So... Hrrmph. Lately, I've been weighing my options. I could either buy a house and get married. Or then I could make a game.
For some reason, making a game felt more appealing.
In general - I am outsourcing most of the programming, art and music. Paying from my own pocket to get it the way I want it (and making it very unlikely that this project will ever see the light of the day). Technical details and combat system are a different discussion altogether, but I thought it'd be fun to post some of my early design documents to see what kind of an impression you guys get from them.
Obviously the documentation is not very detailed and is very much on general level and avoiding large spoilers.
Would be cool to hear what kind of ideas the outline brings to you, what you'd like to see in a game like this and weather I've managed to avoid the clichés I wanted (i.e. can you correctly guess the key plot events from the mere outline).
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Key features
For the past 500 years, the Empire has been at peace. The immortal Emperor of mankind has conquered all four corners of the world and through his personal sacrifice brought peace and prosperity to all of the land. One final vestige of unlawfulness remains in the far north.
The player character, after being sentenced for a crime that he may or may not have committed, is convicted to serve the rest of his life on the northern border of the empire. From a freshly whipped recruit, he is to be made into a member of Emperor’s Hands, a ragtag collection of sworn brothers and sisters that enforce the Emperor’s will on the northern wastes.
To cover the large hostile distances of the North, the Hands operate in individual units of five (a Hand). The player is given the role of a leader in such an unit, having to choose four other convicts to serve with him.
After the harsh training period is over, the hand is officially formed in a solemn ceremony. Having sworn their oaths, the five members are bound together through obscure ritual where they consume a vial of mysterious liquid (the blood of the Emperor) and subsequently lose their consciousness.
As the newly sworn members of Emperor’s Hands rise from slumber the following morning, four of them wake up realizing that their oath has become the final words that will ever leave their lips. From that point on, their leader - now named “the Voice of the Hand” will be the one to speak for all of them.
To offset their muteness, the Hand develops an unique bond, gaining the ability to converse telepathically to each other. Besides retaining the ability to speak, the Voice also gains the ability to draw power from the Emperor himself. Wielding the power of Emperor allows him perform magical acts granting healing and protection on the Hand and bringing fiery destruction upon their foes.
The newly formed Hand is to join the rest of the sworn brothers, patrolling the wastes and keeping the Empire safe from harm.
Events in the game
Initially the Hand is given simple tasks to perform. They will be temporarily joining other, more experienced Hands on excursions to further away from the border. Through those quests, the player gets more concrete understanding on the reality of the North and what it means to be a Hand of the Emperor.
Eventually player’s Hand will receive personal tasks that take them deeper in the wastes. On those journeys, a large focus is brought on survival aspects. Player has to set up camp, forage/hunt for supplies and ensure safety and cover for the night.
As player completes quests, becomes more familiar with the gameplay mechanics and strengthens his party, larger events start unfolding in the game.
Previously visited locations face permanent changes. Travel becomes much more hazardous, supplies more sparse and the weather consistently worse. The player and all of the Hands in the North will be right in the middle of a violent storm of changes. The player’s Hand will travel deeper North to uncover the true desperation of the of situation.
After the final showdown in the North, the battered remnants of the players Hand can travel to the heart of the Empire and confront the Emperor himself with the truth that they have uncovered.
Features in more detail
C&C element and endings
The game doesn’t aim to become too large or too lengthy. The size has to be contained on a level where the game can be completed in a reasonable time, but without sacrificing the depth in the game events.
Player visits a few of the game locations in the early phase of the game. On those visits, he can complete smaller quests in several different ways (or ignore/miss them altogether). The result of those side-quests (and the main quest that brought you there) will come rather clear as you revisit the location.
The game world faces a radical change on the second portion of the game, which enables faster results for your choices. Things decline radically and rapidly, leading into extreme outcomes.
It is entirely possible to miss some sides of the story altogether. Should you not pursue certain leads as the opportunity comes, you may be left with a completely different impression than you would have if you’d chose to ask the right question at the right time. Sometimes story paths are mutually exclusive (“you have only the time to ask one question”).
