I’m sorry for not updating during the last few days. I was improving the controls and the camera, and that’s worth posting about, because it doesn’t look exciting or interesting in a screenshot. I also got the cover system working.
Today, I added the ability to find weapons, equip them, and store up to 3 of them in an inventory.
Here’s what the inventory looks like:
I’m not sure if it should go in the center of the screen…
…or on the side.
When you are using a Keyboard to play the game, the Inventory interface will look different.
This inventory is not necessarily the final design; I just threw it together because I needed a graphical interface to use while getting the weapons to function. Perhaps it would be a better idea to use an entirely different kind of inventory; perhaps a “Tetris Style” inventory like in Resident Evil 4, so the player can have fun organizing their weapons?
When you are nearby a weapon, a faint button prompt will appear over it, along with its name. When you are close enough to pick it up, the prompt and name become clear to let you know that you are currently highlighting that weapon.
If you are already carrying a weapon of that “Type”, the game will tell you that you’re going to be swapping one weapon for another.
This brings us to a quandary that I’ve run into…
I need your help!
I’m having trouble deciding how to categorize the weapons. I originally planned to categorize them based on how they are used (stabbing, slashing, or bludgeoning) but then I started wondering if it would make more sense if the weapons were categorized according to how suspicious they are. Some weapons look harmless and can be carried openly without arousing suspicion (scissors, screwdriver, hammer), but other weapons look threatening and will instantly alarm people (knife, syringe, hand-axe). Another option is to categorize the weapons by size (small, medium, or large).
The reason I need to know how to categorize the weapons is because it will determine how I should handle the game’s inventory. If the player finds two weapons of the same type (scissors and screwdriver, both are small and inconspicuous stabbing weapons), for what purpose would the player want to pick up both of them? Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons of a single type, or disallow it?
I’m also not sure how many weapons the main character should be able to hold. How many weapons is too many for a schoolgirl to carry, before you can’t suspend your disbelief anymore? Or is a Yandere game already so silly that I shouldn’t bother keeping the inventory realistic?
If you’re interested in helping out, please give me your opinion on these topics:
- How do you think the inventory should work?
- Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
- How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are? By their size? By how they are used in combat?
- How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
- Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
Yandere Simulator Development Blog 
Personally, IMO, it depends on your design focus. Is this supposed to be a puzzle game, to some degree, with a focus on forethought and strategy? Is there supposed to be high tension around having to choose what to use? Then limit the inventory. Is it supposed to be a hilarious murderous romp? Then let people gather as much shit as they want so they can use it however they want. (Possibly with a backpack system to switch things in and out of the hotbar/weapon select? Like Minecraft, or like MGS3.)
BTW, are you making plans to develop/port/wineskin this game for Mac, out of curiosity?
It will definitely be possible for me to get this game running on Mac, although it’s not going to be a priority until after the Windows version is complete.
•How do you think the inventory should work?
If it’s simply going to be weapons, then simple. I’m assuming that you want more with items, like maybe lockpicks, commercial cell phone jammers, notes, etc., so Tetris Diablo.
•Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
Side.
•How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are? By their size? By how they are used in combat?
Light, Medium, Heavy, and they each have their own suspicion levels, according to the context of your area.
•How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
If going with Tetris Diablo, then multiple, if you can fit it – but those are stored. You can have them ready with the quick inventory you have on the screen.
•Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
Like I said – if they can fit it, then yes.
Q: How do you think the inventory should work?
A: Tretris style, with each size of weapon using a certain number of slots (1 for small, 2 for medium, 3 for largers ones). Allow the players to move them freely
Q:Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
A: Bottom of the screen with tooltips when you move the cursor over each item (or select them)
Q:How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are? By their size? By how they are used in combat?
A: By how conspicuous they are, this should make the game more stealth like (and doing so, being better)
Q:How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
A: If you’re going for a realistic approach: limit the inventory by the total weight of items. For a more fun approach just limit by the number of slots occupied
And that’s it, I’m glad if this could help you somehow
I’d go with the side for the inventory probably, but whatever looks good to you is probably fine. Personally, I’ve always liked a good tetris-style inventory, but I feel like in this situation you probably shouldn’t be carrying enough weapons for it to really make sense. I’d say 2-4 weapons is a pretty good cap, since it’d be difficult to conceal any more. And I like the idea of sorting weapons by size, because how conspicuous a weapon is could be handled separately, and instead of a static inventory cap you could have a sort of ‘capacity’ variable, which would be, for example, a number somewhere around 5. Items, based on size, get assigned a value of 1, 2 or 3, and the sum of the item size values you’re carrying can’t exceed the capacity variable’s value. You could also add bags to increase the capacity value, and make it easier to conceal larger weapons. Those are just rough ideas, but I think it would add a reasonable limit without restricting the player too much. And as for carrying multiple (different) items with the same function, you could give each a unique characteristic, or give (some) weapons durability in a manner similar to Dead Rising, since a lot of them will be improvised and it’d make weapons a more precious find.
