Team name:
WiE (Name subject to change)
Project name:
Decision at Thunder Rift (Name subject to change)
Brief description:
This game is a 3rd person shooter with in-mech combat, out-of-mech combat, and a great story. We feel that, as good as the Mech Warrior series is (and other mech games as well), companies have never really gotten the mech game right. We want to create a game that really makes the player feel the awe of being inside an actual giant, walking, machine. Sense of scale is going to be paramount to deliver the aesthetics we're trying to achieve. The out-of-mech combat is there to supplement that, and to bring more character to the person inside the machine. The player should feel like they are the pilot, not the machine. With the mechs, we plan on having systems for weapons (guns, missiles, lasers, etc), heat sinks, enemy tracking, localized damage, and of course destructive environments. With the infantry, we plan on using a smartly adapted version of the mech combat system and tweak it a little so that it feels like the player is controlling a person instead of a giant machine. The contrast between the two will be key. For fans of Mech Warrior, Battletech, or just mech games in general, you'll feel right at home with us.
Target aim:
Our target aim is to create a mind-blowing vertical slice for a demo and use that to get funding to create the full game. Our current platform target is PC; releasing on other platforms is still a possibility.
Compensation:
There's no up-front money for this project. There is the possibility of royalties and/or the possibility of being hired on to make the full game.
Technology:
We have done the research on Unity and UDK, and we believe we could get a great product out of either one. Right now we're leaning toward UDK, but if the Lead Programmer has a preference, it would definitely change our minds.
Talent needed:
We're looking for a Lead Programmer who can be in charge of the technical design of the game, and take on a bulk of the coding right now. That person would also be in charge of interviewing, selecting, and delegating work to other developers that join the team. It's a great opportunity to get experience leading other developers in a creative and professional environment.
Team structure:
We've been collaborating for more than a month now, and our team consists of:
Darren - Writer
Philip - 3D Modeler
Tom - Lead Artist
Nick (me) - Project Manager, Game Designer
Website:
No site yet, still working on it...
Contacts:
Please feel free to email me directly at nickfrushour@gmail.com
Previous Work by Team:
I have been leading teams of 3 - 12 people to complete games on time for the past 2 years. Projects I've managed have been from 2 weeks to 6 months. I have played key roles in more than a dozen released mobile games, and have won awards from sites like pocketgamer for design work.
Additional Info:
The biggest difference between our game and other mech games is going to be how the player feels. Through careful animation, great sound effects, and immersing storyline the player will feel like they are the pilot inside the mech, not just the mech itself. We're giving the pilots full character treatments to help them feel as real as possible. The main character is Grayson Death Carlyle; the player is going to experience all his struggles, decisions, and victories.
The controls play a big part of the aesthetics as well; if the player selects the lightest mech, the controls should still feel like they are driving a huge machine instead of feeling like they're running around a Modern Warfare level.
Right now, there is no plan for multiplayer; we're working hard to try and create some really unique AI that act like they're in a universe where mechs are real and pilots know their machine's limits. This game is going to occasionally put players in the position to make the hard decision of hitting the override button, firing your laser, and overheating vs cooling down and trying to find cover. We need a unique AI system that can handle the decisions a mech pilot can make.
These are some early concept models we created:
[attachment=4832:RFL_Eleven.jpg]
[attachment=4833:26.jpg]
[attachment=4834:IS_Light_Locust_Eight.jpg]
Feedback:
ANY
*EDIT: Added more info about our game.
