KHI makes a KH game! Discussion #4: World and Level Design

[quiteMAD]

I personally think a level where the character feels natural is the best option. Afterall, it's the mission of the keyblader to rid the world of the heartless, but to also do so without upsetting that world's natural balance. I.E., not sticking out like a sore thumb. (though I think for a world like Robin Hood, just giving the character some green tights or tattered peasant clothes would suffice, anthropomorphizing won't be necessary)

And I disagree about bending the story. KH2 bent the hell out of just about every story it was involved in, and Terra's Snow White level almost ignored Snow White's plot altogether to just focus on the evil queen. Though I suppose that somewhat contradicts my statement about not sticking out, it's also pretty boring just reenacting a movie scene for scene but with just one added character.

 

[Tanner22]

^Ya, I kind of think so too about the levels. As for the story part, what I meant was that it is easier to change the attitudes of the characters from the movie than changing the movie plot itself. No world sticks to the plot entirely, but that doesn't really matter to me. Anyways, people, start suggesting worlds YOU want to see. Who cares if they don't get approved, just as long as it isn't Power Rangers XD

 

[DarkRiku-12]

Here are some that I DEFINATELY want. I think some have already been majorly approved, but I'll say them anyway.

-Oliver and Company
-Pocahontas
-Treasure Planet
-Toy Story
-Tailspin
- And I think that Tanner suggested an Alice in Wonderland level. What I think would be cool is that since this would take place after the main KH series, mabye have a Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland world (the one with Johnny Depp in it) since that takes place after the original Alice in Wonderland what do you guys think?

 

[Wehrmacht]

I'd rather not, that film was pretty mediocre.

 

[Echoes]

Maybe we should have a poll of all the suggest worlds. Like 20 of 'em and the lowest gets removed. I also want treasure planet a lot.

In the Chronicles of Prydain book series, the Horned King was a human warrior with a horned skull mask, who served as the champion of the Black Cauldron's keeper, a sorcerer named Arawn. Obviously, the two characters were merged for the Disney film, mostly in favor of Arawn--but suppose we draw upon the original Horned King's design for the "transformed" boss fight?

This would be cool I had an idea for a three part boss battle with him. When you first fight him he's purely human, and he keeps on mentioning a gain in power of some sort while you beating him. After a while a cut-scene starts, there's some talking between you and the horned king, then Arawn comes out of nowhere and through some super cool story elements they end up merging(this would be the first anyone willingly merged in KH so maybe it would be like a separate mind kinda like a nobody). Then you fight horned king again, the one from disney since their merged. He levitates on to the roof in this stage somewhere. After you beat his second phase he calls on the powers of chernabog. Then you defeat the final form you finally win.

 

[DarkRiku-12]

@Echoes- That'd be cool and all, but I thought that the Horned King was in his Disney form the whole game? I think what Ordieth meant was that when he transforms, we may be able to use some elements from the original Horned King's design. Since the Horned King from the books isn't necisarily Disney, he probably wouldn't work as a villain (same for Arawn), but the Disney Horned King would be fine.

 

[Tanner22]

As much as I love Tim Burton, that movie was mediocre. It had it's good parts like every movie, but the story was horrible in my opinion. I am just trying to think of new areas for Alice in Wonderland since they have already used the hedge maze, the forest, and the bizzare room. Maybe like the Castle grounds or even in the castle. Idt they ever show the insides of the castle in the movie, so idk if that would be weird just to make it up. Another movie I had in mind was Aristocats. LOVE that movie, but it is probably too similar to Oliver and Co. Think of this logically though. If there are 4 characters and they each have different worlds, you need at least 4 worlds per character I would say. That is 16 worlds. That would make for a long game. Not to mention we decided that Lucius would be going through the other worlds restoring the doors at the same time you are, so that there are characters from other worlds that you never visit that come to LC. So does 4 worlds sound like enough before you switch characters, or does it need to be like 6?

 

[DarkRiku-12]

I think around 6 would be best. Not too much but not too little. And yeah, I agree. That movie was pretty mediocre. :/ I was just throwing the idea out there. I only suggested it because I like the idea of Wonderland again, but (as you said before) they've pretty much used up most of the locations. We would probably have to reuse a couple of places.

 

[Tanner22]

You do realize that would be 24 just disney levels right? From the standpoint of actually making this real, that is way to many worlds imo. Of course that is if every character gets their own worlds, and none of them get replayed by others. Idk though. I think 4 or 5 apiece would be best. Even at 5, that is 20 worlds. There aren't even that many Disney movies that would be good levels imo. These worlds will probably be shorter than in other games I am guessing since there will be almost twice as many though.

