A Couple of Generic Concepts
Author
Type: Multiplayer RPG (50-100 players)
View: 2D-Isometric or rather clunky 3D (similar to FF7)
Setting: A single, albeit very large, castle/city under siege.
Character Creation: Cosmetic only.
The general idea is for more of a non-combat based game.
Consider 3 basic factions within the city, the Rogue's guild, Mage's guild, and the Order of the Knights. The basics of your skills would be very limited unless you join one of these factions, which would allow you the training offered by them. A mage trying to pickpocket would be common enough, but they would be very likely to get caught and their chances of acquiring much for their efforts would be very slim.
These factions would have a good deal of lore within them, as well as background information between the members (even cross faction). Randomly generated quests to assassinate, pickpocket, acquire information, imprison others, etc would be very common (especially against other players).
A very detailed spell crafting system for any would be Mage would be available, along with an equally detailed customizable combat system for Knights. Rogues would have very powerful lead strikes with strong stealth abilities, but their complexity would come in the form of Alchemy and Traps.
Combat inside the city would be more favored to the Rogues, in subtlety, while outside of the city would be a Knight's or Mage's playground. The style of combat outside of a city would be more like an older Final Fantasy battle, in having it be a separate instance from the regular world. Inside the city, however, would be live as you go.
NPCs would sleep, eat, sell/buy to one another, etc. The main focal point of the game would be interaction. Quests would be single target missions, rarely involving grind. Levels would be non-existent, giving way to more balance and lack of desire to progress your character with more emphasis on progressing yourself and/or the storyline.
The storyline would be centralized on you and your ability as a player, rather than as a character. Completing your missions will award you with fame among your guild, giving you more tasks to choose from (which would lead to different paths in the story). Along with more tasks to complete, more people would be more open with you allowing for the progression of player to NPC 'relationships'.
Once a certain status has been obtained, you would be approached by a representative of the castle to speak with so n so. This would progress the story further outside of the city and become more of a "you're the hero" from your point of view, although you would be destined to fail in stopping the siege, you would be victorious in acquiring something of worth to the King.
The idea is for a player to complete the storyline as they wish, while giving a multitude of other options for them, outside of mindless monster killing. The social aspect of the game would also be a tremendous factor, allowing for training with others and/or dueling. Arena combat, Siege combat, and Professions would also be very intense optional choices (ok, professions maybe not so intense, lol).
This is all I really have so far on the general concepts, but I have done up some pen/paper ideas on pre-combat systems (such as Alchemy, Spells, and regular attacks). The main goal is to keep players immersed within the game most of the time, but easily allow for pre-combat focus much like building a deck for a Magic: The Gathering game.
All opinions are more than welcome, but I'm mostly just wanting to get this thought out of my head a bit and into the hands of potentially more experienced individuals.
Quote:Original post by Mythics
All opinions are more than welcome, but I'm mostly just wanting to get this thought out of my head a bit and into the hands of potentially more experienced individuals.
Okay, here's an opinion, since you welcome them all: Doughnuts are sweet but crumbly. I wish I could eat them in the morning, but I can't eat them until later in the day, so my opinion is that folks who can eat doughnuts in the morning are lucky.
So, now that your spectacular game ideas are in the hands of more experienced individuals... what now?
Tom you need to be more dedicated to the way of the donut.
Mythics: Take the ideas you really like and flesh them out. Maybe write a paragraph or two of how you think the game should play out at a very high level. You mention that its non combat based and then list a fair bit of info on combat :s, maybe get rid of combat completely. You mention missions and quests, what are these, will the be adventure like quests where you most gather all the relevant information/items to acheive you goal. Also how will people leave a city thats underseige.
I'm not experienced so I'm handing the game idea back to you :). Work it; it could be fun to flesh it out. Then bring it back here and the good people on GameDev will be more than willing to critique it, everyone's a critic :p
Michael
Edit: Oh meant to mention...Check out other adventure games and think how you would work it into a multiplayer game.
Mythics: Take the ideas you really like and flesh them out. Maybe write a paragraph or two of how you think the game should play out at a very high level. You mention that its non combat based and then list a fair bit of info on combat :s, maybe get rid of combat completely. You mention missions and quests, what are these, will the be adventure like quests where you most gather all the relevant information/items to acheive you goal. Also how will people leave a city thats underseige.