[WANTED] Lead Programmer for Mech Game
[font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]Hello, I'm a dev working on a mech universe type of game but in a different way (RTS like) so i'll try to give you a hand by asking you couple questions...[/font][size=2]Do you really think that a 3rd person view is more realistic/immersion[size=2] than a first person view from the cockpit i'm mistaken on you goal?[font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]How do you plan players to play together?[/font][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]Anything in your game mechanic that will make you game different? (In your brief description you describe mechwarrior in a 3rd person view)[/font][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]
[/font][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]Anyway, I wish you luck and if your game is really good I'll be the first to pay for it
[/font][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]
[/font][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]NDrew[/font]
[/font][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]Anyway, I wish you luck and if your game is really good I'll be the first to pay for it
[/font][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2][/font][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]NDrew[/font]
Hi,
McMuzzle is right. There are some wrinkles in your concept which should be refined so that you can drill down to the essence which will differentiate your game from the previous iterations. I mostly support your statement that it hasn't been done right (with the exception of the original Mechwarrior from 1989 -- I still believe that it set the bar highest). Is it really the player perspective which led to other games missing the mark, or are there other factors at play? What makes your version different from the other games? I think there are a few elements of interest in your description, but it sounds like your development could still stray into the same type as previous Mechwarrior or MechCommander without a more concrete idea of where you want to go. Is your objective to make something along the lines of Gears of War III with the ability to get in and out of mechs? Is it to make a more legitimate port of MechAssault
A few thoughts:
Standing Apart from Predecessors
Complexity: I feel that the Mechwarrior franchise gradually shifted from a simulator approach to a simplified shooter (e.g. MechAssault series) and became rather cartoony. You could find something unique in trying to make the game feel more realistic (think playing ARMA II with Mechs). I think this is what you are hinting at when you mention movement. Most games have the mechs moving pretty much the same way as a person would. The sense of tremendous mass feels diminished due to twitchy shooter control.
Game focus: Almost every take on Mechwarrior is based on taking up the mantle of the titular combatant while mounted in his mech. Perhaps focusing on the RPG aspect could open up new possibilities. What if most of the time is spent as a dismounted warrior fighting in epic battles against more conventional types of ground and air forces with the occasional sight of battlemechs to give you an appreciation of how awesome the technology is. Eventually, the player can eventually work their way to piloting a mech, but should have to earn their way there. I think drawing inspiration from the model developed for Crescent Hawk's Inception, and the Crescent Hawk's Revenge would be brilliant, and certainly help your game stand out from the crowd and return battletech/mechwarrior computer gaming back to its roots.
Another option could be to look at a different game scale. I don't believe Battleforce operational level battles (or better yet strategic) level battles have ever been done as a computer game. This could be something like the Total War series which seamlessly spans grand strategy all the way down to small unit tactics. Perhaps you could look at an option similar to what was done in the brilliant 1942: Pacific Air War Gold, where you can run a large scale RTS setting to send user established forces on to missions against a dynamic enemy. When contact is made, the player can let the computer resolve combat, or he/she can plop down inside the cockpit of a mech, vehicle, or in the soldier's boots to run first/third person shooter.
You could also look at a serious tactical game like something along the lines of the Combat Mission series.
Current Development
There are a couple of serious contenders in development right now which you should consider when looking for something that would catch a potential investor's eye:
Piranha Games' Mechwarrior: With Jordan Wiseman, creator of the Battletech universe in the lineup, It's probably going to be hard for you to come up with something that die hard fans consider more in line with the universe. If their trailer is anything to go by, mech feel and movement certainly appear authentic, and the sense of scale is definitely present. Adding elements on foot would potentially help to distinguish from this game, but it is hard to say as there has been very little released since the trailer. There are some rumors that this is due to the inclusion of the Warhammer, one of the Unseen (see below for more).
Mechwarrior: Living Legends: Though I have not yet played it, MWLL certainly appears to have a firm grasp on a fun and eye-catching formula. Players can play in battle armor, aerospace fighters, ground vehicles and mechs. There even appears to be a 3rd person feature in discussion. Though I feel there is some degree of twitchy shooter, I think it looks very solid and would end up serving as a barometer for comparison to your initiative. It would therefore be advantageous for you to find ways that ensure that what you have in mind is not simply MWLL with a story.
Intellectual Property Issues
Unseen Mechs: As far as I know, all the mechs based on the Macross franchise remain unseen (except their IIC counterparts). Including the rifleman (or any of the others from that dozen) could lead you down one of those dark holes which seem to consume battletech efforts whole if you're eventually hoping to move this into something that makes money. Perhaps a significant revision of the look of each mech would suffice, but you must approach this conscious of the risk it represents for your project.
Setting
I had to go dust off my old copy of the book. It is a good story, and does certainly set the tone and provide the conditions I believe you're looking for to provide the sense of awe that battlemechs should project. As the first in the line of battletech novels, it is also well suited to your aim. I don't know whether trying to produce a game directly based on a book which is based on a well established franchise increases the difficulty of securing the IP rights. It could be worth considering setting up your own story along similar lines for this. The universe is vast and the possibilities are endless.
