New rule suggestion for this thread: No p1mping your own damn idea unless someone else criticizes it and you're defending it. If it ain't good enough to merit attention within 100 words, what good are a thousand gonna do for ya?
-- Retro
|
|
|
#101
New rule suggestion for this thread: No p1mping your own damn idea unless someone else criticizes it and you're defending it. If it ain't good enough to merit attention within 100 words, what good are a thousand gonna do for ya?
-- Retro
#102
ok whatever. *sigh*
Here is an expansion on my universe:
A scout ship from earth is cruising around space, doing research and stuff that scout ships do.
So anyway they find this wierd energy signature and go off to investigate. It turns out to be a slipgate of sorts, and they end up being sucked through into an alternate universe.
At first they think they've been warped back to earth or something, because its a beautiful blue, slightly cloudy sky outside. Whats odd is that there is no gravity. They decide to stick around for a while to investigate the place before heading back to find the warp gate thingee they came through, if its still there. A few of the scientists note that the outside air is breathable, and are the first people to ever go through an airlock without suits on.
The gate has dissapeared. The next few years are spent trying to find it again, fruitlessly. After this people start to make do. The ship is slowly pulled apart to make a huge raft, which has its own gravity. For some wierd reason this universe has different rules when it comes to gravity. You can feel the pull of another persons body, and a large rock asteroid will crush you with 11gs.
After a while people start living on the smaller asteoids, which have roughly 1g. A civilisation begins to form, developing their own technology. Different groups of people form different nations spread accross many asteroids, and the first major international war starts when the people still trying to find a way home think they are on to something. Word gets out, and it becomes a fight over the way home, even though "home" has become little more than a legend.
So there is a big war. ww1 reminiscient fighters buzz between asteroids, blasting the crap out of huge blimp ships (the gas keeps them out of the gravity wells of asteroids), while large destroyers and such patrol the borders of their territory.
At some stage, it would be cool if there turned out to be bigger threat from aliens or something, and the player suddenly finds themselves fighting alongside those they had just been trying to kill.
Im thinking 3D mercenaries style RTS, where the player leads one small warband with their own carrier... and the ability to build bases on asteroids and stuff. Having a few ground based weapons would be cool too, so you could drop some tanks onto an enemy asteroid to deal with their infantry training grounds and stuff - basically what I wanted HW2 to have.
Last edited by Vijil; 27th May 04 at 7:03 PM.
#103
I have to point out that there is one thing that I disagree wiht in retros design process, if you focus on the game to much and try to build a universe around it the story comes out, to say the least, patchy. On the converse if you concentrate to much on the universe the gameplay comes out, patchy. However, if you give at least some nod to teh universe you wont give up hardly anything on gameplay but gain ALOT in story. So I think we might want to be a little more carefull to keep somewhere close to that.
The other thing is that from what dyn and retro said should be more a genere thing instead of including a universe. NO gameplay mechanics really, but more of a this is what you do in the game type thread.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, expanding on the Merc/RTS/RPG idea thread, I would like to purpose a a gameplay mechanics/setup to i: . Welcome to ________ world, a water rich world with rivers running over most of the planet. Due to <whatever>* reason practical travel through most land routes is not possible. There are areas which are safe rom this effect but they are few and far between. THe goverments of these areas now higher mercs vessels to move and fight in the river world. THere are large routes which can be fought on with enorumous fleets, small back water routes and even swamps spanning hundred of kilometers which are deep enough for heavy ships but lack much manuvering room. You are given missions by the goverments of these islands when you ask for them; an example of some missons might be to escort merchants, deliver documents/supplies to a dangerous area/warzone, destory enmy facilites, decimate enemy land areas and pretty much whatever else we can dream of.
As for the tech of this universe I can see a kinda of steam punk/world war two feel to it. There are planes and carriers, battleships but not much in the way of missles (plays with game balance), mechs, subs, so on and so forth.
*I would suggest simply because of how wet the world is and large. There are areas of dry stable land that are colonized but to move much over land between the sea pockets is not practical and buy air isnt because they alck the technology. The reason for this is because I would hope that we coudl include land as well as sea battles which are both equally important.
**There is the option of being able to build your own bases on some of the small areas of dryn land and gain resources and such thorugh time, up to you guys.
Considering the startiling simiilarity between me and vijells idea, I'm going to throw my support behind his idea and we can dream from there, my next question ingus is what should we do about the resource system?
Last edited by Bonnet; 27th May 04 at 8:00 PM.
(Previously, and still occasionally zbobet2012)
I really like the idea of the riverine(word?) mercenary game. Perhaps you could throw in some Vietnam-era marsh combat with hovercrafts like the navy used then. Also, it would be great to include a way to improve your company/army by salvage, buying things etc...(maybe that is inferred, but I'm just making sure that the idea is out there). The different factions would be really easy to create along with some really cool weapons/vehicles.
So this thread has turned into an extention of the 100 word rule? If this is so then let it be said so that everyone can post their extra stuff, if not then let it be said and those that have done so should harken to the rules.
It takes a lot of argument
to convince most people
that they are lying.
