Well, after looking at my poll that lasted pretty much all of may, I realized that the results show that people want to see an PvP Platform battle game, that's not just another Mega Man game. Now, there is some idea I'd like to discuss which I may change, also I'd like to explain the basic idea of my game. If you don't like my ideas, please express how you feel!

Movement Well, my intentions are to have it pixel-based and very fast paced. I had a well working pixel based system with my Crisis XI project, but I decided to not use it since there were so many A.I inside the game(Lag). Although, I think pixel movement with 6-8~ players, would hopefully work smoothly. I'm currently working on my own pixel movement with the help of Calus CoRPS whom has created his own pixel library. So far my version works smoothly, although there are some choppy moments which I'm clearing up.

Projectile Combat Well, one problem I'm having is how the projectiles will be used. I could use so you can click on the screen since you don't see that in platform fighters. Now that would be something new, but different in a way in which I don't think would work out. I really want to make the usage of cover, vital. Somewhat like a "Gears of War" approach to a platform game. The idea I am thinking is using a "pixel based" angle system. And expanding on that adding different sorts of guns that would help the player using things like a "Laser Site" that would be only for you to see, not other players. I'd also like to make every gun have it's own different feel. So if you have a long ranged gun, you'd be able to zoom in(see areas beyond you), and that would be a time that a "Laser Dot" or cross hair would come in handy to see where you're aiming at. Finally, I personally think the "Pixel Angle" projectile system would take more skill and be more unique than like other fighters where you simply spam left, right, and maybe other directions on occasions 24/7.

Melee Combat The melee combat is not so complex in most fighters, different buttons = different attacks which all normally are alike. Now, the hard part is how can you make a unique melee combat. My current idea is to take a "Fable 2" approach to combat! Yes, I like taking ideas from other games. In Fable 2 combat, you use the same melee button to block/large strike/strike. I took that idea and added/expanded it to be fast, fun and fluent. Here are the 5 basic concepts:

•Normal Strikes: Now, I don't want it to be just like normal combat where you just keep doing the same one attack. I'm thinking of going outside the "one melee button" idea, but the same concept. The different melee "Classes" would all have access to 3 different melee keys, which all consist of different attack styles. The styles would vary from being fast, have more length, making yourself less vulnerable or your opponent less vulnerable, being strong but slow, etc.

•Combos: The important part of normal strikes is that you can add them up into combos with your 3 different buttons using the direction pad + your melee buttons. So you can figure out the best combos that work against different players. Maybe slash him up fast, than expose him and throw him up in the air and finish him off with a large smash back into the ground.

•Blocking: You hold in the melee button to block, if someone hits you when you are blocking, they will recoil and be stunned for 1 second so you have your chance to attack.

•Clashes: Now, if you and another player BOTH strike within the same 0.25 seconds or so, you'll both end up in a clash. My idea for the clash is that once you are clashed, you must rapidly hit random directions which pop-up within 3 seconds. The player who hit the directions the fastest wins, if you hit the wrong direction, you lose. After the clash, the loser player recoils and is stunned for 1.5 seconds.

•Large Strikes: If you point in a direction WHILE holding down the melee key, you charge for a large strike. A half charged large strike will do more damage, and auto wins any clashes. A fully charged large strike does the same BUT can stun players for 1.5 seconds and can break a block attack. To make it more fair, a large strike would take 2 seconds to charge, and a full large strike would take 4 seconds.

Characters Every fighter, has characters. Characters in which you unlock or buy, and maybe buy some skills but that's all you'll normally upgrade with them. YOUR characters in all fighters I seen on BYOND, all are the same. Example: You unlock sonic, your unlocked sonic is just the same as every other player's sonic. Now this is where I come in... The characters in my games, are like an outline. You mold your character into what you want him to be. Here is the basic ideas I have:

•Basics: When you start off, you'll pick two(maybe three) starter characters of your choice. Now, each character would have many different ways to be played! It'd be some-what like leveling, but not exactly.

•Process of Character: You play throughout the game and depending on how you use your character is how you'll be able to progress with him. Although, you can choose not to take the opportunity to make him the way you're playing and try to make him another style. I'll make an example for it to be easier to understand. You have a fast and nimble character, you use daggers with him ALL the time, but don't use anything else. When you rank up(Like from private to corporal), it will analyze all your statistics and than you can choose what skills, equipment and weapons to purchase with your experience towards that "Rogue-Like" style.

•The Actual Level-Up: Now there would be a lot of in-game medals that add up to the "BYOND Medals", and you'd get a lot of medals each rank up mattering to how you played, these medals earn you the extra experience towards your new equipment, weapons and sometimes characters. Basically, each medal gives different levels of experience for the different styles you can rank up your character. So a head shot medal will give you extra projectile experience, maybe 100 will give you a character. Sneaking up and backstabbing players will add to your rogue experience.

•Skills: Most skills in fighters consist of dashing, invisibility, flying. Very basic, and when I enter a fighter with unbalanced character I think to myself "Ok, so everyone is just going to go invisible, spam their super quck over-powered skills". Now there will be not only none of that, but there will not be ONE genre of each character that would be the best. I would ensure you that you won't just see the same 3 characters that are the BEST". You may ask "Why?", the simple answer is that I hate unbalanced games. You'd start off with skills JUST as good as what you gain. Your starting character can do multiple things and will be very good, but than you just mold him into a better character. Skills will vary from high jump techniques, special melee attacks, burst projectiles, invisibility, speed increases, etc. I'm not certain with the numbers right now, but I'm thinking 3 use-able skills and 3 trait skills that you can equip yourself with.

Well, I rambled on A LOT. Also, I don't want to make people "think" that all I said is finished. I got some of it done, and have touched on other things, . Like all games in the making, there's a lot of pixel art to do and a good amount of programming as well! Now there may be more information on the game, but that's the basics that I'd like the community to be informed on and critique. I am working on this project as much as I can with my busy schedule and I hope you guys liked the basic idea. Next post you'll be able to see of the screen-shots from my test version of the game, thanks for reading!

Please leave suggestions and critics to my plans, I want this fighter as unique and fun as possible!