There is no black and white morality in the game. The story is crafted so that the player can misunderstand and misjudge characters. On one playthrough you can judge a character cruel and evil, while on another you’ll see reason why he behaves in the way he does. And seemingly “good” characters may lie and mislead you. Even if you know the complete character biography, it will be hard to categorize them.
The aim is to crate a short, contained story with memorable characters and events.
Progress through sacrifice
The themes of loss and sacrifice are not only story elements, but are deeply woven to the core gameplay as well.
The player will become strong, he will learn to utilize his characters skills and resources -- only to have them taken away or rendered powerless. You have to learn to cope with less, to innovate in desperate situations to find a way to survive despite the odds.
Magic in the player’s disposal is all-powerful tool. In the most challenging situations, it presents the shortcut to victory. But at the same time it also comes with a great cost. For the first time player, it may very well be that if he makes to the final portion of the game, he will already have lost all of his party and permanently crippled his character as well. Though on that path, it is very likely that the idea that there could be a final combat encounter (or the characters involved) will not even occur to him.
Magic system
There are no ready made spells. You simply combine elements and visualize what you wish to happen. Only the Voices of Hands can draw upon the power of the Emperor. In general, everything magical comes from the Emperor himself.
Spells consume the caster. The stronger the magic, the more difficult it is to control the power of it. Small spells only make you fatigued, while larger ones come with permanent effects.
The Voice can also draw power from the other members of the Hand. Every party member brings something unique to the spell that is being cast. Linking the spell with other party members also makes it more powerful and more costly. When linked, the greatest exertion is forced upon the linked members instead of the Voice.
The losses from powerful magic use range from permanent loss of health and stats traits to even death.
For some reason, making a game felt more appealing.
In general - I am outsourcing most of the programming, art and music. Paying from my own pocket to get it the way I want it (and making it very unlikely that this project will ever see the light of the day). Technical details and combat system are a different discussion altogether, but I thought it'd be fun to post some of my early design documents to see what kind of an impression you guys get from them.
Obviously the documentation is not very detailed and is very much on general level and avoiding large spoilers.
Would be cool to hear what kind of ideas the outline brings to you, what you'd like to see in a game like this and weather I've managed to avoid the clichés I wanted (i.e. can you correctly guess the key plot events from the mere outline).
---
Key features
- Turn-based combat
- Party of five characters
- Player created main character
- 8 distinct recruit-able permanent party members
- Hexagonal grid
- Sprites
- Can be animated
- Cavalier oblique perspective [not isometric]
- Low magic setting
- Strong C&C element
- Multiple endings
- Survival
- Mature themes (not a game for children)
- Player characters will grow more skilled as the game progresses
- Through player choices, the party will become weaker towards the end
- Progress requires sacrifice
- Good equipment remains valid to the end of the game
For the past 500 years, the Empire has been at peace. The immortal Emperor of mankind has conquered all four corners of the world and through his personal sacrifice brought peace and prosperity to all of the land. One final vestige of unlawfulness remains in the far north.
The player character, after being sentenced for a crime that he may or may not have committed, is convicted to serve the rest of his life on the northern border of the empire. From a freshly whipped recruit, he is to be made into a member of Emperor’s Hands, a ragtag collection of sworn brothers and sisters that enforce the Emperor’s will on the northern wastes.
To cover the large hostile distances of the North, the Hands operate in individual units of five (a Hand). The player is given the role of a leader in such an unit, having to choose four other convicts to serve with him.
After the harsh training period is over, the hand is officially formed in a solemn ceremony. Having sworn their oaths, the five members are bound together through obscure ritual where they consume a vial of mysterious liquid (the blood of the Emperor) and subsequently lose their consciousness.
As the newly sworn members of Emperor’s Hands rise from slumber the following morning, four of them wake up realizing that their oath has become the final words that will ever leave their lips. From that point on, their leader - now named “the Voice of the Hand” will be the one to speak for all of them.
