Years ago, when I was first laying the foundational vocabulary on the Critical-Gaming blog I frequently referenced a game called Neo*RPG. This is a project that I started the winter of 2006 (a full year before I made my first blog post). Since I was fairly new to programming, after 3 weeks of work I managed to produce a rough demo of an action RPG engine. In the end, Neo*RPG plays more like an action game than an RPG, and I'm fine with that. Running purely on keen instincts, a lot of the work I put into the game set me on the path that I'm on today.
Download it here. 15 MB (Win XP only)
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The idea was to design an action RPG combat engine from the ground up that's deep, dynamic, and emergent.
The core gameplay is designed around a triangle or loop of interplay between attack, shield, and push. Everything is designed to move smoothly and simply in real time stressing a lot of timing and adaptation skills. With only a few mechanics, 4 enemies, and a small number of other elements, there aren't a lot of complexities to worry about. Yet, the depth of the interplay design allows for a wide range of strategies.
Enjoy.