Idea Info Name: Valanor: Quest for the Throne Index: Primary Category: Platform Submitted: 1/1/2003 4:52:07 PM Written By: nbyrd921

Story

           The game's main story is fairly simple and cliche of most platformers and RPG's but the many parts and epic feeling of it may compromise the basic plot. You, Valanor, a young man of about 14, live in a small town by a forest. One day a wizard that has seemed to go through quite a struggle arrives in your villages claiming that someone here is the lost descendent of a king of past glorious age. The wizard pulls out a pendent and holds it out into the air. Everything gets dark except for Valanor, who grows extremely bright. The wizard now knows that Valanor is the one and tells him if he wants to rule the land and restore it back to an ordered state that he should travel north to the Chained Mountains where the physically weak but mentally and magically strong beast Titan rules over his corrupt empire in the Dark Keep. Valanor finds out that his real parents are dead, lost, or prisoners of Titan and that makes his real drive to win back the castle.

Geography

There is two views in this game, in-game view and map view. The map view is actually like zooming in on a globe because as you scroll up the land turns in a sphere-like motion. There are 5 main areas in the map view, the Forest, the Plains, The Sea, The Valley, and the Mountains. Each of these areas contain sub-areas, which I will go into later in this section, and the sub-areas contain locations or levels. The map view is for in between levels when directing Valanor to the next level and also can be brought up in levels to see where you want to go next but you cannot move on it while viewing it. 

Sub-areas             

The Forest: Forest Brink, Green Woods, Ancient Woods, Dead Woods, Gimble Tree Dwellings.

The Plains: Meadows, Underground, Ruins, Hidden Temple, Settlings.

The Sea: Beach, Deserted Ship Fleet, Underwater Reef, Zalibas Island, Rocky Coast.

The Valley: Valley Dip, Jankar River, Wild Garden, Opressed City, Valley Climb.

The Mountains: Foothills, Ghastly Cave, Jagged Boulders, Dark Keep Walls, Dark Keep, Titan's Lair

Gameplay

First of all, the character you control is kind of a mixture of Link from Zelda and Jak from Jak and Daxter, he looks more like Zelda but is controlled much like Jak. If you haven't played Jak and Daxter then Jak is very agile in movement and has a series of different attacks like kick, punch, and dive and doesn't have any real special ability (like Sonic being able to run real fast). If you don't know who Link is then that's pretty sad.

The world you play in is a very complicated one with many different layers and elements of gameplay. The levels you visit can be entered in any order you want except for various "blocks" you need to get through like getting a number of items to pass or defeating a boss. Also, each area will only open up into the next one until you complete the main goals of the present area which will corespond with the "block" from the next area. Any level can be revisited as many times as wanted and goals can be completed in any order except if one opens up another one of course. Goals help you earn money, open up areas, gain items, gain powerups, gain abilities, make people owe you their help, and can trigger major plot happenings. Some goals take place in multiple areas that you can only complete if you have access to the required areas.  Example of goals would be to find someone's sword, to defeat someone, or to complete various mini-games that I will go into now.

Mini-games

There will be many different mini-games but there are three of them that play out through the whole game.

The History of Valanor's Ancestors Rise to Power (This will get shortened up)

Every once in a while you will gain access to a part of Valanor's history through a book or person that you will play out like a game but will be level-completion based instead of being more goal based. If you lose this game then the Valanor will "forget" what happened and "have to start over again". It will be like playing a smaller game inside of a game. I don't know if you'd call it a mini-game but I don't know what else to call it.

Storytelling

Every once in a while like the history game there will be a goal to tell a story. An example would be a story about an "underdog" eagle racing other eagles. If you lose then the person your telling the story to will say he didn't like it, so, you wouldn't get the prize for doing the goal and would have to start over again.

Trainers

Again, every once in a while a trainer will give you a chance to acheive a new ability, for example a higher jump. However, to let him train you, you must "prove yourself" in a mini-game that involves jumping.

Money and Buying

Just like in RPG's you can buy weapons, armor and items that will help you in your quest. To get money you can kill enemies or complete goals that reward you with money. Also, you can do an activity that you can keep on doing forever that earns you money like delivering letters to people around the world you play in. The things that you buy can help you defeat a certain enemy or let you complete a goal.

The Mix of Platform and RPG

This game will control very much like a platform and many of the goals will be reached in platform-like ways. Attacks will also be similar to platforms. The RPG elements of the game will be the buying of things and the way you can explore the world.

The End of the Game

You defeat Titan in an extremely difficult boss battle and then become the new king of the land. The Chained Mountains become "unchained" and beautiful and all the baddies disperse. However, one thing is missing, your parents. This will set the pathway to a sequel.