#106
No loco, this is a disccusions of possible universe and things you could do with the gameplay ideas presented...
#107
That is an element I have always loved in games, when your foes suddenly become your allies. Sadly, it is not done very often.At some stage, it would be cool if there turned out to be bigger threat from aliens or something, and the player suddenly finds themselves fighting alongside those they had just been trying to kill.
#108
OK since we are interested in Steampunk -
RTS era = post - HG Wells "War of the Worlds" (some of them survived OK?)
Just use you imagination, on one side you have landing pods scarring the landscape, tripods and nasty aliens sucking human blood, on the other you have the remnants of humanity using biological weaponry, bolus weapons and capturing tripods (for further development of the tripod theme John Christopher did stuff like Escape to White Mountain and City of Gold and Lead), planting nukes by suicide blimp etc
Plus dont forget HGWells was a revolutionary and the whole thing is allegory for domination & exploitation of masses.
Humans might comprise a resource for both sides, one for recruiting and the other for eating !
OK I got carried away.... here are some ideas.
Units Human : humans gain skills individually when trained and through battle experience & can then take different roles eg scout > reporter , pamphleteer > anti-mind control agent, militia > special ops, recruiting sargent > military instructor, thief > saboteur, machine operator > weapons specialist > marksman, pilot > ace, teachers > research scientist, nurse > medic. The more skills & experience they have individually the more effective they are in each role they can take (they can change roles). To get a suicide nuclear blimp you need the pilot and also manufacture the blimp in a factory building and make a nuclear bomb from mined resources (but its a WMD). To get a bio weapon you need a lab, scientist and then weapons specialists or special ops can deliver. Thief or special ops or anyone with enough machine experience can take over a "sterile" tripod.
Resources Human : 1;Food income raises pop cap of resistance, from farms and scrounged by any resistance agent in an existing settlement eg pamphleteers, thieves, sargents. 2;Minerals mined to make machines. 3;People are recruited from existing settlements to train as resistance agents.
Units Martian : Martians units utilise machines and are bred from brood installations fed by human bodies (pop cap = blood, can fall & needs replenishing). They have a life long attachment to a machine. Machines have tentacles and include fabricators (which make machines), also tripods which are harvesters (of humans from settlements taken to brood center for processing 1 per tentacle) tripods can have 2 slots for tentacles or small ray guns, mind control vehicle (can make humans zombies by "capping" them and they walk to brood installations or serve martians by breeding faster or by spying (with hat on)), miners (of minerals), hexapods (gargantuan tripods with mega-ray-gun and human processing ability). Enough blood buys a new cylinder from Mars which lands in a crater ( a bit unpredictable where) and contains a new brood mother, tripod and fabricator.
Resources Martian : 1;Blood as above to raise pop cap by taking humans from settlements and resistance fighters, to processors in brood installation or hexapod. 2; Minerals for fabrication. 3;humans by capping act as spies as well as fodder, can infiltrate resistance and identify resistance members, can gain only lowest human skills (when spy will obey both players - needs research scientist or anti mind control agent for humans to detect them and they can reverse capping or even spend more time to create a double agent to reveal the entire terrain covered by the agent before and after capping).
etc
Last edited by boolybooly; 28th May 04 at 3:39 AM.
I was trying to accomplish that with my idea, but apparently it wasnt very popular. oh well. An ocean world that eventually develops steampunk technology might be quite interesting...Originally Posted by Moe
#110
By the way, Vijil, check out the game Project: Nomads. The backstory is different (not alternate universe but broken-up planet), but its basically the same thing. You command your own little floating rock "island", and you can build stuff on it - guns, aircraft hangars....
#111
a Five Star Stories RTS/mechsim hybrid.
while you stomp around inside your 100-foot laser blade wielding robot, you command legions of foot soldiers, hovertanks and other "mortar heads" (what the mechs are called) against...another army of mortar heads and infantry.
AND airships, too!
the mechsim gameplay will mostly involve you walking or running around seeking out the enemy and mercilessly crushing his army beneath your giant heel. You also need to make sure your opponent's mortar heads don't do the same to your army, and so you have to intercept them and initiate a lasersaber duel (with controls that would put Jedi Knight 2's to shame). while saber strikes on any other part of the body slowly degrades armor, cutting or stabbing the head and chest is an instant kill (FFS fans will know why). This would be the quickest way to deal with MH's.
The SLOWER way involves overwhelming MH's either with artillery fire or dozens of hovertanks. Note that armor on an MH is extremely resilient, and ballistic weapons only incur minimal damage.
the RTS aspect is somewhat more of a handicap than an actual game, as while you duel, the entire battle can go wrong. Thereforce, keeping an eye on your tacmap and paying attention to battle chatter is crucial.
Unit management comes in a similar form as ground control, but instead of squads of 8, you command hordes of thousands of infantry, or tens or hundreds of hovertanks. The goal is, of course, to gain the upper hand on a much larger army by flanking, cornering or bombarding.
Well, that's all i can think of, at the moment. more on it later.
