Fun stuff to replace weapons

So for my first mod I'm making a simple one where you get the Blade and only the Blade for the entire game (yes, it'll be op in the beginning, but isn't curbstomping fun when you're on the giving end? Just kidding I plan on changing the earlier levels to be harder (if I decide I do want to take this mod further)). However, I don't want to just remove all the other chests and extra weapons. Rather, I want to replace them with other fun stuff for players to find. The problem is that I don't have many ideas, and the ones I have aren't good hahaha.

Spoiler: List of things to replace

a) The chest with the Polar Star (atm the blade is a sparkle at the start point, bc I couldn't find a good reason for it to be at the gunsmith's)
b) The Missile Launcher & its expansions (including the upgrade to Super ML after fighting Balrog @ the Boulder Chamber)
c) The Fireball
d) The Bubbler
e) Curly's trade with the Machine Gun
f) The Blade King leaves behind
g) Chaba's trades in the Labyrinth Shop
h) Trading the Polar Star for the Spur
i) The Mr. Little trade with the Nemesis

Spoiler: My ideas so far

a) I'm considering creating a whole mini subplot with the gunsmith having stolen the Blade to have a look at it (after all, learning a new craft is always interesting) to force the player to go to the gunsmith's, but that would be a bit hard to write convincingly. I'm thinking the text when the player looks in the chest would be: "Some unfinished guns lie in the chest, but nothing catches your eye...
...You see something glinting at the bottom.
Got the oBladeo."
b, c, d) The only idea I've had so far is replacing those w/ life capsules, and either increasing the total HP at the end of the game or lessening the HP the other life capsules give you to end up with the same amount of HP. I'm more inclined towards increasing the total HP, bc the player will have to fight in close quarters and that can die you more quickly. The other idea I had was to decrease the damage the Blade does and each ml/fireball/bubbler increases the damage, but I'm not even sure if that's possible
e) All I can think of is Curly commenting on how neat your sword is.

Spoiler: f) possible dialogue:

KING: Ergh...
KING: You're a fine swordsman...
KING: I would have liked to... fight alongside you...
(he gives you his scabbard (item) and dies. The item description says: "Though delirious, King's last words will stay with you.")

g) Having Chaba give you an equippable item that locks the Blade at the level you're currently at (so you can choose if you want level 1, 2 or 3). Perhaps a second Arms Barrier. Or: having him increase the damage of the Blade slightly.
h) If I go with the theft subplot idea, I'd have the gunsmith apologise for stealing the blade from the PC and reveal a bit of lore that it was laying down next to you, like so:

Spoiler

GUNSMITH: ...Ah!
GUNSMITH: Where did you find that sword?
...
GUNSMITH: My humble abode? ....
GUNSMITH: I admit, I stole it. My deepest apologies.
GUNSMITH: It's just that I've always been a gunsmith and a gunsmith only, and your sword was so beautifully crafted, I wanted to have a look, see if I could learn the art of swordsmithing.
GUNSMITH: I meant to give it back, but I must have lost track of time... I'm truly sorry.
GUNSMITH: ...Thank you for forgiving me.
then, if the player talks to the gunsmith again:
GUNSMITH: Huh? Yeah, it was lying on the ground next to you. Why?

I also need a name for the sword I just realised. Definitely something with punctuation marks. "Full stop" maybe? The weapon desc could be: "It fits right into your hand. The name is carved on the handle." E: I now have a name! "Backslash". Yes, as in \. That will be the desc as well.

feel free to suggest ANY idea no matter how dumb it sounds or how little you think I'll like it. I promise I won't get mad : p

 

A wisk skin for the blade would be pretty funny imo.

 

This could become a real quality mod if you could modify those weapons by adding little things...and making it randomized since it's cool at the moment, I guess.

 

A wisk skin for the blade would be pretty funny imo.

I'd rather make this a serious mod, but thanks for the suggestion!

This could become a real quality mod if you could modify those weapons by adding little things...and making it randomized since it's cool at the moment, I guess.

Well, the original idea was to have only the Blade for the entire game, so I'm not sure about that (unless you mean modifying the Blade in which case I'm open to suggestions). I'm also not sure if I have the skill to randomise it but if I do I think I'll try bc that would be a neat touch!

