Based on the above info, I've come up with a very rough
game concept. Note that this ISN'T simple, it's quite an advanced game concept. Now like I said above, ANY custom game would be good no matter how simple, this is just an "ideal", to give some ideas.
My game concept…
Basic gameplay
• The game is a side-on platform-based maze game set in mostly technological environments which perhaps could look vaguely like Dan Dare. (Could be flip-screen or scrolling, depends which works best.)
• The Telebugs characters should be roughly around 24 pixels tall, not too big, to allow for more travel and compartments around the screen.
• The Telebugs can't use their rockets indoors and can only use secondary thrusters. This means they're affected by gravity and hover slightly above the ground (basically like walking). You can briefly fly higher (like jumping) but after about 3 seconds you'll start to drop and must wait for thrust recharge which takes about 5 seconds.
• Between each level there's a brief scrolling bonus round where you're rocketing through the sky to the next location, avoiding enemies.
• The game will feature the small pet character (MIC) as a power-up. Pick up MIC and he will be like a drone who will follow you and guard you in some way. Lose a life and you lose MIC, though you can get him again later.
Narrative
• I see the game having bits of dialogue/narration here and there with speech bubbles.
• The main villain should occasionally show up to taunt you, with a brief conversation.
• On every level you get a briefing at the start, mostly narrated by CHIP who says "I calculate…" followed by whatever the danger/mission is.
• There should be quite a large TV screen in the corner of the screen (maybe 5 x 4 tiles) for showing various information at points in the game (quite like the one on
Wacky Darts). This can also show "images" captured by BUG at various points. It can go in the HUD if there's room, or else appear when needed.
Enemies
• Normal gameplay will involve moving around the environments trying to find your way to the mission goal / exit. You'll need to avoid harmful creatures. Most of these are simple robots created by the main villain.
• You'll also encounter plenty of humans (some walking, some standing still) - 50% of the humans are friendly and will give you food if you approach them. But 50% of the humans are actually evil robots disguised as humans and they will attack you. Sometimes you'll be able to just avoid the humans, other times you'll find them blocking passages and will need a way of detecting which ones are real and which are fake (see below).
Characters
• You start as CHIP only. But then in level 2 your mission is to find BUG, who's been imprisoned by the villain. Similarly, by the end of level 4 you'll have rescued SAMANTHA.
• As new characters are rescued, you can then play as those characters and make use of their advantages (see below).
• Once new Telebug characters have been rescued, they can never be lost. When you lose a life, it's a team life, so you always have all three characters.
• After you've rescued the other Telebug team members, all three of them will always appear at the start of each level floating together in a group. You can very quickly switch between characters at ANY point you like, and the character you were playing with will then float on the spot.
• At several points throughout each level you will encounter teleporters - activate these and your two other team members will be summoned to your current location. These are kind of like "save points", meaning you only need to get ONE Telebug through each bit of any level, knowing you'll be able to summon the other two as you progress.
• The end of every level always has a teleporter right near the exit, allowing you to summon your team mates. At which point, all three Telebugs will automatically exit together.
Advantages of each character
CHIP
1) CHIP can interface with computer panels and "crack security codes" to open doors etc.
2) CHIP is the strongest so he can carry heavy objects which the others can't carry. "This object is too heavy for me to lift", says SAMANTHA. (The game will always give you clues what to do)
3) CHIP can precisely calculate how to aim for any target, even a moving target, so you can use a cross-hair to target things to throw at, whether it's throwing something at a robot or hitting a switch.
SAMANTHA
1) SAMANTHA can send out a pulse from her scanner which disables all the robots on the screen. This weapon takes quite a while to recharge.
2) SAMANTHA can remotely control large machinery, such as moving a truck
3) When you play as SAMANTHA you can see the true nature of humans - real or robots.
4) SAMANTHA can see secret passages or fake walls
5) SAMANTHA lets you view a map of the level.
BUG
1) BUG is the smallest so can go through smaller passages
2) BUG is the lightest so can fly to a higher point before needing to touch down and recharge thrusters
3) Robot enemies hate being filmed by BUG so when his camera is out, they will freeze and turn away from you.
Level structure
• Structurally, the game is split into around 5 "worlds" (each with a main robot villain to defeat), each world having maybe 2-4 sub-levels.
• The mission for each individual level will be either fixing broken stuff and/or releasing someone who's been captured, and escaping the level. Practically this means you have to throw levers to open doors, release things, move things into place, also picking up objects to help you repair things that were broken.
• At the end of each WORLD, you face the main villain/boss of that world. This takes place in a single-screen room with all 3 Telebugs present. In order to defeat each boss you'll need to use combinations of three things:
1) Use Samantha's scanner to stun the enemy
2) Use CHIP's targeting to throw things at him or her
3) Plus a hit won't be successful unless BUG is filming the action, meaning BUG needs to be facing the villain. When the villain is "in shot" this will be confirmed in the TV screen in the corner.
Just some ideas!
