The Rebellious Slig?
 

Probably been said before, but how does a traditional 2D style Oddworld spin-off game sound with a Slig as a playable character?

Just a rough idea for a possible intro,

In the events before Abe starts his run for freedom in Rupture Farms, the Glukkon's are on their usual trip to Skillya for baby Sligs, and then they are transported to a battery-hen-like truck vehicle in cages, and then loaded onto the great train to a Glukkon ran huge brainwashing factory for days of intense brainwashing strapped on conveyer belts and go through lots of interesting industrial machines, and forced to view propaganda tv's (Some don't survive) to end up becoming the drones they are known as to serve the Glukkons.

One escapes... (ermm correction)... crawls away to it's "escape" off the processing line. This is you.

As a young Sligling, you go through the tutorial stage (Maybe as a juvenile in a Slig rebellion group, or underground survivor camp?), and once you get the hang of the ropes, and complete the tutorial, you fast forward to the time of Abe's escape. Perhaps intertwine the Slig and Abe's stories and have them cross paths at one point in time even if it's just a subtle pathcrossing?

Perhaps the character (and the content of the game) could be highly comedic (in the usual Oddworld fashion) but with a little more dark side to it's humour.... Also give the Slig the ability to pilot some pretty cool machinery in the game to take advantage of situations (Robotic disguise Scrab made perfect for a Slig to make Mudokons flee in terror anyone?).... And have plenty of varied combat also....

:fuzgrin: Any feedback, additional ideas, anything? Feel free to post if you want to extend on this idea, or discuss about it. I'll return to more ideas later as it's 1:30AM and I need sleep.

Sounds not bad. But don't Glukkons get Sligs from Skillya?

[Thanks Jordan, I've done a lore fix in the original post, after looking what Skillya is. Thanks for the heads up]

Never mind, that's interesting.

Skillya is one of the current slig queens. She gives her baby sligs to glukkons for them to be security guards, which proves she does in fact hate her babies, like most slig queens. She has not yet been seen in any photo or game yet. Also, it is believed that if a Slig disobeyed the orders he was given at the factory where he worked, then he would get sent to Skillya for his punishment. It is also believed that she cooks them, although there is no proof.

Source: http://oddworld.wikia.com/wiki/Skillya

I actually started doing a basic test of a Slig Platformer. It's in very early stages, but I'll let you know if I get anywhere with it. I wouldn't expect anything within the next few weeks though :D

Cool, that's great, I wish you luck with that :fuzzle:.

I like this, a great intro. it would add some real mystery to the story if the characters Abe and the slig were intertwined...

i'd play it...

Good to see you here, Xan. I must resist the urge to type ‘Xav’, though. =P

Is this a game you’re proposing to make? If so, then it sounds very interesting, but I should move this thread to Fan Corner, where fan games are generally put. Also please don’t double post. You can add to your post using the Edit button if you realize there’s something you want to add. I’ve merged your two consecutive posts above.

I like the way you describe the gameplay. Seems you want a kind of WarioLand style platformer which is more about platforming and fun than death or puzzles.

I'd like the idea of scaring mudokons away with a disguise, that sounds funny.
The problem with making a Slig story is whether you make him Neutral, or whether he's a rebel and starts killing all the Sligs and freeing all the mudokons.

I think in the Slig game I'm planning, I want the Sligs to be co-operative.
Not sure what the story of my game is yet so I'll have to think about it :D

I suppose I could always use one of my fanfics as a story.

By the way Xan, that story is quite similar to Oddworld's SligStorm idea, did you ever come across it? It's worth a read to see what it could have been like.

We have a wiki?

Sounds like you got it :fuzzle: a mixture of all to make it fun, and maybe with some challenging puzzles would keep everyone happy.

I was thinking about something cool that could take place in this game:

A showdown with Abe. Make it like a boss battle, he's trying to mind control you, you are on a level below him, and you have to do something about stopping it, and think smart with the environment and whats around you to prevent it.

Well, a possibility to have the Slig as an insider (Meaning Neutral) would make sense if the Slig infiltrates as a Double Agent. I would personally find this quite fun. It would probably mean a different ending depending on what you do.