 

I'm going to sound like a huge hypocrite for saying this because I would always annoy other people to get their suggestions, but trust me, people are going to appreciate more the ideas that you come up with, rather than theirs. I am not going to believe that you don't have any other ideas, so you just have to pull them out.
I say this because I think you might have potential if you try, despite the fact that you're new and I don't know anything about you.
Also, I want to be honest here: I don't think anybody would play a mod knowing that it's just Cave Story with the same story, same characters, but with slight changes in level design and only using one weapon.
Here's a real suggestion from me: if you want to create a Cave Story mod, you should start with something simple, but also different, and not just slightly different. Something that feels somehow...yours.
I want to conclude by saying that I really have nothing against you or anything and I just wanted to say what I thought. That said, you do whatever you want and I sincerely hope you have a nice day.

 

I'm going to sound like a huge hypocrite for saying this because I would always annoy other people to get their suggestions, but trust me, people are going to appreciate more the ideas that you come up with, rather than theirs. I am not going to believe that you don't have any other ideas, so you just have to pull them out.
I say this because I think you might have potential if you try, despite the fact that you're new and I don't know anything about you.

first off, thank you for the advice (and the compliments). I'm inspired to try harder now. : )

Also, I want to be honest here: I don't think anybody would play a mod knowing that it's just Cave Story with the same story, same characters, but with slight changes in level design and only using one weapon.

I started this mod off the fact that I like CSBD mods haha. I'd seen a mod where your only weapon for the whole game is the machine gun, and thought "ooh i love the blade maybe i could make a mod like that but with the blade?" kind of a "write what you want to play" but with games. I had also already had a kind-of plan to make a "cave story but I went crazy with the level design" so I decided to put the two together to make something more interesting and here I am now hahaha

Here's a real suggestion from me: if you want to create a Cave Story mod, you should start with something simple, but also different, and not just slightly different. Something that feels somehow...yours.

I was actually kind of hesitating on this but you pushed the rock over the edge and now it's rolling down the hill. I'm going to change the storyline to fit a swordsman Quote better, make this mod an AU. I've got a bunch of writing experience too, so these two together would still make for a kinda small mod. After I finish that, I'll decide if I wanna go forward with the level redesign.

I want to conclude by saying that I really have nothing against you or anything and I just wanted to say what I thought. That said, you do whatever you want and I sincerely hope you have a nice day.

thank you and have a nice day as well =^.^=

 

Labyrinth shop usually focuses on weapon upgrades, so maybe something that keeps the blade from leveling down every 3 seconds.

 

I've got a bunch of writing experience too

Really? That's great. Let me tell you, there's not a single Cave Story mod that I know that has good writing(some of them don't try to and that's fine), but that is definitely something that might come in useful...in fact I might be interested in doing something.

 

Labyrinth shop usually focuses on weapon upgrades, so maybe something that keeps the blade from leveling down every 3 seconds.

or prevent it from going to level 3

 

Level 3 blade is good, I just think it needs to be a little more easy to quick fire.

 

Labyrinth shop usually focuses on weapon upgrades, so maybe something that keeps the blade from leveling down every 3 seconds.

or prevent it from going to level 3

Those are really god ideas thank you

Level 3 blade is good, I just think it needs to be a little more easy to quick fire.

Personally I'm not all that fond of level 3 blade but I can try to make an accessory that can be un/equiped.

Really? That's great. Let me tell you, there's not a single Cave Story mod that I know that has good writing(some of them don't try to and that's fine), but that is definitely something that might come in useful...in fact I might be interested in doing something.

Yeah, that's a bit of a shame lmao. Writing is a complex art like all others and it's hard to find a game designer with that skill.
Also if you wanna collab hmu I'm always up for writing : D

 

Because some of the weapons suggested are custom, do you have a knowledge in ASM? Because you can receive some help in the CSMC Discord server, if you don't know.

 

Because some of the weapons suggested are custom, do you have a knowledge in ASM? Because you can receive some help in the CSMC Discord server, if you don't know.

oh yeah, I'll ask if I need help. Thanks!

 

Also if you wanna collab hmu I'm always up for writing : D

Sure, why not.