Passwords, Cheats, Codes and Secret Tricks in Design Philosophy

ID:265187
 
Dec 14 2002, 5:41 am
I put a few codes into my new game (TGX-1, estimated Demo Release Date, 27th December 2002, plug plug =P). They are just hidden verbs that can only be accessed through the command line.
I also plan on adding some 'secret shortcuts' too a couple of levels (Just stuff like if you blow up a certiant turf, it opens a passage to another level).
It's a solo game, so dont worry it wont be ruined by some jerk who know's the 'God Mode' Code. The Ranking will also be disabled from the second you turn the code on, until you either A) Clock the Game, B) Disable the Code and/or Die, C) Reboot the world.
So what's your oppinion on passwords, cheats, codes and secret tricks in BYOND Games? Have you got any in your games?
-DogMan
#1 Dec 14 2002, 5:49 am
Are you kidding? Super Hero Bash! Has tons of them. Secret HQ locations, Secret Training grounds, Secret healing stashs, the works.

Anybody remember "The Wall of Shame"? It was in the very first version of SHB with Superman, Batman, TMNT, X-Men, etc. Hehehehehe, that was a good one.
#2 Dec 14 2002, 5:52 am
In response to Sariat (#1)
Heh, check this out, lots of findings of the secret stuff from Ebonshadow.

ID:27670
#3 Dec 14 2002, 1:19 pm
In response to Sariat (#2)
And don't forget about my old game "Castle", that game had secret passages, cheats, and everything nice, up the wazoo.
#4 Dec 14 2002, 4:24 pm
One of my oldest games (which has now "graduated" into C++) had a random cheat-code display at the top when you joined the game. Here's a complete list:

- I_am_death_incarnate! -- Invincibility

- I_broke_into_Area_51 -- Teleportation

- And_the_ants_go_marching_on -- Unlimited ammo

- Now_you_see_me_now_you_don't -- Invisibility
(you are excluded from eligibility to witness deaths if invisible)

- Like_the_back_of_my_hand -- Free look ability

- Like_a_ghost -- No clipping

- Whoops! -- Suffer 1-20 % damage
#5 Dec 14 2002, 4:26 pm
In response to Spuzzum (#4)
Spuzzum wrote:
- Whoops! -- Suffer 1-20 % damage

Now thats the sort of code I like too see. The good old fasion sucker punch, always a classic.
-DogMan
#6 Dec 14 2002, 4:39 pm
I usually have a debug verb, which prompts for text. If you enter one of the 'cheat codes' then you can edit, in most cases, a particular stat. It's purely for my debugging purposes, and is protected by the cheat codes to prevent people from abusing it if I forget to remove it.
#7 Dec 14 2002, 7:22 pm
I would put in keyed and timed combinations for cheat codes. I made a way to do this, pretty cool actually. I made 4 keys on keyboard a macro, then changed vars on the usr to +1 for a certain ammount of time, then if all the vars are at the right ammount when the last key is pressed it works, and if not then well you can always try again. I got the idea from the fatality system on mortal kombat.
#8 Dec 14 2002, 11:51 pm
In response to Jotdaniel (#7)
Yeah, I was thinking of making something like that. Just a list of the 8 last keys pressed. If they match up with a specific sequence a global variable is set to true, and the code is activated.
Right now Im toying with input methods. Currently Ive got it set up so they are just hidden verbs, so you type it in and the verb activates the cheat.
The problem is macro's are enabled, so you have to disable macro's before you enter the code. Which is rather annoying when your trying to survive.
So far Ive come to the conclusion that it has to be either:
-The first system I mentioned in this post.
-The 'hidden verb' one.
-If you press a button, an input password box comes up.
-A variation of my password saving system. So you enter the password in at the start screen, and then start from the start with the code enabled.
-DogMan