But i've some doubts about the platform-view: in this way, i think, there are some difficulties to exploit the entire screen space if you don't find a way (and a pretest) to fill them with platform, stairs and similar things. I remember some classic narrative games like Another World, that make a great use of the side-scroll/platform type of view, but the mechanics are involved too with this (gun-shoots, barriers, character's run, jump etc, etc....)....
Hello from italy!
I basically agree with you here and I'm thinking about adding 'z' to the design, the one thing that is holding me back is that my inspiration for this game in terms of mechanics is basically a side-scroller, even if the art is so good it does not seem like it. I am also thinking more of a Visual Novel / P&C hybrid, where there is no 'pixel hunt' to find objects on the screen. Here's the game that inspired me: Tokyo Dark It was made in C2 (they also wrote a blog )
For one cutscene, I do want to move to a 'timed event' platformer style where you race through a burning forest with a few narrative choices along the way (e.g. which rabbits do you save / risk as you run.) This drives me to have the side-scroller mode available at least.
I will watch your development and send in comments. It looks like you have a lot of mechanics working which is great. My current biggest challenge is actually now on the story side and planning side, I want to go down that side a bit further so that the narrative and plans will drive my tech / features, rather than the other way around.
If you get your engine polished and it's all your own work, you might also think about selling it as a template too (I am already using a couple paid templates in my game, so I won't be doing that.) That might be another way to get 'collaborators.'
In terms of collaborators, are you on the discord construct channel, you may be able to find folks there, or you could start a blog on Tigsource, which gets a lot of indie attention (I need to do that also!)