Game making

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Vance
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Game making

Post by Vance » Thu Jun 09, 2011 6:25 am

I'm working on a pitch for my two programmer friends, one of whom has a license to release on Nintendo and Sony platforms. I'm still in the paper doc stage, but plan to design the entire story and logic engine in RPG Maker XP (Not the actual game engine, though, this is kind of an animatic for later design plus XP's logic scripting is super easy to export).

The beginning concept is a sci-fi action RPG, with ship-to-ship combat, planetary segments, and diplomacy, possibly simulation aspects. More below.

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Vance
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Post by Vance » Thu Jun 09, 2011 6:28 am

Influences are Star Control 2 and the Star Trek games 25th Anniversary and Academy.

Battery low. More in a bit. I'll detail the logic and want opinions later.

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Post by knightintosh » Thu Jun 09, 2011 8:52 am

You had me sold at "Star Controll II".

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Post by Vance » Thu Jun 09, 2011 12:30 pm

SC2 certainly has an impact on my dialog. In one scenario your ship's power goes down, lights and all. You have a line choice right before the emergency power kicks in. One of the lines? "Okay, we start eating the ensigns and then move on to anybody too stupid to stay in their quarters. Hand me the duty roster."

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Post by 3DO Experience » Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:04 am

You know, if the lines in the game are like your posts here... you could have a best seller on your hands. :D
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Post by Vance » Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:32 am

Why thank you, but I'm hoping the actual game part works out. Plus I have to convince the guys they actually want to work on it.

I'll make the bare bones RPG XP available to download when I'm done with it... but that's a looong time away.

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Post by 3DO Experience » Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:44 pm

Now if it were an RPG I would get you in contact with people I used to work with/for. But even then the company went belly up. :P
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Post by Vance » Fri Jun 10, 2011 11:30 pm

RPGs are largely outmoded cling-tos based on the limitations of older hardware. There are some really good ones that get released, don't get me wrong, but these days complex action and story can have far superior outlets. There's no reason to make a gamer play a spreadsheet in space.

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Post by Vance » Fri Jun 10, 2011 11:41 pm

Since I'm tired of typing with a d-pad I'm going to imagine a box blurb and write actual details later.

The InterStel Alliance is struggling. A powerful force is preying on member races. Petty squabbles threaten to pull the Alliance apart. Ships are vanishing. It's your job to lead your crew and save the day, but your worst enemy may be staring back at you in the mirror each morning.

*Save the galaxy through cunning, diplomacy, and force. Be careful, alliances are made and broken on your words.

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Post by Vance » Fri Jun 10, 2011 11:49 pm

Follow InterStel protocol to become a paragon amongst officers... or let those space pirates go and collect your weekly graft. Glory, riches, or a court martial for the careless await.

*Know your crew members. Each one has a distinct personality and can come to respect or despise you based on dialog and action. They'll follow you into hell or request a transfer off your rocket. Over a dozen bridge staff in all, including hidden characters.

*A story that stretches from your academy days to the unexplored

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Post by Vance » Fri Jun 10, 2011 11:55 pm

core of known space. Hold the power to reshape or unmake reality. Your decisions will determine what happens next.

*Command multiple vessels throughout your career, from a refitted destroyer of a different era to a shiny new toy. Or try any ship you like in Arcade Mode.

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Post by 3DO Experience » Sat Jun 11, 2011 1:27 am

You know, pirates can do great good for normal people without trying. Somali pirates scare off big fishing fleets allowing the the local fishermen to catch large amounts of fish. If you can direct space pirates maybe you can actually help a planet from corporate strip miners.
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Post by Vance » Sat Jun 11, 2011 3:15 am

I'm considering how each action plays out. Nothing is worse than lazy hack writing like Mass Effect, where the net result of any scenario is a good/bad slider increment and you're done with that part of the game forever, no repercussions.

Now take Space Rogue. Faction rep matters. I played as a pirate hunter, but in the story it turns out you need their help. Oh really? Go splash this Star Destroyer on your own, jerkass, then we'll help.

Great game, that one.

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Post by sneth » Sat Jun 11, 2011 7:08 am

as a single person you are setting yourself up for failure unless you have a serious story.

Best of luck to you. but work on this long and hard. I would love to see this come to fruition.

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Post by Vance » Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:00 am

Well, the published writer thing plus my familiarity with Ruby and XP are making me think it's possible. Silly me.

Actual engine implementation, should an extended XP prototype impress, would be handled by two coders. One is just starting out and the other goes all the way back to Microprose.

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