Monday, April 23, 2012

Where have all the good Horde Modes gone?

Back when I started this project, the game was going to focus on Horde mode.  There was going to be a little story to make the 'how to play' tutorial interesting, but that was about it.  The game has shifted direction almost completely since then.  Aside from adding in a monster (de-)selector tool, there hasn't been an update to Horde mode in ages.

So consider myself surprised when I found myself thinking about Horde mode all day today.  I'd like to make it more interesting, but I haven't settled on how I'm going to change it.  In Beta on the Beach, there's defined fixed waves to fight through.  I ditched that a while ago so that monsters could spawn continuously.  Now I'm not so sure that was a good move.  Having waves of monsters gives a natural pause, and more importantly it gives a score (sort of) that can be used to compare how well you did.  It would also provide a good place for me to drop power-ups on the player if I decide to add that.

So anyway, I'm picturing something more along the lines of stages, where you fight your way through slightly different combinations of monsters on each level.  Backgrounds change say maybe every 5 waves or so?  So wave one might be 10 zombies on the ship, wave two might be a mix of 12 zombies & tentacles, wave three might add some pirates... you get the idea.  I like the idea of trying to make Horde mode roughly equivalent in play value to story mode.  Well, maybe not in the initial play through, but perhaps in replay value.

The other reason this is on my mind is I'm starting to work on my version of a gallery mode.  Again, Horde mode was supposed to kind of fill that void, but once it was all set up, I can see that it just doesn't cut it. (In my defense, turning the grapple duration to really slow & turning certain monsters off isn't a half-bad gallery either).  Regardless, by adding in a real gallery I'm actually taking value away from Horde mode.  Okay, maybe that's a stretch.  hahah.  But I feel like this area needs some work, so I'll probably revamp it.  Someday... hahah.

Anyway, that's where my thoughts are today.  Comment away!
DirtyC101


12 comments:

  1. The power-up idea is a great one. Also maybe adding armor or weapon drops between waves or stages would be good? And if you want a gallery but don't wanna take away from the horde mode playing then you might use horde mode to unlock gallery pieces. That way people have motivation to play horde mode after the main story. Just a thought though.

    It is YOUR game and I'm sure all your fans will be more than pleased with the final product. So don't fret to much.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Power ups, equips, health are really nice.
    Besides the idea to change the game is really nice.

    The Arena system has a problem, the unending waves of monster collect around you and you can do nothing but trie to kill al least 1 or 2 before grappled again. This is no fun at all.

    Do it like a sidescroller screen to screen game.
    Every screen contains monster and some of them spawn at a timer or if you killed the other maybe if you are grapped once and stuff.
    You can set them as stages which every one has its own background and a Boss at the end.

    You dont really need a Story for this one, but can easy add one if you like.
    Items could be dropped from the monsters to a chance or like a bonus how fast you killed them or how much you get grappled an stuff.
    You can variable change the game to make it more interesting like archivements for New Game:

    Killed them with weapon - bonus Amor
    Killed them with grapple - bonus special weapon
    (like a whip, which as special move has a new grapple?)
    Got killed at least 10 times - Healing Amulett (regenerates 1 Hp every 3 sec)

    At new game you choose your charakter and like 2 pieces of equips (bonuses)
    Just a idea from me

    Anyway, i am looking forward to the next update ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am not sure doing waves with only one ennemy type or two will help to increase replay value... Sounds boring. Waves is a good idea but they have to be fun from the very first (especially the very first indead). And I think it is better to have few waves but a very intense game (after all, it is a sex game we are looking on).

    If you really want to increase replay value of horde mode, there is one thing that always works, if you look to the video game market in general, and it is personalization. Wether it is a hat on your favorite class in TF2, weapons and equipments in Modern Warfare, class, weapons and equipments in Mass Effect 3 (etc...), offering players a lot of possibilities before starting their waves is the way to go. And fortunetely for you, it may not be the hardest one.

    Make so we can choose not only our protagonist but also our weapon (from a few extanding possibilities), our equipments and maybe even the order or type of our ennemies (order of the first three waves, then of the three next ones for exemple).

    And if you feel brave, add things to fight for, like extra weapons, special game over scene for each waves etc... (it is the way every hentai game works after all : play more to see more ^^)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks like a good idea, I love the games with horde mode, they really put your skills to the test, also, receiving a power up or special equipment after a number of waves looks like a nice trophy to cheer you up and continue in the game

    ReplyDelete
  5. Always though it was missing something, and a gallery just happens to be that something. Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I don't really like the idea of a gallery, Personally I prefered the horde mode as is. Maybe, there can be an option to set the hordes to waves or continous, and I liked the choice of what monsters appeared in the horde mode option section. I do like the background changing idea, and a highscore system could be fun, but I don't think horde mode should have any story. I liked the idea as horde mode being a sort of gallery you worked for, rather than flicking on the game and heading straight for the gallery. It was almost rewarding to me.

    Also, I do like the idea of dropping powerups every now and again.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I gotta say i really like your idea on the horde mode
    i think that would be perfect if like on wave 5 the monsters and stage changes and then maybe wave 12 they change again, that would be really cool you should definetly put it in

    Now for the gallery mode personally i dont think it's a good idea from experience
    When you add a gallery it kinda ruins it because than as you continuisly watch the same sex poses it just get's boring
    But when you play something like horde mode, it's more exciting because it's a battle and you dont know who's going to "do" your character and it keeps it switching up and intresting
    It's your game though, this is just my thought
    But still i really like your idea on the horde mode!

    ReplyDelete
  8. ok here are my thoughts. I like games with both horde and Gallery modes, and if I were the person designing such ideas, id make the gallery unlockable with either a code or by doing well in horde mode. Makin it all work together by having the main game, beating stuff in the main game to unlock horde mode, then advancing horde mode to unlock Gallery. Least that's my thought, and id also put little bonus animations or some of your concept pics in there too for a special reward.
    EX saving the other characters in the stages would get special art work.
    [I think people are assuming Gallery is just, pick character pick enemy+optional partner, watch sex. When it could have a lot of other stuff like concept art or maybe animation between the heroes XD]

    The main goal is to see people have fun with the game itself, so id have them play the game. Horde and Gallery would be fun but maybe as an extra as you play or when you win.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I had a wild idea, how about making the enemies playable characters? Obviously it would result in problems with certain enemies trying to grapple others but if it is just a bonus unlock I don't think silly animations would bother too many people. Personaly I think it would be fun to go through a horde of heroines as a tentacle monster, but that may just be me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I got to admit, that is a awsome idea
      It would be a pain to make more animations or whatever but man that would be so fun

      Delete
    2. He would not need to make new animations. Simply use what already exists but make the player control a monster and turn all the enemies into clones of the heroins. The fun side effect to this is now when you win you get to see the girls being dominated, which i have seen many requests for. I am sure it would not be as simple as i hope, regardless I can dream.

      Delete
  10. Why not have it so that some missions/quests involve going into a room and surviving a number of waves? give a limited number of resources for the player to use in between and such

    ReplyDelete