Name The Pony Rebellion (Name is a work in progress) Genre 2d side-scrolling platform game Background On the far-away planet of Silica-3, all the life forms are composed of crystalline silicate-materials, unlike the carbon-based organisms on Earth. Amongst the different life forms the planet there is a race of sentient ponies. They harvest and absorb special silicate crystal deposits as food. The ponies can regenerate their bodies using absorbed crystals, and as a defense mechanism, they can even fire bits of crystal at enemies. When firing the crystals, the ponies can mix special ‘enzymes’ with the crystal shards causing the pieces to become unstable so that they explode on impact, producing different sized explosions. Now, like most sentient civilizations the ponies have a government, and like most governments, the government taxes the citizens. The taxes are in the form of the crystals that the ponies harvest. The tax department is completely run by a group of special dedicated accountants and workers who run the collecting of the crystals. Story Further out from the sun than Silica-3, there is an asteroid belt. One day a rogue asteroid travels through the solar system missing Silica-3 by a wide margin, but it grazes the asteroid belt. The impact sends small fragments of asteroid from the belt towards the planet. The fragments smash through the roof of the accounting department building. Unbeknown to the building’s occupants, the fragments contain sentient silicate organisms. These infect the accountants and workers in the building altering their ‘genetic’ makeup, forcing them to help the organisms get what they require. Some of the infected ponies start mutating at different rates as the organisms alter their bodies to suit. The organisms wish to reproduce and spread across the planet, but in order to do this they need mass quantities of the silicate crystals used as taxes. So the accountants start taxing the populace more and more to get the required crystals. The ponies put up with the ever increasing taxes, but as more and more crystals are collected an increasing number of the population becomes sick and even die from lack of crystal. Before it is too late a rebellion is started to bring down the tax department and restore order. Game mechanics The main character of the story is a pony from the rebellion that you have to guide through different levels of a 2d side-scrolling platform collecting silicate crystals (as health and weapons), while at the same time avoiding or neutralizing traps, infected ponies and other enemies; the ultimate goal being to bring down the tax department and save the planet from the organisms. There are mini boss enemies (mutated ponies infected by the silicate organisms), and one final big boss enemy - the head of the tax department who has mutated the most. One you have gotten past all the enemies, you have to destroy the asteroid fragments to finally kill the organisms as there is a symbiotic link between them and the fragments. Platform Windows 32. Technology Programming: Delphi and freepascal. Libraries: SDL for graphics/input/sound, and scripting will be Lua (or homegrown scripting engine) for scripting and AI. Tools: Paint.NET and in-house editor programs for levels, etc. cheers, Paul [Edited by - paul_nicholls on October 2, 2007 10:47:25 PM]

Feel free to make comments, I am interested in what people think about my game concept :-)

cheers,
Paul

Quote:Original post by Lesan
Well, if you want feedback...
I like the setting and the story very much. A good idea.
However, I didn't understand, whether the pony population knows that accountants were infected. If so, the ponies would probably stop to pay taxes sooner.

As of the game mechanics, it would be interesting to put there
some effect caused by other ponies who participate in the rebellion.
Something like an ally or some kind of a support.

I'm glad you like the setting and story, thanks! :-)

As to the general pony population knowing about the infection, I hadn't thought about that <G>
I suppose that it was only when the taxes got really high and civilians started getting sick and dying that the ponies started to investigate, found out about the infection somehow and decided to do something about it.

Hmmm...I will have to think about the aspect of other ponies helping in some way the main character, could be a good idea :-)

cheers,
Paul