Episodic Game/Dovetailing with Spiral Development
I suspect building a full vertical slice of your game could take a long time to get right considering the scope of what you describe (mech bay/editor, dismounted, mounted combat, full mech technical dynamics - heat, damage, etc.). You may want to concentrate on zeroing in on one of those aspects in detail, while briefly exposing the others to provide context, but not devoting tons of work to sorting everything out. For example, provide a solid dismounted experience involving a castle or drop pad defender in the opening chapters with a mech on mech duel taking place in the midst of it. Alternatively, play the mech on mech duel with infantry forces fighting it out on the ground.
Once one of the aspects of the game mechanic are workable, you could start developing the others and fleshing out missions when you get your funding.
Conclusion
I agree that BT/MW universe is due for a solid treatment. I am certain there is a market out there for it. Who doesn't like the idea of giant war machines beating on each other? Focus ruthlessly on what distinguishes your venture from the others out there. My take is that the game has strayed away from breadth and depth of play to focus nearly exclusively on action.
Good luck, and I look forward to your game!
McMuzzle is right. There are some wrinkles in your concept which should be refined so that you can drill down to the essence which will differentiate your game from the previous iterations. I mostly support your statement that it hasn't been done right (with the exception of the original Mechwarrior from 1989 -- I still believe that it set the bar highest). Is it really the player perspective which led to other games missing the mark, or are there other factors at play? What makes your version different from the other games? I think there are a few elements of interest in your description, but it sounds like your development could still stray into the same type as previous Mechwarrior or MechCommander without a more concrete idea of where you want to go. Is your objective to make something along the lines of Gears of War III with the ability to get in and out of mechs? Is it to make a more legitimate port of MechAssault
A few thoughts:
Standing Apart from Predecessors
Complexity: I feel that the Mechwarrior franchise gradually shifted from a simulator approach to a simplified shooter (e.g. MechAssault series) and became rather cartoony. You could find something unique in trying to make the game feel more realistic (think playing ARMA II with Mechs). I think this is what you are hinting at when you mention movement. Most games have the mechs moving pretty much the same way as a person would. The sense of tremendous mass feels diminished due to twitchy shooter control.
Game focus: Almost every take on Mechwarrior is based on taking up the mantle of the titular combatant while mounted in his mech. Perhaps focusing on the RPG aspect could open up new possibilities. What if most of the time is spent as a dismounted warrior fighting in epic battles against more conventional types of ground and air forces with the occasional sight of battlemechs to give you an appreciation of how awesome the technology is. Eventually, the player can eventually work their way to piloting a mech, but should have to earn their way there. I think drawing inspiration from the model developed for Crescent Hawk's Inception, and the Crescent Hawk's Revenge would be brilliant, and certainly help your game stand out from the crowd and return battletech/mechwarrior computer gaming back to its roots.
Another option could be to look at a different game scale. I don't believe Battleforce operational level battles (or better yet strategic) level battles have ever been done as a computer game. This could be something like the Total War series which seamlessly spans grand strategy all the way down to small unit tactics. Perhaps you could look at an option similar to what was done in the brilliant 1942: Pacific Air War Gold, where you can run a large scale RTS setting to send user established forces on to missions against a dynamic enemy. When contact is made, the player can let the computer resolve combat, or he/she can plop down inside the cockpit of a mech, vehicle, or in the soldier's boots to run first/third person shooter.
You could also look at a serious tactical game like something along the lines of the Combat Mission series.
Current Development
There are a couple of serious contenders in development right now which you should consider when looking for something that would catch a potential investor's eye:
Piranha Games' Mechwarrior: With Jordan Wiseman, creator of the Battletech universe in the lineup, It's probably going to be hard for you to come up with something that die hard fans consider more in line with the universe. If their trailer is anything to go by, mech feel and movement certainly appear authentic, and the sense of scale is definitely present. Adding elements on foot would potentially help to distinguish from this game, but it is hard to say as there has been very little released since the trailer. There are some rumors that this is due to the inclusion of the Warhammer, one of the Unseen (see below for more).
