[Adonthell-minigame] "elemental", dear Watson :> (fwd)

[Nezumi]

I haven't had anything much to comment on recently, but I was sent some
ideas by a friend of mine last night.  Some of the ideas are really good,
particuarly the library search and the idea of different elemental pieces
on a game board having different sort of moves available to them.

A couple of these ideas seem simple enough to include in the next demo,
should people feel up to the challenge.  I personally like the horseshoes
idea.  You could play at the stables in Waste's Edge.  ^_^

In addition to the minigames themselves, there are one or two ideas that
may imply concepts for the item system, such as the idea of one item (a
heated gem or something similar) being held in another item (a glass
bottle).  Should we consider having items that may hold other items?

Everyone please feel free to make comments.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 05:38:36 -0400 (AST)
From: Ken Goldenberg <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden
Subject: "elemental", dear Watson :>


        Some random ideas about the minigames.

        water compliments wind as earth compliments fire

        water cancels fire
        wind feeds fire
        earth blocks fire + wind + water (or earth also cancels fire)
        water washes away earth
        water has no effect on wind and vice versa

        water + wind = fog (confuse foes)
        water + fire = steam (burn foes, wither plants)
        water + earth = mud (or plants)
           -"mud" + fire = clay (clay can be used to make a vessel
                                to carry liquids or a golem)
           -clay + fire + oil = greek fire/molitov cocktail

        earth + fire = metal* (smelting - blacksmithing)
        earth + wind = dust/sandstorm (blind/bury foes)
           -"dust/sand" + fire = glass** (carry volitile liquids)
              -"glass" + wind = "glass-storm" (cut foes to ribbons)

        fire + wind = bigger fire (turn candle flame into room size
                  inferno - make small fire spell bigger or fireball)

        Wind can turn an immediate area effect spell into a "thrown" or
distance spell.

  *Metal can be used to make weapons, of course.

  **Glass jars can carry greek fire, contain liquids (like acid) or
    "fog/steam". A glass jar can be filled with water and used to carry a
    hot gem that would burn through a pocket/backpack and couldn't be
    carried as an amulet (burn skin/clothing).

        Mini games can be used as a way of getting materials for healing
spells or compounds/liquids.  This would aid in playing the game, but not
necessarily be essential.

        Runequest had the idea of "everyday spells".  Simple magic that
commoners would know to help out around the house/farm.
        -A simple fire spell would make sense.  This would only be
powerful enough to start a campfire until strengthend/improved later in
the game.
        -A simple wind spell would keep the bugs away (useful in a stable,
for example) until improved to become an offensive weapon (windstorm).
        -A simple water spell would be used to fill a canteen once or
twice a day until improved to possibly flood a room or put out a fire
preventing the hero from advancing. (Or combined with wind to "hose"
enemies.) <Putting out an NPCs house fire could be rewarded with a useful
gift.>
        -A simple earth spell can dig a firepit or shallow hole until
improved enough to open a hole underneath a foe. It could also be used
to dig under walls when upgraded.  (On a farm it would be used to dig
fenceposts or repeated to dig for an outhouse.)


        A mine would be a good place for a mini game.  Since humans use
alchemy, mining would be somewhat common.  Racing minecarts?  Pay a
small fee to get a pickaxe to try to dig up gold/gems during a time limit?

        How about answering the "Help Wanted" sign in the window of a busy
tavern ("The waiter/waitress is sick today.") and race around the tables
trying to serve customers their meals/drinks before the "lunch hour"
(happy hour?) ends.  Getting the orders to the right tables might be an
extra challenge later in the game in another town. ("Three mead to table
seven, a flagon of wine to table five, and a stein of beer to the
barbarian at table one.")

        Maybe working in the kitchen ("The cook is sick today.") putting
together simple meal orders in a hurry.  The order doesn't go out until
you get it right, so you have to redo it if you get it wrong.  The more
orders you get out during lunch hour, the more you get paid.
        The elements to slap together would be bread, mustard, onions,
beef, and tomatoes; for example.  ("Meat sandwich, hold the mustard and
onions.")  Or main dishes and side orders, maybe. ("Chicken Cheeseabunga
with soup and a roll.")

        A game of horseshoes at the local blacksmith's make perfect sense.
("We're on our lunch break. Care to join in a game?  10 gold coins for
five horseshoes.  Most horseshoes around the stake takes the pot.")

        A race through a library to find a recipe book could yield an
effective potion to restore health/constitution if you find it within the
time limit (before the library closes).  One try per town.

        I've been pondering a game played on a grid/chessboard where a
player tries to encircle an opponent's king with their four rooks to form
a castle.  Two of the rooks move like regular rooks and the other two move
like bishops.  (Why four rooks, then?  Because bishops make lousy castle
towers.)  The peices can't be capture; just blocked.  I've yet to work out
the details.

        In a grid board game, a water peice could submerge and resurface
past a peice blocking it.  A wind peice would pass over it.  Earth peices
would make good blocking peices.  Fire and water peices would cancel each
other out. (ie. capture each other)  Wind and earth can't be captured.
Earth would move one square at a time.  Wind would move many squares.
Water can go foward or back. (Like the tide.)  Fire can go in any
direction while moving, even doubling back on itself.  Fire can multiply
(spread) quickly.  Water can multiply (flood) slowly.  <Maybe dominate the
board by flooding or burning it?)
        Maybe spin off Othello by having water peices able to flip fire to
water (extinguish the fire), fire able to flip wind to fire (wind
spreading fire), but earth and water can't be flipped.  They are used as
blocking peices.  Or maybe have fire flip water to fire (turn water to
steam).

        Maybe a Q-Bert style game with a small flame trying to burn the
whole gameboard while avoiding the drop(s) of water trying to put it out.

        Catch the gopher destroying the farmer's field and he'll give you
a useful plant/herb.

        Getting tired.  I'll send more ideas if they come to me.
                                                Ken
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                (A)bort (R)etry (I)gnore (F)ail (N)uke ?
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                Pucked again in the hockey game of life.
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                I'm living proof that I should be dead by now.
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