The Shining Source

Hey guys, I have a quick list of questions for everyone about gameplay elements and characters (for the Shining Song project). Let me know which you would personally perfer, and elaborate if you could, thanks!

1. Saving:

a) Bring back the priests!
b) Let me save anywhere, I'm impatient...
c) Save points are glowy!
d) A rare item should be needed to save, like in Dragon Quarter, that's sooo fun! *bricked*

2. Attacking View:

a) Just like the classic, close up of each attack.
b) The classic way takes too long, just show the attack in regular battle view.
c) Change the camera a bit, but make it quicker then the classic method.
d) Some other combination.

3. Main Character / Plot:

a) The main character should be like in the original games, more like a vassel for the player then being a full character on his own.
b) The main character should be an active member of the party and help drive the plot.
c) The story should revolve around the main character.
d) Other.

4. The Force in Combat:

a) Just like the original, 12 characters in battle and they all reside in headquarters.
b) Scale it up! I want bigger battles and more characters in each battle.
c) Scale it down! Less characters in battle, too many makes it cheap or something, yeah.
d) YOU SHOULD ONLY HAVE ONE OTHER CHARACTER AND MAKE THE COMBAT ALL ACTIONY, LOLoloOL!
e) Other.

5. Encounters on World Map:

a) Like the original, set "random" battles on certain maps.
b) Random battles while exploring the world map would be nice.
c) AGH! Don't have random battles, just story battles for me.
d) Put in random battles, but make then somewhat easy to avoid.
e) Other.

6. Equipment / Items:

a) Just like the original, buy better weapons/accessories in new towns, or find them rarely on monsters.
b) I'd like a good weapon/armor crafting system.
c) Something else.

7. Promotion:

a) Like SF II, regular promotions at level 20, special promotions available with rare items.
b) Something more flexible, maybe with a couple more options for class change.
c) Promotion is a stupid system, get rid of it. (Gasp!)
d) Other.

8. Content (i.e. language/violence/alchohol use/situational)

a) Whatever, we're all adults here.
b) It's okay with me as long as it's not too excessive.
c) I think content should be kept at a teen rating.
d) OMG! Replace all the alchohol with rootbeer, quickly!

9. World Exploration (i.e. World Map):

a) Just like the first, linear map exploration.
b) Something a little more open, a little more like the Final Fantasy games. (The good ones. )
c) I get lost easily, give me a map with glowy dots that I click on to go places.
d) I think hurt, ow... Me want big glowly button to make battle go!
e) Other.

10. Combat / Strategy:

a) As close to the original as possible. Keep it a square grid system, turns based on character speed.
b) Switch it around a bit, have movement a little more freeform. (Like in Arc the Lad or Phantom Brave.)
c) Make it more strategic; add additional land bonuses and new combat maneuvers, make AI more difficult.
d) Other.

11. Narsha, Zuika and Mawlock should:

a) Die.
b) Die.
c) Die.
d) Die.

Feel free to answer any or all of these, thanks again for the input.

1.) A.

2.) A.

3.) B.  Maybe C

4.) B!!

5.) A.

6.) A and B?

7.) B, D) Make more than one promotion!  ie: Base -> Promote -> Promote again! =)

8.) B.

9.) A.

10.) A, but maybe a little bit of C?

11.) C...or maybe A?

1) a
2) a, although b might be easier (and can look good if done properly)
3) a
4) a
5) d
6) b
7) b
8) b
9) b
10) c
11) a, because I seem to have picked that letter for most of these.

1. Saving:

a) Bring back the priests!

2. Attacking View:

b) The classic way takes too long, just show the attack in regular battle view.

3. Main Character / Plot:

b) The main character should be an active member of the party and help drive the plot. Otherwise it seems slightly empty to call him the main character to me

4. The Force in Combat:

a) Just like the original, 12 characters in battle and they all reside in headquarters.

5. Encounters on World Map:

a) Like the original, set "random" battles on certain maps.

6. Equipment / Items:

a) Just like the original, buy better weapons/accessories in new towns, or find them rarely on monsters.

7. Promotion:

d) Other.

I like the idea of special promotions, but be aware you're making quite a lot of work for yourself. I also think promotions at level 10 are a better idea, but that's because I love SFIII.

8. Content (i.e. language/violence/alchohol use/situational)

b) It's okay with me as long as it's not too excessive.

It would depend on who you see this game's audience as, really. I mean, most players who played the first two Shining Force games at launch will be well into their 20s by now, so if you're aiming at them then it's fair game as long as it's subtle and tasteful.

9. World Exploration (i.e. World Map):

a) Just like the first, linear map exploration.

I think map exploration is good as long as it's used well and kept relatively low. If you're going to have a lot, you might want to consider a map or some kind of navigation system.

10. Combat / Strategy:

a) As close to the original as possible. Keep it a square grid system, turns based on character speed.

It has to be.

11. Narsha, Zuika and Mawlock should:

e) I like Mawlock.

1. Saving:

a) Bring back the priests!

(and oh god, does Dragon Quarter have so many faults, I do actualy want to finish it one day, if I can put up with it long enough).

2. Attacking View:

a) would be nice, but it usualy requires a level of art skill that most of us quite frankly dont have, or at least not well enough. It takes time, too.

3. Main Character / Plot:

a) The main character should be like in the original games, more like a vassel for the player then being a full character on his own.
b) The main character should be an active member of the party and help drive the plot.

Either of those two. The whole "mute" or barely talking thing isn't really something I like in SF, especialy in SF3 when it was ...... a lot, and everyone else was like "ahhhh yes I agree synobis*"

* Or whatever the damn default name is.

4. The Force in Combat:

a) Just like the original, 12 characters in battle and they all reside in headquarters.
b) Scale it up! I want bigger battles and more characters in each battle.

Unless you want it to be 12 just to fit in with the games, theres no reason why you could'nt allow more. Vandal hearts is a good example where all the characters are in each battle (minus those for plot events) and it worked pretty well.

5. Encounters on World Map:

e) Other.

To be honest, I wasn't very big on the whole random battle things, it felt like wasting time sometimes when we could have been doing battles with actual bosses or plot movements. Others probably feel different. If they could be avoided somehow, that'd be cool, but might not exactly work well with the game.

6. Equipment / Items:

a) Just like the original, buy better weapons/accessories in new towns, or find them rarely on monsters.

Crafting systems = ugly. Smithy's are ok though with mythril/dark matter.

7. Promotion:

d) Other.

Depends on how your battle system, battles, and plot play out. A nice clean lv number for everyone would be good, as long as its consistant for all characters.

8. Content (i.e. language/violence/alchohol use/situational)

b) It's okay with me as long as it's not too excessive.

SF3 used two cases of Bastard I believe, and they were done at decent points in the script for them to be in there. Going over the top is just childish.

9. World Exploration (i.e. World Map):

e) Other.

I don't really know what to put on this one either. Linear isn't too bad, theres always extra points for paths in the game.

10. Combat / Strategy:

a) As close to the original as possible. Keep it a square grid system, turns based on character speed.
c) Make it more strategic; add additional land bonuses and new combat maneuvers, make AI more difficult.

If possible, make AI more difficult, but keep it close to the originals.

11. Narsha, Zuika and Mawlock should:

e) Work at burger king for my enjoyment. Zuika wasn't too bad actualy, but the other two were extremely dire.