How about a wheel? A wheel with a few slots for weapons and tools you can use. For categorization I think basing is on a mixture of the suspicion they bring and size they are; I don’t care who you are, if you’re bringing a metal bat to class then I’m gonna be on edge. The final point seemed a bit pointless to me at first, but what if the game kept track of weapons being used in murders which raises their suspicion level? So you’d have to stock up on replacements and leave behind the bloody ones.
Or just use some sort of cloth and wiping solution to wipe the blood stains out instead of replacements?
Maybe also add some sort of permit system to allow you to get unusually large everyday items undetected. For e.g. if you are in a baseball club, you may use your own personal connections/persuasion/giving-panty-from-murdered-foes to nudge the president to receive a personal permit to bring a metal bat to school without detection.
Anyway, onto the questions:
How do you think the inventory should work?
Two ways, Backpack or No Backpack
Backpack: Tetris Style with the slots depended on the size of the object.
No Backpack: Just like the console inventory but with 4 selections; each represent two sides of the pocket, one being hidden for game play reasons (cross it out if it’s too daft) with one being the visible weapon.
Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
Side
How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are? By their size? By how they are used in combat?
Conspicuous.
“Normal” for everything that is normal such as a ruler and a pencil, “Cautious” for private items such as pictures of your sempai and diaries, “Permit” for odd items that only certain clubs are allowed such as violin cases for concealment and the aforementioned baseball bats, “Dangerous” for chainsaws and katanas)
How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
3 Concealed and 1 Visible. Players need to swap those out if they want to.
Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?) If they fit to the context of the item (eg a set of darts or a bag of marbles), then yes.
* How do you think the inventory should work?
If the game is going to be in continuous real time, maybe a scrollable dock would be best. If you have to go into a menu and the game pauses a tetris would be pretty good. real time: see phantasy star online.
* Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
If you plan on keeping it like above, side. If a HUD is customizable I like being able to see the character and its surroundings.
* How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are? By their size? By how they are used in combat?
If -I- were the one playing and you gave me an option to choose a less suspicious weapon over an instant suspicious generator I would pick the former almost every time. Are you planning on having hand to hand combat as well?
*How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
I think two max, 2 weapon slots (one for each hand, or a two handed weapon and or both fists). are you going to have projectile weapons as well? maybe bow and arrow or darts?
* Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
Should you do this, I think weapon durability should be included. like having knifes get dull and such.
Rather than being strictly categorized, i think, that weapons should have sets of different properties, like size, available types of attack (slashing/piercing/bludgeoning), ability to conceal them (depending on type of clothes you are wearing), and their suspiciousness(i think, it should be modified by your affiliation with different school clubs, and by proximity to the area, where they are not out of place).
Also, there should be option to carry your bag with you, and hide your medium-sized weapon inside it to avoid suspicion.
I think, that you should be able to store multiple small weapons inside your bag, but not unlimited amount. Tetris based system for bag would be perfect. Small knife, syringe and a hammer should fit in a bag. (Depends on the size of the bag, obviously. Large bag without club activities should be a little suspicious.)
Also some clothes can have pockets or sleeves, where you can conceal small weapon.
>If the player finds two weapons of the same type (scissors and screwdriver, both are small and inconspicuous stabbing weapons), for what purpose would the player want to pick up both of them?
For the purpose of style. A yandere wants to hurt those getting in her way, so if you can do it with both scissors AND screwdriver, why not?
As for inventory size, I’m thinking that it both makes more sense and makes a better game if the number of weapons you can carry is severely limited, maybe even to only a single one. Rather than just stocking up on a bazillion weapons, you’d have to consider which weapons are in reach and/or how suspicious it would be for you to carry the weapon on the way to your victim.
Regarding categorization, I agree with Kun-Kun that having various properties is probably best. I’d like to take the idea even further – rather than a set of properties each weapons has, each weapon has a couple of properties that define how it differs from other weapons. For example, the baseball bat would have the properties ‘not conspicuous on baseball field’, ‘highly conspicuous anywhere else’ and perhaps things like ‘two-handed’, ‘attack makes a lot of noise’, etc. You can also combine this with the inventory restriction; for example, the scissors could have the properties ‘fits in pocket’ and ‘hidden when stored’, allowing you to carry it alongside your main weapon if you don’t have anything in your pocket.
Inventory looks much better on the side of the screen than in the middle.
Size is a much easier classification system than bludgeoning, cutting, etc. and is more intuitive to the player.