I'm not experienced so I'm handing the game idea back to you :). Work it; it could be fun to flesh it out. Then bring it back here and the good people on GameDev will be more than willing to critique it, everyone's a critic :p
Michael
Edit: Oh meant to mention...Check out other adventure games and think how you would work it into a multiplayer game.
Author
Quote:Original post by GuthurMythics: Take the ideas you really like and flesh them out. Maybe write a paragraph or two of how you think the game should play out at a very high level. You mention that its non combat based and then list a fair bit of info on combat :s, maybe get rid of combat completely.
I just meant that the storyline was intended to be very non-combat oriented, as in spending 2 minutes pressing the same set of buttons. Progressing the story would be more of the political game, information gathering, etc. All the combat oriented aspects would be more or less a side aspect of the game much like professions are in most MMO games.
Quote:Original post by GuthurYou mention missions and quests, what are these, will the be adventure like quests where you most gather all the relevant information/items to acheive you goal. Also how will people leave a city thats underseige.
Thanks a lot for the questions, this is what I was hoping for as a reply (or at least something similar).
Quote:Original post by GuthurI'm not experienced so I'm handing the game idea back to you :). Work it; it could be fun to flesh it out. Then bring it back here and the good people on GameDev will be more than willing to critique it, everyone's a critic :p
Without having the resources, simply putting the idea together in a formal way is all I'm really intending to do with it, I've just never tried to do so before.
Thanks a lot for the help, very appreciated. :)
Quote:Original post by Tom SloperQuote:Original post by Mythics
All opinions are more than welcome, but I'm mostly just wanting to get this thought out of my head a bit and into the hands of potentially more experienced individuals.
Okay, here's an opinion, since you welcome them all: Doughnuts are sweet but crumbly. I wish I could eat them in the morning, but I can't eat them until later in the day, so my opinion is that folks who can eat doughnuts in the morning are lucky.
I'm not lucky, I just live near a Krispy Kreme.
How about buying a doughnut for the entire week and keeping them at the freezer? As long as you warm them up with the oven instead of the microwave they should still taste good.
Enough about doughnuts for now. I'm looking at things from a different angle, 'cause I'm not a game designer - I'm more of a programmer. Actually, it's not my job right now - I'm currently a soldier - but I'm better than your average kiddiot-with-borland-c++: I have a 8 years programming experience - about 3 or 4 of them are game programming experience - and I made a couple of small games, so I don't think it would be an unjustified boasting if I say I have a general idea about making a game. And I think making your game will be a huge pain.
I'm not talking about graphics or controls. Even if you do it as a MUD it will be a major pain. I'm not talking about AI either(though I don't think the technology to get what you've described exists today - even Radiant AI can't do it). Even if you make it a pen&paper game making it is gonna be hell. I'm talking about balance.
Your game is an MMO featuring 3 different factions, each with it's own playing style. I assume you plan on players to split more or less equally between those 3 factions. You don't have to have the exact same number of players in each faction, but you don't want a server running with 60 thieves, 3 warriors and 5 mages, right? It won't be fun that way. So you need to give the player equal incentive for joining each of your factions. To do that you need to balance your factions.
Balancing the factions has two parts - balancing the power and balancing the fun. Balancing the power is the easy part. The mages are too strong? Make mana potions weaker. The warriors are too weak? Make all armor stronger. Getting a good balance is a long and frustrating process, but it's much more easy - or should I say possible - than balancing the fun at your case.
Think about it - is it possible to make 3 game systems that are equally fun? You want each faction to have it's own playing system. Do you think you can make 3 deep game mechanics different from each other, and yet make sure that casting a spell, swinging a sword and setting a trap will be equally fun to the player? Neither did I... and that's where your game is going to fall.
So the rouges are going to stay within the city while the knights and the mages will stay outside, only going inside to sell/buy stuff and to do quests. Do you know what that means? Minimum interaction with other factions for the rouges!
Are you 100% sure you want to make two different combat systems? I don't think it's such a good idea...
It's just my personal opinion, but I think that the "You are unique, they are not" concept works when "they" are NPCs - not when "they" are fellow humans(1,2). The whole point at being unique is that other people aren't unique(if you don't understand why, open a dictionary under "unique"). In a MMO where there is constant interaction between players, you can't give them all the feeling of being unique. Again, this one is just my personal opinion - the concept of "You are unique. That guy over there is not unique - I just told him that he is unique so he won't feel bad. But you are really unique" has been done in MMORPGs not once and not twice - I just think it ruins the experience.
