The Unseen RPG Engine

Discord for support: https://discord.gg/4pwzuuq5E

What is this?

It is a a console application that allows creation of blind accessible RPG's. It edits text files using the UnseenUI that then gets read by a central EXE and builds the game at run time. As a console application the hope is it is as accessible as possible.  Meaning changes can also be done easily by editing these text files.

What is its status?

Unreleased prototype, games made with the engine will be released for testing and feedback.

Who is it for?

Those who desire a more accessible engine with a very small barrier to entry. The hope is that it will allow students, musicians, beginners, and children, to easily create turn based RPG's using the console method. More experienced game developers will most likely find it too restricting, but I appreciate all feedback!

Features?

The engine runs mostly on "tiles", where the user declares a tile in a specific spot on the game world, filled with objects that the user defines. These include battle tiles, speech tiles, new party member tiles, boss tiles, random encounter tiles, teleport tiles, new ability tiles, and the like. With the ability to put rewards under bosses. This is all done through a console program.

License?

The ability to be screen reader compliant comes from a DLL that works with TOLK which can be downloaded here: https://github.com/Gannio/GMSTolkTalk

As this is early it's not super ironed out, but any text documents generated by the UI belong to you.

Once I know where I want to take the UI I intend to make the source of that creative commons and open on github, but right now it's very rough and I don't want anyone to build off of it when I may ditch most of what exists.

The EXE right now is made in GameMakerStudio2 and uses code that is not licensed for me to redistribute. If I can replace that code I could release the GMS2 file, but as GMS2 is not accessible it would not be helpful to those that would be most interested in that. So that is still a work in progress. 

The games generated will work on Windows and works with most screen readers. If it can't connect to a screen reader, it will default to windows SAPI.

Games:

Current version games:

https://ericbomb.itch.io/unseen-rpg-engine-game - functions as introduction to the engine

https://ericbomb.itch.io/unseen-rogue-robots-demo - functions as tutorial and introduction to roguelike games made with the engine.

OLD - These are games made on old version, so features will be less complete.

https://ericbomb.itch.io/the-fourth-dragon - Made with a prototype build

Where to talk about the game?

https://discord.gg/4pwzuuq5E

advanced feature breakdown:

The engine has several sections, and you will go down the list to create a game. This is how it CURRENTLY works, with no respect to future plans.

1. Game Settings - Global game settings are set in this section. Such as difficulty to level up, maximum party size, roguelike mode, and experience gain. More options will be set here as time goes on.

2. Abilities - Abilities are created in this section that will be used by party members, enemies, and can be picked up on the map. You name the ability, set if it target enemies or allies, set how much the effect varies, power of the ability, if it can target multiple or not, if it pays attention to defense, if it costs/gains mana, and if it uses Magic stat or Melee stat.

3. Items - Set if it restores HP or Mana, and how much.

4.  Enemies - Set name, HP, starting MP,MP, strength, magic, primary attack, secondary attack that is used if primary attack is unavailable from lack of mana,  experience for defeating.

5.  Party members - Name of party member, Max HP, Max MP, attack, magic, and default moves. Additionally party status meaning if the party member is in the party by default, available but not in party, or locked and needs to be unlocked in game.

6. Map - The map is made up of tiles that are placed on the map. When creating a tile you select its name in the game, its X/Y location, then its type/details. Below is a list of all the types and what details it needs

Filler tiles - Default tile, they take no details. Simply set a name and if it's solid or not. Perfect for walls or normal walk ways.

Set combat tiles - A 100% guaranteed battle when stepping on this. If on the same tile as another tile, then this battle needs to be finished before those activate. So you put this over top a cut scene and the player will only hear the cut scene if they win. Details is the name of the enemies on this tile.

Random combat tiles - A set chance to have an encounter. Put names of enemies that will fight the party if the battle triggers.

Text conversation - a text box where the contents get passed to the TTS system get put here. 

Healing point - Auto saves the game, acts as reset point on party defeat, and heals part.

Key - Makes a LOCK tile with the same ID as the key stop being solid so it can be passed.

Lock - Solid until the Key with the same ID is picked up.

Audio - Play a declared sound file. Could be a cut scene, or dramatic effect.

Unlock party member tile - upon reaching this tile it will change a specific party member from being locked to being available to add to the party.

Teleport - Upon using SHIFT on this tile it teleports you to a set tile.

Unlock ability tile - Declare the name of the ability and ID of party member, and it adds that ability to that party member. 

Pick up item - Enter ID of the item to be added to inventory upon walking over it.

Background music swap - Changes which file will be used in the background whenever on the world map. Can be used to change BG music when entering a new area.

Long term features:

These are features that I will work on once a build is stable 

1. Skill trees

2. Individual party member levels option (right now party levels up together)

3. Stat changing moves