Quote:Original post by jackolantern1 Playing as the hero, the player has to play along and rob the houses while getting prompts from the boss. He will give him updates about what certain targets are doing, the best entrance to certain buildings, etc. The player also has to collect clues from what he is stealing and other info sources along the way to try to get out of his situation and save his wife. If he doesn't go about it quietly, the boss will become suspicious and kill her.
This will also explain why the hero is never willing to use violence against a homeowner. It also allows the crime boss to sell tools etc to the player at extortionate rates
Very good observations! I hadn't thought about those points :)
EDIT: I think without something like this, having the game-designated option of killing the homeowner will just be too much for most players.
[Edited by - jackolantern1 on December 5, 2009 11:10:06 AM]
The idea of robbing a household while people are home seems silly to me. I can't see it being done primarily for money purposes, but instead for developing a reputation as a good thief. In my opinion, that makes a very comical premise so I think you would do well to develop the humour aspect of the game.
Also, I think you should include a planner. That could help develop the strategic and creative side of the game. For example, if you're challenged to steal a billiards table then you can work out your way of transporting it out of the house before you go in. Example: If the pool table is on the second story of a house, how are you going to get it to ground floor? Do you implement a pulley system? Are there stairs, is there an elevator, is there a window large enough to fit the billiard table out of? Do you attach wheels to the billiard table's legs to allow it to move easier? Maybe you need to spend the night prior to the heist in order to survey the place and get the measurements of the pool table's legs so that you can fit wheels on comfortably.
If you're going to have upgradable equipment, my advice is to be creative with it. I'd like to see knockout gas which you can rig to doors so they explode upon someone opening the door. Definitely a good way to ensure someone doesn't wake up and leave their bedroom.
Finally, a way to develop the Robin Hood idea. Should you be a righteous thief and yet you are told to steal from someone who is good, what plan of action do you take? Do you ask for a reassignment or do you steal the goods and return them later or otherwise reimburse the victim?
I think a much better idea would be to play on 80s/90s diamond heist genre with a comedic cartoony style similar to Dick Dastardly/Pink Panther, where the player is a robber trying to steal infamous diamonds that are hidden behind complex security setups.
Quote: Also, I think you should include a planner. That could help develop the strategic and creative side of the game. For example, if you're challenged to steal a billiards table then you can work out your way of transporting it out of the house before you go in. Example: If the pool table is on the second story of a house, how are you going to get it to ground floor? Do you implement a pulley system? Are there stairs, is there an elevator, is there a window large enough to fit the billiard table out of? Do you attach wheels to the billiard table's legs to allow it to move easier? Maybe you need to spend the night prior to the heist in order to survey the place and get the measurements of the pool table's legs so that you can fit wheels on comfortably.
I didn't even think of that. And who steals a pool table haha that seems kind of large to steal while someone's at home. And are you talking about a planner as in someone on the team to plan this stuff out? Or are you talking about a planner in-game to help you plan out how you're getting the stuff out of the house?
Quote: If you're going to have upgradable equipment, my advice is to be creative with it. I'd like to see knockout gas which you can rig to doors so they explode upon someone opening the door. Definitely a good way to ensure someone doesn't wake up and leave their bedroom.
Very good idea!
Quote: Finally, a way to develop the Robin Hood idea. Should you be a righteous thief and yet you are told to steal from someone who is good, what plan of action do you take? Do you ask for a reassignment or do you steal the goods and return them later or otherwise reimburse the victim?
This tempts me to want to make something like Fable where if you're a good thief you look pure, but if you're an evil thief you start looking dark and sinister.
Quote:Original post by xSynapse … where the player is a robber trying to steal infamous diamonds that are hidden behind complex security setups.
You might want to take a look at Traitor's Gate. While it was pretty much universally panned by the media, I thought it took a halfway-decent stab at this type of gameplay.
Quote:Original post by BlackRetina The idea of robbing a household while people are home seems silly to me. I can't see it being done primarily for money purposes, but instead for developing a reputation as a good thief. In my opinion, that makes a very comical premise so I think you would do well to develop the humour aspect of the game.
Well...it happens every day lol. Not while there are people up and walking around, but while everyone is asleep. In fact, the idea of watching a house during the day and waiting for the owners to leave is rather new in western culture (mostly because there was almost always the mother at home). However, people have been creeping into homes at night while everyone is in bed for centuries. The idea that someone was in the home while everyone was asleep is quite a scary idea for most people that it happens to, so I don't know about it being a source of humor.
Quote: Also, I think you should include a planner. That could help develop the strategic and creative side of the game. For example, if you're challenged to steal a billiards table then you can work out your way of transporting it out of the house before you go in. Example: If the pool table is on the second story of a house, how are you going to get it to ground floor? Do you implement a pulley system? Are there stairs, is there an elevator, is there a window large enough to fit the billiard table out of? Do you attach wheels to the billiard table's legs to allow it to move easier? Maybe you need to spend the night prior to the heist in order to survey the place and get the measurements of the pool table's legs so that you can fit wheels on comfortably.
I didn't even think of that. And who steals a pool table haha that seems kind of large to steal while someone's at home. And are you talking about a planner as in someone on the team to plan this stuff out? Or are you talking about a planner in-game to help you plan out how you're getting the stuff out of the house?
Quote: If you're going to have upgradable equipment, my advice is to be creative with it. I'd like to see knockout gas which you can rig to doors so they explode upon someone opening the door. Definitely a good way to ensure someone doesn't wake up and leave their bedroom.
Very good idea!
Quote: Finally, a way to develop the Robin Hood idea. Should you be a righteous thief and yet you are told to steal from someone who is good, what plan of action do you take? Do you ask for a reassignment or do you steal the goods and return them later or otherwise reimburse the victim?
This tempts me to want to make something like Fable where if you're a good thief you look pure, but if you're an evil thief you start looking dark and sinister.
Interpret the planner function as you like. It could be a device or a party member, it's up to you. I would just make sure to include a planning interface before entering into the target premise(s).
