In a Rithmatist computer game, how should chalkings work.

[Fallen Rope]

I have been thinking about how a rithmatist game would work and chalklings seem like the hardest bit to make. You would have to use pre-set designs for chalkings, probably click and drag because comparing a hand drawn chalking against a list would be hard to do.

Should chalkings be controllable by drawing symbols like in the books, or would it be simpler to just to have the chalkling stay still and defend its bind point or move forward and attack anything in its way depending on the chalking used.

Any thoughts on how they should work on a phone or computer game.

[Shardbearer]

I'd say you could have different chalkings with different attributes. Some are faster. Some can range further from the bind point. Some do more damage. Some have higher defense. Some have an AOE attack. Some have defensive AI, while others are on offense. Different things like that.

[Inkthinker]

It's the most complicated part of the problem, isn't it.

 

I'd prefer some system by which you could build and rig simple 2D characters in advance, allowing for unique and custom chalklings... then you'd have to call them up by some means. For practical purposes, probably some sort of drag-and-drop system with a timer for "drawing" them, with more complex versions requiring greater time.

 

Though it's also possible that if you were playing a game in which the Player Avatar is a book character like Fitch or Melody, then they'd have a library of chalkling designs to pull from.

 

Programming them is another level of complexity, but I think you could probably work it out through a series of preset command symbols which you'd line up in order and then execute.

 

The strategy lies in proper time and resource management, something that ought to be familiar with RTS players.