Death Mechanic

[Fiasom]

Hey there folks,

 

I would like to pose 2 questions to the community: How do you think a non-Nuzlocke death mechanic should work for pokemon? How do you think NPCs and the PC should be able to die (game over in the case of the PC)?

 

I would like to implement a death mechanic to the game in which pokemon can die, but I would rather it is not simply fainting, as some of my strategies include sacrificing a mon after it has done its work (e.g. setting up screens and hazards). What would your suggestions be for a death mechanic that allows for fainting? (Not being teleported back to the last healing point and walking around rather vulnerable with a full team of fainted mons is on the table here.)

 

And following from this, what would your suggestions be for a mechanic for killing NPCs and getting the PC killed? I was thinking that vulnerability could be of use here, but I don't want to give anymore details of what I think to avoid directing and limiting what might occur to you guys.

 

Gimme everything you got from the wackiest to the most realist to the most feasible mechanics you can think of!

 

Cheers folks!

[Elvenlore]

What comes to mind is a Russian Roulette type of thing that ups the ante a bit, where your Pokemon has a chance of being revivable or a chance of permanent death. It could be based on luck, or by character/character relationships, perhaps even by item. I have a personal Nuzlocke rule regarding the item Sacred Ash, influenced by the story of the Burned Tower in S/G/C/SS/HG. If I find it, that is the only time I can revive Pokemon. Revives, Revival Herbs, Max Revives, don't do anything, but Sacred Ash does. And also if it happens to involve Flareon, Vaporeon, or Jolteon, they can be upgraded to Entei, Raikou, or Suicune, respectively.

 

In terms of Player Character dying, it depends on the situation. If they're in the wilds then they either get eaten or beaten by wild Pokemon unless one decides to help them; if they're in the middle of the ocean, they drown; the desert, heatstroke/dehydration; enemy players, straight-up obliteration (unless they're against killing), or can ask for an NPC to escort them back to a Pokemon Centre (assuming one is benevolent and won't kill them and steal their valuables).

 

Sonic The Hedgehog and Legend of Zelda have drowning mechanics where they can't stay underwater for too long without drowning. I think the game should be salvageable but not guaranteed, to keep a level of tension. "Will I be able to revive him?" "NPC1 has a 75% chance of trying to kill me but they're the only chance I've got." "If I can befriend this NPC I could possibly get back home..."

[Autumn Rain]

Death mechanic you say? I'm loving this topic already!

 

I have a TON of death mechanics ready in my game and other ideas to kill the player character!

 

I have mines,

mines that move randomly,

mines that move straight,

mines that follow you,

doors that traps the player with walls that do the squish,

beds that look like resting spots are actually spike traps,

statue traps set to stab the player,

hidden holes that drops the player into spikes,

unstable ice surface in ice puzzles that drops the player to their death,

surprise explosions hidden in fake pokemon treasure boxes,

surprise explosions when the player trips on a line,

surprise explosions when the player tries to help out a pokemon,

pokemon that can cut the player many times to death,

pokemon that can zap the player to death,

pokemon that can burn the player to death,

pokemon that can teleport the player on hot lava,

pokemon that can teleport the player off a cliff,

pokemon that explodes right in the player's face,

pokemon that uses sing and slowly kill the player,

pokemon that immediately kills the player when weakened,

pokemon that hold a gun and shoot the player,

pokemon that can scare the player to death,

pokemon that kills the player after losing in battle,

pokemon that will ambush the player when their shadow is stepped on,

death timer until the player drowns underwater (and icy water),

death timer until the player bleed to death,

death timer until toxic gas is released,

death timer until the floor of lava is raised,

death timer until an avalanche crushes the player,

death timer until the whole place explodes,

death timer until the player freezes to death,

death timer until the player is poisoned to death,

death timer until a plague fully takes control of the player and

death timer until ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND ALLIES ARE MIND CONTROLLED TO KILL THE PLAYER! MWHAHAHAHAHA!

 

Also, a mix of these, like pokemon chasing or pushing the player into a hole while there's a death timer.

[ShadeStrider]

If all of your pokemon die, your player dies. And we have a game over death animation.