I agree that an RE4 Tetris-style inventory would be really cool. You could make the container for said weapons an inconspicuous briefcase or a backpack. The size of said container should be such that it should be difficult to carry more than 3 weapons at once, and you should only have room to store one large weapon. A suspicion ranking for weapons is also ideal. A mundane object (like a ballpoint pen) should be invisible to NPCs, while very suspicious objects (like the syringe you mentioned) should trigger caution/alert states on sight. Depending on how far in depth you’re willing to go, I would think that you could assign a specific suspicion value to each weapon on a case-by-case basis that determines how quickly an alert state is triggered, from never to instantly. How suspicious a weapon is could be quickly determined by the player by making the text that hovers over weapons you can pick up green, yellow, red, etc.
Multiple weapons of the same type should be allowed.
Thanks for your hard work – I’m really looking forward to the final product!
-How do you think the inventory should work?
Personally, I’d like to see a Hitman style inventory system being used in regards to ability to conceal weapons, (ie: you can only conceal so much, maybe possibility to hide large weapons in daki of MC’s love-interest) and in regards to limiting the use of certain items in order to place a strategic importance on the preservation of their use, like the sedative syringes. I think this would work great if you decide to do the game in a mission/episodic-style fashion.
I think it could be nice to work into a tetris-style inventory too, allowing the player to make careful decisions on what items they want to carry into an episode, possibly with some aspect of customization, giving the player a sense of choice and control over the way a mission is completed. DX:HR comes into mind as a good example of how this could be used to have the player be able to make choices as to what’s important for their method of gameplay. You could use momentos from the love interest such as strands of hair or a cup they drank out of as currency for buying new abilities/upgrades/outfits with actual functional difference like inventory space, speed, noise made, ect.
-Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
I believe the center selection screen is a pretty good idea. Centering it allows the player to look at what they’re selecting while still keeping their peripheral view on whatever is happening.
-How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are? By their size? By how they are used in combat?
I would say if the objective of the game is stealth, that items should be categorized on ability to be concealed on the PC and maybe by how innocuous they are, to differentiate yandere-kun holding bloody hedge-clippers and her notebook, also giving a case for the PC to carry redundant weapons.
-How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
As stated in the first question, putting a limit on the amount of uses and items a player can utilize could put a certain pressure on the player to plan use of useful items conservatively, and I think would add a layer of strategy to what the player does.
-Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
Sure, if it means the player is willing to give up inventory space for the benefit of having more uses of an item, I think it’d work swimmingly.
side for sure.
I say don’t make the inventory too complicated. A simple one will probably best, considering you couldn’t realistically carry around much with you at a time. The weapons you can carry should definitely be limited, also to allow for more strategic options. For large weapons like the bat, it should be one at a time, but small ones that might fit in your pocket could have a somewhat higher limit.
I agree that suspicious-ness should definitely be based on environment. Bats are used for baseball, knives for cooking, etc. so they won’t be suspicious in one or a few specific environments but highly so in others. Mundane everyday objects on the other hand would not be suspicious in most places, but they’d be less effective. So if you use a katana you are extremely deadly but mustn’t be seen; if you walk around bare-handed, nobody minds, but it’s hard to kill anyone.
You could also make suspicious-ness based on the player’s previous actions: if someone gets found murdered with a specific tool, carrying it around will make you more suspicious in the future. That would make it necessary to use varied tactics and keep exploring the world for new tools.
If you’re interested in helping out, please give me your opinion on these topics:
How do you think the inventory should work?
tetris sounds fun, but big enough to carry a few weapons. (or a backpack item that gives larger inventory for hoarders)
Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
As a PC player, bottom. left right or mid for item (if on controller i like bottom left and right like MGS)
How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are?
By their size? By how they are used in combat?
Short answer, all of the above.
Long answer.
Well I think that should be up to the player. If you can map them like
cat1:Conspicuous
cat2: type, (one hand, two hand, bladed, bludgeon)
as for cat 2, im not so sure on how to do that because there are many ways to group weapons. But I think MC should know how she can use her weapons, and there for we should see it on some representation.
How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
game mode option, cycle from like.. 2 or 3 small, one mid, one large. to all of them.
Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
Yes. In a side scrolling window if you do it by type So you go up or down on the icon perhaps. Or in the inventory screen you can choose from all carrying and select only one per type.
– How do you think the inventory should work?
I think the RE4-esque tetris-inventory is a good idea.
– Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
I have no real preference on this; bottom-left side, maybe?
– How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are?
By their size? By how they are used in combat?
Would it be possible to categorize them by all of those somehow? Otherwise by how conspicuous they are, since it’s kind of a stealth game and you don’t want to be caught.
– How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
Realistically you’d be able to carry tons of smaller weapons, less medium-sized weapons and even less large weapons. If you plan on having different difficulties or some sandbox-mode that could be a factor as well. A potential sandbox-mode would have no limits. If there’d be different difficulties, you’d be able to have less weapons on you as the difficulty goes up.
– Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
Yes, I think this’d work well with the tetris-inventory model.
