Copied from the Google version: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ua-ShLy6Z346w-tCx2dfHLl5o2VNHW3KdFtUMO6fTlw
Still an inferior version because of how the text is formatted.
Plus, Google version has colors.
Plans for the main story of Project Nortubel. May change because i get too ambitious at times (And it's my first game, one which is already too ambitious to begin with). Note that the game exists so i could use OC characters of mine and if you dare to check an extremely long post with probably 3322 lines and 140 pages on Google Docs.
You can see most about my characters here:
https://www.diffchecker.com/t7GS8iEi/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QWjE2D9l4qEJQ3rzirwRv3P5pTL15K1Hf8es6vMVG4k
https://eyeballtank.tumblr.com/tagged/oc
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OIQzcYuPUUXEdD92NNrWGwI8JsLuk7NFElWo9M3ch_0
ACTUAL ORDER NOW
Nortubel > Hirdrih > Nortubel > Krimb-stone > Nortubel > Massag-Coav > Nortubel > Greklovick > Nortubel > Brinkaedea > Nortubel > Lahiurn > Nortubel > Herrko > Nortubel > Untotern > Nortubel
NORTUBEL PART 1 (This part is already ingame)
The 6 friends show up on a familiar but strange place and meet Bonka
They try to find an exit
- LevelTutorial1 - tutor1
- LevelTutorial2 - tutor2
- LevelTutorial3 - tutor3
- LevelTemplate - c4rr13
- LevelTemplate2 - k4tr1n
- LevelTemplate3 - m3lv1n
- LevelTemplate4 - osc4r0
- LevelTemplate5 - p33tt3
- LevelTemplate6 - ang3l4
When they find a portal, Bonka notices it's a portal to Brinkaedea and she runs to it
The 6 friends notice a strange device
HIRDRIH
Cute robot world
Cutscene:
- When the 6 enter this world, Leon and Otto greet them nicely by saying "HELLO WORLD"
- They do warn the 6 that they're currently with an issue of a "virus" invading Hidrih
- Even Borhr claims it could be a very dark force, an evil AI full of hate
Gameplay: - The level has its software/hardware themes and fun bits until you face the corrupted Hirdrih servants
- Another area is the "junkyard" section of this world
- Cute NPC robots
- Prefab: Window pop ups that can be closed with the knife melee
Maybe i could add a reference to Cube World, like robo houses vaguely resembling those toys
Leon gives the 6 a magical device that allows them to understand other characters, just to justify why most will still speak EN/PT
NORTUBEL PART 2
Cutscene:
- The 6 return to Nortubel(?) and Pamela shows up through a portal before it disappears.
- So you see her disappointed in her attempt at rescuing the protagonists and Shelly and Bernard are also there.
Gameplay: - Some more levels as usual
- After a few levels, a cutscene plays:
- They look for something and noticed text is flipped horizontally
- Melvin picks up an anatomy book showing flipped/inverted anatomy
- Then the 6 are spotted by the age swap versions of them, with each character looking at their counterpart.
- Alt Angela mentions alt Oscar and Pete being very athletic, which means they challenge Melvin to a race
Gameplay - This could be the "race" idea or something (Should probably add an actual win/loss system)
KRIMB-STONE
The blatant Sin City inspired setting
Gameplay:
- The 6 start at a prison cell and escape while encountering inmate NPC's and even death sentence rooms
- They escape through someone's escape route, which takes them to a generic street and one NPC is a generic homeless man
- Some walls have graffiti and with a clever use of posters and papers, they are censored but otherwise hint certain things that are why i thought this setting could use its own game
- Ricotto makes a cameo in which he's looking for something. This is the first NPC to have a "trade system": Find something for him and he rewards you with something else
- Matysha could be there too
Cutscene: - The 6 friends run against a mean guy before Booker easily takes him down and tells the 6 to come with him if they want to live
- Inside a van, Booker introduces himself to the 6 before he takes them to a warehouse he uses as his hideout/base
- In the warehouse, Katrin finds Stella who was in Booker's protection for a while
- Some random guy shows up and Booker easily takes him down and asks him who he works for, before it's revealed that Phineas is outside with his henchmen planning to kill Booker
- Booker tells the 7 to use a escape route as he takes care of the mob army
Gameplay: - In a sewer area, Stella becomes a companion
- "Smart" enemies (Humans with guns) are introduced and the game ends up with stealth elements
Cutscene: - When the 7 reach a safe area, Booker returns and claims he got all of them except "that coward" Phineas
- One of the 6 brings up the magic box and tells Stella they can return home
- Booker tells Stella to take the opportunity and even how she's too pure for Krimb-Stone
- As the 7 escape, Booker thinks about how Stella reminds him of his daughter
- Meanwhile, he returns to his base, with that one intruder tied to a chair and Booker prepares to torture him (Alternatively, i could have Booker force the guy to dig his own grave and a revelation that the intruder was a former cop in the same police force that screwed up Booker)
"How did Stella get to Krimb-Stone?"
She accidently stepped on/tripped on the magic box that the 6 protags would eventually find and accidently got herself in a new place
When Stella and Booker are talking (Before she leaves him), I could use an AnimatedSprite node for an effect where flashbacks of Booker’s family/backstory show up while he talks about how Stella “gave him something he thought he lost years ago”.
NORTUBEL PART 3
I could have Stella show up as a basic NPC if she still shows up in some Nortubel levels.
Even thought of a Convo NPC variation where she talks with Zarina (If I were to add Zarina and even Shihiro in Nort part 3 before Massag-Coav).
Here I could add art for Pamela, Bernard and Shelly and perhaps Zarina and Shihiro too.
Maybe the third level with Shihiro could involve some martial arts stuff like those wooden practice assets and even dummy dolls that the Player attacks.
Context being Shihiro wanting to see the combat skills of our protagonists.
