Spelunky

I have been obsessed with this game lately. It is called Spelunky. Basically, it is a RL-platformer based around being an archaeologist. You enter this colossal cave system, fight monsters, grab treasure, avoid traps, and rescue damsels, all while going deeper and deeper. It is a fun game.

It has also inspired me to collaberate with a close friend of mine on making a game that follows similar logic, but acts as an expansion on the idea. Instead of Derek Yu's more "arcade"-esque RL, I'd want something that the player can beat over the course of several play-throughs.

So, a non-permadeath RL with unique classes (each with their own unique abilities and play-styles) set in a side-scrolling environment. I'm thinking that, when the character dies, his soul drifts back to his corpse at the start of the cave and re-inhabits his body. The reason his body is at the start to begin with would be that his soul is placed into a temporary body at the cavern's entrance (basically, class choice).

I would want to include an inventory system. The player presses a button, the game pauses, and the inventory opens. From here, weapons and armor can be donned, potions can be administered, tools can be equipped, and so on. Items have both weight and volume, and the player is limited by his strength when it comes to carrying things (although pack quality also determines carrying capacity).

Each class starts with a set of items useful for that class. Thieves start with throwing knives and lockpicks. Warriors start with an axe and a suit of armor. Sorcerers start with an energy bolt spell and a magic potion. So on, so forth. New items will be found while exploring, and can also be purchased from shoppes. Items can also be unlocked and placed into a class's permanent inventory, although I haven't considered the situations under which this might be possible.

As far as why the character is there... I need to think about that. I want to go with "ancient machine keeps the world alive, but needs servicing - hero sets off to do just that", and it just so happens the machine's service tunnel is out-of-order, so he'll have to go in through the long and dangerous way.

As far as classes go, I'd like there to be the fantasy trope classes initally, and new classes unlockable during play. At the beginning, there will be:

1) No Class - The player has directed his avatar right into the ruins without choosing a class. Versitile, but has no special talents at first. As player grows more proficient in other classes, he will be able to access the powers from those classes while a member of this one.

2) Warrior - A strong class with emphasis on melee combat and general studliness. He begins armed with an axe and a suit of armor, which makes him ideal for close encounters. His special ability is Charge Attack, which powers-up his melee strike when the attack is charged. He has no talent for ranged combat nor magic. He wears a viking helmet.

3) Wizard - A magically talented class. He doesn't weild weapons to fight - instead, he uses his magical training to overtake his foes, although he is rather frail. He begins armed with a fireball spell and a Levitation spell. His special talent is the ability to memorize scrolls instead of consuming them, adding them to his repitoire. He wears a steepled hat and robe.

4) Thief - A dodgy sort of class. While not being too well-suited to close range fighting, he is quite good at layig traps and fighting from afar. He can easily replicate traps that he has seen before, and uses this ability to help him progress. He begins armed with some throwing knives and a set of lockpicks. The bandanna he wears over his face helps to conceal his identity.

5) Cleric - A holy class. Though not as strong as a warrior, he is armed with healing and protection prayers that help him stand out. He weilds a mace and a Heal spell initally, and can Pray for help when he is in dire need. His tabbard helps mark him as a man of the cloth.

6) Archer - The long-range class. Armed with a bow and light armor, the archer is quite capable of handling himself from a distance. By charging his attack, the archer can notch several arrows onto his bow. His feathered hat is an icon.

Unlockable classes would include:

7) Sorcerer - This class is a cross between Warrior and Wizard. A sorcerer has learned to tap into ambient magic energy, and thus no longer needs to study to learn new spells. He automatically learns new ones as he grows stronger. This has enabled him to spend more time practicing his melee combat skills. He begins armed with an Energy Bolt spell and a magic potion. The white hair and glowing aura reveal his magical talents.

8) Engineer - This class requires building and disarming a certain number of traps as a Thief. The engineer can use various bits and pieces his finds throughout the ruins to construct new tools that help him defeat foes. He begins armed with a toolkit and a rifle. He wears goggles on his head and a pair of overalls.

9) Shapeshifter - A class that requires exposure to certain materials found deep within the ruins. The shapeshifter has very little use for the items found within the ruins, as he is capable of reshaping his body into whatever he needs. He cannot wield any weapons or armor, but as he levels up his claw attack and natural armor grow more powerful. He begins with the Claw

*note that I stopped typing this a while ago. I'm just posting it for completion's sake.