Townies system "occasional helpers" exploration

[manuq]

Occasional helpers exploration

This is one forced / subjective prototype to @JoniCeceri's design for a townies system. This variation is not giving a generic upgrade tech stack to the player. The game progress is left to the existing ones: player abilities (and modifiers) and quest completion. So is closer to the existing persisted state. The way narrative and mechanic are combined here is:

• There are townies that can help the player, in exchange for the Memory/Imagination/Spirit magical threads collected.
• The player picks one story to retell from a quest-specific dialogue tree. If that story has a magical thread that matches, it is marked next to the option as eg. "Imagination available!".
• A townie stands up in that case, and is "equipped" (reflected in the HUD with a background color that resembles the chosen thread)
• Quests may define opportunities for helpers to appear. They only appear if they can help with the corresponding thread (eg. Imagination).
• When player finds these characters, they offer help. One example: an "Imagination" helper will fix a bridge in the Stealth level.

More examples coming. They don't have to be tied to mechanics. I plan to add helpers that only bring a dialogue with some narrative for the Memory kind of thread.

recording.webm

Helps #2119

[github-actions]

Play this branch at https://play.threadbare.game/branches/endlessm/townies-system/.

(This launches the game from the start, not directly at the change(s) in this pull request.)

[manuq]

This is implementation for an idea that @wjt and I had this morning: a townie helps you with the most difficult part of the Stealth level, by fixing a bridge that opens a shortcut.

Here is one game_state.cfg to try it:

game_state-fix_bridge.zip

Video:

recording.webm

[manuq]

Update: I added 6 townies to quests now:

In musician quest:

• Memory helper at music_puzzle.tscn: Tells a story. Just narrative / lore.
• Imagination helper at stealth_level.tscn: Fixes a bridge to skip the difficult part.
• Spirit helper at ink_combat_round_3.tscn: Helps the player by automatically filling one barrel (tries the hard cyan first)

In void quest:

• Memory helper at void_runner.tscn: Tells a story. Just narrative / lore.
• Imagination helper at grappling_hook_needles.tscn: Appears extra needles. The only way to collect certain buttons.
• Spirit helper at void_runner.tscn: Helps the player by slowing down the Void (this should be reused or repurposed for the difficult last chasing scene!)

Useful game states to try:

game_states.zip