Another AnimatedSprite trick: Shihiro seen as muscular, shirtless and with purple energy effects (I wonder if he’s the closest I got to a Dragon Ball inspired character).
MASSAG-COAV
A world full of anthro/furry characters. Also has fancy architecture, sports elements and is probably one of the nicer worlds.
Despite having anthro/furry characters, there's still actual "animals" so i need to figure out a way to justify them in the setting.
Cutscene:
- Holmes is at his bar, doing his job and Fernaanda shows up
- Then the 6 land on his bar
Gameplay: - The 6 start at Massag-Coav, which has Art Deco/Neo-Andean/Jazz elements
- Enemy: Giant black chickens that try to charge at characters is an enemy type (According to an NPC, there's a zoo outbreak)
- There's a "sports" section with a skate park (Karoline cameo) and a basketball field (Karla/Touni cameo)
- Karoline could be a trade NPC where you find her skateboard.
- Prefab: A pictures booth where the Player/Comp can get inside and make funny photos (Which could show up in a CanvasLayer i guess)
- Maybe they could play soccer with Karla.
Cutscene: - Barney helps them go back home.
- want to include McSherry the shark girl
Also want to include Atlantis (World for fish/aquatic characters) and Elegantissia (World of bird/avian characters)
Holmes, Barney, Fernaanda and Feelix show up as basic NPC's in the 4 main levels, as they introduce their world to the main characters.
(Barney also floats with his hoverboard) - h0lm3s: Holmes' bar, Massag-coav and mostly that
- mcshry: Atlantis
- jl13t4: Elegantissia
- b4rn3y: Probably the train level I wanna do
- k4rl44: The level where you play soccer and sports stuff happens
After the soccer level, the 3 cheerleaders show up in a cutscene and go “wooow”.
Karla congratulates Melvin and the 6 leaves, then McSherry tells Holmes something about Valentinou and Mluto and Barney is worried.
NORTUBEL PART 4
(level 2 needs props)
By this part, I should come up with new tiles for Nortubel because most of the current ones are a bit of an eyesore to most players.
When our characters return, our current Nort cast takes advantage of a beach-like area to take a break.
Melvin and Angela being playable means potential beach sprites for them, but by level 2, we go back to normal sprites, while Carrie and Oscar are playable in a level with a seesaw train gimmick.
Maybe here, I could add the alt 6 as NPC's with the basic interactions (hug, hurt, honk) and art of them.
(One of the alt 6 also points out how some walls are made of yarn/wool, which has to do with some tiles I wanna “resize”).
And the third level could feature the “haunted house” monster boss fight in which the monster is called “Amalia” and captures Stella, so our characters must fight the monster.
In terms of looks, the monster house could resemble some Portuguese style houses.
Maybe have the monster lose in gameplay but in the next cutscene, tries to rise again until Shihiro and Bao Bao defeat it, while Stella is treated by Zarina and the main 6 end up on bad terms with the alt 6.
After Stella recovers, the 6 continue their dimension travel journey.
Entering Greklovick and Isaac assumes their portal is related to a machine he worked on.
How can this house boss fight be done?
Have the house in the background while its floating hands move left/right and try to slam our characters.
Maybe make it so the player/comp can stomp on the hands or one can stab them and that affects the house, as you can see Amalia’s “face” react to it.
Not sure about new abilities but if all 3 phases are done, the house could be animated to look tired while a passage that leads to the end door reveals itself.
GREKLOVICK
The grim sci-fi setting
Gameplay:
- First area is a military base with sci-fi tanks, target practice and soldiers hanging out
- The 6 get to leave and reach the city, full of stores, floating vehicles (Platforms) and robot maid NPC's
- Secret NPC: Fragile, a very damaged female robot who wants to play before she screams
- NPC: Raymond (Old soldier) can be seen in a bar and says depressive things about his life
- NPC: Lahrn, a cyborg ninja
- Rodchenkot: Radioactive wastelands in which the Lifeguard Ring is reskinned into a sci-fi hazmat suit
- Kler (NPC) tells the 6 to be carefull and some other NPC (Trashy "Mad Max" looking guy) explains why Kler is that tall
- A random teleportation device takes the 6 to a lab in the Venus base (Could i figure out low gravity zones here?)
- There's scientists and a sneak peak of Tfoorie and Seturh aliens inside large glass containers
- tfoorie operation table
- Then they return to Grek city
Cutscene: - The 6 comment on how dirty the air is, before a cop almost gets them until B-Man shows up to help them
- B-Man even gets to talk with Melvin about their fathers
- Something happens and B-Man is separated from the 6
Gameplay: - An enemy in Grek is the Ammo Dispenser: A snack vending machine-like robot throwing grenades
- B-Man's Multigun can serve as a death hazard: If the Player interacts with it, they activate its ID check system
- Grek level 4 hazard: Meteors
- Prefab: A factory treadmill floor with 2 deadly lasers in the left/right ends and moving boxes that act as platforms. You must try to get to the ladders with your sibling for safety
- Moment where a guy steals B-Man’s gun and is met with the id check system (leave this to chapter 9 where Lahiurn guy could suffer this)
- Potential Zarkovill boss fight (The 6 must use switches to turn off his shield so B-Man can shoot him)
- To indicate B-Man is shooting Zarkovill, i'd have his gun show up on screen in a first person-esque view (Because B-Man is like an FPS character in an otherwise-2D game but i'd need to do something about the camera that is currently focused on the Player).
After the fight, Clarity shows up ready to help but B-Man already took care of it
B-Man also tells the 6 that they did a good job helping him and that he promises next time, he won't put them through this because he knows they're not child soldiers and deserve better
Moment where B-Man interacts with holographic buttons/screens but struggles and asks Clarity for help
One cutscene could show off Clarity's screen on her belly (Like when she analyzes the 6 after entering Grek).
