Big Boss Panic: Idea sharing

**Traveler** · 10-01-2006, 04:50 PM

With the PGD competition theme known, I'm sure many of you are now focusing on ideas. The theme itself allows for a great variety of games, but will, one way or another, require bosses.

I thought it would be a nice idea to have a thread with ideas, links whatever, so people have an easier time coming up with their own ideas for a game.

Here's the first link to a wiki. Its entirly about bosses in games, their roles, which games featured them, special notes, everything.

Happy reading and please if you have some info you'd want to share feel free to do so.

**savage** · 10-01-2006, 08:28 PM

Nice one traveller!

**marmin** · 11-01-2006, 04:44 PM

yep, nice.
Well I've grown up with MSX games. I am used to the most Evil Bosses in computer history!!

**WILL** · 11-01-2006, 10:55 PM

An excellent reference! Nice thinkin'.

**cairnswm** · 12-01-2006, 05:25 AM

My team and I havn't come up with a cool idea yet so we decided to do a mini game - a simple Horizontal shooter with bosses

When we have a better idea we'll start working on a competition entry.

**Traveler** · 12-01-2006, 09:13 AM

Thanks savage/WILL

Main problem, or rather challange is that I do not want to fall back to typical games like spaceshooters or platformers.

**cairnswm** · 12-01-2006, 10:23 AM

I do not want to fall back to typical games like spaceshooters or platformers.

We feel that way also but other than some really wierd ideas we are battling to get a good idea. The Horizontal shooter is only a temporary project to make sure we can work well together

**FNX** · 12-01-2006, 02:05 PM

Nice topic but i think most of the people will not share ideas at the moment
for fear to be stolen maybe..

To stay in topic well, actually it's quite difficult to find something original
because a theme like the big boss remind me all the time to the various
Golden Axe, Final Fight, Streets of Rage and so on..

I'm studing something diffent but it is NOT easy :roll:
I already know I won't win any innovation prize

:lol:

**Traveler** · 12-01-2006, 03:04 PM

Ah well, it was not my intention to have people place their actual game plans here. It was merely intented to help people on their way.

If you have no idea at all, you could always go for the spaceshooter. I played a demo of Astro Avenger a couple weeks ago and it was great fun. Not exactly the most origional game in the books but if a game like that would appear as a contest entry, you wont see me complaining.

There is a big but tho. Because the game itself isnt very origional you'll need to put in A LOT of time in the other areas. Meaning super cool (upgradable) weapons/enemies/bosses/sounds/graphics, everything. You definitely wont get away with the same fighters at every stage, the same boss (be it a bit harder to kill), a few random explosions and two different types of weapons.

But anyway to return to the topic. My intention was to start up a discussion. What type of bosses can we expect? I mean, when you think about bosses, you almost immediately think about those you see in spaceshooters or fps or platformers. Heavily armored guys, carrying huge guns that take ages to kill. (depending if they are mid level bosses or end level bosses of course)

But lets take this from another perspective. Rules dont say anything about the destructive nature of these bosses. It only says "bosses to challenge at the end of each level". If we therefor would make a poker game where the player has to win three tables before he can play against a boss, then that would be perfectly alright.

Another idea (if you have a bigger project group), would be an rts like game where you build an army of xxxxxx to fight against another army, your mission is to kill the leader, the boss. Your actions dont go unnoticed of course and the one prince(ss)/ruler/king/queen/dark lord, that controls all others eventually will face you (or you him whatever you fancy).

These are just some random thoughts, none of which I'll be using in my game, but which could be a start for someone else. See it more as a brainstorming session. Throw in some random (on topic) thoughts and let us see where it will lead us.

**cairnswm** · 13-01-2006, 05:23 AM

One idea we have had is to make 10 pin bowling with a boss pin at the back. In the way there are various obstacles that you need to destroy with your ball before you can take out (get at) the boss pin.

The RTS type idea (or similar RPG) idea is the one we will probably be going for.