Pastel Community Game project and discussion

[Sublevel 114]

We definitely should make this game to win in Jayisgames competition! This game should be perfect!
This is hard to do... What we should add to make game perfect such as Submachine?

[Vortex]

Lol, we will make it as good as we can, that would be perfect enough for me
And we can't control what people would like about the game, a possible advantage is that we're many people taking part in the project, and anyone can refine anything seen as a flaw, so it will probably come out with few flaws.

[gil2455526]

That's why I'm beta testing. I'm very picky.

[Ancient Crystal]

Yeah, I think that's our main advantage. We're both the gamemakers and the target group. And a while one or two people might get stuck, a whole group is less likely to.

Then of course, it still has it downsides. I think we need to start adressing questions such as what backstory is to be used, what/who the main character is going to be etc., if we're ever going to get anywhere. Basically, discussion needs to be more active.

[Vortex]

I know... I always try to be active, but it doesn't depend only on me (I mean, I have exams, and uni and all that)

Also, since I am the designer I need some direct orders of what to draw, I hate to be useless right now...

maybe I could help you all with the developing (and joining) of the plot(s)?

[Ancient Crystal]

Quite possibly. So far, we all seem to have agreed on the basics of the backstory(top secret organisation experiments on brains, there's an accident, the player wakes up in a cell with no memory of anything) and plot, (The player must find components and restore functionality to some systems to get out) There might be some disagreement on what/who the character is going to be, and how strong ties to the backstory it will have. (I belive the main options are "outside infiltrator", "unforunate test subject" and "Something that at least partially was created by the accident and/or the organisation's earlier experiments") However, I think that what this needs right now is more puzzels. The lights puzzle is good, but it's not a game.

[Vortex]

I'm trying to think of more ideas, but I'd like to see someone else's, because so far I've been the only one who proposed them, apaprt from Sublevel. Do you have any?

[Ancient Crystal]

Perhaps something like this?

Appearance: Some time after lights puzzle, and the unlocking of one of the laboratories.
Objective: Unlocking a heavy door with a code lock.

Description:
Instead of/in addition to unlocking a door, the lights puzzle allows you to modify some wiring behind a panel, with enough isolation burned away to have made it far too dangerous to touch while there was still power running through it. From there, you can restore power to area shut down by the lights puzzle, but only if you remove the light bulb first. You can also control the power to some other sections.

In one of them there's a door you have to unlock. The locking mechanism is partially mechanical and requires power to be opened. You can route power to the door from the panel, but it won't open without a thumbprint and a personal ten-digit code.

You have go to the lab you unlocked earlier, find a few objects used/held by the scientists, such as pair of gloves and a piece of paper. Using these
and some lab equipment, you must create an object wíth an accepted thumbprint on it.
When said object is used on to unlock the door, it asks for a personal code:

Disengaging locking clamps...[Is that the right word?]
Enter personal code within __ seconds to deactive magnetic seal...

During these x seconds, you must go to the panel again and shut down power to the door before the mechanical lock is reactivated. You can then force it open with a crowbar or something.

This would allow for several subpuzzles, such as getting the equipment to work in the lab or finding all the objects needed to reconstruct the thumbprint.

[Vortex]

Wow. I like the idea

[Ancient Crystal]

Thanks. When my brains have recovered from writing that, I'll move it to the doc and add some suggestions for the lab equipment and other details. Anyone else have any suggestions?

Edit: A possible issue could be making a lab that fits with the backstory, has the functionality of you could expect of a lab that has that kind of equipment at all, that's still programmable. We could always blame some lack of functionality on the damage from the accident, but still.