[Pingus-Devel] two player mode

[Daniel Herding]

Hi all,

on 2008-06-20 Daniel Nixon suggested a competitive multiplayer mode for 
Pingus.

> I first saw a two player mode in a lemmings-like game in the Sega
> Megadrive (Genesis) Lemmings port. From what I can remember there was
> one entry door and two exit doors. Each player had to get the most
> lemmings (from either side) in their exit door. It lead to some pretty
> excellent gameplay due to the sneakiness and tactical play required to
> sabotage each other while still shepherding the bulk of your own
> lemmings to your door.

Ingo Ruhnke replied:

> We had something like that a long while back, it was never really
> finished and got ripped out in the meantime:
>
>  * http://pingus.seul.org/images/screen_0.5.0-1.jpg
>
> But we could reimplement with little trouble (splitscreen that is,
> network support would get trickier).
>
> The issue however is that basic multiplayer isn't all that
> interesting, because it is to chaotic, everybody just tries to kill of
> the other and the end result is pretty much random. It might be
> possible to enhance it by new actions or other tweaks to basic
> gameplay (make it round-based, more worms like, etc.). I am open to
> suggestions.

What about not making the multiplayer feature competitive, but coorperative? 
For example, one player gets blue pingus, the other one controls red ones. 
Each color has its own entry and its own exit. The players both win if they 
rescue at least half of all the pingus together. They win together, or they 
lose together. Multiplayer levels should be designed in such a way that no 
player can win the game on his own, they need to coordinate their actions.

For example, one player can build bridges, and the other one can dig, and they 
need to work together to get to the exit. There is a somewhat similar concept 
in Lemmings Revolution, where some levels include normal lemmings and "aqua 
lemmings" with special abilities. These two lemming types have to be well 
coordinated to get to the exit. This is a single-player game, however. As far 
as I know, a cooperative multiplayer mode in Pingus would be something 
completely new and innovative. What do you think?


Daniel