Multiplayer in Commander Genius

All discussion about the Commander Genius project (a Keen interpreter + more).

What do you think of Multiplayer in Commander Genius?

Keep it like it is.
2
10%
Make it have yorp sidekick for second player.
5
25%
Make it more like New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
5
25%
Have Keen vs. Mortimer.
7
35%
Other (Please make a post detailing what you would like instead.)
1
5%
 
Total votes: 20

pizza2004
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Multiplayer in Commander Genius

Post by pizza2004 »

Okay, so I was wondering what people think of our multiplayer. I have a friend that told me that the way we are doing it isn't very much like the original Keen, and suggested we also needed some sort of competitive mode. So I came up with the idea of having a Yorp that bumps the enemies and jumps and stuff be the second player, but they wouldn't appear on maps (or if it did second player wouldn't be allowed to control it) and it would not pogo or shoot, but I don't have everything set in stone as to how that would work.

I think that we could also do something with two opposing Keens going at the same time (maybe Keen vs. Mortimer?) and attempting to finish levels first, or get a higher score (or in the case of Keen vs. Mortimer, second player attempting to sabotage first player) and not being locked into the same level together.
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Roobar
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Post by Roobar »

Are you talking about multiplayer through the internet or multiplayer on one PC?

I think doing it like the New Super Mario Wii would be the best choice. My vote goes for this type. Nintendo knows best what's the best, so they (you) can't go wrong with it. Cooperative mode would be better. The other mode would be just time attack which is also good and I think the easiest to be made.

Deathmatch could be nice too, but I can imagine it only for Keen 4-9 and it's not worth for keen 1-3.

Anyway, I'm more interested in a multiplayer through the internet.
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tulip
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Post by tulip »

I voted for 3, but of course that doesn't exclude the Yorp sidekick idea.
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Deltamatic
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Post by Deltamatic »

I voted for the Yorp sidekick. Remember that though the sidekick can't jump as high, it would be able to walk through hazards (Yorps and Gargs were able to do that in Keen 1).
I also like the Keen vs. Mortimer deathmatch.
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Post by gerstrong »

That will be though, but will, multiplayer is a great feature. I would also like to see it happen.
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VikingBoyBilly
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Post by VikingBoyBilly »

I would like Marta to be a second player even though logically they never met until after keen saves the babysitter. Not to mention the fact that she's only a fannon character :disguised
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Post by Deltamatic »

And Marta is...
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Post by Ceilick »

I don't know anything about the New Super Mario Bros. Wii., but here are my thoughts:

Cooperative is a must have. What I'd like to see in cooperative (but don't know how doable it is) is what is currently implemented but in split screen. I've tried playing keen 1 with a friend and, well, its pretty hard when both players have to stay on the same screen. While it can be humorous, I think it would be more fun to have split screen. Also, this might not be so interesting with the original levels, but I imagine levelpacks can be made, using the original Keen 1-3 tiles and enemies, that can really bring out the multiplayer aspect.

I also like the idea of competitive play. I think two other modes, based on what you said, pizza2004, would be good additions. I really like the idea of going through the levels competing for points. Adding to this, either player exiting the level should end the level for both players, that way one someone gets the score higher, they can try to end it before the other player has a chance to grab more points (that way players aren't doddling in the levels either).

A player vs player idea is great too. I think being able to select the arena (an original level of the episode) and then players starting at opposite ends of the map (one player starts at the beginning, the other player starts at the exit, also the exit wouldn't be there; the level ends when one player loses a certain number of lives). Enemies and points being present in the level would have to be optional as hazards to both players.

As far as characters go: 'Luigi Keen', as Tulip calls him, is good if we have other characters to choose from as well. I like the idea of being able to play as Mortimer and I think VikingBoyBilly's character Marta would be a great addition. And, of course, I'd like to see the Spot sprite I submitted as an option too :)

I'm not a programmer and so unfortunately can't help with implementing whatever ideas the commander genius team decides to go for, but I can offer any graphical assistance needed, such as creating player 2 sprites.
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Post by pizza2004 »

Well, I have a friend who thinks we should just switch the color of the shirt and pants, making pants pink and shirt blue, and I rather like that idea. As the game is now, you already do pretty much compete for points, it just isn't made obvious at all.

