Developer Diary #4 - GameMaker Studio 2, and Combat Basics

Pictured above - figuring out the primary protagonist's features and hairstyle. Keeping it short to show off her lovely outfit from behind.

Hey all ^_^ It's been a while since I've posted an update on the Venus Angels X-rated RPG development, but those of you following closely in Discord already know that I've got a lot of news on this front.

I've reassessed that to continue growing, I'm going to need to commit to using all of my skills to create something unique. It's often difficult to find time to work on game development, but it's always worth it to make that effort, and enough people have voiced that this is something they want to see. So I've made the time.

More importantly though, your support has been so valuable and meaningful to me. I want to provide a unique experience for those of you who stick around and contribute. I hope this can be that experience for all of us.

GAMEMAKER STUDIO 2

I mentioned before that development is occurring in GameMaker Studio 2, and if you're even remotely a fan of game development or programming, I couldn't recommend this highly enough. I'm currently using the trial version, which you can download for free on developer Yoyo Games' website, but I plan on upgrading as this development grows.

I was expecting a harsher learning curve, as has been my experience when switching between development environments, but GMS2's DnD (drag 'n' drop) development style permits you to build your game visually, taking care of a lot of the coding, planning, and syntax nuances for you. Even still, GMS2 doesn't prohibit you from coding in Yoyo Games' easy-to-learn GML (GameMaker Language) script (which looks a lot like C# and JavaScript).

Okay, I know this all sounds like one big ad for GameMaker Studio 2... but what I'm really trying to communicate is that development is going very well, and very smoothly, and I'm feeling very excited and optimistic.

COMBAT BASICS

I've mentioned in previous posts (hit the Venus Angels tag below to check out the old posts) some of the science-fiction details of the world of Venus Angels, but here's a quick refresher...

The solar system has been colonized, and the elite sexy task force Venus Angels patrols the colonies, protecting the people from threats like pirates and monsters. The Venus Angels use their Angel Drive-powered combat suits to convert their sexual energy into powerful combat techniques, and to 'Soul Release' aggressive space monsters via skillful sexual release. That makes sense, right?

When developing games, I like to start with a fun combat system and then build around it. I covered briefly an overview of the girls' Angel Drive technology, and the Soul Release techniques used to defeat monsters, but we've yet to cover the actual flow of combat. What I'm discussing below are simplified broad strokes of what I'm developing right now, but the aim is to get you a playable test as soon as possible so you can experience it for yourself.

THE COMMAND TRIANGLE

I love games that include these 'rock, paper, scissors' weakness triangles - like the Dead or Alive series or Fire Emblem. In Venus Angels, there are three basic inputs that Angels can reliably employ in combat. These are Fight, Assault, and Seduce. Put simply, Fight can be used to hurt enemies, Assault is used to tackle or take down enemies, and Seduce is used to stun, charm and provoke enemies.

The most basic of these, Fight, is used to deal damage and weaken enemies. Angels will attack their target using their equipment and special abilities. Many enemies can be defeated simply by depleting their stamina, and fighting is the best and simplest way to do that. An Angel or a Monster that Fights is more likely to fend off an enemy that is assaulting them, but will be thrown off guard by a seducing enemy.

Assault is used to takedown an enemy to various ends, but most typically, a Monster might assault an Angel to rape them, and an Angel might assault a Monster to Soul Release them - bringing them to orgasm and ending their life. Players can follow up on a successful Assault in numerous ways, provided they're able to overpower and knockdown their target, but a Fighting monster is more likely to defend against an Assault. On the other hand, a Seducing target is completely vulnerable and will spur on their assailant, guaranteeing the Assault will succeed.

Seduce is used to control the battlefield, either by arousing enemies, or the Angels themselves. When Monsters become aroused, they might change their tactics in combat, growing more aggressive or 'rape-y', but also they become more susceptible to 'Soul Release'. As the Angels become more aroused, they gain access to more abilities - but an untimely orgasm could be dangerous as it'll leave the Angels powerless and vulnerable for a bit, as they sit their naked, robbed of their combat suits. Monsters can seduce just like Angels can, via their 'Pheromone' abilities. Seducing is a reliable way to interrupt a Fighting monster, by stunning or charming them with your wiles. On the other hand, seducing leaves Angels completely open to Assault.

The way the above 'command triangle' works (Fight > Assault > Seduce > Fight...) is that a command is more likely to succeed against a target using the command it's strong against - except if that enemy and that Angel hit each other - in which case the stronger command will always win. For example - Monster A tries to Assault Lexi (he's turned on and wants to rape her), and Lexi is busy fighting Monster B. Lexi is ready to Fight and is likely to fend off Monster A, but he might still rape her. If Lexi had chosen to Fight Monster A, however, Monster A's Assault on Lexi would definitely fail.

Getting this command triangle interactivity working - and being as fun as I think it will be - is my first task. The first build I share with you guys will feature the bare minimum in terms of aesthetics - it'll most likely be a bunch of text and a couple of menu icons - but my mission right now is to illustrate the combat triangle and to build something that can be unique, fun, and sexy ^_^ I really like this idea anyway, so I hope it works out that way XD

If you're not on Discord already, join us there and get in on the Venus Angels conversation (which for the time being is still only for $10+ patrons).