Another thing to show off in Grek's cutscenes: The inside of Yiegour's helmet with UI/HUD elements (Yes, like MCU Iron Man) and Clarity's AI/Digital version because I like to think she could also be equivalent to Cortana.
(Could use AnimatedSprite tricks) - greklevel 2 could have a convo between Yiegour and Clarity
- y13g0r: Could be the Grek Merc base showing up first with: Sci-fi tanks and robots in a warehouse; Clarity's room; Shooting range area with bullet holes in some targets; Weapon area, some interactable with the dangerous ID system; Computers and boxes; Large revolver shaped energy cannons: Isaac's lab maybe.
- clr1ty: The actual city.
- kl3rrr: The wastelands
- tf00r1: The Venus space base with Tfoorie
- zrkv1l: The boss fight
How could the Zharkovil boss be done?
Ideally, he could be moving left/right while shooting bullets from above.
The player and companion must find pillars that are related to his shield: Touching both will deactivate the shield, causing Zhark to be “frozen” and be hit by Yiegour’s multigun from the screen. Then his shield shows up again and said energy pillars lower, so the player must find them in different places.
On top of that, Zhark may get new attacks like shooting energy orbs from lower left/right angles.
If all 3 or so phases are done, Zhark plays his death animation and a door in the level opens to reveal the end door as usual.
NORTUBEL PART 5
The older 3 talk with Shihiro about why they ran to the treehouse and family issues.
Could be a cutscene with flashbacks
Carrie talks about her dad's musical career and her mom mad at whether or not he cheated on her
Melvin talks about his mother's death and his dad feeling guilty about it, following it up with passing his mom's lessons to Angela
Katrin talks about Pete only being her half-brother and how her uncle is an awful person, it'd explain why Stella preferred having Booker as her father figure
Booker shows up in a flashback portrayed with regular caucasian skin and light brown hair because the black/white effect is something neither outsiders or residents of Krimb-Stone notice (Except maybe Leon/Otto, so they view this as an anomaly nobody else can notice)
Maybe in some other level/cutscene, this stuff could be explored
At some point, Shihiro and Zarina use their powers to open a portal that Pamela is also working on (As if they managed to contact her to do this).
The portal shows up and automatically moves to pick up both.
Then Pamela says there can only enter one at a time and Stella is first.
But something happens and the portal vanishes due to vibrations caused by earthquakes, due to the arrival of the sky/spider boss.
When that boss is defeated, Carrie is sad at how her grandma failed again and that they don't have protection from the other 2 wizards.
Melvin states that at least Pamela was getting even closer and they still have the weird box.
The portal then shows a "familiar" world that happens to be Brinkaedea.
BRINKAEDEA
Cutscene:
- The 6 meet Monica and Illou
- They also describe Bonka to the 6
Gameplay: - The level starts off easy and visually, you except elements like giant musical instruments, food, toys, drawing tools etc
- An enemy type could be a "clone" imp/jester: Something involving clones and you hit the real one to defeat them all
- Linda's house can be seen, which is shaped like her head
- Some random NPC's can show up like some mentioned in the OC post Brink NPC part
- Better make use of the straw and piano key scenes
- Maybe a snow area with Christmas stuff
- Bumper cars (and maybe more theme park stuff) for Brinkaedea
- They meet Bonka again and she tries to prank Katrin with a water spray flower
- Bonka's fun house: A "boss" puzzle in which the 6 must escape a set of silly traps set by Bonka
- Eventually, the "fun house" starts actually damaging you and even Bonka realizes this isn't part of the plan
- One hazard could be a purple/yellow hammer.
- It ends with Odin saving them.
- Odin shows up and Bonka is upset, even though she secretly has a crush on him
It may turn out that Bonkette, Monika and Dr Ill-ow (evil versions of these characters) are behind this but they just make a cameo at the end of this chapter
They see planet Earth and it reveals Nortubel's Earth, confusing Bonky
Brinkaedea gets to speak PT/EN because Bonky claims he went through Earth once and brought his friends info from the world
(But the 6 come from a different version of Earth)
Even though Bonky is supposed to be cute, i could try to make him cartoony a bit more in some art
Should i also add the NPC's i mentioned like the Homestar Runner reference?
Maybe I could do a ball pit prefab.
Pinball stuff.
Use of the red button/wall introduced in Nort part 3.
Prefab: Present boxes that you can destroy to reveal pick ups like coins, health, keys. Like the closest to Mario blocks or Sonic screens.
Brink could get 2 skies, one horizontal and another in both directions like most Nortubel skies.
An idea Horbror gave was making using cake related tiles for the slow scene.
NPC: The original/main Jester Imp, who laughs at the fact that some of his copies can copy themselves.
Enemy: A floating jack-in-the-box toy that moves left/right and if it detects the Player/Companion underneath, it reveals a boxing glove which goes down to hit the target (And then it goes back up). This enemy kinda inspired by the crushing bell hazard. Maybe the glove could be the weak point.
In the cutscene before Bonka’s “fun house”, I like to imagine a goofy TV where she shows up in a pre-recorded video, maybe with some presentation like her dancing and some stars or something.
(or comic book style panels and some spinning stars?) - m0nic4: A Brink level
- ill0uu: Another level
- b0nkyy: I might do 4 levels, actually
- b0nk44: Bonka's fun house
NORTUBEL PART 6
The 6 meet Claudia, who is from Brinkaedea but an alt version, so she’s a nice old lady.
Claudia tells the 6 they deserve a present, but Melvin says the only thing they need is a way back home.
When he shows Claudia the device, she gives them a small white piece that fits in one of the device’s holes.
This leads to Melvin putting the piece in and then opening a portal to Lahiurn.
You meet her after visiting Brinkaedea and before Lahiurn, because of the implication of her giving gifts to some war victims.
