Shmup-Racing Hybrid Proposal

[soloista]

I have this idea for a hybrid game mixing shmup and racing elements. It's based off Shippu Mahou Daisakusen/Kingdom Grand Prix to a degree. I intend it for online multiplayer use.

The race courses are either circuit-type or rally-type.

On the racetrack, I plan to have a boss, or a few appear to challenge the players. Getting within certain distance of the boss shifts the camera to a far shot + overhead view. The plan is to have one boss for every two players, and depending on race standing, the boss health is scaled to make it easier for those in the back. The boss fighting against the first two players would have a lot of health and its aim is to push back the players slowly to get the players in the back to catch up --that is, if they don't destroy the boss fast enough. On the other hand, I plan to make it possible for players to dogpile bosses, but never the reverse.

Would it be too punishing that getting hit by bullets = temporary knock out of the race? Or would it be better that it would be stun + speed loss?

My big problem is finding a solution to the bullet pattern and inertia problem. It would be hard using brake and accel to dodge patterns as it is. One possible idea is to apply a throttle mechanic to make sure players can focus on dodging and shooting back (I am planning for all the racers to hover in some way).

Regardless of accel/brake or throttle I do plan to implement handbrake/airbrake for drifting/powersliding (which would double for deflecting bullets)

An alternative solution is to suddenly shift to semi-automatic mode when fighting the boss. Semi-automatic would mean playing on rails so you can focus on dodging and shooting instead of splitting concentration on navigating the course. Semi-auto mode would mean travelling at a base velocity, with forward/backward movement being throttle-like or like in a regular shmup.

The other problem is the incentive or bonus to defeating a boss: what would be a good in-race effect? Perhaps, whoever destroys their boss first causes every other boss on the track to self-destruct into a cloud of bullets?)

[ShmupSamurai]

Hmmm.....I like the idea of the other bosses self-destructing into bullet clouds but I also think the player who killed the "first boss" should be rewarded with a nitro-speed boost, thus making the players strive to kill the boss faster so that they can get ahead of everyone else.

Also, the faster a player defeats a boss, the more point medals they recieve(if you want to include medals,that is).