Gauntlet series reimagined some ideas

[ElPolloDiabl]

I found the Gauntlet games addictive and very easy to get into. It's a bit like a real-time version of Dungeon Master.
Do you prefer the fast pace of an arcade game that you level up in or the slow, but atmospheric Dungeon Master?
If someone did a Gauntlet clone would you want a variety of characters and abilities or something simple?
Should the various dungeon levels concentrate on puzzles or be fast paced hack and slash?

[commodorejohn]

If you were to do a Gauntlet clone, it'd be nice to have characters that play more distinctively (so yeah, special moves, melee versus ranged weapons, that kind of thing.)

[runequester]

A multi player dungeon hack game would be outstanding.
I prefer a game with a slightly slower game play, but with lots of scope for character improvement

[XDelusion]

I was just thinking about this the other day while playing Alien Bash 2.

If I were to see a clone, I'd hope it would first and foremost play very smooth. Second it would have to look good. Third I'd hope for a more enhancements to multi-player mode, perhaps something that would required co-operative thinking in order to pass certain obstacles ...

Lastly, I'd up the RPG elements a bit, make it more story driven, give the players the ability to increase their experience level, more spells, etc. Sort of like an Action Final Fantasy or something to that effect.

[commodorejohn]

I don't think you necessarily need a story-driven game to increase the RPG factor. The Etrian Odyssey series is a prime example of an uncluttered, game-focused RPG: the mechanics work, the battles are fun, the exploring's fun, and the plot never tries to get in the way. A more RPG-like Gauntlet clone should probably be closer to that, because nobody plays Gauntlet for the plot.

[fishy_fiz]

I actually started a Gauntlet clone last year for a uni assignment. My version was something akin to a cross between Gauntlet and something like Diablo. Very Gauntlet-esque gameplay, top down view, etc, but rather than just levels in a dungeon there was missions, people to talk to, big end of "level" badguys and so on.

[coldfish]

Fishy's project sounds like the Gauntlet-esque game I'd like.  Gauntlet but with end of level bosses and more immersive character interactions and building co-op strategy.

I like the idea of magic-user spell combos, up,up,left,right = maga-fireball or something.
Levitation/teleportation spells to jump walls. Casting enhancement spells on other player characters.

Fighters could have attack/critical hit combos too: like the decapitation move in barbarian.

Backstab attack for thief.


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[motorollin]

A clone of Gauntlet should be fast paced action IMO. It's certainly not a dungeon crawler in the Rogue sense...

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moto

[gertsy]

Wizard needs food, badly..!  Elf is about to die!
Arrrgh Gauntlet II, many fun hours playing that game...
Luv the theme at startup too..

3 & 4 were a failure..

Any remake would need a 4 player mode  (o:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71zGo_V0kuE

[Digiman]

Gauntlet 1 and 2 is perfect and can't really be changed too much. I was going to do one, even had some discussions with the guy who wrote Multi Gauntlet Emulator for DOS as I wanted to replicate it perfectly technically before improving it.

I suppose if you had the ability to shoot over walls like the lobbers can, and also make the maze 640x512 but still use the same sized graphics to give you 400% larger play area and viewable area of the map too.

My version was going to be a 32 player/monster version (8 players and 24 monsters) online version after that.

And then see if I could do a 1280x512 16 colour version using AGA as well for the ultimate single player version.

Gauntlet Seven Sorrows is as close as you will get to a remake in 3D (still not the same but nobody else has come that close) but I have played many a clone and nothing comes close to the relentlessness of the original arcade versions and the simplicity of the tactical element (food/water for health+keys to open doors+simple power ups like magic 'smart bomb'). When people mess with the formula they get it wrong by changing the mix and the complexity.

Higher screen rez (to display the same graphic detail but more of the dungeon), ability to have more than 4 players at once, those are the only things that need to be applied to the 80s technology of the arcade games. The rest should be minor tweaks to a gameplay design that works flawlessly.

(flawlessly as an arcade game that is, if you love RPGs it's not for you)

[motorollin]

Actually BOH draws elements of Gauntlet but adds a lot. IIRC there's a dungeon theme too. You could even make a Gauntlet theme

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moto