Stuff that could be mentioned in some Nort lore:
"immortality vs eternity"
"wisdom vs knowledge"
"matter vs spirit"
"the farmer, the pastor and the hunter"
Maybe Horatio could show up here for fun?
LAHIURN
Mix of alt history WW2 and 1984 setting
Gameplay:
- First, the level takes place in a battlefield/trenches with bullets, planes and explosions in the background
- There's also traps, which can be used against the soldiers (Both armies)
- One of the traps used against the soldier enemies is a turret (You'll probably need to open some door in the front, to make it fun).
- Later, there's the dystopian city which has burning books (Hazard) and giant screens with propaganda
- Maybe they find a hole that leads to a military base set by Charles and join Jerold
- Maybe I could have a submarine area in one of the levels.
- They may end up meeting Namylea, even if at a Nortubel world level (I wanna make her interact with Zarina)
- Prefab: Some giant tank with platforms whose design is inspired by some real life weird tanks and Cannon Fodder from Katsuhiro Otomo's Memories.
- Enemy: Night Rider, a Lahiurn super soldier experiment with 2 attacks, a floor of electricity and a morning star
- Enemy: Lahiurn soldier is like an edit of the Krimb mobster that shoots some more bullets and he can toss a grenade (Potato masher)
- Enemy: Eygzouhl soldier that has a flamethrower, that acts like a spawned thing with an enemy hitbox that just shows up and may be able to create temporary flames on the floor.
The Lahiurns have a fancy district that is seemingly Rome/Babylon inspired, like if Albert Speer’s Germania was finished but also different because of the universe it’s in.
Not sure of how the 6 end up meeting Jerold and/or Gustav: Maybe at the start where they’re thinking of a plan on how to reach a resistance base?
Maybe in the submarine level, the alarm button is contextualized as an accident?
Maybe have Jerold and Gustav show up in the cutscene before the first level, but then they directly meet the 6 by the end level cutscene, where they coincidently end up in Charles’ base?
There could also be a part in the Lahiurn city where the Player picks up something and in the next cutscene, it’s revealed to be a big deal to Jerold and Charles, so the 6 end up somewhat helping them.
Prefab: Prototype of Stephan's chair, which can be used to destroy a wall (Shoots bullets, then a rocket, then charges at it) but you need to find some sort of component. - Prefab: A wooden platform with ropes you cut with the knife, so it falls.
- j3r0ld: The battlefield
- chrl3s: The submarine level
- lmshtn: The Lahiurn city
NORTUBEL PART 7
This could be where they meet Namylea
What about a voodoo doll gimmick?
Like the characters meeting dolls based on them and they could hurt them if not careful (Have enemies be able to hurt said dolls, so you gotta protect them).
HERRKO
Fantasy setting, i'll try to make it look less "DarkSidersy" as possible
Gameplay:
- Starts at goblin village on the trees where you see Pebble (NPC) and the level makes use of both crawl zones and swingable vines (Due to lore fitting the goblin characters and a way to split Player and Companion)
- Then the Orc village, with tropical/wild trees and rock houses
- There is a "climbable" wall with swords stabbed on and it drains health when climbed (Unless you find a Ringfloater reskinned to look like a fantasy armor design)
- maybe i could add that one place i said copied a bit of that one Turok 2 level
- Then the Herrko village and inside Euloria's castle
- NPC: A small drawer storage/shelf unit/sideboard that happens to be alive and is a servent of Euloria
- Then Uulga’s ship and then an ancient cave
A character may say "Tarrak" and it's explained to be "carriage" in Herrkian language - Hazard: Lava. Maybe the 6 sneak through some passage to discover Herrko castle's security system
- Enemy: evil goblins with treasure chest armor, bow and arrow (Maybe they should shoot homing arrows that you can at least destroy with the knife)
- Trap idea: Floor switch you want to avoid or else arrows are shot at you.
- Enemy: Orcs that use their hammers to create “shockwaves” which are just projectiles that could temporarily stun players (Playable Comp included) but like the homing arrows, they can be destroyed (This enemy could be used to mess up with platforming and avoiding some enemy attacks, like a “support” type)
Cutscene: - Ivan impresses the 2 girls, making Melvin a bit jealous
- The first cutscene of this world could have Ivan’s vines as their own image/sprite.
- When the 6 leave, Dirlindu talks to Uulga, Ivan and Euloria about something related to Lakk.
- You can see giant monsters with wooden cabinets/platforms that are like Herrko's version of Star Wars ATAT with some Barlowe-esque influence.
Use of the red button/wall introduced in Nort part 3.
A moving platform would be a magical carpet
There could be a rising lava section where our protagonists must go up before lava reaches them.
Even if the lava goes back down, some helpful platforms disappear and must be reactivated by a yellow switch.
The 6 get to visit Uulga's pirate ship.
Not sure if Uulga's ship should be a bit of a time based challenge area where you have to attack enemies before the boat reaches the island
I'd like to figure out making Uulga an AI character that fights enemies while the Player and Companion try to survive for a while
I could make Uulga like Stella where she'd be an additional companion type character but with different stats and she'd automatically attack enemies, while her flaws are being too big to get into some places, meaning the 2 main characters would use level puzzles to help Uulga get in some areas
(But she doesn’t lose health and doesn’t need to climb)
Uulga takes the 6 to an island believed to be where a piece of the magic box is located.
It’s the same cave that shows the history of Herrko’s people and you’ll see statues/illustrations hinting at what creatures the people descend from, but with destroyed statues hinting at bizarre large creatures.