Last edited by IgnusDei; 28th May 04 at 11:23 AM.
a Five Star Stories RTS/mechsim hybrid.
while you stomp around inside your 100-foot laser blade wielding robot, you command legions of foot soldiers, hovertanks and other "mortar heads" (what the mechs are called) against...another army of mortar heads and infantry.
AND airships, too!
the mechsim gameplay will mostly involve you walking or running around seeking out the enemy and mercilessly crushing his army beneath your giant heel. You also need to make sure your opponent's mortar heads don't do the same to your army, and so you have to intercept them and initiate a lasersaber duel (with controls that would put Jedi Knight 2's to shame). while saber strikes on any other part of the body slowly degrades armor, cutting or stabbing the head and chest is an instant kill (FFS fans will know why
The SLOWER way involves overwhelming MH's either with artillery fire or dozens of hovertanks. Note that armor on an MH is extremely resilient, and ballistic weapons only incur minimal damage.
the RTS aspect is somewhat more of a handicap than an actual game, as while you duel, the entire battle can go wrong. Thereforce, keeping an eye on your tacmap and paying attention to battle chatter is crucial.
Unit management comes in a similar form as ground control, but instead of squads of 8, you command hordes of thousands of infantry, or tens or hundreds of hovertanks. The goal is, of course, to gain the upper hand on a much larger army by flanking, cornering or bombarding.
Well, that's all i can think of, at the moment. more on it later.
There is such a game
called
Metal Fatiuge
#113
you don't control those mechs in metal fatigue...well, not in a 3rd person perspective, anyhow.
oh, and you don't control the units by squad.
So no
there is
no such game
as far as i know.
#114
I think I should clarify, then, that I didn't mean develop the game and THEN make the story around it. I meant select the genre and select the general components of the gameplay, and build the general story around this, and finish the details of the game so they adhere to the story - but keep it flexible as much as possible until the very end. If you throw together a haphazard collection of thoughts about how the game is going to work, it'll be a jarring experience - but there should still be room for last minute creativity. If you try to police it too much, your programmers will HATE you because they're just grunt labour trying to meet your godlike infallible vision, and believe me, nobody wants to do that.I have to point out that there is one thing that I disagree wiht in retros design process, if you focus on the game to much and try to build a universe around it the story comes out, to say the least, patchy.
In short, rough out the story and rough out the gameplay, and then extend to greater detail on both. Sometimes mission authors have GREAT input on ways to achieve mission plot objectives - you'd be foolish not to listen to them.
Here's how I'd do it if someone asked me to build a .plan in 5 minutes and a six-pack.
1) Pick a general game setting and genre (which we're doing)
2) Create a story team and a game design team.
3) Story team and design team work together to rough out the look and feel of the universe and its characters. The result is a short (NO MORE than 5 pages, including pix) document with preliminary sketches that describes what the game will try to do. Precise details and rationalizations of the science behind the universe can come later - getting lost in detail at this point is fatal.
4) Design team creates a 'tech tree. Story team vets and assures it fits the universe. They go back and forth until it's accepted.
5) Using this, story team generates a mission path that fits within the universe context and allows the single player to climb the tech tree in a gradual fashion. The intent is to describe at the very highest level what happens in each mission, and the outcome of each mission, and that's it. An example follows
5) The design team reviews the mission team's documents to ensure everything is achievable, and the mission team goes into dormancy while the game is built. NOTE: if at any point, it turns out that some element of the 'tech tree cannot be achieved (for example, the Black Hole Spell can't be cast because the engine can't support negative light values), the failed component goes back to step 4) for adjustment.
- Mission 1: Tutorial. Character gets control of Grunt Type A, with access to a small Uranium Stockpile, and a Level 0 Research Lab. Character must defend against first enemy incursion, and capture one piece of research.
- Mission 2: Tutorial part 2. Character receives research options, and Grunt Type B and SquadLeader A upgrades. Character must meet with reinforcements to assault and destroy enemy base. At end of mission, character realizes the enemy base was friendly and his commander is a traitor and set him up.
- Mission 3: Main Game - flee for your life. (..that sort of thing. Note that everything is extremely high-level so as not to fence in the mission developers too tightly.)
6) The general game is constructed, and frequently quality-assured against the mission path to ensure the universe is not violated by any assets created by the design/development teams. This includes multiplayer and skirmish.
7) Development and intense testing proceed
...
(final step) The campaign and missions are authored, constructed, and fine-tuned to match the constructed game.
-- Retro
Your numbers are wrong ... you got 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 final. Other than that I'm with you.
#116
5 pages doesn't give you anything Retro. I have several game design docs of my own, simply explaining the interface can take pages and pages. You should be thorough and provide as much detail while doing it the first time around. Designers will not ask as many questions if they understand it when they first read it.
Doing both game and universe design at the same has it merits. IE for an RTS, explaining about buildings makes sense (for a sim, buildings mean nothing). However, I think it detracts from universe creation because your mind is focused on one path.
You'll end up creating a very predictable universe and leaving other things out (that may be important in future projects, or even if somethign happens during design and you have to rethink concepts). Linear storys have gone the way of the dinosaur. Having an evolving story and universe based on the player, and not on the missions, allows indepth player choices, the unpredictable factor, multiple endings - replayability.
