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Hi all. At RDC East Game Jam, a number of teams made some pretty awesome games to show off. The game created by myself, TheNickmaster21, Zyneak, and TheForgeMaster won first prize as judged by the Roblox admins themselves. Since then, we’ve spent a few weeks fixing the bugs in our 3-hour creation, and now we have built up a pretty big idea list for how we want to make the game truly great.
But while we’re all experienced veterans, talented in different aspects of game creation, there’s only four of us at the best of times, and so we’d like to get everyone else’s opinions on what we should do to make Star Jam great.
[size=5]The Basics[/size]
In case you haven’t played it yet, Star Jam is a combat-based game, where stars rain down from the sky onto the map. These stars explode upon impact, creating smaller pieces of star power that can then be collected by players. This collection of power provides upgrades. You can choose whether to boost your health, your speed, or the damage your weapon deals. All upgrades reset upon character death.
[size=5]Weaponry[/size]
Right now, we just have the one default gun, made in the 3-hour time limit. (And barely – it was written from scratch and was so difficult we almost couldn’t finish it. Zyneak worked hard!) We plan on adding a small variety of weapon types.
Blaster - the basic weapon type. Fires a single energy bullet with a very short reload time and slight inaccuracy.
Rifle - an improvement on the blaster. Fires a single energy bullet with a longer reload time but higher accuracy.
Shotgun - fires six scattered energy bullets with a reload time close to the rifle’s.
Machine Gun - a blaster that fires almost constantly for up to four seconds, growing more inaccurate as the time firing increases. Reload time is equal to twice the time fired.
Laser - fires a solid stream of light at the target. Upgrading damage doesn’t improve the damage it deals, just increases the length of time it can be fired before the long reload time.
Decoy Star - the only non-ranged weapon currently planned. Throws a fake star that looks like the real thing, but deals harmful radiation damage instead of granting power. Damage upgrades do not increase the power of the decoy’s radiation, but are instead used as ‘ammo’ that is depleted by using it.
We aren’t sure yet if all types of weapon will be unlocked at the start of the game, but all of them will be available to players without spending any Roblox currency. All variations on these weapons will be aesthetic only: all blasters function the same, all lasers function the same.
[size=5]Light Levels[/size]
In addition to just racking up immediately usable raw star power, players will gain a different type of boost from doing things such as defeating opponents and winning rounds. In practicality, it’s experience levels, but that’s such a bland catch-all name, so we’re going with light levels. (We’d use “lumen levels” but we’re catering to 10-year-olds who wouldn’t get it.)
In function, leveling up will unlock different aesthetic capabilities such as different weapon models or textures, hats, faces, and uniforms, as well as have a chance to receive bonus light, cash, or star power packs.
In appearance, players will have a constant glow based on their level. While leveling up, the light will grow brighter and brighter, until the next level is reached, at which point the brightness returns to its dimmest state, but the range increases. The range will increase with each level 10 times, until it is reset to its smallest, but with a new color, based on the OBAFGKM stellar classification scale.
Example: a level 1 player will have a small-radius, dim red light. As they get closer to level 2, the brightness of the light will grow. Then, upon reaching level 2, the brightness will become dim again, but the radius will expand. This pattern repeats until they reach level 10, when the light becomes a small-radius, dim orange light.
Upon reaching level 70, players will be able to customize their light to whatever they wish.
[size=5]Rounds[/size]
Instead of being a constant free-for-all, the game will be round-based. Some will be every player for themselves, and others will be team-based. They may be limited to a single weapon type, or be a race to reach a certain stat level like 100 health, or have a King of the Hill or Capture the Flag style goal. There will also be different maps (TheForgeMaster’s wonderful work) and a voting system for what types the round will be.
We’re not yet decided if you should be able to change weapon only at the start of a round or at each death, but you will not be able to wield more than one under normal circumstances. There may be the option of carrying a second weapon over a player’s back, but this would need to be unlocked by leveling up.
[size=5]Store[/size]
The store (currently being worked on by TheNickmaster21) will contain all the many customizations and upgrades one can buy. Some can be purchased with in-game cash (perhaps Starbucks?), some must be purchased with Developer Products, and some must be unlocked by leveling up. You will be able to purchase Outfits (a combination of shirts and pants), Hats (of course), Weapon Models (different CSG, sounds, and/or aesthetic effects), Weapon Wraps (different materials, colors, and textures of CSG parts), Animation Packs (different styles of walking, jumping, firing, and the like), Faces (also obvious), Outfit Color (for non-team rounds), and Star Power Packs (consumable items that grant you a shower of star pieces during a round).
[size=5]Spins[/size]
For logging in daily and for leveling up, as well as for a high amount of in-game cash or reasonable amount of Roblox currency, you will get to spin a prize wheel. The prizes include a flat amount of cash or light, a modifier of cash or light income up to 5x, or store items not able to be unlocked or purchased any other way.
And that’s pretty much it so far! To the other members of Stormcloud Studios, if I’ve forgotten something, shout it in the twitter convo and I’ll add it. To everyone else on RBXDev, if you have any feedback or suggestions, please tell us! We want to make Star Jam the best it can be.