Creative player ideas for in-game items, zones, etc.

[MagiNinjA]

We need a violin as an item in the game. Totally. If there isn't one.

There isn't one yet. And I was just about to say that I don't really see stringed instruments being weapons in this game, but as I was just talking about sonic damage I suppose extreme cases might be possible. But it won't be a theme like in KoL. I'd say a musical instrument could be an accessory, but in that sense you wouldn't be playing it (because your hands are full of weapons and such), it would have to contain an effect in and of itself. A miniature player piano, for instance, could accompany you and provide appropriate mood music.

Or maybe I'm missing what you were getting at. If you'd care to elaborate? Things that help set the mood are always good, but short of having actual music play in the background (don't worry, I won't do that), I'm not sure how to do that with the concept of a violin.

Oh yes, tangent.

Something neat would be like the Mafia violin case. Something like that seems to fit the mood of the game. Which I really like, btw. I call it the "streetlights" mood. I'm not fully sure myself of what I'm getting with the violin. I'm getting at the darker side of music involving violins, as music of this period (NOIR IS THE WORD) tended to include strings in their music quite a bit. Or from what I've heard. Or that they could fit. Meh.

Hope you get what I mean.

[IcyFreak]

Hey, not a bad idea. Have a generic violin case with a bazooka hidden inside. Or fight someone with one. I can just see it now - walking through the streets of downtown Twilight, you meet someone apparently coming back from a violin lesson. Strange, you thought all the shops were closed at this time of night. Suddenly, he pulls out a bazooka from his violin case. Oh no.

[MagiNinjA]

Now THAT is sweet.

[Cristiona]

Just a thought: we don't have any weldable footwear.

Edit: Also, a third level of plating in the pit would be a neat idea. Perhaps called 'infernium'.

[Jesus]

Dank and Rusty Maze:

You're fighting a Crook and Nanny. The riminal seems creluctant -- er, the criminal seems reluctant to attack, but his au pair girlfriend shakes him into action.

Nook and Cranny
Some kind of choice noncombat?

[TheK3vin]

I've already created a thread for this suggestion, apparently it's not very high on Ryme's priority list, which is quite understandable.

[Ryme]

Actually, it's not that sidekicks aren't a priority, it's that I definitely won't be implementing them in the same sense that KoL familiars work. With the gloves, boots, always present shirts, and the talisman slot, we've already got more equipment than KoL. Throw in computers and some transportation effects, and if you added sidekicks/familiars on top of that, there'd be way too many things going on.

I do recognize that sidekicks are a staple of the superhero genre, and I'd like to work them in somehow. But it'll be more as flavor than as something useful.

[MagiNinjA]

What Ryme said (well, obviously) and I think a philosophy is that you won't have sidekicks, but you'll have many other things that will act as sidekicks, eg computers and skills. Having several "mini sidekicks" could allow for very interesting combinations of supporting your main character.

Oh, something that'd be neat but take a ridiculously long time to implement: giving your character a hobby or hobbies, e.g. music, martial arts, cooking, etc. And then giving the characters some kind of intrinsic or item bonus. I can imagine my character playing some kind of requiem on a violin to delevel a monster or like, being able to craft food. Or have slightly faster reflexes (although that's extremely generic for martial arts, and the gadgeteer...well... ). As to not break the game, perhaps you can have the character level up in said hobbies, BUT only get one or two of the hobbies' bonuses for the day or something. Something something.

[Rueby]

As of now, the Naturalist skill of 'Tame Animal' seems to be useless. It gives you less exp, and no item drops. What if, however, instead of a lesser animal to call and a greater animal to call as has already been suggested, you were only able to call on animal types you have managed to tame? Reptile, mammal, fish etc? It might give the tame skill a reason for existing. Unless it actually has a use later on in game content, and I just haven't gotten that far which is quite possible.

[Olaf]

When I found it useful was when fighting enemies that were too strong to beat, but still get almost as much xp as actually beating them. I know that's not something that one would use at higher levels, but I was able to finish the quest in the ocean a bit easier and use the desert to level in on all the huge bugs at lower levels.

[neocamp22]

I foresee possibly a sidekick as a plot device, in some quests - but that's all I think of that they would be used for.

[TheK3vin]

Maybe a sidekick could just be an award for a quest, seperate from the level-specific quests. You could name him/her and he/she would just attack and perhaps have learnable special abilities. It would just be a cool extra, and not a hugely important thing to have.

[TheK3vin]

That's pretty funny. It would have to be a seperate sidequest (side-quest?) chain though, like all of the epic weapon quests in KoL.

[MagiNinjA]

We don't know that.

Also, dThought's idea just gave me an idea.

Give the player choices throughout his/her ascension. Choices can determine the player's "karma" I suppose we can call it. e.g. Wanda Bee example. Reject her and she becomes a crucial villain. etc.

[TheK3vin]

And every so often she screws up big time, so much so that you'll want to get rid of her, but the longer you wait the stronger she is when you fight her. So some people might want to just get rid of her right away, fight her early, and play through the game without a sidekick. It could be balanced such that either way would present advantages, either having someone helpful who sometimes screws up or having nothing at all.

[neocamp22]

Crazy idea that came up in chat - what about a skill that is given out after you consume a huge amount of caffeine, which increase your tolerance