#117
A1, The Executive Summary (aka Five Pager or Design Treatment) is a basic concept of the game concept and a description of the game, including the basic plot, the gameplay, the demographics, the flow of the game from the starting scenario to several typical endings, and the game's features (graphics audo, hardware, license). The executive summary is a short concise information promotion document, ideally fice pags, for the excutives (sumbitters) to grasp your game's concept, gameplay, and features.
Last edited by Bonnet; 28th May 04 at 5:15 PM. Reason: speeling :p
With my ideas (whatever form of art) I tend to invent a universe, then build on that what is needed.
So, make it into a game, story, picture, design hwatever... but it all has the same starting point.
Unfortunatly we all start with random, unjoined ideas sometimes.
#119
Loco - thanks. I can suggest management processes fairly well, I just can't count.
A176, why do you need to describe the interface to the game in the very early stages? Your approach might work if you're the guy who pays everyone's salaries, and everyone involved has something at stake if they don't adhere to your particular vision, but I can assure you it will encounter serious resistance in any sort of project that a community of volunteers would work on. By mapping everything out to the Nth degree on day one, and then telling everyone "you have to do this exactly as it's given here", you're making the project very hard to be flexible - and flexibility = fun, when you're on a project like this.
The biggest challenge is not producing good work yourself - there's a huge amount of talent on this forum, and there's lots of great stuff that's already been done by various individuals. It's producing it as a volunteer team. Check out the HW2 modding forum and see how many successful mod projects are produced by teams to see what I mean here.
Plus, what zbob said, although I'm trying to avoid business-speak here.
-- Retro
#120
Ah well, there's a difference between a summary and a full doc
Anyways, I did not mean to imply to do absolutey everything in one go, that of course would be foolish (as you have pointed out). I do imply however that getting alot (if not all) of the concepts and details down the first time around will save a lot of work later on.
I guess, this is how I would do things, and perhaps you have a different idea on how to approach it. Absolutely nothing horrid about either
ps. as much as we would like to make a game based totally on what we want to see and do, it probably wont apply to the masses. its always a good idea to think for others, rather than yourself
#121
I had a look at that moe. Doesnt really look that great, And ours would play completely different. Ta for the link though.
#122
I know yours would play differently, just wanted to point it out, maybe we could rip off a few ideas... I mean look for inspiration there.
There are a few missions where you have to fly a plane, at one time a biplane. Fits very well with the whole steampunk theme. I like your universe.
lol
Lets make LOTR 40K !
Could you please explain what a Steampunk is?
Its not like we will get any ideas passed you, you've decided on what the game is going to be already
Is there not a game already like that, Nomad something or other it was called.
I would prefer a non-0g steampunk style game. Zeppilins, hot air ballons, gliders and simple low tech planes. Set in a kinda 1600-1800s tech mix, with almost unrecognisable tech and culture.
#125
Quick OT- Retro, I posted early on in the BZII boards for a few months, and I think I might actually remember you! Small world...
I don't know why people are likening up to steampunk so much; if we're gonna pick an alternate universe like that, let's move up the timeline a bit and do nuclear, WWII style. Forget steam-powered giant robots- what we need are some nuclear-powered giant robots! Crazy Nazi robots, too.
TheGeneral
Last edited by TheGeneral; 31st May 04 at 8:02 AM.
[The Guide] says that the effect of a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
hmmm Kentucky Fried Nazis ....
*I may have to edit this for clarity. I am using quick post, and trying to tell people an idea, without writting a book*
I actually like the mercenary idea also...
Maybe with different focus though. I personally still like starships and battlefleets for RTS type stuff and for piloting too, but if the other ideas mentioned were done well it could still be cool.
My vauge/general idea is this. (as already stated) You are in control of a mercenary company. Perhaps start with you forming it? Perhaps on a planet in a "poorish" area and you start as a VERY small ground company. When you get big enough, you take a contract as part of a large battle, but your allies double-cross you. You end up assaulting your employer's HQ and end up with a bad rep and some substantial loot. This basically means you have enough money to get a few small ships, and you need to run. So you go to space and work your way up as a group for higher. Could possibly be set as in system...battles for asteroid wealth and fusion products from jupiters atmosphere.
I personally think the idea of governments hiring a mercenary force is a bad fit unless you make it a galactic thing and a small back water colony hires mercenaries because they have no army. So as appossed to this, I propose that several large corperations are actively fighting each other for dominance. All combat would break down to money (wich makes a good setting for mercenaries). You are an indepandant group that is highly competant and doesn't pick sides. Eventually there could be some plot where you group became important in a general sense (turn tide in a big battle, slowly unit mercenaries under your flag and gain a empire a peice at a time, whatever...... lots of possibilities)
I think this would work better with some RPG elements (mainly upgrading units/weapons, although experiance in strat games is personally not appealing. I think you as a player should be the representation of experiance...aka the better you play/strategize, the better your company performs) for mercenary ships/units.