To offset their muteness, the Hand develops an unique bond, gaining the ability to converse telepathically to each other. Besides retaining the ability to speak, the Voice also gains the ability to draw power from the Emperor himself. Wielding the power of Emperor allows him perform magical acts granting healing and protection on the Hand and bringing fiery destruction upon their foes.
The newly formed Hand is to join the rest of the sworn brothers, patrolling the wastes and keeping the Empire safe from harm.
Events in the game
Initially the Hand is given simple tasks to perform. They will be temporarily joining other, more experienced Hands on excursions to further away from the border. Through those quests, the player gets more concrete understanding on the reality of the North and what it means to be a Hand of the Emperor.
Eventually player’s Hand will receive personal tasks that take them deeper in the wastes. On those journeys, a large focus is brought on survival aspects. Player has to set up camp, forage/hunt for supplies and ensure safety and cover for the night.
As player completes quests, becomes more familiar with the gameplay mechanics and strengthens his party, larger events start unfolding in the game.
Previously visited locations face permanent changes. Travel becomes much more hazardous, supplies more sparse and the weather consistently worse. The player and all of the Hands in the North will be right in the middle of a violent storm of changes. The player’s Hand will travel deeper North to uncover the true desperation of the of situation.
After the final showdown in the North, the battered remnants of the players Hand can travel to the heart of the Empire and confront the Emperor himself with the truth that they have uncovered.
Features in more detail
C&C element and endings
The game doesn’t aim to become too large or too lengthy. The size has to be contained on a level where the game can be completed in a reasonable time, but without sacrificing the depth in the game events.
Player visits a few of the game locations in the early phase of the game. On those visits, he can complete smaller quests in several different ways (or ignore/miss them altogether). The result of those side-quests (and the main quest that brought you there) will come rather clear as you revisit the location.
The game world faces a radical change on the second portion of the game, which enables faster results for your choices. Things decline radically and rapidly, leading into extreme outcomes.
It is entirely possible to miss some sides of the story altogether. Should you not pursue certain leads as the opportunity comes, you may be left with a completely different impression than you would have if you’d chose to ask the right question at the right time. Sometimes story paths are mutually exclusive (“you have only the time to ask one question”).
There is no black and white morality in the game. The story is crafted so that the player can misunderstand and misjudge characters. On one playthrough you can judge a character cruel and evil, while on another you’ll see reason why he behaves in the way he does. And seemingly “good” characters may lie and mislead you. Even if you know the complete character biography, it will be hard to categorize them.
The aim is to crate a short, contained story with memorable characters and events.
Progress through sacrifice
The themes of loss and sacrifice are not only story elements, but are deeply woven to the core gameplay as well.
The player will become strong, he will learn to utilize his characters skills and resources -- only to have them taken away or rendered powerless. You have to learn to cope with less, to innovate in desperate situations to find a way to survive despite the odds.
Magic in the player’s disposal is all-powerful tool. In the most challenging situations, it presents the shortcut to victory. But at the same time it also comes with a great cost. For the first time player, it may very well be that if he makes to the final portion of the game, he will already have lost all of his party and permanently crippled his character as well. Though on that path, it is very likely that the idea that there could be a final combat encounter (or the characters involved) will not even occur to him.
Magic system
There are no ready made spells. You simply combine elements and visualize what you wish to happen. Only the Voices of Hands can draw upon the power of the Emperor. In general, everything magical comes from the Emperor himself.
Spells consume the caster. The stronger the magic, the more difficult it is to control the power of it. Small spells only make you fatigued, while larger ones come with permanent effects.
The Voice can also draw power from the other members of the Hand. Every party member brings something unique to the spell that is being cast. Linking the spell with other party members also makes it more powerful and more costly. When linked, the greatest exertion is forced upon the linked members instead of the Voice.
The losses from powerful magic use range from permanent loss of health and stats traits to even death.
I like the strong survival elements and the unconventional approach to magic - but it'll take work to make those concepts playable.