Maybe instead of playing through a whole characters story and then moving on to the next like in BBS, you take turns. Like you play one world as Ciel, then one as Brand, then Linnea, then Raine. Then the cycle would start over again and you keep that up until you get to the end. That might make it harder to incorporate the "I think I know what is going to happen next" factor that BBS had, and when the story makes complete sense only after you beat all of the stories.

 

[inverse K-blade7]

I thought it was 6 worlds total, not 6 disney worlds. And the 4 characters can have some shared worlds that they visit. Why can't 2 of them go to Hawaii, or Syndrome's Island? that would cut down the amount of worlds some. Though I still think that 4 scenarios is too many. Remember the rule of three.

 

[cassidy1991]

I thought it was 6 worlds total, not 6 disney worlds. And the 4 characters can have some shared worlds that they visit. Why can't 2 of them go to Hawaii, or Syndrome's Island? that would cut down the amount of worlds some. Though I still think that 4 scenarios is too many. Remember the rule of three.

I like this person...big prospects with an optimized pipeline...

 

[Tanner22]

Well the only non disney world we have so far is Legacy City. Haven't you been active in this thread? Apparently they travel in pairs, but you only play as one character per world. So for instance you would play as Linnea in- Pocahontas, Lilo and Stitch, Wonderland, and Halloweentown. Raine is with you in those worlds, but you never play as him. Then when Rain visits his 4 worlds, Linnea is with him, but you never play as her. That is what they decided. I am not sure it is the best way to go, but whatever. The whole point was that we didn't want to repeat worlds like in BBS

 

[inverse K-blade7]

I guess I've been active, but its hard to tell which ideas have been officially accepted. There should probably be another thread for that. Anyway, if there are absolutely no Disney world repeats, then that's at least 16 worlds. Unless I'm forgetting something, we've considered:

1. Lilo and Stitch
2. Black Cauldron
3. Atlantis
4. Robin Hood
5. Pocahontas
6. Halloweentown
7. Wonderland
8. Incredibles
9. Toy Story
10. Treasure Planet
11. Oliver and Company

So thats at least 5 more worlds to think of. I'm assuming the non Disney Worlds will be visited by everyone?

 

[cassidy1991]

Did it this morn. I feel as if Lilo and Stitch is gunna be a breeze through to model...

 

[quiteMAD]

Good god damn Cassidy. Too cool. I'm guessing that drawing on top is from the movie?

If there are 4 characters and they each have different worlds, you need at least 4 worlds per character I would say. That is 16 worlds. That would make for a long game. Not to mention we decided that Lucius would be going through the other worlds restoring the doors at the same time you are, so that there are characters from other worlds that you never visit that come to LC. So does 4 worlds sound like enough before you switch characters, or does it need to be like 6?

KH2 had about that many worlds, I do believe. But remember, they go solo AT FIRST. Then after a few worlds Lucius brings them together (though I'm beginning to want to say he brings them together at the beginning, which was my original suggestion, but Ophan made him doing it in the middle pretty convincing). So only a few levels are done solo (ignoring the disney partners), and the rest of the game the worlds are shared. Though I'd imagine they split off, and each character fights a different boss.

And come on. Too long? So long as the story's good, there's no such thing as too long. That's what save points were made for. :I

Anyway here's my list of worlds.

The Sword in the Stone
The Jungle Book
Robin Hood
The Black Cauldron
The Great Mouse Detective
Beauty and the Beast (from Gaston's perspective)
Pocahontas
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (or not, since that's in KH3D now)
Hercules (following the movie's plot this time, no Colosseum)
The Emperor's New Groove
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Lilo & Stitch
Treasure Planet
The Princess and the Frog
Toy Story
A Bug's Life
Monster's Inc
Finding Nemo
the Incredibles
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Maybe Mary Poppins or Bedknobs as a free EXP level like Winnie the Pooh was.

That should be more than enough for each character.

 

[Tanner22]

Well from what I understood before, every character would have their OWN world. ie- no two characters would be playable for the same level. I suggested earlier that each world be a two part story, or that you get to freely switch, but that was shut down -__-

Did it this morn. I feel as if Lilo and Stitch is gunna be a breeze through to model...

LOVE this! I am actually very excited to make this a world

 

[micbeasty]

LOVE this! I am actually very excited to make this a world

That looks fricken awesome dude! but instead of just calling it Hawaii can we call it something better and more exciting like say "Volcanic Islands"? I can think of something better but you know just more exciting world names!

 

[Echoes]

^ I don't think we should call it Hawaii either. But volcanic islands sounds too epic/overkill for that world. Nice pic btw, also for anyone wondering that is Lilo's house.

 

[micbeasty]

^
What about Tropic Islands or Tropical Paradise then?

 

[Echoes]

Yeah I like them either is fine. Hopefully others like them too.