I would also like to see a few times where elements of piloting (if anyone goes with spaceships) are used.
So in summary, my idea is basically:
1: RTS with some RPG elements for you mercenary force (NOT levels, but tech of troops)
-never a huge mercanary hord, but powerfull with less because decking out a full merc ship/power armor is so expensive they are more like knights were... had to buy/provide own equipment, highly trained, etc
2: piloting segments of game (if people like spaceships still) possibly similar to battlezone
3: eventually exerting a large change in government with your mercenaries
-possibly carving a kingdom by force
-or maybe becoming "adopted" by a government that has similar outlooks
4: Large corperations (internationals if whole game on a planet, interplanetary if not) as employers instead of governments.
I think you could have a game that took applicable features from several categories and is still good.... as long as it only takes elements and features, but remains at heart a certain type of game.
*Also, VERY important* I think once you are sent into an engagement, it is set unit combat. You have any saves (in SP) before you customize/upgrade your units. Alot of stuff is modular, so you have to get your merc force to suit the mission they are on. Any merc that dies is gone, you have to hire more.... so it forces you to become more efficient with your men.
Interesting to see how this works in MP though.... perhaps a campaign consisting of 3 battles with losses and money improvements being the effects on units??? So one person wins by accomplishing an objective (killing so many opposing troops, destroying an emplaced defense, making the enemy retreat), and they get some advantages because of that but not so much that the next battle couldn't be won by the other player.
Also, if no one likes the space fleet thing, how about a power armor merc squad?? Mechs could also work, but I never saw the reason for making them humanoid, while power armor atleast has an excuse.
Or how about putting that in 100 words or less and then posting it in the right thread?
#129
FluxX - search this thread for a deffy of "Steampunk".
Nomad sucked. I played the demo and the concept was rather clever but the execution was atrocious.
-- Retro
i dunno if s1 posted this already - i just didn't want to read the whole thread!
what about a FPS about the head hunter mentioned in the cataclysm manual?
it would be cool to hunt down some taiidans or infiltrate and blow up some capital ships. what do you think?
/edit: in fact it ought to be an RTS: something like commandos would also be nice
#131
nah Ive said all I want to about my idea. Lets hear what you guys want now.
Knight, I like. Tossup now for me between fantasy and Sci-fi.
I also like the idea of having an MP game be a mini campaign between the sides.
If you got MSN/AIM, I'd like to talk to you about it.
AIM: Magus TLSC
MSN: p.scherrer@comcast.net
alright, not on AIM much anymore, but I could log on sometimes to check if anyone is there.
ID is orderedKnight
#134
Just wanted to say, if anyone actually finds my genre submission intriguing (Which no one will), I'm willing to expound upon it in (much) greater detail.
-Paladin
"Fear nothing except in the certainty that you are your enemy's begetter and its only hope of healing. For everything that does evil is in pain."
-The Maestro Sartori, Imajica by Clive Barker
Sorry knight, was in a game when you messaged.
Paladin, actually does sound kind of interesting. I'd be interested in hearing more.
Yeah me too! It seems that those that pimp their ideas here get people talking about them ... *sigh*
So yeah, Paladin ... how about we work something out? I ask you about your game and you tell me, and then you ask me about my game? :sneaky:
#137
No need for that LoCo. Expond Paladin! Expound!
"... Scattering lesser soldiers like chaff ..." <- You've even got a tagline for the box!
#138
OI! I have one! Wait, I need to find my old files so I can post them here. btw, it's an MMORPG concept.
#139
Ok then, let me expound.
The setting for this game is something I devised for tabletop RPGs long long ago, based on the world I used to write stories about as a little boy.
The idea is that in this world, there are people who are "gifted". They can be trained to use abilities and powers that would be considered superhuman. Such an individual is obviously extraordinarily valuable.
The setting is feudal. While various realms are governed differently, the basic structure is essentially a feudal system. You have the nobility, and commoners, and in some cases a serf class. Now being gifted doesn't make you noble automatically, nor does it confer any official, technical class superiority to the gifted individual. In practice however, you will be wealthy and be able to get away with a lot, because you are hard to replace.
Only one in every 2 or 3 thousand people are gifted.
Now the basic political entity in this world is a Clan. The human portion of this world (Which is the majority of the landmass) is divided into domains controlled by Clans. Clans break down into Houses, which are the smallest unit. These obviously represent noble families, not the entire population. These also don't translate to the typical game definition of "clan". They're not user created, they are pre-existing factions with NPC leaders (To start with) that your character is "born" into. Think of choosing your side during character creation in Anarchy Online.
The reason I'm explaining all this is that your gameplay is based around your political affiliations. Your House, your Clan, your Guild. Houses vie for primacy within a clan. The Lord of the House which dominates a clan is the Clan Lord as well. Clans war for territory. Adding another layer to this, your character has a Guild as well (Since you're one of the Gifted, which means you are trained by one of the Guilds) to whom you owe allegiance. Those allegiances can come into conflict at times, when the interests of your Guild conflict with the interests of your Clan.