– How do you think the inventory should work?
A simple list that is cycled through with a button-press.
– Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
Bottom-left corner, but only when switching weapons.
– How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are?
‘Small’ vs. ‘Big’.
– How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
One small, one big.
– Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
No.
Seriously, the weapons system should be AS SIMPLE AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE with the LEAST INTRUSIVE UI POSSIBLE.
I believe, as most seem to here, that Tetris-Style inventory is the way to go. However, I think it’d be a great idea if you could alter inventory size.
The default inventory is a small 1×2. Basically whatever you can hide in your cleavage. It’s small, but inconspicuous. After all, no one is going to look there. You could probably store a pocket watch, or scissors in there.
If you want a bigger inventory though, you’ll need to find and carry around new forms of storage. Like a purse, or a backpack. They’ll certainly help you out. However, some of the bigger storages might attract unwanted attention. Sure, no one will care if you carry a purse around, but carrying a guitar case around might draw some suspicion. But hey, that guitar case can store a ton of stuff, or store really big stuff. Maybe you’ll store, for example, a shotgun in it. Carry the guitar case inside, avoiding being seen, and stash it in the Girl’s Bathroom, making sure to lock the stall you hide it in. Wait in class, and when that slut who’s trying to steal Senpai away from you leaves, you leave, go to the bathroom, find your guitar case there waiting for you, retrieve your gun, and one two three done.
Allowing for different storages and for players to deposit them in certain places would allow for some interesting strategies. It’d also serve as the most ‘realistic’ approach.
Have two weapon types, concealed and unconcealed, you can only carry one of each.
Concealed would be something small, like a razor blade or a pair of scissors, you can keep it hidden on your person, like in the waistband of your dress or in your bra, and you can pull it out at anytime
unconcealed would be bigger things, like a bat or katana, and you have to have that in your hands where everyone can see it at all times, this would raise suspicion if you dont have a good excuse for it. Like a bat would be fine when your on the baseball field, but people will become weary if you have one in the art room.
The focus really should be on stealth and not action. This system will require strategy and forethought with the unconcealed weapons, you need to sneak them around and stash them in hidden places until the time comes to use them in an ambush on your target. Your concealed weapon is what you can fallback on at anytime for a quick and stealthy kill, but wont be as effective if you just come straight at your target, giving them a chance to flee and alert others.
I really like the idea of categorizing them by suspicion levels. But size could play a decent role too. A knife is easily hidden but suspicious as all hell if visible. A bat can be less suspicious considering the situation, but you ain’t exactly going to be hiding that thing.
When you brought up weapons looking threatening, what if you tied it to your yandere meter idea? As it increases, along with her actions becoming less inconspicuous she could use better weapons. Consider that a knife, axe, or spiked bad would be a better weapon than scissors, a letter opener, or a flute, but would draw more attention. As she became less stalker and more axe crazy it wouldn’t just be her animations changing, that would make it harder to be stealthy but you would get access to better weapons as a trade-off. It could be a whole mechanic that switches you from stealth to action – like a much more exaggerated version of high and low profile actions in Assassins Creed, but without the ability to just instantly switch. What do you think?
I hadn’t considered the idea that the player would be confined to picking up mundane items while sane, and would only gain the ability to pick up dangerous items once she had lost enough of her sanity. That’s an interesting and logical gameplay mechanic, but the trade-off is that the player loses freedom. It might get frustrating to the player.
The player might be working very hard to keep their Yandere Meter low, but then they have to intentionally raise it in order to pick up a certain weapon, and then suffer the consequences of having a high Yandere Meter until they are done with the weapon, and then desperately work to lower the meter before it draws too much attention. The game turns into a juggling act where the player is always fighting with the Yandere Meter.
If that’s the kind of game I want to make, it’s not necessarily a bad thing – but I don’t think that’s the type of game I really want to make. I want a game where the player is free to pick up an axe as long as they can locate it and steal it successfully – like Hitman.
Also, like in Hitman, I think that the player should be able to perform a one-hit-kill with any weapon they find, whether it’s a boxcutter or a katana. “Then why even include multiple weapons, if they are all functionally the same?” The same reason as in Hitman, I suppose – variety and fun.
I wasn’t thinking they shouldn’t be able to pick up the axe, I meant it could be a differentiator in inventory categories. In Hitman you can pick up whatever, but wielding a gun or knife makes you instantly suspicious, so you generally don’t unless your cover is blown. I was just suggesting that the ability to start chopping with that wood axe would be linked to the yandere meter, not the ability to collect it. Of course it could work the other way that even out of sight walking around with such a weapon drawn would raise the meter.
Thanks for replying and I promise I’m not trying to beat a dead horse, just bouncing ideas.
Categorized by size and damage type (bludgeoning/piercing/slashing), with Suspiciousness being a trait rather than a category; Tetris inventory style, complete freedom in what goes in there (so long as it all fits).