Like an eerie past that could give anyone an existential crisis (Imagine if it turns out we humans were relatives to some bizarre looking monsters)
And in terms of level aesthetics, some stuff feels familiar to past Herrko levels but then I could add some weird elements inspired by Moebius or Druillet in level 4. - Prefab: Walls that Uulga can destroy; Her equivalent to Stella having exclusive interaction with switches in KrimbLevel4
Maybe the cutscene where Ivan saves the 6 could have his vines show up as sprites not tied to any panels.
UULGA_NPC_HURT: something about strong skin resisting knives but also how she lost her eye
HerrkoLevel3 could have a convo between Uulga and Pebble - p3bble: Maybe Herrko should start at the Goblin village level, with Ivan rescuing the 6 from falling after the portal takes them to a weak tree branch that breaks and then they meet Pebble.
- iv4nnn: The orc village and sword hill etc. Uulga is an NPC there
- eul0r1: The main Herrko city/castle
- uulg44: Uulga's pirate ship and the cave
(note: don’t be surprised if Uulga gets 3 animations/states based off her attack because chances are it’ll be hard to me to add one basic attack function tied to states such as IDLE, FOLLOW and RUN)
Self reminder: Add a reference to Labyrinth (1986).
NORTUBEL PART 8
The alt 6 turn against your protagonists and you also meet HHGHH.
UNTOTERN
Cutscene:
- Kalub and Allis speak in weird patterns and laugh to confuse the 6
- The 6 end up in a dark mansion at night, before going to an underground catacomb full of skeletons and graves
- Then there's references to other mythologies and scary stuff
- There is an area made of flesh.
- Hazard: Giant zombie hands
- Maybe i could add something about the other 5 undead characters being locked in something and you must unleash them?
The 5 undead would start off as imprisoned/trapped but after being rescued, they could be like any NPC that you can hug/knife/honk
They soon discover the Vimana that the 7 undead use to travel dimensions
Kalub almost bites Oscars before Beatrice tells him "Don't you dare" but both comment on how him and Carrie have "familiar blood"
Enemy idea: Demonic/skull spider with rotating body/head with hurt/hitboxes on opposite sides (Maybe it could do the Sonic Crabmeat thing where it shoots arcing projectiles from both sides?); Maybe I should mix the head rotate/attack in the same animation; Also, fireballs come out of the eye sockets.
ALTERNATIVELY: “Giant upside down metal skull with crown above its jaw and chains like tentacles.” I could use this design from the OC post but still use this gameplay idea.
Use of the red button/wall introduced in Nort part 3.
NPC type: Ghostly victorian age couples, dancing around and moving left/right, like something out of a vampire/horror movie. - k4luub: First level with the mansion and catacombs stuff; Maybe the sky could be dark red or have a blood moon; Starts at the mansion/house but ends with a graveyard/catacomb area.
- al1sss: Maybe the second with flesh stuff
- b34trc: Maybe the level where you rescue the 5 other undead
NORTUBEL PART 9
Maybe I could have AB-YZ show up here, explaining why things are the way they are (“Fake”/dream copycat dimensions, some still having their own rules or “personality” while others are random, some being fused, elements from other worlds that the 6 visited showing up but only because of a side effect of their traveling, so they must do something before other worlds are sucked into the already weird Nortubel based dimension they’re in)
Still not sure how the main 6 could confront the alt versions
I'm also thinking on how some characters could show up: Like Bonka trying to help the 6 but she kinda fails and cries, before the 6 forgive her.
There could also be a scene of some characters falling and being saved by some like Yiegour or Leon (I like to imagine Leon summoning some computer OS stuff like arrows or windows to save someone).
maybe some endgame scene where bman faces tfoorie but it's there as a mystery? i dunno
party with invited multiverse characters (like if pamela and shelly were to study the magic box and figure out something)
I also thought of a "Memories" menu that displays optional cutscenes with "lore": Maybe have Pamela interview other characters for this.
also need a "normal Nortubel" where the 6 may actually return home and it could lead to Pamela's house
I also thought of Tfoorie meeting the 6 and scaring them, only to ensure he’d never hurt them because they’re not “worthy”.
How about Matysha and Ricotto?
Depending on the number of levels, I could have passwords based off the worlds (h1rdr1, gr3kl0, br1nka etc) even if they're still themed around world fusion.
And maybe add new scenes/things to still expand those worlds and add ideas I didn't add before.
What about secret levels?
Just in case I do some:
- Hirdrih: av13t4
- Krimb-Stone: r3pt1l
- Massag-Coav: f3rnd4
- Greklovick: r4ymnd
- Brinkaedea: ood11n
- Lahiurn: gust4v
- Herrko: drlndu
- Untotern: m4rcus
Maybe when you finish the game, you also get a password list, with some character icons next to their respective passwords.
WORLD TITLE REDESIGN (So there’s stuff behind the letters):
Nortubel: Maybe like the title pic with the tiles?
Hirdrih: Like an old computer OS window
Krimb-Stone: A brick wall with bullet holes?
Massag-Coav: Some sort of theater billboard
Greklovick: Something sci-fi like hexagon patterns or a computer screen
Brinkaedea: Something with toys? Candy?
Lahiurn: Something like a war poster, probably
Herrko: A fantasy scroll?
Untotern: Maybe a solid rock tombstone with skulls
PLOT POINTS TO CONSIDER AND HOW/WHAT ELSE
- If a level is too big, use the checkpoint
- Always give levels their own world themed game stuff like switches, pushables, jump pads etc
- What level could use construction stuff?
- Platforms based on weight? Like 2 on opposite ends of a rope and if one has someone in it, the other rises?
- Rotating/pendulum platforms? A rotating cross shaped thing with 4 solid lines?
- For Nortubel: An animated “prop” that’s a giant door opening and revealing door within door, with different angles etc
- When the 123456 inputs are figured out, edit tutorial texts
- visible keys input system
- ingame manual with tutorial info?
- cake with a paper message "from A to B, what do you do when you get to Z?"
