPGs like Challenge of the Five Realms that adopted interesting mechanics like having an end-of-the-world timer and allowing you to recruit groupings of a units. That game feels more like a Heroic Strategy-Adventure because of those added elements.

In summary, Heropath will be start out as a Heroic Strategy-Adventure, but will adopt some CRPG traits as the game advances. While those two genres share aesthetic treatments they emphasize different mechanics which is where I hope to have Heropath distinguish itself.