Ceilick, we would love to have you join the team, you can always come visit our forums at http://clonekeenplus.neejean.org/ and talk there. I also think it would be nice if someone made us graphics for when Keen is moving diagonally on the map, it bothers me because it looks weird. Oh, and if you wanted Ceilick, we are making the original tileset into 32 bit color if you wanted to help by doing the third one.
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VikingBoyBilly
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Post by VikingBoyBilly »

Ceilick wrote:I think VikingBoyBilly's character Marta would be a great addition.
She's not really my character. She's from a keen fan comic on deviantart.
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Post by TerminILL »

Iunno, I don't really like the concept of multiplayer in Keen. It doesn't quite work.

ALSO WHAT IT'S SPELT 'FANON' BECAUSE IT'S A PORTMANTEAUX OF 'FAN' AND 'CANON'.
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Post by pizza2004 »

We are trying to make it work. I've used the votes so far to decide that we will have the Super Mario Bros. Wii mode be default, and it will be implemented first. It is what we currently have, but with collision between players, the inability to move off of the screen boundaries (although I'll look into getting it to have 640x400 sized screen that isn't stretched for this purpose) and there will be 4 players. I think I have decided to not have more than 4 players in any mode.

Then, we will have cooperative splitscreen 2 player with first player as Keen, and second player as a yorp (Namely Spot, Keen's pet yorp) but it is a normal looking yorp that acts rather like a yorp with probably a few exceptions. It would be dynamic splitscreen, when you are close enough it fuses into one screen, when apart it splits the screen in two and you each get half.

The next mode is a battle mode, the screen would be 640x400 and you each get a 320x200 square as you compete in several rounds of play before going up against each other and how well you did in the previous rounds determines your health. Last one left alive wins first and so on.

The last one would be a network only option, and it would be the Keen vs. Mortimer option. You would start at opposite ends of the world map and Mortimer would have some way of making things more difficult for Keen, but you wouldn't be able to see what the other player was doing.

What do you guys think of these ideas?
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Post by Deltamatic »

Awesome!
Keen vs. Mortimer, while they're in different levels? :( At least some levels will be available to play at the same time, right?
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Post by pizza2004 »

Of course, it would just depend on which levels you enter, if you both enter the same one at the same time then they would of course meet.
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Post by Ceilick »

Ceilick, we would love to have you join the team... also think it would be nice if someone made us graphics for when Keen is moving diagonally on the map, it bothers me because it looks weird. Oh, and if you wanted Ceilick, we are making the original tileset into 32 bit color if you wanted to help by doing the third one.
I could try to do some diagonal map keens, although that seems somewhat superfluous. Also, I'm really only capable with the original 16 color pallet, so I can't really be of use in the high quality graphics area.
She's not really my character. She's from a keen fan comic on deviantart.
My bad, I do recall that comic now. It's your game that made me aware of her, though.
Then, we will have cooperative splitscreen 2 player with first player as Keen, and second player as a yorp (Namely Spot, Keen's pet yorp) but it is a normal looking yorp that acts rather like a yorp with probably a few exceptions. It would be dynamic splitscreen, when you are close enough it fuses into one screen, when apart it splits the screen in two and you each get half.
This sounds...okay. I'd hope there would be an option to turn off dynamic splitscreen and an option to make the yorp play the same as keen, rather than as a regular yorp.
The next mode is a battle mode, the screen would be 640x400 and you each get a 320x200 square as you compete in several rounds of play before going up against each other and how well you did in the previous rounds determines your health. Last one left alive wins first and so on.
This sounds cool.
The last one would be a network only option, and it would be the Keen vs. Mortimer option. You would start at opposite ends of the world map and Mortimer would have some way of making things more difficult for Keen, but you wouldn't be able to see what the other player was doing.
This sounds strange, like it's trying to turn keen into an rpg or something. I think this mode would work out a lot better if Keen and Mort faced each other in every level keen chooses to play. Thats just me though.
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