Player defined groups exist in the form of Brotherhoods, which are informal (And oftentimes secret) organizations typically working towards a specific goal, but sometimes just a bond of friendship.
The idea is to create actual ties between the character and the setting. Existing MMORPGs cast you as a "stranger in a strange land" in many ways. You don't feel a part of the setting. You have no family, no roots, no job, no home. In this you're not a wandering adventurer living off the land and the gold that for some reason you can find in every cave. You actually have a job. You start as a retainer for a manor lord. You have to protect the manor from attack, aid in quelling the local monsters, and engage in skirmishes with the forces of neighboring lords. As a retainer you obviously have your own room in the manor, or even your own home and land. Jobs vary based on your Guild. If you're a member of the Swordsman's Guild, you'll be sent out to do things like lead a squad of NPC soldiers on various combat missions. If you're a Ranger you might have a small group of huntsmen, and an area of the forest you have to keep clear of unruly mobs.
Now the mobs are part of the cool factor here. They aren't just preassigned or random spawns. In fact, they don't spawn at all unless they've been made extinct (In which case a breeding group will spawn somewhere randomly to repopulate the race). what they do is breed. They behave according to a behavioral script. Say we're talking about Orcs. Whenever a group of Orcs come together, if there are both males and females, young will be produced at a pace specific to the mob species. As their population grows, they will build a settlement (Little mud buildings start appearing...). If no one comes in and clears them out, they will eventually hit a population limit value which represents them outgrowing their available resources. At that point they will take one of many options based on their behavior type. If they're set aggressive like Orcs, they will go out looking for someone else to steal food from. Like your employer's manor for instance
But along the way there will be signs that the Orc population is getting dangerously high. You'll be more and more likely to get ambushed by Orcs on your way through the forest, you'll start finding burned out serf farms. Your employer will probably start giving you assignments to go protect something under attack by Orcs, or even to go destroy an Orc settlement.
If however all the manor's retainers fail to notice what's happening, eventually you have to deal with an army of Orcs attacking the manor (Which could actually be fun!). If the manor gets destroyed you (And it can, if you don't win) you're out of a job, your house is destroyed, you have no money, and you'll have to find another manor to go work at.
If you do well you might get knighted at some point, become the lord of the manor yourself, and have to watch your funds, hire retainers, and give them the ocassional assignment (Though much of that would be handled by your NPC steward). Given time you could be a Clan Lord.
And the combat, oh the combat would be awesome. Depending on the situation you could be leading a small squad into a settlement to kill a specific target, or you could be the leader of one squad in a massive army that includes 10 other player controlled heroes and their squads, in a huge scale confrontation with equally large enemy armies with either NPC or player controlled heroes in command.
If you've ever played Dynasty Warriors you can envision what those battles would be like. Fast paced action, enemy grunts going flying in all directions, and the thrill of dueling the enemy commander.
All with a rich political system to back it up.
And if you don't want to be involved in the PvP and intense politics, there's a specific faction the Imperials, that you can create a character in, which represent the faction of the "High King", and can't be taken over by players. The Emperor is always an NPC. This is to maintain some level of stability in the game.
So anyway, I could go on and on and on... But I'll stop here. Thoughts?
Me likey.
Also, the political system sounds good as an independant entity, something that could be grafted on to other concepts like my merc company idea has.
Two questions though about your realm-
-How common is magic/divine intervention/psionics/etc. and what form does it take?
-What happens when your character dies?
#141
Magic is common. Powerful magic is uber-rare.
Basically, you have incantaric stuff that is commonly known. Everyone and their brother will know a simple charm or two. However very few people know any significant number of spells or any powerful ones. There's a Mages' Guild and they are very jealous about their domain. Technically any use of magic that isn't authorized by them is a crime (Keeping in mind they're a titled Guild).
However, their magic is what's called High Magic, and the stuff that's known commonly is Low Magic... Incantaric formulae that work because the Guild set them up to work. The Guild's magic is a matter of various mental disciplines. They license other guilds to use some magic, and those guilds pay the Mages' Guild for the privelege.
However, the reason the Gifted are able to do the things they do is basically magic, just a reflexive, instinctive sort of magic, and that doesn't fall under the Mages' Guild's purview.
There's divine intervention, but only through the actions of priests. The Gods don't act on the world of their own accord, but rather grant powers to their followers.
I hadn't worked out a death system yet. Obviously this is an adaptation of tabletop rules. On the other hand if you went with a smaller server size like I'm suggesting, you'd be able to implement a whole array of rulesets, from perma-death to respawn. Would be interesting to see how they all went over.
Interestingly enough, my tabletop rules actually allowed for ressurection, but it was pretty complicated. Clerics might or might not be able to ressurect you, depending on what kind of mood their God was in that day. Necromancers were a better option, but you had to get the corpse to them in time or the result wouldn't be human, strictly speaking...
-Paladin
Owww but I wanted an excuse to expand on my idea ... it really is rather good. *HINT HINT* (And before anyone tells me to just post it, I'm trying to stick to the original theory of this thread ... so I NEED someone to ask me about it.)