- Redo tutorial books? Maybe have the green text box a bit bigger to have a few more text while the main image is resized and animated to showcase stuff?
3 additional enemies I might consider: - 3 legged wood knights from Tsoovukut that can summon wall shields to "block" the player and then attack with melee.
- Scorbrion: Brain alien thing that shoots a projectile that splits (From Pluto/Otulp).
- Cyborg soldier from Grek with occasional invisibility (Said to work for Zarkovil). Maybe he walks slowly and if you’re behind him, he gets invisible and fast: When you enter his raycast, he becomes visible and shoots a shotgun blast. I could also make him explode after death.
- Maybe the wood knight could show up in Herrko level 4, cyborg guy in Greklevel 3 and Scorbrion in Greklevel 4, who knows.
Enemy placement ideas: - Basic flat areas.
- Maybe a gap in the middle.
- Enemy on an above floor, maybe there's a jumpable platform or ladder.
- Enemy on higher cliff, sometimes a wall behind you.
- Enemy on a below floor, there's a hole you can go through sometimes.
- Tight spaces.
- Use of moving platforms.
Idea for Player/Comp iteration
Out of desperation and possibly an easter egg, I'd make it only work if the Companion is playable and both characters are in "normal" states (As in, no ice, mud etc).
And it could require a timer, signal emitted from the Companion's script and some areas for the two to interact.
Ideally, the interaction could just be a Player sprite of them petting and a Companion sprite of them receiving the gesture.
WHAT ABOUT STELLA AFTER BEING RESCUED?
At some point, Pamela opens a portal to help get the 6 back but only Stella successfully gets in or something. Meaning Stella is at least safe with Pam but the 6 still need to travel a bit more
This is to justify her not being present in next levels
THE 6 RIVALS
Maybe i could go with races?
AB YZ AND KNOE
AB-YZ shows up as a red crystal the 6 pick up after an emotional moment
One of them holds it with their hand before the crystal turns into dust and disappears
As for Knoe? Probably at the end, where his role is hinted as being evil or doing something shady behind the scenes
Oh and HHGHH? I like to think each character has their own interpretation of HHGHH's appearence just to make them even weirder
Boss: Sky covered in “cow pattern” black and white webs, with giant spiders that have humanoid faces.
(but i also wrote something in a Tumblr post about a spider monster with some weird helmet, maybe mix the 2?)
ENDING IDEAS (SPOILERS MAYBE)
The 6 rivals turn out to have something that makes them seemingly evil to create a conflict with the main 6
Need to figure out how a boss fight can work
Something causes the rivals to disappear and the main 6 don't know what happened
Even in a party where various characters show up, the 6 still wonder about their rivals
Meanwhile, the rivals are in a boat and then end up rescued by someone in a high-tech space ship
As the rivals enter the ship, they are greeted with a mysterious man (seen in the dark, silhouette view) interacting with holographic buttons
When asked who he is, he turns around and says his name is Yiegour, revealing himself to be an alt dimension version of B-Man (Instead of a face mask and cyber arms, he has a robotic body but a very human face with glowy white eyes and human arms)
MUSIC PLANS
This will be the last part to focus because 1: I want to get everything else out of the way (Levels, cutscenes etc) so the potential composer(s) does/do their job (As opposed to the Doom Eternal situation where id whipped around Mick over music while the game barely had material)
And 2: While my art/gamedev skills are flawed, music is the one area i did nothing with even though i have vague ideas of what i want music to be in this project and other projects in the future.
A way to figure out music is to think of the characters and settings like personality, story or at least what other characters they are inspired by/copy.
On top of that, i also have a list of music and artists i like, so i feel they could be used as influence, whether it's "how they think/get there" or even bits of melody and sounds but specially the "mood/feeling" they give you.
(Maybe it'll end in plagiarism lol)
Even in the long "Secret-ish OC post" i listed examples.
Could also lead to actually "study" these musicians/artists in a way (And i do mean without using AI).
Because there's also basic things like "i guess this song copies Castlevania/Touhou/etc a bit" so using non-videogame music can help (Though with japanese music i sometimes think of (K)NoW_NAME, Daito Music and Akatsuki Records first before other references).
Variety is a big deal here because i treat these characters/settings as a crossover where they might have to clash to "sell" what they are.
And variety could also lead to a "clash" of "characters vs setting" where even "within worlds" there's variety of genres or tones.
This means plagiarism isn't just bits of melody but even certain sounds and stuff.
And if some songs are unused in levels/cutscenes, maybe i could make a "jukebox" menu where you could select music i guess (Since i plan to add a art gallery)
Vocals are one thing i'll never get but that's obviously not a big deal.
Also, the albums selected for certain musical groups/artists don't have to be definitive because there could be other stuff of theirs to use as reference.
Cutscenes are a tricky part because of the speed control, so ideally:
I plan all the potential dialogue, panels etc and have all the music and sounds in one file for the AudioStreamPlayer node, right?
Then have the script acknowledge that scene and have controls related to that speed, since the script is used in all cutscenes.
NORTUBEL
You expect Portuguese stuff but i think Manu Chau kinda works as something to plagiarize. But because of the 6 characters being young, i kinda thought Gorillaz (Demon Dayz and Plastic Beach) or even "teen rock" sort of songs you'd expect in Tony Hawk Pro Skater could work.
Meanwhile the character Zarina is inspired by Fatoumata Diawara.
Levels that could get specific songs:
one for the 3 tutorial levels
race level/nortpart2 level 3
shihiro level/nortpart3 level 3
beach level/nortpart4 level 1
boss levels/both before and after boss is dead (amalia, cow spider)
voodoo level/nortpart7 level 4
meanwhile, most non-specific Nort levels could share some songs and there could be like i guess 10 songs? because there’s a lot of these levels and some could reuse some songs. what matters is how varied they sound also.
chapter 9 could also have its own selection of songs that get reused a bit and then a very specific song for its level 9
An idea for a part 9 song could be something that comes off as “confusion” or “mystery”: A reference to me was Bowie’s Girls Love Me.
