I am writing an fairly unoriginal turn-based top-down rogue like RPG at the moment, and wondered what things people did and didn't like in these type of games.

So do you think being able to carve out your own tunnels and cave system is a good/bad thing? As I am currently implementing this after reading the Minecraft thread. Mining for gems and diamonds, as well as secret rooms etc.

How important is combat? What system/style do you like and why. I rejected the seperate battle screen concept, and personally I think it disrupts the games, and feels artifical.

I also rejected having "shops/traders" in the mines where it is set, as that seemed to be again an artifical device. Consequently whilst you gain find jewels and treasure, they are only worth something when you leave/escape the dungeon, and they slow you down. Nor more carrying 1,000,000 piece of gold. Certainly I want to make the emphasis on a more roleplaying and dealing with the limitations, than merely dungeon hack and accumalate your way through a game/module/scenario.

The same goes for levelling up, which I think should happen between modules/scenarios like in RPGs, and you shouldn't be limited to a single class. or occupation. Also experience should be specific to areas of expertise, and not general. I like the Warhammer fantasy RPG system where you have professions that you migrate through to acquire specific skills and attribute increases, rather than the AD&D/traditional get 1,000 for level 1, 2,000 for level 2.

Anyway just wanted some ideas, talk about various things, mostly because I am having a week or two's break before I get the game ready for a Beta release for this forum.

That would depend on teams, "leveling up" is based on player skill and everyone has equal "rights" to play but the one with most skill has the lead. Usually arena type games have this "effect". Basically there is no level and everyone is equally able to use resources.

I know only one, rec.games.roguelike.development, which seems to have move to google groups. You're more likely to get players, testers, and opinions.

By the way, I may have to moderate my argument versus realism. You talked about "dealing with the limitations", and indeed this can be a core gameplay element, the player having to choose which proportion of his inventory he dedicates to power-up and defense (utilities and expendables) versus wealth items to carry away.
Such system also helps lower the curve of rewards, because when inventory is full, the player has to abandon a low-value item (5gp Silver cup) for a higher-value one (20Gp Golden Crown).

Where's the teamwork request?

I thought he meant the OP is unusual in not asking for help coding/artwork/sounds based on his seed of an idea.

verthex, I think you're talking about something entirely different (and much more interesting).