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Saturday, July 5, 2008

VHEL - Update

We have some new info for VHEL fans!
Van Bush is getting ready to post a new in game screen shot by the end of this month, and then possible game play videos by the end of the summer.
Along with that, we have more info about the gameplay mechanics. Here's Van Bush with the latest info.

With in the gameplay in general, it's been divided down to 3 specific parts, including the controls. You can perform Sympathetic, Aggressive, and Stealth actions, and the buttons are named as so.

Sympathetic actions are nonaggressive actions that allow you to interact with your environment, allies, and enemies in a very peace loving way. VHEL is a stealth/ action adventure game, after all, so you'll begin to see this button's value once I get those videos up.

Aggressive actions, as you can imagine, are all very harmful. This action ISN'T restricted to just using it on the enemy. You can also be aggressive towards your allies as well. This mechanic in itself goes way deeper than just your "attack" button.

Finally, there's your Stealth actions, or what I like to call, your "hide and go seek" actions. Press this button in context to a certain environment object, and your allowed to hide behind it. Near some grass? Well hide in the grass. See a bush you think you can hide behind? Well go right ahead and hide in it. But of course hiding isn't JUST about getting behind something and praying no one will find you. It's about becoming the very environment your traversing in. As so, there are many non-traditional stealth manuevers you can perform.
One of them include intentionally acting like lubbby-dubby couple with your partner. Yes, in plain sight, you can act like a couple with your partner kissing on you to make it seem like your just some random group hanging around. Where you'll do this, I won't say for now.

Now, these 3 actions are tied to something very fundamental to the overall foundation of the game. I call this master all of systems "Stress". Stress is, well, stress. We deal with stress on a daily bases and it basically works on an emotional and physical level. When we're hurt, that's physical stress. When we're "hurt", as in emotionally, that's emotional stress. However, stress as a whole is defined not by the types your taking, but rather, it's defined as you as a whole.
What's my point, your wondering? Well the whole idea behind being in a stressful situation and a situation that inflicts pain on you therefore creates stress within a character. Stress affects their intuition, their ability to rationalize the world around them, and their general sense of being. Say for example that someone like Khana hides in some tall grass after seeing a Ragnic pass nearby... Well instantly, her stress is going to increase. It's going to continually increase until the threat is out of the way. The the closer the Ragnic gets, however, the more tense things are going to get. Her heart will start to beat faster and faster, her ability to see will start to stagnate under the pressures of the situation...
Now that's just one example of how stress works, but that's just showing how it works in a general fashion. Everyone has stress and everyone deals with stress -- even Ragnic, so there are going to be alot of moments where you'll be thinking about their mindset, yours, and your allies. Your allie MIGHT be a situation where the pressures of traversal through the wastelands are too much. They might have a nervous breakdown, one of the conditions you can have within the game. Without spoiling much, conditions are basically mental and physical disorders, or aliments.
You see it, and you deal with it the best you can, otherwise, be prepared for some disturbing sights.
Also, the game isn't randomly generating these conditions. All conditions have to be inflicted onto you.

Simple example: If your in the rain too long, you'll get the common cold. If you have the cold, you'll sneeze. That won't help you much if your trying to hide from the enemy, now will it?
Another example is when or after you take down a ragnic...the hard way. Their guts will be all over the place in a very maddening manner. If you "look" at the guts, Khana or her allies can and will get sick from the sight. Their stress will increase until it reaches a breaking point. Well what happens then? ...They throw up.

Come back soon and we will have the latest on the screenshots and videos of VHEL. Remember you heard it here first, at Game Maker Reviews!

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