Hints & Tips for a humble development team

[odex]

Hi everyone, I have been lurking around several RPG forums for a while now and recognized that this one has the most intelligent people and most hardcore fans of what a true RPG should be like. So in that matter I bring forth this post. I am part of a small development team currently working on a RPG. We will not be using any rulesets like D&D, instead we will make our own. What I want is your comment on these matters... I want to know what the gamers think, how you like your games. I will not reveal the name of our team or the name of our game.

- The game will give you the freedom to make your own story in the universe we have created for you, there are no big main quest you have to finish, instead the world moves on with its problems and wars even if you do not move. You can stand idly and watch mankind evaporate, or you can fight, you can even work for the destruction of mankind or not care at all. The game takes place on Earth, in the future, aprox. 200 years into the future. The planet has suffered a dramatic setback. Suffice to say it is chaos. Tools for the job is guns, rifles and about halfway through the game 'magic'.

- We will have alignment (good/neutral/evil), not sure what range, maybe -1000 to +1000. Ofcourse your alignment can make all the difference in certain situations, but what is truly special is that if you start going under -500 or over 500 your character will start to physically change and he will gain new abilities. When you have reached -1000 or +1000 even the world changes where you walk.

There is more I would like your comments on, but I think this will do for the time being.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Hi Odex

I am part of a small development team currently working on a RPG.

And we like to play RPGs. What a fine damn conincidence :D

I will not reveal the name of our team or the name of our game.

Is it a mystary?

The game will give you the freedom to make your own story... there are no big main quest you have to finish, instead the world moves on with its problems and wars even if you do not move.

If you have no main quest which is not a bad idea what would motivate your character to get off his ass and do something?

You can stand idly and watch mankind evaporate, or you can fight, you can even work for the destruction of mankind or not care at all.

If you can pull that off that would be awesome. When you say "work for the destruction of mankind" you do imply a separate path or line of quests for "evil" characters?

Suffice to say it is chaos. Tools for the job is guns, rifles and about halfway through the game 'magic'.

Did you just use the M word in a post-apoc game? Care to elaborate?

what is truly special is that if you start going under -500 or over 500 your character will start to physically change and he will gain new abilities. When you have reached -1000 or +1000 even the world changes where you walk.

Sounds interesting. What kinda new abilities?

There is more I would like your comments on, but I think this will do for the time being.

Well, Odex, it sounds like you have a good concept except for the magic thing unless you mean ESP abilities, but we can't really provide you with a useful feedback unless you give us something more detailed. A few quests would be nice, abilities, skills, etc. Overall, you can never have too many good RPGs so I wish you luck.

 

[Volourn]

Not much info to go on...


Options, options, options.


And, as long as the magic fits into your furture Earth in a meaningful way; I'd eb game for it.


And, oh, hi. :D

 

[Vault Dweller]

as long as the magic fits into your furture Earth in a meaningful way

*reads several times trying to think of a way how magic can fit into a futuristic Earth
So what is this meaningful way you speak of?

 

[Volourn]

I have no idea; but I ain't making the game. Odex has to clue us in first.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Then don't mislead Odex that he can add magic and get away with it as long as he has an explanation (uh, magic has always been in the world, yeah, but people could not see it, 'cause of all the technology, but now that technology got destroyed, people can see magic, hooray!)

Btw, Odex, the game is turn-based, right?

 

[Volourn]

Huh? I said 'meaningful' way; not just any old explanation.

 

[chrisbeddoes]

Fist of all thank you for your flatery.People in such forums such as ours always like to hear how good we are .

We will not be using any rulesets like D&D, instead we will make our own.


Make sure that your ruleset is BALANCED
Because BALANCE gives a choice on how to play .
Make sure that your ruleset ideas is very easy to understand.
Make sure that the interface is simple.
------------------------------------------
- The game will give you the freedom to make your own story in the universe we have created for you, there are no big main quest you have to finish, instead the world moves on with its problems and wars even if you do not move.

Is this kind of contadictory ? There is no main quest but the fate of the world depends on you ?



You can stand idly and watch mankind evaporate, or you can fight, you can even work for the destruction of mankind or not care at all.


The game takes place on Earth, in the future, aprox. 200 years into the future. The planet has suffered a dramatic setback. Suffice to say it is chaos. Tools for the job is guns, rifles and about halfway through the game 'magic'.

Hmmm . What kind of magic ? Nanotechnology magick ? Fake magick ?
Unless the concept is REALLY COOL i would not include it at all.




- We will have alignment (good/neutral/evil), not sure what range, maybe -1000 to +1000. Ofcourse your alignment can make all the difference in certain situations, but what is truly special is that if you start going under -500 or over 500 your character will start to physically change and he will gain new abilities.

A nice original idea but i do not like it . Using numbers kills the immersion .



When you have reached -1000 or +1000 even the world changes where you walk.

Not a good idea . First not only the idea but the execution on this must be really cool and never forget that the idea is only 1% the execution is the other 99 %

My comments .
Start small forget fancy ideas and put quality above everything else .

Look at Arcanum . It had many exceptional ideas but a few bugs killed it
(balance (magic-tech) bad animations blah blah )


Put quality first forget fancy ideas kill all bugs before you release do not make it longer than 20 hours and make sure that you put the BORING QUALITY WORD FIRST .

And my final question ?

Where are you going to find all the slave boys gametesters ?

Because without gametesters NO commercial quality RPG can exist .

Gametesting is a shitty job BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT .

