Post by Mlle Bienvenu on Jul 15, 2009 11:15:54 GMT -5
Okay, I've sort of had this game idea in my head since I watched Death Note, and now that I'm watching Code Geass, it's popped back up in my mind. I'm pretty sure it would be difficult, if not impossible, to program even if I was fluent in a programming language. And considering I actually have no programming skills should probably mean something, but the idea won't leave me alone. So I thought I'd work it out on paper so I can move on with my life. 
In a nutshell the game is about manipulating NPC's to achieve your goal. The first part of the game would involve getting to know the NPC's in a normal setting (so as to get a feel for their personality and psychology as well as your relationship to them) After that part of the game, the story unfolds in such a way so as to present you with some goal you want to accomplish. But instead of the usual brute force tactics of your typical RPG, you are given more subversive and subtle tools at your disposal. Tools such as lying to NPCs, playing one NPC off of another, manipulating NPC's feelings towards you in various ways, using NPC's strengths and unique qualities to aid you in your goal, and playing off character's weaknessess... etc etc... In addition you can of course take your own actions so you appear in a certain light to certain characters.
The flaw in this is terribly obvious. How on earth do you program for every contingency? Even if you limited the game, to say, you, your opponent, and maybe 3 NPC's that still leaves a lot of potential options that could be explored. (In order to do it, you'd have to limit the choices a lot, to maybe 3 generic choices, which sort of saps the fun out of figuring out the best way to get what you want.)
The closest game mechanic I can think of to what i'm envisioning is Grow, if it were a dating sim/visual novel XD (since in Grow you make choices and those choices affect what the little people do, and change the entire outcome of the planetoid. )
: sigh :
They need to develop decent AI soon >_>
Game flow: If we're going to go with a choose-your-own-adventure branching story structure. (which seems like the only conceivable way to create a complex story the way i'm imagining it, where instead of you deciding all your own paths, let certain variables determine which outcomes you take. More on this later. Most RPG's have this now, but it is usually limited to a few broad endings, and the story kept pretty much on the same path all the way through.) One other idea I always wanted to see in an RPG is, instead of the plot advancing only when you win a battle, instead have an alternate plot in an instance where you lose the battle. Some RPG's have this already, but usually it involves a forced lose situation. Rather I would like to see the option to either win or lose battles and let them become part of the story.
Influence: One of the main mechanics of the game would revolve around influence. Some games have this mechanic in it (Fable, for example) but it is largely designed with broad strokes in mind. IE. if you kill a lot of people, villagers will run screaming from you. This is great and all, but I was thinking of something on a more subtle level. To do this would require, again, insane amounts of programming. You would have to have flags for each important action your character can take, for each of the NPC's and their effect on the NPC.
In order to keep track of information, your characters keeps a diary of events. Starting at the begining of the game, the diary has a who's who of the game, and your character's relationship to them. The diary also functions like a Pipboy in Fallout, you can access game menu options from it and whatever other utilitarian function is neccessary.
In a nutshell the game is about manipulating NPC's to achieve your goal. The first part of the game would involve getting to know the NPC's in a normal setting (so as to get a feel for their personality and psychology as well as your relationship to them) After that part of the game, the story unfolds in such a way so as to present you with some goal you want to accomplish. But instead of the usual brute force tactics of your typical RPG, you are given more subversive and subtle tools at your disposal. Tools such as lying to NPCs, playing one NPC off of another, manipulating NPC's feelings towards you in various ways, using NPC's strengths and unique qualities to aid you in your goal, and playing off character's weaknessess... etc etc... In addition you can of course take your own actions so you appear in a certain light to certain characters.
The flaw in this is terribly obvious. How on earth do you program for every contingency? Even if you limited the game, to say, you, your opponent, and maybe 3 NPC's that still leaves a lot of potential options that could be explored. (In order to do it, you'd have to limit the choices a lot, to maybe 3 generic choices, which sort of saps the fun out of figuring out the best way to get what you want.)
The closest game mechanic I can think of to what i'm envisioning is Grow, if it were a dating sim/visual novel XD (since in Grow you make choices and those choices affect what the little people do, and change the entire outcome of the planetoid. )
: sigh :
They need to develop decent AI soon >_>
Game flow: If we're going to go with a choose-your-own-adventure branching story structure. (which seems like the only conceivable way to create a complex story the way i'm imagining it, where instead of you deciding all your own paths, let certain variables determine which outcomes you take. More on this later. Most RPG's have this now, but it is usually limited to a few broad endings, and the story kept pretty much on the same path all the way through.) One other idea I always wanted to see in an RPG is, instead of the plot advancing only when you win a battle, instead have an alternate plot in an instance where you lose the battle. Some RPG's have this already, but usually it involves a forced lose situation. Rather I would like to see the option to either win or lose battles and let them become part of the story.
Influence: One of the main mechanics of the game would revolve around influence. Some games have this mechanic in it (Fable, for example) but it is largely designed with broad strokes in mind. IE. if you kill a lot of people, villagers will run screaming from you. This is great and all, but I was thinking of something on a more subtle level. To do this would require, again, insane amounts of programming. You would have to have flags for each important action your character can take, for each of the NPC's and their effect on the NPC.
In order to keep track of information, your characters keeps a diary of events. Starting at the begining of the game, the diary has a who's who of the game, and your character's relationship to them. The diary also functions like a Pipboy in Fallout, you can access game menu options from it and whatever other utilitarian function is neccessary.