How do you think the inventory should work?
– Inventory should be slot based depending on what you have available. For example, your skirt only has two pockets so would have access to two 2×2 slots. Using your school briefcase would add another much larger slot. So with a variety of accessories and clothing, the player should be able to increase their carrying capacity. This also allows your hands to be free to carry single or two handed weapons
Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
-Side
How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are? By their size? By how they are used in combat?
-Size so either single handed small which in turn can be used for dual wielding ranging from 1×2 and 2×2 and two handed large weapons starting at 2×3
How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
-Inventory dependent
Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
-Yes
How do you think the inventory should work?
The biggest factor in inventory I think is how big weapons are, especially if you are planning to have them appear on the character. The second most important thing about the weapons would probably be whether they make you suspicious or not.
Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
For the controller, on the left is fine.
How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are? By their size? By how they are used in combat?
I think you can categorize the weapons as 1) small and inconspicous 2) small and alarming 3) large and alarming. Anything small should be able to be concealed on the character (1 small weapon per pocket). Anything large must be held or dropped if switching to another weapon. A large weapon could be concealed behind your back maybe and you have to avoid letting people see behind you.
As for how weapons are used maybe blunt weapons can just knock someone out with the first hit and kill them with more hits. If there is a concept of stealth kills versus trying to kill someone who is alert, small weapons might require more than one hit to kill an alert person. That might give the player a reason to really want to use a large but conspicuous weapon.
How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
I think keeping it believable makes it more fun and challenging. So one large weapon that must be held or dropped if not in use and a few small weapons.
Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
I think so, is it possible to throw weapons? If so, then the player may want multiple stabby things.
>Or is a Yandere game already so silly that I shouldn’t bother keeping the inventory realistic?
To be honest, I expected it to be the other way around. While the comedic, silly and humorous moments are essential, I feel that approaching the actual weapon mechanics with maximum realism is essential to a true Yandere Experience™, where you bounce between a regual schoolgirl and a homicide machine. Then again, that’s of course for you to decide according to your own vision.
>How do you think the inventory should work?
I think a “tetris-style” inventory would work well. Deus Ex is a good example of what you should aim for. I also think the inventory should start very small, like whatever the player character could conceal on their person e.g. in their shirt or in their sock, and then the player should be able to expand their inventory by carrying bags. For example, a pocket book would hold a few squares of items, a backpack could hold more, and a gym bag could hold a lot. And the bigger the bag/container the more conspicuous it is. A purse is natural to have at any time, a backpack is totally inconspicuous most of the time (not in the bathroom or whatever), a gym bag is really only natural during club time, and something like a garbage can (as mentioned in your other post) is situational at best.
>Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
As for what’s being wielded, I like the corner of the screen. The inventory screen (with the tetris-style layout) should be in a menu. But here’s something I’m wondering: Should a theoretical inventory menu pause the game or not? It could be interesting to have to manage your items while people are still moving, you’d have to quickly maneuver what you want to where you can get at it before your target walks (or runs) away. That would make sneaking up more important.
>How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game? By how conspicuous they are? By their size? By how they are used in combat?
Size is relative to each item in the tetris-like system, so there’s no need for size classification. I think a conspicuousness level combined with a murderousness level in order to class items would be best. Let me explain: Something that’s totally normal to have, like a pen or a water bottle, would have a low rating on the scale be classified as “inconspicuous”. Something obviously a weapon, and totally out of place, would be on the other extreme of the scale, something like a machine gun or a medieval flail. Inbetween would be the other stuff, ranging from the inconspicuous (pen, scissors) to the slightly conspicuous (baseball bat, track baton) to the suspicious (rope, steak knife) to the alarming (weed wacker, axe) to the panic-inducing (chainsaw, makeshift flamethrower). The suspiciousness level could vary based on context, so if it’s club time and you’re carrying a bow, it’s not as weird as if you walk into homeroom wielding a bow and arrow. Or if you’re outside and it’s cleanup time and you have a weed wacker as opposed to if you’re indoors after class and you burst into the girl’s locker room revving a weed wacker as you laugh maniacally.
>How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
As many as they can fit in their inventory. It would also make sense to be able to store some in a locker, or put some in a bag and drop the bag so you can have access to the items later on. But there’s a chance someone will take the bag and bring it to the lost and found (or just steal it, or call you to the principal’s office because your bag was found sitting in the hallway with hedge clippers inside and a picture of a male student). In the same vein, if the player just drops an item, people should notice. If it’s something inconspicuous, they could try and return it. Like this the player could end up in conversations with people on purpose, e.g. they drop their pen near senpai, senpai picks it up, senpai talks to yandere, just as planned. If it’s something suspicious, then they’ll react accordingly. They should be either weirded out or frightened.
>Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality? (Or multiple weapons of the same “type”?)
Yes, of course. The player should be able to carry as much as possible, they should not be limited by anything but inventory space.
I think the tetris style inventory would probably be best, but why not have it so it actually fits the style of the game? In RE4 you had a suitcase to store all your stuff, so how about something like to keep your weapons and items in? You could hypothetically join a Kendo club and they give you a case to hold your wooden sword in it along with other devious instruments like a small kitchen knife or rags to suffocate someone, this would make the idea of clubs more viable.
You could also add small boxes on the Yandere herself, like maybe two boxes on each pocket so that means you can fit a small blade in it and maybe like a 3×3 box to her chest so you can hide stuff under her shirt, Or if we’re doing blazers that means more inventory spaces because of pockets and interior pockets.
This is just a temporary solution for you until you want to join a club so you can get carrying cases.
Also, what about lockers? If there are any that is. You could use them as a place to shove some items that are not needed for the situation.
I think a good example to look to is the original Dead Rising, although perhaps with a bit less inventory space. The time mechanic and item scavenging seem quite fitting, as well as different items having unique attacks and durabilities. An interesting mechanic could be taking different club uniforms to gain access to different areas ala Hitman, although members of said club would be able to recognize that they aren’t a member. Different items could have a suspicion rating between 1-5 that affects how long it takes for people to notice the item, with 1 being almost indefinite and 5 being almost immediate. These would likely have context modifiers based on location, like sports equipment being less suspicious outside and whatnot.
Also, one personal preference about the inventory HUD is that it should be on the right-hand side, not that it is a deal breaker or anything.
I feel like it should be like GTA 5 (xbox/playstation) and minecraft (pc)! And then the weapons would be categorized like GTA. For example, u press a certain button, and a menu of weapons will show, and when u highlight that specific weapon type, you can press the arrow buttons and even more weapons will show.
I also feel like the weapons should be like what a normal girl would have. Like pepper spray, scissors, a switch blade, or something. And when they are in the kendo club, or whatever they call it, she would weat the weapon on her back, and walk around like that!
Ooo! What about you can keep a weapon in your shoes, pockets, backpack, bra, etc! If your in the specific club, you can bring a bat (baseball), or your kendo sword!
And about the blood, (not to be nasty/sexist/etc) what about a excuse that you’re on your period, and you forgot you stepped on blood in the bathroom. Just something I wanted to share. (Sorry if it was mean/nasty/sexist/etc.)
A few random weapons ideas, all fitting the general theme of the game:
*A shovel: Easily enough found in toolshed, gardening club etc
*garden trowel/hori-hori gardening knife: see above
*a longer handled axe: something you’d have to conceal in some sort of large container.
*a claw hammer and/or sledge hammer: part of a shop class, or a part of the school under construction
*Nail gun: see above, a ranged weapon idea, or be realistic and have it only work at point blank range.
*Power drill: see above
*2x4s, pipes etc
*Yumi/Japanese longbow: from the archery club
*Bokken: sure the sword is wooden, but its still dangerous…
*Molotov Cocktail/”hairspray flamethrower”: Materials would be easily enough accessible.
*Chemistry materials: acid (throw in face to incapacitate), toxic chemicals for poisoning etc.
*Nata/Japanese machete: as used by Rena in Higurashi
*Wires, string, rope etc for use as a garotte
Also, would like to see environmental kills, where you use items in the environment as a trap.
*You mentioned drowning in toilets. What about the swimming pool as well.
*falling objects, pushing over vending machines etc
*Push them off of high places, like the roof, for instance (though that’s fenced off, so might take some doing).
*fire: You mentioned incinerators for body disposal. Why not give the option to lure a target near to it and push them in alive. Alternatively, rig a Bunsen burner or something in a chemistry lab to explode.
For weapon types, I think the limiting factor (For not having 2 of the same type) should be how it’s used (Stabbing, beating, etc). However, suspicion and size should also be factored in. Weapons could have different levels of suspicious-ness, maybe they have a backlight color in the inventory depending on that level (green, yellow, and red maybe?), and depending on your yandere level people could react if you have too suspicious of weapons. I think the size/number of items issue could be solved by having a “carry weight” limit, and giving weapons suitable weights.
I think you have some brilliant ideas for the game, i will try talk more on this and perhaps make a video for you with my thoughts (I’m also in development on my own yandere visual novel) i can’t exactly do it right now cuz it’s like 2am and i need sleep, but i will be back with my thoughts xD so have it bro!
I think Yandere chan should have a backpack and a purse in her room that she can carry anywhere she wants. If you wear it and something suspicious happens at your school you might get stopped and frisked by cops or teachers.
When you don’t have the backpack or purse you can only hold one weapon. The backpack and purse give you a grid like inventory screen with the backpack having a larger inventory. The purse holds less but doesn’t arouse any much suspicion. The backpack can often look out of place so it can at time arouse more suspicion than the purse.