And from the makeup of your team i believe that mayby nobody is going to do it.

 

[Jed]

It sounds like you have some good ideas. You've definitely got my attention--if for no other reason, for the fact that there are simply too few futuristic/SF CRPGs. Now this magic you speak of, I hope you're talking either psychic powers or nano augmentation. I'm curious what combat system you're planning--turn-based, I hope. Other questions: Where are you and your team based? How far along in development are you? What games are you looking at for inspiration?

Jed

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

I wouldn't do the magict. Really, it seems that most every sci-fi CRPG out there these days has magic in it now, and I think that's really not the way to go with sci-fi. No matter what the explanation, it's always felt disruptive to me especially now that everyone's doing it. Even with PSY-POWAHZ, it's all too common in CRPGs that have sci-fi settings.

Personally, I would like sci-fi to have more SCI and a little less FI about it. Nanotechnology won't explain why Bob the TechWizard can cast a fireball, simply because there's no decent way to make a sustainable ball of fire fly from a person's hand and make it all the way to the target in tact.

However, nanobots can be used to heal a person that's got them injected, so things like that would be fine. They just shuffle around linking good cells around the damaged cells, and perhaps disassemble the bullet and move the bad metal to a location where it can't be harmful. Of course, this would take time, so immortality with nanobots isn't a logical thing.

 

[Vault Dweller]

However, nanobots can be used to heal a person that's got them injected, so things like that would be fine.

Yeah, I agree, as long as it works like an item, no POWAHZ please.

 

[odex]

Answer: Part I of III

Well met and thank you for all the answers and good critique.

What everyone here tells me will be taken into serious consideration since it is for you and alikes we are making this game. Because we are at a pretty early stage in development there are many things that are bound to change and not turn out the way we initally planned, few things are carved in stone.

I will answer most of your questions, top down.

About me not wanting to reveal team name or game name: "Is it a mystary?"

Frankly speaking the name we have now might change, but the main reason I will not reveal it is because it might not change, and we do not want to create rumours (or market) this game in any way so early in development. We do not want any kind of hype, it is generally a bad idea. People easily get letdown that way and this is not a game for the masses anyway, it is for hardcore RPG gamers, true fans of the genre. It will also be a unique game with lots of very new ideas never before seen and not a cheesy copy, at the same time taking inspiration from great games of the past like Fallout and Ultima.

No main quest?: If you have no main quest which is not a bad idea what would motivate your character to get off his ass and do something?

Do you have a predefined quest in real life when you are born, except death? Even so people make their own goals in life, some do not care and cruise to life without making a impact on theworld, as in life you will make your own decisions. People will try to force their ideas upon you, try to make you do the "right" thing, but it is for you to make the final decision. There are very few things you absolutely have to do except eat, drink and rest.

Different paths of life for different characters: "If you can pull that off that would be
awesome. When you say "work for the destruction of mankind" you do imply a separate path or line of quests for "evil" characters?"

Indeed. Suffice to say your gaming experience will be truly unique, there will be very hard to make a walkthrough for this game, infact almost impossible. Replay value is something we are devoting much work to accomplish.

Physical character changes due to low or high karma (alignment): "Sounds interesting. What kinda new abilities?"

First of all let me explain again, karma starts at zero and the range is -1000 to +1000. Very few players will reach -1000 or +1000, first of all, this implies gametime of 200+ hours. It is also very hard to do. You have to be really evil throughout the entire game to reach e.g. -1000. So this is not something we focuse too much on, see this as a bonus, an easteregg. I can reveal a few things, your character will physically change (use your imagination as to how he will look) and you will gain new abilities, this is where the 'magic' comes in to play. You will be really powerful and be able to do incredible things.

One example of a new ability as an evil character:

Mind control, when you rest (sleep) you can enter and take control of NPCs minds, as long as they too are asleep. You gain entry through their dreams. After that they will behave like zombies and you will be the puppet master. Have them commit suicide, kill, steal, do whatever you want.

One example of a new ability as a good character:

Detect evil, you can sense evil people within a huge radius then follow these and present them with the option to ask forgiveness for their sins.

Bear in mind that once you have reached -1000 or +1000 and your character has changed it is permanent and you will have to fill these shoes, as a +1000 character you do no longer have an option to do evil things. This is part of the reason this is just a bonus to the game, like an easteregg, since in this "mode" you do not have the freedom we want to give players. Even though it is a small part of the game I think players will find this very interesting and unique.

I will answer more of your questions at a later time.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

That game's becoming interesting

 

[chrisbeddoes]

Re: Answer: Part I of III

No main quest?: If you have no main quest which is not a bad idea what would motivate your character to get off his ass and do something?

Do you have a predefined quest in real life when you are born, except death? Even so people make their own goals in life, some do not care and cruise to life without making a impact on theworld, as in life you will make your own decisions. People will try to force their ideas upon you, try to make you do the "right" thing, but it is for you to make the final decision. There are very few things you absolutely have to do except eat, drink and rest.

Yes .Meet girls , have sex , reproduce , make children make sure that your children will make more children , earn money that kind of things .

And exactly because that staff (real life) is BORING 99.9 % of all times people play games to escape reality .

So yes people play games to feel important like kings, or masters of the universe or saviors of the universe.
Flatery really matters and the big bad main quest in the RPG games is the way of the devs to say : Since you gave $50 to buy this product and its single players then yes you are the most important character in the game and you can play god in that gameworld.