Those were my 2 cents. Making it about 0.003 cent per word. yea, words are that cheap.
Enough about doughnuts for now. I'm looking at things from a different angle, 'cause I'm not a game designer - I'm more of a programmer. Actually, it's not my job right now - I'm currently a soldier - but I'm better than your average kiddiot-with-borland-c++: I have a 8 years programming experience - about 3 or 4 of them are game programming experience - and I made a couple of small games, so I don't think it would be an unjustified boasting if I say I have a general idea about making a game. And I think making your game will be a huge pain.
I'm not talking about graphics or controls. Even if you do it as a MUD it will be a major pain. I'm not talking about AI either(though I don't think the technology to get what you've described exists today - even Radiant AI can't do it). Even if you make it a pen&paper game making it is gonna be hell. I'm talking about balance.
Your game is an MMO featuring 3 different factions, each with it's own playing style. I assume you plan on players to split more or less equally between those 3 factions. You don't have to have the exact same number of players in each faction, but you don't want a server running with 60 thieves, 3 warriors and 5 mages, right? It won't be fun that way. So you need to give the player equal incentive for joining each of your factions. To do that you need to balance your factions.
Balancing the factions has two parts - balancing the power and balancing the fun. Balancing the power is the easy part. The mages are too strong? Make mana potions weaker. The warriors are too weak? Make all armor stronger. Getting a good balance is a long and frustrating process, but it's much more easy - or should I say possible - than balancing the fun at your case.
Think about it - is it possible to make 3 game systems that are equally fun? You want each faction to have it's own playing system. Do you think you can make 3 deep game mechanics different from each other, and yet make sure that casting a spell, swinging a sword and setting a trap will be equally fun to the player? Neither did I... and that's where your game is going to fall.
Quote:Original post by Mythics
Combat inside the city would be more favored to the Rogues, in subtlety, while outside of the city would be a Knight's or Mage's playground.
So the rouges are going to stay within the city while the knights and the mages will stay outside, only going inside to sell/buy stuff and to do quests. Do you know what that means? Minimum interaction with other factions for the rouges!
Quote:Original post by Mythics
The style of combat outside of a city would be more like an older Final Fantasy battle, in having it be a separate instance from the regular world. Inside the city, however, would be live as you go.
Are you 100% sure you want to make two different combat systems? I don't think it's such a good idea...
Quote:Original post by Mythics
Once a certain status has been obtained, you would be approached by a representative of the castle to speak with so n so. This would progress the story further outside of the city and become more of a "you're the hero" from your point of view...
It's just my personal opinion, but I think that the "You are unique, they are not" concept works when "they" are NPCs - not when "they" are fellow humans(1,2). The whole point at being unique is that other people aren't unique(if you don't understand why, open a dictionary under "unique"). In a MMO where there is constant interaction between players, you can't give them all the feeling of being unique. Again, this one is just my personal opinion - the concept of "You are unique. That guy over there is not unique - I just told him that he is unique so he won't feel bad. But you are really unique" has been done in MMORPGs not once and not twice - I just think it ruins the experience.
Those were my 2 cents. Making it about 0.003 cent per word. yea, words are that cheap.
Quote:Original post by someboddy
How about buying a doughnut for the entire week and keeping them at the freezer? As long as you warm them up with the oven instead of the microwave they should still taste good.
Enough about doughnuts for now.
Eww. The glaze will go all droopy and stuff, like a pudding or cake.
If I wanted to eat bunt cake, I'd go buy one.
Quote:Original post by someboddy
Those were my 2 cents. Making it about 0.003 cent per word. yea, words are that cheap.
So a picture would be worth about $3, then!
Quote:Original post by Tom SloperQuote:Original post by someboddy
Those were my 2 cents. Making it about 0.003 cent per word. yea, words are that cheap.
So a picture would be worth about $3, then!
Don't forget tax.
$2.98
Still more than I make in a year.
Quote:Original post by Cpt MothballsQuote:Original post by someboddy
How about buying a doughnut for the entire week and keeping them at the freezer? As long as you warm them up with the oven instead of the microwave they should still taste good.
Enough about doughnuts for now.
Eww. The glaze will go all droopy and stuff, like a pudding or cake.
If I wanted to eat bunt cake, I'd go buy one.
That's why I said you should oven them instead of microwaving them!
And a picture would worth 3 cents, not 3 dollars.
This topic is closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Popular Topics
Advertisement