HIRDRIH
Daft Punk is too obvious.
Maybe one song for each level.
HirdrihLevel1: Some rip off of Aerodynamic/Human After All.
HirdrihLevel2: One More Time.
HirdrihLevel3: Veridis Quo/Giorgio by Moroder.
All Daft Punk.
BRINKAEDEA
Copying music from other platformers or cartoony shows is easy.
Bonka could get a circus song but remixed to sound cool (Specially different from the theme given to Bonko, a character referencing her in Dreams of Joy Departed) while Monica is a blatant Touhou rip-off.
Each level gets its own song, with level 4/Bonka’s fun house having both a fun cheerful song and a “distressed” version of it after you encounter the hatchet.
MASSAG-COAV
Jazz could work and one reference i use is David Bowie (Earthlings, Outside, Reality, Heathen, Hours and The Next Day).
I’ve had ideas on what songs to copy or at least “get the vibe from” in specific levels.
MassagLevel1/h0lm3s: Strangers When We Meet
MassagLevel2/mcshry: Boss of Me
MassagLevel3/jol1t4: Afraid of Americans
MassagLevel4/b4rn3y: Set the World on Fire
MassagLevel5/k4rl44: Pablo Picasso/Fly
All David Bowie
UNTOTERN
Lazily copying Castlevania and horror/halloween music is one thing, but a good reference might be Type O Negative.
Each level could get its own song
UntoternLevel1: Some creepy piano/music box melody.
UntoternLevel2: In Praise of Bacchus/ ... A Dish Best Served Coldly.
UntoternLevel3: Life Is Killing Me/Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family)
All except the first being Type O Negative.
LAHIURN
I guess "generic WW2 movie music" is okay enough.
I did thought of an “angry violin song” like Apocalyptica’s Path.
Each level, again, its own song. level 2 with a second song after the water shows up in the submarine can be optional.
Maybe a bit of influence for Lahiurn level 3 could be NIN’s Pilgrimage.
GREKLOVICK
Nine Inch Nails (Downward Spiral, Fragile, With Teeth) is obvious in a way.
Although with NIN, you can also bring up the Ghost tracks.
I’ve had ideas on what songs to copy or at least “get the vibe from” in specific levels.
GrekLevel1/y13g0r: Where is Everybody/Was it Worth it? (This one was from Fragile Deviations, I think)
GrekLevel2/clr1ty: All the Love in the World/Ghosts I track 9
GrekLevel3/kl3rrr: The Day the Whole World Went Away/Fragile/And All That Could Have Been
GrekLevel4/tf00r1: The Wretched
GrekLevel5/zrkv1l: The Becoming/Please
All Nine Inch Nails
HERRKO
I like to think of Susumu Hirasawa and not just because of his work in Berserk, he has a lot of experimental songs that show his great range.
unique song for each level
KRIMB-STONE
Maybe some songs from The Prodigy like what you think suits a very bloody bar fight.
But even NIN or other rock stuff could work just to sell how gritty and dark the setting should be.
Like what kind of music comes to your mind when reading something like Garth Ennis' run on the Punisher?
Again, unique song for each level.
Anyway, maybe there's other stuff in the EXTRA: Musical influences/references: section mentioned in that long post that i could consider.
But for now, this should be good enough.
Fictional language stuff
This is something I need to figure out because so far, Nortubel, Hirdrih and Krimb-Stone used the ABC alphabet but I want certain settings to have made up languages and use more original symbols.
What shows up in the art gallery
Each "gallery" shows off designs, props and aesthetic bits related to the worlds and then showcases the "full" designs of the characters (Or at least specific details)
- I could show off NPC/enemy designs and stuff related to characters' backstories or lore
- I could also show off weapons of certain characters and "cosmetic" stuff like alternate hair styles
- Maybe "Galleries" could be levels that feel like museums and there's artwork showcased on CanvasLayer node stuff is the Player touches something
Nortubel
Bits of Nortubel's aesthetic and maybe fully shown sky backgrounds
Some objects
Proper showcases of Carrie, Katrin, Melvin, Oscar, Pete and Angela's designs
And also Pamela, Bernard, Shelly, Stella, Shihiro and Zarina
And the "alt 6" or the parents
Hirdrih
Bits of their world and aesthetic
Leon, Otto and Borhr
Maybe Avietta too.
Brinkaedea
Bits of the world's aesthetic
Bonka, Bonky, Lana, Illou, Monica and Odin
Claudia, Monika, Dr Illou and Bonkette (I forgot about the alt version of Bonky)
Massag-coav
World's aesthetics but also Altantis and Elegantissia
Holmes, Fernaanda, Feelix, Barney, Horatio, Karla, Karoline, Touni, McSherry, maybe Dexter and Marie Joolietta i dunno
Greklovick
Bits of the world and also Rodchenkot and the Venus base
B-Man, Clarity, Bolt, Isaac, the Grek soldiers/cops, Zarkovill, Kler, Raymond and even Tfoorie
Herrko
World's aesthetic and stuff (Maybe reference Tsoovukut too)
Uulga, Pebble, Euloria, Ivan, Dirlindu
Untotern
Props, etc etc
Kalub, Aliss, Beatrice, Cornelius, Taaf, Marcus and Maikouto
Krimb-stone
Setting stuff
Booker, Phineas, some random criminals, Ricotto, Matysha, Reptile and even a Bullet cameo lol
Lahiurn
Again, world aesthetics
Generic soldiers, Jerold, Gustav, Charles, Namylea, the dictators
Other?
