Quote:There are "violence" in the game but no violence that has emarged from the player(like in a standard fps)

you might be on to something here...

anyways. Dynamite is pretty violent, and a gun is gun to me, if it's a tranquilizer gun it's just an underpowered gun (at least, game-wise.)

Scary type game I like.. pretty violent though. But i've always wondered what a game about running away would be like, if done properly. maybe make you figure out who the killer is while he takes out NPCs. you know the drill.

But the explorer dealio... boy i'd like that. In fact, inspired by what you said and earlier posts, I see a four-tiered game (those who played MDK will see a resemblance here):

-Discover
-Deploy
-Explore
-Retrieve

Discover: in a BIG or series of smaller interconnected maps that you travel freely in, are a series of clues for hidden treasures/artifacts. You might have to rummage here and there, pick this or that book, or just look at the overly shiny thing on your desk. Some clues will be really obvious (as starter missions) and some really hidden (say, a map hidden inside a book that's in a library....). Some clues might lead to other clues for extra detective brownie points. NPCs should point you in the clue's general direction should you become desperate. The clues should contain general directions to find the treasure/artifact in the world and then inside the Explore stage.
Obviously the worse thing that could happen here is that you don't find anything and get bored.

Deploy: you deploy croft-style (or xXx, whatever) into wherever this artifact/treasure is. This could mean parachuting into a deep crater that's not accesible in any other way (except rappeling which isn't as exciting in a game... there's a place like that but I can't remember right now), could mean rafting in a river that goes into some underground caves, etc. Any exciting way of getting near the thing. Maybe even race the competing explorers.
You could die here, as an accident, but you can't harm others. You could also fail deployment in a way that doesn't kill you but means you must be extracted and will have to try again.

Explore: you SEARCH for the exact entry point. This would mean finding your way with a compass in a jungle(GPS are boring.. you could set it in 1980 or something), navigating an underground maze, talk with the locals and maybe request guidance or some other explorey type things. You could fail finding the dealio and request extraction at any time (and maybe go get more detailed clues).
Worst case scenario: you don't find it. You request extraction and go back to Discover mode. Maybe you'll need to Deploy again if you want to get back to Explore, maybe not... I'd say yes.

Retrieve: this is where you unadvertedly (and unavoidably) trigger this or that trap before or after nabbing the artifact/treasure and you must run and dodge. If you have yet to get the artifact you gotta dodge and make your way to it, then manage to get out.
Here either you escape or die trying. Still, you can't harm others (but others might harm themselves... they shouldn't be worried about harming you tho, things should be pretty hairy already).

As you see, the odd stages are the brainy type and the even stages are the exciting action type. Maybe you could choose to always skip one of these pairs at startup, as if to play the complete, the thinker's or the action game.

This is an idea I've been mulling over for a long time, but as y'all should know, game ideas are worthless, it's implementation what does it :)
Might give it a shot someday.

anyways, this post was long. Hope someone reads it XD

sigh, got an "servel-overload" and lost my message, testing again(this time in notepad :) )

I'm glad many liked my Adventurer idea, (sadly) it was not completely mine. I based it on the previous post by Trapper Zoid (#1 and #2 in hist post).

Madster mentioned theese stuff that could be in a non-violent game:
-sports
-racing
-puzzles that rely on quick reflexes (yes, tetris.)
-exploration with time limits (hacking games for example)

I rule out sports since it may be violent(car can crash, boxing, taekwondo, american footbal) and it's basicly copying an existing game.

I also rule out racing since IMHO it can not be made cool if we aren't allowed to crash the car in a cool way. Question: Is crashing a car (like need for speed: Underground) ok in a non-violent game if the cars are R/C's?

Some basicly I got two ides last time I wrote this so here they go:

#1:
You are a geek kid and your parents are evil and do evil magic.
Since you are a geek you can make cool gadgets, and you want to study your homework (for some reason you don't already know it). Since your parents are evil they change the world to stop you from doing it. They take you to different cool places(exploration on time) like forests, ruins etc.
Optional: It is possible to do some little quests in theese worlds, like saving cats. This could be some with acrobatics/swinging/climbing. If you fall you fail the world, but doesn't get damaged since they are your parents and doesn't want you to get harmed. End Optional.
They also sometimes transform your house into different labyrints. You'll have to find your way to your room in time to do the homework. There are many exits to the labyrint that lead to your room but since it it your house, your parents are also there. You'll have to avoid them since if you are spotted by them you are forced to watch TV! You have gadgets that can cause distraction etc.
Sometimes you older brother wants to play video-games with him. You have made a gadget that will allow you to study if you win. Naturly the game are puzzles that (possible) rely on quick reflexes

#2:
You are a photographer for some newspaper. Your job is to photograph the aliens. If they see you, they zap you with their telport-and-forget-beam. Later on you have to take civilians into the area(s) (specific place where they can see them good) where the aliens are since they(civilians) don't belive you. If they get zapped your boss gets angry(for some unknown reason).
Since your mind is special(think "Fry and the brain spawn"-episode from futurama) you don't forget stuff when you are zapped.

How about something like Loderunner but in first person? Could be quite fun actually.

Throwing acid and burying(sp?) people alive doesn't seem so non-violent to me ;) or are you thinking of another game(or am I)?

Quix was an attempt to create a game which was at the same time non-violent and somewhat different from other games. It basically came from combining a platformer with a racing game and adding a chasing element.