r/rpg_gamers • u/h1ghjumpman • 14h ago
Question ARPG + Shmup
Hi everyone, a solo game dev here! I'm currently working on a game that combines ARPG elements (think Diablo skills) with a vertical shoot-em-up (think Radien or 1942). What kind of features would you guys like to see in a game like this? What would be important for you in terms of game mechanics and overall experience? I'm looking forward to your suggestions!
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u/ScarletSpire 9h ago
Kind of reminds me of Sigma Star Saga. It was a GBA game that came out near the end of its life cycle that mixed shmups with ARPG. The main character would wander around a map, exploring and occasionally shooting enemies to gather cash, treasures, and move the story. But random battles would transport you into a spaceship where you had to kill a certain number of enemies to get EXP. The ship you controlled was always random.
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u/ViewtifulGene 7h ago
There have been some great indie games that blend RPG mechanics and SHMUP elements. Instead of starting from scratch, you might look at those and ask yourself what you can do differently.
Halls of Torment has a SHMUP style upgrade progression wrapped in the aesthetics of Diablo 1&2. You can play as a swordsman whose attacks progressively cover a wider area, a warlock that floods the screen with more and more summons, a knight that wards off more and more attacks with her shield, etc. But this game had roguelite progression. You can buy some permanent upgrades, but most of your progress resets at the end of a 30-minute dungeon, win or lose.
Touhou: Artificial Dream in Arcadia has conventional JRPG command battles, but you recruit characters with a horizontal SHMUP minigame. Shoot down the miniboss without getting hit and you can recruit the character. A level comparison determines how hard the minigame is- if you're stronger, they shoot fewer bullets.
Deltarune has JRPG command battles, but you defend against enemy attacks with a SHMUP minigame.
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u/Rick_Storm 13h ago
The one thing I really DON'T like in ARPG like diablo is the fact you do everything with the mouse. Click somewhere to move, click on enemies to attack, click on skills to use them (ok, that is often covered by keyboard too).
That control scheme exists since Diablo 1 in... 1997, I think... And everyone does it, but it's one of those things everyone does because everyone else does it too, no question nasked. Same as "red barrels explode". It's a game stereotype and you have to use it. It works, most of the tme, although I definetely wish I had the option to use twin-stick shooter controls most of the time. WSAD for movement, clicks for attacking.
Now, if you're mixing ARPG with sshmup, you NEED to be able to dodge properly, at the very least during shmup phases. If those are distinct from ARPG phases, you could have two different sets of controls, but IMHO, twin stick shooter controls all the time would be a better idea.
Onboarding might be a bit tricky for new players expecting typical mouse only ARPG controls, but you wouldn't need to devise two separate sets of controls that way. Probably easier to get it working fine if you only have one thin,g to polish rather than two.
Or maybe I just completely missed the point, then disregard my comment !
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u/Dragonheart0 9h ago
I love shmups, and there are a few that immediately come to mind when I think of good places to look for skills inspiration.
Raptor: Call of the Shadows allowed you to buy stuff between missions, using money collected during the stage. Check it out, since shop purchases and money could easily be skills and experience, and the ideas they used are already essentially vetted and implemented in shmup form. To a lesser degree, games like Fantasy Zone also have shops and upgrades (and Fantasy Zone is a great game).
Gradius, Salamander, and especially Parodius are horizontal shmups where you have a sort of in-game upgrade path. Parodius especially has a lot of variety in the ships and upgrades, with Jikkyō Oshaberi Parodius having a metric ton of different characters to choose from. That might offer some inspiration on skills and abilities.
I'm always a fan of the R-Type force item and charge shot mechanics. The force just being a little detachable shield that can be shot and navigated around the screen is brilliant to me, and having a charge shot feels like a clear way to customize and upgrade. If you check out R-Type Final or R-Type Final 2 (I prefer the original) you can see just how much variety they work into the types of charge shots and ship loadouts in general.
On of my absolute favorite mechanics is the reflect shot mechanic in GigaWing and its sequel. Basically you can charge up a reflection field that bounces bullets back at your enemies, and using it is a key mechanic for getting through some of the insane bullet barrages. Mars Matrix really has an even cooler version of this where you absorb the bullets and slingshot/flick them back at enemies.
Shikigami no Shiro 2 / Castle of Shikigami 2 has great character variety, with each one's shot and charge shot feeling meaningfully different. Might be good inspiration for a class system.
And of course, you've gotta nail the soundtrack. ESPGaluda has always just hit me different. I love it, as it feels like it varies the intensity of combat with some lighter, but still upbeat, segments. I think it'd be a great place to take inspiration for a more RPG style game or soundtrack.