I had this idea running through my head for some time, and I wonder if it's doable with Solarus:  It's a game that works like Zelda but it has a rail-shooter like mechanic:  The game is run with a mouse and a keyboard:  The character is moved with the directional keys (wasd), but instead of attacking with a button, the player character shoots with the mouse.  There is a targeting reticle that is controlled by the mouse and you shoot by clicking.  There is a limited amount of bullets, which means you have to duck into a safe spot to reload.

Of course, the bad guys can also shoot, although their bullets are slower and dodgeable.  They'll be able to duck behind walls (where the clicking can't shoot them) and zip about.

Right now I just got this short short game idea, and I'm looking around for a way to have that possible without having to code everything from scratch.

[PhoenixII54]

Hello,

Yes, you can completely create this kind of game :
- You can use mouse events and sprites to handle the reticle and shoot;
- the cover system can be done by overriding the on_command_pressed and on_command_released events
- Ammo management can be done through an item or a simple variable attached to the hero, your choice
- shooted bullets can be either enemies or custom entities, your choice too

So, all i have to say is: let's go!

Kewl.  I just need to figure out how to work the program, read some tutorials, find out how to import and script in there, and so on.

Please forgive the double post (even though some time has passed, but I want to place down the notes I have so far on the design of the game)

I can think of several different locations and stories that this game will take place in.  But mechanically, it's basically a top-down variant of Time Crisis.  (Or any other Arcade Rail Shooter)

The Hero goes through a series of Rooms with bad guys shooting at him, which he must go through within a time limit.

In each room, the hero can only move in a limited space, which the bad guys can't usually intrude on (save for an occasional melee bad guy).

In the space the hero can move around in, there is at least one hiding spot, usually behind a counter or wall, where he can't be hit.  He must leave this hiding spot in order to shoot.  He must return to the hiding spot to reload.  (The Bad Guys can duck behind walls and boxes as well in between shooting.)

When all bad guys are taken care of, the hero automatically moves to the next room.  Along the way, the player can shoot at various objects in the room to gain power-ups, heal hit points, get bonus time, and other things before the hero arrives at the next room and--ACTION!!--the fighting resumes.

That's the basics of the gameplay, and I have several different ways to put a story around it.

So like Miami hotline with a safezone and a time mechanic?

Yeah.  That's a good anaology.