Lastly you need to have a “ditch the bag” mechanic. If you commit a horrible crime and need to get rid of your bag to not get caught you should be able to just toss it anywhere. If it’s out of the line of sight of anybody nothing will come of it but if you toss it around someone you become very suspicious. When you return home without a backpack you can ask your mom for a new one (somewhat suspicious) or use any money you have to buy a new one at the store.
A last kind of optional thing you could add is 3-4 different bag/purse looks that you can buy at the store. If you buy a different looking one once nobody will care but if you keep buying different looking bags people will get suspicious.
Firtst things first…till now all the features,game mechanics and character Ideas are great.I’ll try to put every single one of the feauters in the game,and NOTHING go to waste.
I’ll try to unswear all of the questions regarding the ITEMS and the inventory(whith some additional ideas wich I think would work great in the game)
*IVENTORY
Q:
-How do you think the inventory should work?
-Where should the inventory appear on the screen?
-How many weapons should the player be able to carry?
-Should I allow the player to carry around multiple weapons that all have identical functionality?
I LOVED the “Mysterious Kanojo X” Style of Equiping Weapons and Items so why not try that.
Every Weapon or Item needs pasce to be equiped so there obviously should be a Limmit.(“TETRIS STYLE”Inventory like R.E)
The idea of the 4 option inventory(Left Side of the screen)is great:https://yanderedev.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/inventory.png
But Iwould make a slight modification and addition->
->
(Weareble Items In wich u can put Dissmembered body parts or BIG weapons(look into ITEMS & WEAPONS Classification)
U-Bags\Instrument Cases
^^
|
(look into ITEMS Class)L-ITEMS R-WEAPONS (look in WEAPONS Class)
|
D- Body
Slecting Each Item/Weapon(from “L-” or “R-“):
4 options should appear
a-Check:After selecting one of the “L-“,or”R-” And give an >Info about that specific ITEM/WEAPON (and it’s whereabouts)
EX:http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/1/10354/2635022-re1.jpg
for EX
1: If you found a pair of scissors checking them will tell you->
->Info:This is a common pair of scissors.Great for cutting paper…keep them away from childrens reach 😛
after checking once this ITEM/WEAPON,in the minimap shoul apear the places where this ITEM/WEAPON is most likely to be found
2:If you found a key(the Nurses Room key)
->Info:This key has a little note atached to it:
Nurses Room(location appearing on minimap if you are in that area)
-Checking ITEMS like Written notes or Messages
for EX
1:I you found a piece of paper
->Info:There is smth written on the note…..bla bla bla(you know the drill,it can be anything)
b-Equip/Use
c-Throw/Discharge
d-Place/Store:ITEMS/WEAPONS can be Stored “U-Bags\Instrument Cases” or “D- Body”
->”D-Body”selection:You can Store ITEMS/WEAPONS depending on what you are wearing:
for EX
-a sailor seifuku with a small pocket on the shirt/skirt or short trousers
can Store small key ITEMS like notes,keys etc(wich can obviously disschared after becoming useless)
This is where Key ITEMS can be stored(hat happens automaticly once->Place/Store is selected)
therefore no need of “TETRIS STYLE”Inventory like R.E here
And Store Small or Medium WEAPONS depending on what you are wearing:
for EX
-if you are wearing a skirt?http://i.imgur.com/mTyofUW.jpg(great Idea by the way)
or http://www.alternet.org/files/story_images/cancanconsealmentholster.jpg
if you are wearing Pants/shorts?
there you have it,whithout the Bags\Instrument Cases you can only equip a max of two small/medium WEAPONS
{note:after you equiped/Stored a gun It would be great if the Character would do a psecific action wile equiping that WEAPON
i.e reching down her skirt/lingerie or pants followed by a catchphrase(written message)
for EX:after selecting “R-“,scrolling to WEAPON 2-SCISSORS and selecting Equip/Use->
The character reches down her skirt/lingerie or pants
(wile this action is performed a text with a catchphrase/written message appers)…”what do we have here?!”or”I have a present for youuuuuuuuuu”
perhups It’s to much but
It would certainly raise the level of creepeness :P}
->”U-Bags\Instrument Cases”:depending on what u have equiped
(note:If the Bags\Instrument Cases are filled whith body parts you can’t store ITEM/WEAPON and viceversa)
This is where you can put the “TETRIS STYLE”Inventory like R.E
{for more (look into WEAPONS Class)}
selecting”U-Bags\Instrument Cases”:
you can use That Item(It can be_School bag_a Backpack_a Bag_an Instrument Case Likr guitar case)for putting Dissmembered body parts or to big weapons.
this should be limmited either a backpack type(_Instrument Case) or a bag(_School bag_Womens purse or smth).
selecting “L-” or “R-“:
the keybord interface should appear like that http://i.imgur.com/bpmEaaR.jpg and from there u can select the weapon or Item.