I haven't read about Sligstorm. I'll check it out though.

Hi Max, I'm nowhere near a game maker, I just like putting ideas out there so maybe they could be used by people who know how to make a game out of it. Also, I'm just too used to the delete button on own posts, and it wasn't there, so had to edit out what I had written.

Just remember double posting is naughty.

A boss fight with Abe could be funny. He tries to chant but then you pull levers to close doors and activate chant supressors... then you have to chase him with a Slog, etc.

It would be interesting to see some glukkons walking around and bossing Sligs about. It'd be awesome to make a kind of recreation area where you see the Sligs playing poker or smoking. That would be quite funny.

If the slig did escape. Would he make use of his robotic legs? Or would he crawl around because the legs have some sort of connection to slavery he was about to be brainwashed into?

As much as a Slig might want to ditch his legs, I personally think he would keep them until they broke down or until he was deep in nature. After all, you'd be a lot more vulnerable if you had to walk on your hands all day, imagine if you got a splinter/blister/broken arm?

I don't think a slig would evr want to ditch his legs.

If I happened to be a Slig out of work, I'd upgrade those robotic legs into something monstrous.

That, or take up a musical instrument of some sort.

There are three reasons to ditch their legs;

1) To crawl into a vent to escape some Sligs that are chasing them
2) If the legs are broken/malfunctioned
3) If they legs are stuck in mud/quicksand and the only way to get out alive is to ditch them

And of course, they can always find new pants/wings depending on how close to a factory there are :D

That makes an interesting idea for possible story. Maybe the Slig (like Abe in his games) returns to his homeland at some point... well, I'm sure the Slig Queen won't be happy about that, however the Slig Queen could only play a minor role in the possible story.

Perhaps the current Slig Queen could be freed of the control of the Glukkons, and balance is restored, and future generations of Sligs could become natural once again instead of evil killers??

Any other ideas, if this somehow conflicts with my original idea and lore?

It would be interesting to see a Dynasty Warriors style Slig warfare game with one faction (natives) against another (industrialists). Or maybe even a turn-based tactical game like Advance Wars?

Going back to nature is quite common for Slig fanfics so I could definately see it working out.

That could require some thought xan...if you were a Mudokon, and you're lifelong enemy decides to stop killing you, and he gets rid of his legs because he's no longer working for the Glukkons...would YOU let him just crawl away? It may not be a happy ending for Mr. Slig ;)

Well there could be a good and bad ending :D

playing as the enemy, i like it!

the final boss should be abe trying to escape from Ruptue farms when its about to shut down
I really like this idea, you should draw some consept art for the game, also what would you call it?

Talking boss battles - A final showdown with a Big-Bro Slig would be great - as a raw action and guns blazing battle. A showdown with Abe (as discussed) would be interesting - as more of a puzzle fight, (I'd prefer to hurt Abe rather than kill him) Abe might be better as your 'rival' rather than a boss to conquer. Also, a showdown with a Vykker would be fun.

Ending the game at that point, could be a good thing, or a bad thing. I'd oppose to the idea of ending it there, for the sake of more content. Also, unfortunately Crashpunk, I'm not an artist at all:fuzsad:, so don't get your hopes up for that - I'd leave it to the experts.

What would I call the game? I'll get back to you on that one, something like Oddworld: Deception. But, don't know if I'd stick to that as a definite.

Any ideas, or suggestions, or something?

Well, you could end that particular part at Rupture Farms, and the Slig goes off to another factory/facility. It would be interesting to use different weapons/pants. I'd like to see some Metal Gear Solid style bosses with a particular enemy skill, such as Sniping/Tank Driving... etc

Keep in mind, this is more of a tribute 2D game in Abes Oddysee and Abes Exoddus style, rather than a 3D Munch's Oddysee, Alexfili. So, those kind of things sound like they may not fit right (opinion).

Oh right. Big Bros could act similarly to greeters in that they take multiple hits to dispatch, but you can hide in the shadows to fool them like normal Sligs.

