Playable characters and their abilities

[Coyote_A]

Well, it's all might be easier, like using the "sniffer" ability will allow player to see other players on the compass for a small amount of time. After all, it wasn't called a "radar" for nothing.

[action9000]

like using the "sniffer" ability will allow player to see other players on the compass for a small amount of time. After all, it wasn't called a "radar" for nothing. 

Or enemies on the compass....
Hmm, there is potential here...

[action9000]

Whatever, can the idea. you're the one who's gonna get the headache trying to make the thing.

One thing I'd just like to add:
While I might complain about the work involved, I want this project to be the best we can get it!  I'm willing to put in the extra effort if it will be worthwhile.  Basically, I just thought the idea needed some further development...though it's looking like we can do cool things wtih it by showing important features on the map temporarily, for example. B)

[Lillefot]

All of this sound exelent to me!
You pretty much covered alot over just one night!  

[action9000]

All of this sound exelent to me!
You pretty much covered alot over just one night!

I added about 60 posts to my post count in the last 24 hours.

Yeah, it's been a really productive day for this project!  I got two program bugs sorted out, too.  Hopefully I'll have more time to program tomorrow.  I spent all day on the forum instead of programming!  

Anyway, that's enough for me!
Bed time!  2:50 am. :

[Malte279]

Yesternight Tim and I were discussing the choices one could have when creating a character. Apart from the general species (longneck, threehorn, swimmer etc.) we came up with the subspecies already mentioned by Tim (e.g. Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus in case of longneck) which would be different in appearance but not in abilities. Furthermore different shades of colors (bright, middle, dark shades of green, gray, brown etc.) should enable the player to create an individual character. It would be practicable to make it impossible for two perfect clones to appear in the game. As most of the characters have three main colors there would be many variants if those three could be picked individually. Maybe one could even pick individual eye colors, but I don't know if this can be done.
However there is one feature which we did not mention yesterday which I think should be included. Characters should be male or female which wouldn't make any difference in the abilities but some in the outward appearance. This is where character designers are needed to come up with characters of distinguishable gender (we have had the discussion on how difficult that is to manage in a fanart thread).
I started drawing a chart for longneck characters (always with a side and front view) today, but it may take a long while before it will be finished.

[Kor]

One idea is to be consistent, unlike in the show, so only females, or only males have eyelashes.  Dinos would not in the real world, but it could be one visual thing for players, and maybe the color scheme, with one gender being brighter and the other more base, darker tones, or something like that.

[Malte279]

Apart from the physical abilities (running, swimming, climbing etc.) a different kind of ability may be interesting, namely an ability that will influence the way characters deal with NPCs (or they deal with them).
NPCs like Tops may be very reluctant to talk to the players (more likely to talk to threehorn characters than non-threehorn characters I suppose). I guess the reputation of a character may influence the way NPCs deal with the player.

[Kor]

Npc's could have 2-3 possible responses for a certain thing, maybe depending on the character's reputation, level, what kind they are for certain ones like Threehorn, ect.

[action9000]

If we can figure out a way to "group" NPCs in a way that would allow for a reputation system, sure, we can try to set something up like that!

Are we thinking simply the "Spiketails", the "Threehorns", etc. as reputation groups?

[Clawandfang]

Reputation...that's an interesting thought. You mean as in, certain good deeds earn you good repuation, while other, less repuatble deeds earn you bad reputaion(but probably offer more in the way of "material" rewards)?

[Malte279]

In some cases a deed perceived by one group as good may be perceived as bad by another (there may be different ways to solve the same tasks to different effects). Anyway, this is planning wide ahead.

[Kor]

True, how to handle reputation could be a complicated thing and could be difficult to code in.

[action9000]

True, how to handle reputation could be a complicated thing and could be difficult to code in.

Actually reputation would be a relatively easy feature to code in.

All we need to do is set up a bunch of variables, one for each reputation group, and add/subtract that value when you finish a task.  We can simply check that value when talking with an NPC.  No big deal.

Much easier than programming skills/abilities!

[Kor]

That is good.  I thought it would be very complicated.

[Coyote_A]

If we're going to talk about reputations, we should first think about fractions, they are going to represent.

[aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato)]

Not to change the subject (okay, it is to change the subject, I admit it), but will the species with speaking impediments maintain them in the game? Will young flyers have no concept of the pronoun? Will young swimmers have no concept of the past tense? Will young fast runners (unfortunately) have a concept of the redundant clause?

[Malte279]

As the communication between players, it will be in written chat, won't it Tim? In this case it would be only in some prepared lines that could be said to NPCs that such special "LBT language" could be used.
Is the talking to be completely based on written lines? Or will there be voice actors needed to talk for some NPC characters (or the characters as well?).
I'm quite sure that many of us here would be happy to do such a voice acting job (myself included), but I suppose this is a matter to be dealt with in the rather distant future.

[action9000]

As the communication between players, it will be in written chat, won't it Tim?

yep, exactly.
You will be able to speak however you want to other players.  Feel free to roleplay your character if you want.

Is the talking to be completely based on written lines? Or will there be voice actors needed to talk for some NPC characters (or the characters as well?).

I was planning on simply doing written text showing what the NPC is saying but the code for voice acting is not difficult!  I'm totally game for putting in voice acting if people want to do voices!  

I would say a combination of both, if we want voice acting, just in case the player has the sound turned off or they want to reread a part.

[Kor]

Having both may be good.  If multiple are willing to do voice acting it may end up most, or all, of the male npc's can have voices but the females would have less, depending on how many there will be, may need to either have some of the same person or 2 with maybe some altering of their voice by electronic means to have it sound a little different, if someone wants to go to that degree, and / or altering a male voice to sound more like a female.

As for how flyers speak, if one has the 12th movie and some flyers are speaking in that one can see if it is normal for young flyers to speak like Petrie or not.  I'd guess most do not and most young swimmers don't all talk like Ducky, just my personal take on it.  But each person could personalize their char's way of speaking if they wish.