Game Play Planning

Now that a demo of the game has been released, and you now know something about how the game is going to play, it is time to discuss the core gameplay mechanics of the game. If something in the gameplay is to be altered , then this is the perfect stage of the development to do this. Below is what is planned for the game, regardless if it's already implemented or not.

Going over the basics.

Controls:
Four directionals:
Move around and can act as a part of a combination to perform some moves.

Attack:
Attacks opponents. Can act as a part of a combination to perform some moves.

Defend:
Defends against offenders. You would still lose a tiny % of the damage of the attack, and it might break if subject to too many heavy attacks that eats up its DP (defend points). Can act as a part of a combination to perform some moves.

Jump:
Jumps. Can act as a part of a combination to perform some moves.

Special:
Performs the character's signature move/attack. Can act as a part of a combination to perform some moves.

A 5th additional button reserved for certain modes:
-Will serve as the button to display the inventory in the Adventure mode.
-A command button used to give orders to AI controlled allies in battle.
-Items related.

Battle indicators:
-Health Points: Represented by a bar located under the player. Does not regenerate at all.
-Stamina Points: Represented by a pumping heart under the player; the faster it pumps, the less SP you have. Forcing your character to lose his SP takes them to a fatigue state. A state where he is completely defenseless for a second or two. Regenerates very fast.
-Will Points: Represented by a circular gauge circumscribing the SP heart. This acts  as a "cool down" gauge for special moves. Only when the gauge is full (and burning blue flames) are you able to perform your character's special/signature moves. When you do a special move, the gauge will drop down to zero and start building up again. The speed of this regeneration depends on the move you've used this for; regeneration is slower after using a stronger special move than it is for weaker specials.

Character Basic Actions:
-Walking: Directionals.
-Running: Tap forward twice to start running. Halts the regeneration of SP to some degree.
-Jumping: The jump key.
-Basic hit combo: Tapping the attack key a number of times.
-Lying get up: Can be one or more. The key(s) depend(s) on the player character.
-Air recovery: Tapping defense in air after getting knocked to the air. Consumes a great deal of SP.
-Special Defend: Tapping defense twice does a unique defensive/evasive attacks/moves. Consumes some SP.
-Roll/Run dodge: Press defend while running. Costs some SP.

Character Archetypes: (A character may belong to one or more archetypes)
-Acrobats:
Fast, light-weight characters. Acrobats possess great agility and unique actions that may include :
-Hops (double tap Jump).
-Flips (Forward/Backward + double tap jump).
Examples: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Doflamingo.  

-Tanks:
Heavy and usually slow. Tanks possess shear power and attacks with great strength values (strength values relate to defense points. An attack with a high strength can break defenses much easily. Also attacks with high strength often wins a clash the happens between it and another move). Tanks usually have a great deal of defense and are harder to knock down. No special actions has been thought of just yet.
Examples: Franky, Kuma and Whitebeard.

-Manipulators:
Characters of this archetype usually additionally partially (triple adverbs yo!) belong to one of the two above archetypes. Manipulators tend to have a very unique fighting style that heavily relies on strategy rather than directly attacking the opponent. You will usually find yourself setting up the field with traps or manipulating the environment around you in smart ways to defeat your opponents.
Examples: Law, Ussop, Nami and Doflamingo.

Miscellaneous (regarding the combat mechanics):
-Two attacks facing each other, with the difference angle less that 90 degrees, can cancel out. The difference in damage will be dealt to the player whose attack's damage value is less, and so will the difference in strength values decrease the defense points of the player whose attack's strength value is less. In case the difference in the strength values is 50 or more, the stronger attack will break through the other.
-A player is knocked automatically if they collect 100 or more knock points. Different attacks have different knock values. A character's KP can only regenerate either by time, or when you get up from lying on. In case a character's knock points exceed 200 KP, the will go into special knocked states where they become invulnerable until they reach the ground. Note that some attacks can knock without necessarily inflicting 100 KPs to the opponent.


This is what we've thought of so far. Any ideas? Suggestions? Objections? Post below.

I'd like to add to the list about the 5th button first.
It is also decided to serve the taunts purpose.

Also the Tanks would also be having a higher HP in Adventure Mode.
Example addition to it: Vergo.

Let the discussion begin.

Rhino.Freak wrote:I'd like to add to the list about the 5th button first.
It is also decided to serve the taunts purpose.

Also the Tanks would also be having a higher HP in Adventure Mode.
Example addition to it: Vergo.

Let the discussion begin.

But higher HP is practically higher defense, right? If a character's defense is 20% and has 500 HP, then that would be like having 0% defense and 600 HP.

I think you should add types of grunt like
-marines (with different rank)
-pirates (random pirates, doflamingo family)
-centaur (Punk Hazard)
-police
-Fishman pirates/soldier
-Giants :p
-Zombies!

Another type(s):
Aggresive
-Character that continue to attack you and counter every attack you made (I think you should elaborate more)
Ex: Akainu, Hordy Jones, Luffy, Zoro

Weapon (I kinda "meh about this one but whatever)
-Obviously character that use weapon(s)
Ex: Zoro, Franky, Nami

P/s: I suggest you guys should do Ussop in the next releases. I remember that Z said it is easy to do him. Because you know, Law look like hard to code :S

I like Beta96 idea of aggressive character.
I think you should add another type of defense/attack:
Evasion skill, surprise attack or counter attack.
Evasion Skill: Usopp could just run away like he did against Daruma
Robin could create a clone and switches with him
Swordsmen counterattack:
This one, just can be used against Slow attacks and aggressive characters like Luffy.
Ex: Zoro shishi sonson, Hakuba and Brook fast cuts.
Normal counterattack:
I think that Luffy's rage punch it's something similar to my idea. Sanji could do a fast kick and Mingo too.
Usopp it's a good idea. Can you guys do 2 chars? If yes I suggest: Usopp or Law and Doflamingo or Vergo

I never played that game before, but yes is something similar