Bosses may or may not work. They might have to be more puzzle based, like the boiler part in AE with the flying Slig.

I probably don't have the time or patience to make a 2D platformer, but maybe when I have time I can make a prototype.

I feel the Big Bro's need to be about raw power, and above all, something to be feared rather than a big dumb easily tricked monster. Big Bro's would be essential for a game like this, and I believe it can be possible to use one in a 2D environment, as a boss. The way I'd see it, would involve the use of interactive landscape barriers (like how on Abes you had to use parts of the scenery like piping, or building parts, and stuff to avoid getting killed by Slig gunfire) as to take cover to avoid incoming blasts from the Big Bro.

The thing you need to understand how I'm visioning the info below, is that this will explain how a boss fight fight might go - It will be constant, and fluant. When the player fights the boss, and moves between screens/areas, the boss will follow and use the background and foreground in the areas the player is in to kill the player. There will be no breaks in a fight like this. The player will feel at edge all the time.

Big Bro Boss Scenario 1A - (Foreground combat) -
The Big Bro Slig would be able to take the player head on where the player is exposed to death the easiest in more open, larger areas for the bosses freedom. The Big Bro Slig could jump at certain points in the fighting zone to change position so that the player wouldn't just be able to run and find a spot to duck-shoot-duck-shoot-kill the boss, and the player would then be forced to use tactics, possibly using levers to open trap doors, or to take pulley elevators to escape into sub-rooms for a small breather before the Big Bro Slig manages to move to the next area and keep fighting the player. The player would have to keep on the move to avoid dying from bullets, rockets, grenades, melee attacks, and grenades probably while in this foreground combat phase.

Big Bro Slig Boss Scenario 1B - (Background combat) -
The boss would retreat to the background, and would take aim directly at the player (think like Sligs in the background gunning you when you are in the foreground trying to avoid gunfire). This phase would be the cover phase for the player, and will need to take cover to avoid instant death from the Big Bro. The cover may eventually wear down (depending on what cover the player is hiding in) and fall apart from the Big Bro's intense attacks, so the player will have to keep moving screen to screen while fighting the boss. This may mean the player will need to keep moving between cover points to even out the damage the cover has taken from the boss, making things a little more mathematical and strategic. There could also be levers to activate traps in the background to hurt and maybe weaken the Big Bro, depending on the lethality of the trap. The Big Bro would also roar in rage at the foreground when the player might hide, adding a nice camera-shaking effect for coolness.

Once the fight is over, I feel like giving the Big Bro Slig boss a homage to Doom 2 when you kill the Spider Mastermind's. The legs collapse, the sound of the machinery of the boss sounds like its had it and cant handle anymore, the boss falls down and explodes into a mix of blood everywhere and sparks and fire.

Sounds great to me (Opinion).

Whats your opinion of this?

I believe I might have been a bit excited, and close minded toward opinions. I'm sorry guys.

Please try and keep up the opinions, and ideas! Who knows what will happen with ideas we all have on this subject matter!

Yeah it sounds really great. Although there would have to be anti-possession orbs on every screen during the boss fight :p

Lol, yes, if this was an Abe fight :p, fortunately it's a Slig vs giant steroid Slig fight. It kinda reminds me of a Metal Slug fight crossed with a few others.

Sorry, I got confused there. I'm interested in how the Slig would use Slogs as well :) Perhaps keep a few kennels here and there? As well as a few lockers. You can use the sleeping bags as save points :D

Alexfili, I like your thinking.

I guess it's all the years of games design and development that I've been doing :D

:) That boss fight I was talking about... The boss summons Slogs on you, and you have to gun down incoming waves of them while surviving him fighting you. Then the tables turn and one of the traps you use on him are Slogs too. Man it would be pretty epic.

It would be funny if you could finish off the boss by activating two Sloghuts on either side, and both send out Slogs... then the Slogs finish him off and you win :D (that could be like the last stage of the boss fight)

Yeah, that adds a neat optional finish =p it'd be funny.

By the way, I'm sending you a message to your mail, be sure to read it!