We really dont have much to remove. All we have is a ragdoll with pin constraints.

hmm... may be if dejeweled would have too good of graphics for some computers, throw in a graphics setting? just a thought

Quote from Devour

We really dont have much to remove. All we have is a ragdoll with pin constraints.

Ha! No, I mean from the concept. We've got this thread full of ideas. Which are essential? Which can we remove?

You already know what tools you're going to be using, so I'll do other concepts then.

What is defenitely essential would be:
Health for the ragdoll.
A realistic health thing gives somebody the satisfaction of killing the ragdoll in one blow. However, the health should be relatively as high as a human's "health" would be. A sharp hit in the head can knock the ragdoll unconscious, while crushing or stabbing it would be an instant kill.
Being able to break the bones of a ragdoll would be great fun, and still simple. Say that if you broke the leg of a ragdoll, you would simply remove the constraints of the swinging of that leg, and let it turn 180 degrees instead of 90 degrees.
Breaking the ribs of the ragdoll could make it go completely limp due to the pain, but leave it alive still.

Another essential thing: Breakable structures.
Things like timers or the ability to break walls is both essential and great fun. While you could use timers to break a joint holding a hammer, keeping it from swinging till you want it to, you also get a "whoa thats so cool" feeling for being able to smash the ragdoll through a wall and such. It also expands the options of things you can do. If a ragdoll flies through the support of a building, the building would fall on the ragdoll and crush it.

Ropes:
It would be a useful tool. Stretchers, doors, guillotines, levers, etc.

Big essential thing: The ragdoll shouldn't be limp.
You already have that done. A standing ragdoll is much more fun and playable than a ragdoll that lies lifeless on the ground.

(In my opinion) Essential/fun thing: Being able to impale the stickman, and possibly the walls.
Impaling the stickman would be great for the tools of arrows and javelins or shrapnel from an explosion sticking into the ragdoll. It would also give people a great feeling by impaling a ragdoll into the wall. I played a game once where that was possible, and I spent most of the time just trying to do that, instead of following the game's storyline.

(Mostly fun) needed thing: Explosions
It doesn't have to be an explosion, but something that presses force against anything within its "blast radius." It would make throwing things at intense speeds possible, along with shooting the ragdoll from a cannon into whatever trap you have.

(More essential to the funness of the game) Dismemberment.
Being able to use guillotines on the ragdoll, being able to tear off their arms with stretchers, having shrapnel from an explosion rip apart the ragdoll, the list goes on. It would be fun.

Back to the actually essential things: Backgrounds.
It would be incredibly annoying to have to build supports for a building that reaches the top of the screen. If there could be a "cliff" or a large section of the ground sticking up that would make building high towers much easier.

A "depth" function.
So you could build things in front of structures that are already built. And be able to keep hammers and heavy flying objects and the like from damaging your towers.

A play/pause function.
So you can build towers without worrying about them falling over halfway through.

Points:
To count how much damage you've done to the ragdoll. Get an extra 5000 points for breaking bones below your neck, and 15000 points for breaking the head. Same amount of points for dismembering the bodyparts or the head.

Is this enough?

I think that sounds good, devour.

Very thorough, Devour, thank you. It is helpful to see all those features listed in one place.

I'm sure there's a bit more that would be necessary, and there might be a few things in there that aren't exactly necessary, but this is a great place to start. Does anyone else have anything to add?

It wouldn't be necessary but maybe the possiblity of dressing your ragdoll to look however you want it to? Making big or small, fat or skinny, give a hat and sunglasses, ect.

That would be really hard to code, having rounded or thicker joints break the same way that default joints would. Custom textures for something could be used in later versions, though.

Also, I went through my post to just point out the things that I thought were completely essential, instead of things that seemed like fun.

Quote from Devour

You already know what tools you're going to be using, so I'll do other concepts then.

What is defenitely essential would be:
Health for the ragdoll.
A realistic health thing gives somebody the satisfaction of killing the ragdoll in one blow. However, the health should be relatively as high as a human's "health" would be. A sharp hit in the head can knock the ragdoll unconscious, while crushing or stabbing it would be an instant kill.
Being able to break the bones of a ragdoll would be great fun, and still simple. Say that if you broke the leg of a ragdoll, you would simply remove the constraints of the swinging of that leg, and let it turn 180 degrees instead of 90 degrees.
Breaking the ribs of the ragdoll could make it go completely limp due to the pain, but leave it alive still.

Another essential thing: Breakable structures.
Things like timers or the ability to break walls is both essential and great fun. While you could use timers to break a joint holding a hammer, keeping it from swinging till you want it to, you also get a "whoa thats so cool" feeling for being able to smash the ragdoll through a wall and such. It also expands the options of things you can do. If a ragdoll flies through the support of a building, the building would fall on the ragdoll and crush it.

Ropes:
It would be a useful tool. Stretchers, doors, guillotines, levers, etc.

A "depth" function.
So you could build things in front of structures that are already built. And be able to keep hammers and heavy flying objects and the like from damaging your towers.

A play/pause function.
So you can build towers without worrying about them falling over halfway through.

Points:
To count how much damage you've done to the ragdoll. Get an extra 5000 points for breaking bones below your neck, and 15000 points for breaking the head. Same amount of points for dismembering the bodyparts or the head.

Thank you, that looks like a good place to start.

Flood, dressing a ragdoll would not be in the first prototype, though if it turns out to be important enough it shouldn't be much harder to add than any other physics-based feature.

if it is possible can you throw is a replay feature? with pause, slow mo, fast forward and rewind?

I like that idea

I'd like to do that too. Replay is a planned feature.

I was hoping to release another update this weekend, but it looks like I will be too busy. Sorry. Maybe next weekend.

Oh, you are alive, nice to see someone (unlike myself) you can work on a project for more than a few months.

I've an idea, how about some kind of battery coil thingy: It can explode, but when certain other things are connected to it (like some kind of metal wire object which could be put into the game) it could generate electricity to shock the stick figure, or power other stuff? (Think Halo 3 fusion coil)