Title: Pax Terra
Genre: Political Simulator/Empire Builder/RPG
Setting: Earthlike world ( Terra ) in a timespan ranging from the 18th to the mid 21st Centuries.
Pax Terra is a game about politics really. Any sort of Campaign mode would start off in the 18th Century. The "units" you start off with depends on your choice of government. (Monarchy, Democracy, Aristocracy, Empire, Dictatorship, Republic, Federation, Confederacy) This would be sort of an automatic "challenge level" as the harder governements to lead would be the ones with the most people to control.
Empires might have distant revolts in conquered, Federations would have squabbles between factions and member states, Dictatorships will have the everpresent threat of revolution. Empires, Federations, and Dictatorships will have entire nations under their rule.
The mid difficulty level would be Monarchies and Republics. A player's monarchy might start him off as a Lord or lesser noble, in service to a Prince or similar Royal authority. Republics would be small nations that have a healthy mixture of cities and rural areas in them. So to be elected to lead a Republic, you must first consolidate a power base. Should you cater to the needs of city dwellers, or are small town folk your faithful constituency? {Note a Dictatorship might fit well within this group}
The easiest level of difficutly is rounded out by Aristocracies, Democracies, and Confederacies -the smaller powers-. {Note that Aristocracy can mean any number of things, as of now it is the general term for a government of powerful people with no real title or a government ruled by a corporation} All of these governments start of in either cities, states, provinces, or counties. {Again this can be a further level of difficulty} Aristocracies are ruled by a select few people. As a result, if things are going bad for your people, you may have an uprising. Or there is the threat of assassination by your rival aristocrats. A Democracy is determined by election solely. You have to be welcomed by people to be voted. {A Charisma factor?} Most issues must be voted on. As a result, your position is more of executor, the people really decide what to do. Of course, you could persuade them to your will.... A Confederacy is the interesting one of the last group. You essentially plot out what your government is (Must be elected, must have some form of constitution, must have seperated powers) and do with it as you please. However, your territory will be other smaller powers, which of course will rival your nation. So you have a choice, beat them, or join them. If you are extremely diplomatic, you can convince the others to join in a larger Confederacy, one that could rival the size of a Republic. You would have control of your original government, but you now have a say in the larger one as well.
In each government you must deal with rival factions, Empires have military leaders, Monarchies have rival royal houses, Federations have to deal with other politicians, Dictatorships have to deal with revolutionaries [and possible outside influence], Democracies have to deal with the omnipresent voting populace, Aristocracies have to deal with aforementioned rival leaders, and Confederacies have to deal with the will of the people and the suggestions and demands of other Confederate members. In all governments you have the wants of your populace determining things. Maybe your people have stressful lives and have to resort to drug use? Do you find out the cause of the drug use and correct it or clamp down with police state measures. Maybe they get media from other nations that influence their thinking? Do you implement these ideas or close off your nation to outsiders? Perhaps you are threatened by another government? Do you negotiate or declare war? Maybe religion plays a vital part in society? Do you try to pander to a religion or stop all of them cold? {I forgot to mention a Theocracy government... Possibly a wildcard in the difficulty level}
This won't be like Age of Empires or Sim City. You can't simply drop buildings and they work or zone them. The people have already done that. You can give contracts for someone to build something needed, but that'd be about it.
You'd have to manage things like money, the morale of your people (governed by their jobs, the media, and the conditions of society), and the general day to day operation of your nation. War would be essentially a numbers game. You give the money to build and research technologies like tanks and airplanes, and better train troops. You have to keep their morale up as well. By pay raises, or getting celebrities to visit them at bases in your country or in the field. You can decide where to place bases and camps and that is the extent you can micromanage your army. You can also get projects like space programs.
The one thing you can micromanage is the offices of your government. You can decide how your justice system works. You can choose from a pool of candidates for certain offices, or they are elected by the people. You can endorse candidates too. You might be offered bribes by groups to do something for them. If you take the bribe and don't do as you are asked, you could be killed or exposed by the media. You can set the guidlines for things like employment (Must they work from 7:00 am to 9:00 P.M?) or laws. (Chewing gum little Timmy? Naughty naughty naughty!) Be careful, laws can be disliked by the people.
You are a character of sorts and you may possibly be free to move about your city or territory. When in negotiations, your politician could be in a room with other renderings of politicians... You could choose options in a menu screen of sorts.
Summary:
1) Your choice of basic government sets the tone.
2) You have control of the government offices, governed again by your choice of government.
3) You must keep the people content. Pay attention to what they do.
4) You must be diplomatic. Pay attention to what other nations do.
5) War is something best left to the soliders and officers, not you.
6) Your decisions must be palatable to the populace.
7) The Media can hurt or help you.
8) The goal is to lead your nation to greatness.
9) You need to have chosen characteristics. Like your ability to instill fear in people, charismatically lead them, the ability to negotiate with other people.
10) This can be multiplayer in an online persistant world.
Last edited by [DP]StewMitch; 1st Jun 04 at 8:45 PM.