Regarding on how many ITEMS & WEAPONS can be equiped (look into ITEMS & WEAPONS Classification)
*WEAPONS
Q:-How do you think I should categorize the different weapons of the game?
WEAPONS Classificatioin->
I strongly recomand categorize Weapons on 2 Characteristics
1-Size:Go here with the “TETRIS STYLE”Inventory like R.E as refference
-Small Weapons(Thin objects consume one squarespace in U-Bags\Instrument Cases or a Storing place on “D-Body”)
Pencil,Scalpel,Glass shard,Nail etc(you name it)
-Medium (objects the size of your hand consume Four squarespace in U-Bags\Instrument Cases or a Storing place on “D-Body”)
Scissors,Syringe,Knife,Box cutter,Screwdriver etc
-Big (Objects the size of your forearm or bigger consume eight or more squarespace in U-Bags\Instrument Cases and can not be Place/Store on “D-Body”)
Katana,Baseballbat,Pipe,Hammer etc
2-Manhunt,Manhunt 2 Weapon chategorisation (and how conspicuous they are):
-Common Objects:Pencil,Scalpel,Glass shard,Nail,Scissors, etc
These objects can be found pretty easily therefore breakeble and can not be used more than once.
(Manhunt,Manhunt 2 Weapon chategorisation)
_Pencil->Classrooms,Library etc
_Glass shard->Near broken windows,ground etc
_Nails->Pretty much everywhere outside…
and so on….If Someone sees you while you are equipping this WEAPON and ask you a question
“Popularity points” loss should be minimal.
-Less Common Objects:Syringe,Knife,Box cutter,Screwdriver etc
should be somewhat more difficult to find…
_Knife->School cafeteria,Kitchen,Cooking club\class
_Bazeball bat->Gym,Gym store,Sport club\class
_Syringe->Dumbster,School corner,Nurse room etc
_Box cutter->Storage room,Art club\Class
some of this Items can be brakeble like _Syringe other infinite times like _Box cutter
but these objects can not be easily obtained.
you either need to go to a specific time in their location:attend a club\class,steal a key or LOCK PICKING(for more see add Game mechanics)
{if someone notices you while doing performing this actions;moderate loss of “Popularity points”if you ignore them.}
If someone sees you with this WEAPONS Equiped Their raction would be alarming and a moderate loss of “Popularity points”
if you ignore them.(also the NPC’s reaction may or may not alter deppending on their Character)
(Small & Medium Weapons can be Hidden)
-Rare objects:Katana,Baseballbat,Pipe,Hammer etc
not only can be a pain in the ass to find without performing one of these actions:attend a club\class,steal a key or PICKING(for more see add Game mechanics)
but if someone sees you with one of those equiped guess what?A big amount of “Popularity points”if you ignore them.
(also the NPC’s reaction may or may not alter deppending on their Character)
for more:Big Objects like:Katana,Baseballbat,Pipe,Hammer etc
can not be hidden unless you have “U-Bags\Instrument Cases” Equiped…
*ITEMS
-ITEM Classification:
*ADDITIONAL GAME MECHANIC:The same old ITEMS Classification
-KEY ITEMS:Those can not be Throw/Discharge -ed until they have fuifilled they purpose
and usable for a specific action.
-COMMON ITEMS:That tottaly depends on the GAME DESIGNER and game mechanics.
-LOCKPICKING:Every Respectable Yandere should have the audacity and ability of LOCKPICKING,
she is so obsessively in love that she would kill…let alone picking a lock.
Taking nude pictures of girls while taking shower,Stealing Items or girls Diarys…you name It
it just has a shitload of aplications in this game.
EX:The Warriors PSP(pretty easy & very addaptable in this game)
This Ability could be unlocked in two ways:
1-Stealing a KEY ITEM “LOCKPICKING kit” (Art club\class,Woodwork club\class)
2-or an event….meeting a NPC or attending to a specific Class\club
(whether the player starts with this ability from the beggining of the game is your decision)
THESE are my thoughts regarding this portion of the game,once again all the feauters so far are GREAT
and I sincerily hope I helped the slightest…
As soon as i finish putting on paper next Ideas(Gameplay,Character Design,in Game mechanics and Story)
I will mail them on the COMMENTS(but I suck at typping and grammar :p).
P.S.If anyone is Interested of sharing Ideas so we can help this game come to light
this is mY FB account:Irken.bena@hotmail.com
I think that weapons should be categorized by how easy they are to hide.
There must be only one “difficulty slot” for each type, so you could carry only one type of that weapon.
I think it’s the best variant.
Why is there no more axe and crowbar in the game ? Will they be reinstated in the game ? Please, say yeeees !