Pi's language game in theory

Started by the-pi-guy, Aug 27, 2018, 05:14 PM

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the-pi-guy

Honestly, I don't know how much time I would actually be able to dedicate to the project.  But I thought it'd be fun to have a place to dedicate some of my ideas to.  

I'm hoping to get some ideas in order, and then when I actually have a good amount of time I can start sharing some actual work being done.  :D

But currently I'm particularly worried about school.  Especially this semester in particular.  Maybe in the Spring, I'll hopefully have a lot more time.  


The type of game I want to make is an RPG with language learning features.  Stylistically what I have in mind is reminiscent of the early Pokemon games and Super Mario RPG.

With turn based battles:




And a world to explore:




The way the language learning would come in, is that in the world you'd find various vocabulary words.  So you might find a sword and with it, the Japanese word for sword.

Later, during a battle, you'll be asked which option is the correct word for sword.
(this isn't the best picture...)
Relatively similar to how memrise works, but it won't really look anything like this...  


If you get the word correct, then the player gets rewarded with higher damage given.  

Legend

Is it possible to beat the game without learning some vocabulary?

It'd be bad if a person kept progressing even though they missed some crucial vocab understanding.

the-pi-guy

Is it possible to beat the game without learning some vocabulary?

It'd be bad if a person kept progressing even though they missed some crucial vocab understanding.
I'm still kind of deciding between 2 (more like 3) ideas for this:

1.) Require the player to collect every word before moving to the next area.  The big pro would be no missing words, the con though is that if you know a word in real life, you'd still have to collect it in the game. 

2.) Require the player to answer some kind of language test before moving to the next area. The pro would be that if you're already knowledgeable, you can skip to the next area.  The con would be that it'd be possible to miss vocabulary. 

What would kind of be a mix between the two ideas would be to have the latter, but then after you move to the next area, you'll be notified of all the vocabulary you missed.  So in the game, my idea would be to have a dictionary.  No matter what would happen, at the start of the next area, you'd always have all the vocabulary from the previous in your dictionary. 

the-pi-guy

My dream last night makes me want a story based around finding a pen pal that disappears.

Legend

My dream last night makes me want a story based around finding a pen pal that disappears.
If you had a pen pal that you cared enough about to travel to their country and try to find them, wouldn't you have already picked up a lot of their language?

the-pi-guy

Sorry I need to expand on some things.  

I've decided the game is going to follow a husband and wife team.  The player is going to be able to choose which one is the main.  

This works better with the turn based gameplay, in my opinion.  

The pen pal will be for the opposite person, and the main character will be the one learning the language.  


If you had a pen pal that you cared enough about to travel to their country and try to find them, wouldn't you have already picked up a lot of their language?
It's also not going to be them traveling to the country.  I am wanting to add some more magic to the game.  There's going to be a portal that basically takes them to the pen pal's house.  

The pen pal is going to be more of a family friend.  

Oh, and I don't want the game to take place in any real location.  It's going to be a fictional location.  So that there's more freedom with the story, art, etc.