Action Hat: The Great Deathspectations (Game Demo)

Download the Action Hat: The Great Deathspectations (Demo) right now!

Visit http://thirteenthchild.net/?page_id=2227 and enter the password Y0urR1ght@ct10nH@t! to download the demo!

I started the Action Hat game project a few years ago, and the game is on hold right now, but not cancelled.  The game uses the RPG Maker engine and allows players to take control of Action Hat and his partner, Partner as they do what they do best: cause massive collateral damage in order to appear as if they are fighting crime.

The core concept behind the gameplay is to create a more strategic combat system than your typical RPG.  Attack was removed as a free action and replaced by Trash Talking.  Trash Talking would charge a character’s SP, which could be spent to deal damage, heal damage, buff or debuff.  Enemies would follow the same rules.  This would force players to plan several steps ahead.

In execution, however, I found that combat would take too long and that became unacceptable.  I tabled the project until I could figure out a way to achieve the same system but speed everything up considerably.

The player characters would all have different specialties in a fashion similar to job classes.  Action Hat had no means to attack, but could buff and debuff.  Partner excelled at dealing damage.  The full team would include Action Hat, Partner, Chief (healer, buffer), Ex Wife (damage, debuff), Action Daughter (damage, healing), and Dr. Science (damage, buffer).  Secret characters like Lisa and Plague from Thirteenth Child were also in the game.

In addition to core skills characters had 3 slots for accessories that would allow them to use extra skills.  This would allow players to assemble teams without being too worried to cover all disciplines.  Of course characters could also equip weapons.  Partner’s guns were all named after songs like Lucille, Seven Nation Army, Clint Eastwood, and Voodoo Child (which could be upgraded to his ultimate weapon, Voodoo Child Slight Reprieve).

The original plot involved Dr. Science getting jealous of Action Daughter’s science fair project, and going back in time to change the 80s.  I’ll probably be changing that too.

I spent the past few days tweaking elements to make the demo a bit more satisfying.  I think it has promise, but there is much more work to be done.