#144
Taking up that idea Captain Pierce had about a colony on a gas giant, [interesting ide btw :thumb:] and developing it a bit further, creating a feeling similar to the idea vijil has
'Humanity' has spread itself throughout the galaxy, distinguishing itself with a great amount of arogance, stuborness and resilience. FTL travel is possible, but the time and energy cost to rip through space are enourmous, yet Military powers, corporations, and even some civilians have been able to use this form of travel. FTL communication is possible, but requires a Tachyon generator. [RARE]. In an attempt to shoe it's supremacy, 'humanity' established a set of colonies on a gas giant, aproximatly 1.4 times as massive as jupiter. It was the pride and glory of mankind. like all symbols of power, it came under attack. Not directly, but indirectly. Several dozen years after it was opened, the colony's star imploded, cutting communications with the rest of mankind. Desperate, the colonists knew that they would perish if they would'nt find a new sourch of energy. [Technicly, yes they could survive on the gas giant for decades.] The second gas giant in the system, was at the point of becoming a proto-star. all it required was a spark. With the last space.capable ships, the colonists created this spark. A new sun was born.
With this new sun came a period of darkness and degeneration, for most. The second implosion destroyed most data banks, eliminating the history of these people, and technology to re-gain contact with the rest of the world.
18 Colonies survived out of the initial 24 that were created. Floatin in the orange mist and storms of the giant, civilizations sprung to life, and the following wars destroyed them. Each colony was self-sustaining, yet trade did florish between colonies. Resources were traded from the lower colonies to the upper ones, and energy was sent down to the lower ones. The lower colonies were the ones that degenerated, relying on steampunk, boyuncy, and H.G.wells-esque technology. THe upper colonies, on the other hand, had retained many abilities in the area of high-technology, giving them a magical feel to them , i.e. creating objects out of thin air, levitatin, telekenisis, telepathy, ect.
As for the Genre, well anything could work, but a mix of RTS/RTT/FPstrategy/tactical would be best. Battlezone or Natural selection.
You start out as the 'captain' of the 19th colony. a prototype colony built by all colonies, to be used as a trading hub, a general Neutral area. It is here that steampunk and magic/hightech meat, creating a melting pot for mankind. Neutral you start, but as you gather informatin, and spread out your colony, you gain acces to informatino that you shouldn't have. when you try to publicize the informatino, the upper colonies call you a spy , accusing you of working for the lower colonies, the later who say that they never told you to do anything similar. Now you have multiple enemies, with little defencsive capabilities, you must join a side if you are to survive.
From here on it's a struggle for survival as each side/colony wants to destroy the other. Trade breaks down, except for the ocational dropship with an escort. Pirating has become the normal, with rumours of nomad colonies, large zeplins/submersibles basicly.you eventually are contacted by the nomads, who warn you of an upcomming invasion from the upper colonies.
No matter how much you prepare, the invasive force has many saboteurs on bord, and the lower colonies refuse to help. You are forced to flee, and eventually are picked up by the nomads.
Ect, the rest could be opene minded, but it would be interesting if your goal was to aid the nomads conquor all the colonies, and re-establish contact with the rest of mankind.
Another possible aspect could be building bases and weapons on orbiting moons, thereby completly leaving the gas giant behind. ect, like i said, it's open ended. But the basi anti-grav/floating colony rts/fps idea does intrigue me, esp the fact that it takes place on/in a Gas giant
Last edited by Ammon Ra; 2nd Jun 04 at 9:44 AM.
*mildly disgusted with negative price discrimination*
Well this turned out to be a flop. This thread and the other seem to be being used for the same thing ... I guess I'm just a sucker for having things done the way we are told to do them. I mean, the other thread is now no longer subject to the 100 word rule ... Aaah well, I guess this will one day be a good idea, just not now, not till people learn to read ...
#146
Not quite a flop, Loco. Some good ideas got exposed, and some people are thinking.
The problem is there's too many ideas, and not many people are really interested in reading a large number of other people's alternatives when they have their own pet project to expand on and they know that only one direction can be selected out of the bunch. I've a thought or two on how to cut the numbers down, and might do something on the weekend.
-- Retro
#147
LoCo this is not supposed to be a quick process.
The whole posting of a million words and ideas is part of the learning curve. We learn from it, and adapt processes to continue the idea.
At this time I am keeping this open so people can get out of thier systems what they want to put down.
Retro is right there are too many ideas, and each one is MASSIVELY long. The idea was to get a joint concensus on one genre or basic idea then let everyone work on it together, not have one person dictate thier idea to everyone.
I think this is a good purge so ppl can then come back to it and we'll do it simply. I think we'll look at having a simple poll on a genre type, then we'll vote for different aspects of that genre being elements to add. From there ppl can add thier ideas about the various elements.
As Retro said, up until now at the very least so far we've got people thinking. Did you think it woud happen in a week? A neat little idea, that gets organised written up and published in a few days?
Sit back let the ideas flow and later on we'll get some great ideas from whats been put down and work on a single game concept.
Heh ok fine. I'm just sulking coz nobody is talking about my idea :\
#149
and it's kind of hard to compress these ideas down to 100 words
#150
true. Just let everybody step up and pour out the creative stuff.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