Mechwarrior: Living Legends: Though I have not yet played it, MWLL certainly appears to have a firm grasp on a fun and eye-catching formula. Players can play in battle armor, aerospace fighters, ground vehicles and mechs. There even appears to be a 3rd person feature in discussion. Though I feel there is some degree of twitchy shooter, I think it looks very solid and would end up serving as a barometer for comparison to your initiative. It would therefore be advantageous for you to find ways that ensure that what you have in mind is not simply MWLL with a story.
Intellectual Property Issues
Unseen Mechs: As far as I know, all the mechs based on the Macross franchise remain unseen (except their IIC counterparts). Including the rifleman (or any of the others from that dozen) could lead you down one of those dark holes which seem to consume battletech efforts whole if you're eventually hoping to move this into something that makes money. Perhaps a significant revision of the look of each mech would suffice, but you must approach this conscious of the risk it represents for your project.
Setting
I had to go dust off my old copy of the book. It is a good story, and does certainly set the tone and provide the conditions I believe you're looking for to provide the sense of awe that battlemechs should project. As the first in the line of battletech novels, it is also well suited to your aim. I don't know whether trying to produce a game directly based on a book which is based on a well established franchise increases the difficulty of securing the IP rights. It could be worth considering setting up your own story along similar lines for this. The universe is vast and the possibilities are endless.
Episodic Game/Dovetailing with Spiral Development
I suspect building a full vertical slice of your game could take a long time to get right considering the scope of what you describe (mech bay/editor, dismounted, mounted combat, full mech technical dynamics - heat, damage, etc.). You may want to concentrate on zeroing in on one of those aspects in detail, while briefly exposing the others to provide context, but not devoting tons of work to sorting everything out. For example, provide a solid dismounted experience involving a castle or drop pad defender in the opening chapters with a mech on mech duel taking place in the midst of it. Alternatively, play the mech on mech duel with infantry forces fighting it out on the ground.
Once one of the aspects of the game mechanic are workable, you could start developing the others and fleshing out missions when you get your funding.
Conclusion
I agree that BT/MW universe is due for a solid treatment. I am certain there is a market out there for it. Who doesn't like the idea of giant war machines beating on each other? Focus ruthlessly on what distinguishes your venture from the others out there. My take is that the game has strayed away from breadth and depth of play to focus nearly exclusively on action.
Good luck, and I look forward to your game!
Author
Kodiak,
Thanks for your reply! It was thorough and insightful. I edited my post to reflect some of the issues you brought up. For the remaining issues, I will just leave in a comment here...
The in- & out-of-mech combat will be separate events. The player won't be able to just exit their mech in the middle of a battle. There's moments where, for example, the player is trying to steal a mech. He sees its pilot, and he sees the player. The both make a break for it and end up in combat where the winner gets the mech and the loser gets dead. Other examples might include an infantry raid on an enemy building, or getting separated from your mech and fighting your way back.
As far as the IP issues go, we are aware. Our plan is to create something Battletech and take it to the license-holders. Failing that, we can take what we have and create our own IP where we are not using other people's creative property.
I hope that answers everything! If it doesn't, please feel free to ask questions - I'll be happy to answer.
Thanks,
Nick
Thanks for your reply! It was thorough and insightful. I edited my post to reflect some of the issues you brought up. For the remaining issues, I will just leave in a comment here...
The in- & out-of-mech combat will be separate events. The player won't be able to just exit their mech in the middle of a battle. There's moments where, for example, the player is trying to steal a mech. He sees its pilot, and he sees the player. The both make a break for it and end up in combat where the winner gets the mech and the loser gets dead. Other examples might include an infantry raid on an enemy building, or getting separated from your mech and fighting your way back.
As far as the IP issues go, we are aware. Our plan is to create something Battletech and take it to the license-holders. Failing that, we can take what we have and create our own IP where we are not using other people's creative property.
I hope that answers everything! If it doesn't, please feel free to ask questions - I'll be happy to answer.
Thanks,
Nick
Author
It's not really going to be like StarSiege. That game came out so long ago, and couldn't really give itself the treatment that mech games deserve. In our game we will have a great sense of scale in every level, fully developed characters, and some really great AI (in lieu of multiplayer).
Nick
Nick
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