Maybe characters like AB-YZ or HHGHH
Maybe some fun interactions between characters from different worlds
I could even add art like that one height reference thing with Leon, Kalub, Holmes, Bonka, B-Man and Uulga or other "bad art" i could still preserve
Some fanservice.
Carrie and Katrin holding Melvin’s arms like in the FF7 remake where Cloud has Tifa and Aerith on his arms.
Oscar and Pete dreaming about them with Katrin and Carrie respectively.
Maybe how Carrie and Katrin met for the first time (When they were 8 or 10) and how they met Melvin (When they were 14)
“Short characters” showcase with both the kids (Oscar, Pete, Angela, Kalub, Monica) and “shorties” (Leon, Otto, Bonky, Pebble).
Something related to wrinkles (Claudia, Raymond, Dirlindu, Booker).
Something related to Asian eyes (Shihiro, Maikouto, Lahrn).
Some characters hanging out (Kalub and Ricotto).
Some characters fighting (Booker and Odin).
Age face examples (Monica, Ivan, Booker).
Something related to black characters just because.
There's still stuff worth considering i guess
Art style stuff i'll probably not achieve properly
My "art style" will be inconsistent and maybe some experimentation/inconsistency can be good but anyway:
Adult characters like B-Man or Booker are canonically 200 cm or at least "a head taller" than teen/young adult characters like Carrie or Bonka
Short characters (Leon, Bonky, Pebble) have different proportions from kid characters like Oscar or Kalub: The former may have bigger heads and smaller torsos along with longer legs
Kid/short characters have "big anime" eyes, teen/YA characters have "mid but still anime-ish" eyes and adult characters have "realistic" eyes
(This bit about the eyes was kinda inspired by SpyXFamily because of how Anya looks compared to Loid and Yor, even if characters in that series come in more different styles and this isn't a rule, because i don't want to sound like those guys that do "what if X character but in Power Puff Girls/Megaman style" and cherrypick specific characters etc)
Adult men and women may be at times drawn to have the exact same height but different proportions (women with wider hips, men with broader shoulders) can still be acknowledged
Women are more likely to have "pointy" chins and men more likely to have "kinda flat" chins
Furry characters should be drawn in an appealing way (Even if I try to use Solatorabo/Arknights/kemono or specific Western art styles as reference)
Most characters should look good (Cute, pretty, sexy, cool etc) and even if they have wrinkles, you try to make them still pretty (Claudia because she's a 2D old lady) or cool (Booker because he's a blatant Marv/Hartigan/Dredd/Frank Castle mash up)
In terms of gameplay, notice how solid level tiles, interactable objects and characters have pure black outlines while props or background stuff have at best a light black or gray-ish outline
Again, if you look at the section "EXTRA: What i think could be an ideal art style:" in the long OC post, you'll find other examples of this
How I hope to fix art:
At least in cutscenes and after most of the levels/cutscenes are done.
Because I'd also like to keep some inconsistencies in both "art style" and design.
It's also worth considering 2 things:
Part of why some art has thick lines is because of the game's weird resolution.
I'd want to edit art in a way that doesn't require lots of changes in the cutscenes/animations.
But anyway:
Add proper shading: It could be basic in some ways but give a proper sense of "direction" to avoid "pillow shading".
Add backgrounds in areas where there's none, I guess.
Some proportion fixes like weird hands or face muscles and tweaks.
Making faces/poses look more "alive" or add "gravity/motion" and stuff (Specially because of the traced model nature of the art).
Worst case scenario: Do add some new panels to make scenes less confusing.
I might remind you that I don't even save the kra files.
I do think it may be worth preserving some "uglyness" since this is someone's first game and with lot of ambition.
If the game looked too great, people would hate it more just because of some decisions in terms of gameplay and all.
Other languages?
First, I need to get every possible bit of text (Lore/info, cutscenes, NPC's etc) out of the way.
Then figure out how certain texts can be translated considering stuff like how some spaces are used etc.
And of course, get someone that knows certain languages and that I can trust.
Future Nortubel remake ideas:
In a good future where my gamedev career goes somewhere and there’s no natural disaster or life threatening condition on my way:
Proper save system, even if I still use passwords or something creative like icons.
The fishhook could be an actual grapple hook in some places, even if swingable ropes are still a thing in some levels (Or I could save the grapple hook fishing rod idea for a new game with the Nortubel characters).
Better art, even if I’d keep inconsistencies in art style/designs because I like to experiment with my characters and stuff.
Some level geometry can be changed, even if some places are still familiar enough (Like new areas to make levels a bit bigger etc).
Certain ideas done more interestingly like Stella and how she interacts with those traps or the “rival” race levels.
If some other characters (Bonka, Leon, Kalub, Yiegour, Uulga etc) are playable, might as well make them different genres.
Different UI/HUD aesthetics that reflect on certain worlds.
Options to move forward/backwards for the dialogue/lines from cutscenes.
Having a better structure behind the scenes, so I could properly use the same type of switch in the same level (Krimb level 3 is an exception because the switches are part of the same scenes as the traps).
More levels just in case, to extend certain themes.
Could probably add more props and stuff to extend certain themes as well.
More interesting NPC interaction and maybe portraits for NPC dialogue text boxes.
Optional menus to view cutscenes, art illustrations and lore texts in case the original game doesn’t have those.
Maybe more options for gameplay like customizable controls or even an alternate “The Lost Vikings” system for players they could select over the current system (But please, consider the level design).
Actual “end level” screens with stats, some neat victory music and even images of our characters celebrating, maybe.
I'd like to give the levels actual "atmosphere", though still not sure if a remake would be a very good looking 2D game or even have the levels be somewhat 3D but stuff like characters and props still as sprites.
Maybe some cutscenes would use more panels and texts.
Cast “section” at the end showing all the possible characters in the game (Maybe all that matter and some NPC’s) and there’s different versions based on each world