A friend and I have come up with an idea for a new game that is a cross between an RTS and an RPG. The idea is that where in an RPG you control a character, in this game you create a faction. You can customize your faction to suit your particular playing style.
I'll post our ideas so far, then people can add their thoughts and suggestions. Who knows, maybe we'll get a good developer to take our idea and run with it! Alternatively, my friend suggested making a Flash game as a prototype.
All names are working titles.
Anyway, I give you: Inherit the Galaxy (working title)
The game is set some time (maybe 20 years) after the end of the Galactic War. This war was waged between a collection of alien empires, and ended up destroying them all. I had in mind a post-apocalyptic feel to the galaxy - a lot of debris fields and devastated (or even sterilized) planets.
Only five races survived the war with their homeworlds and civilizations mostly intact. They did so primarily by not getting involved (I had an image of Yahtzee reviewing the game and saying that it's like the aftermath of a barfight and everybody's unconscious except the five guys who just stood to the side and punched anyone who got too close).
Now, you command a rising faction. You will spread out from your homeworld into the devastated galaxy. *insert plot hint here*
Before I get into the races, here are the four ability scores:
Discipline: How disciplined your organization is. Mostly important for maintaining a large military.
Industry: How good you are at business and industry. Mostly important for industrial production and making money.
Science: How tech-savvy you are. Doesn't merely reflect tech level, but how good you are at using technology.
Caliber: How skilled your men are. Especially important for military factions.
Racial modifiers can be +2, +1, +0, -1, or -2. All races have their modifiers add up to +1.
Now for the races:
Humans: A recent arrival on the galactic scene, humans had achieved interstellar spaceflight without bothering to unite their own homeworld. Consequently, they didn't have a foreign policy. Problems occured when private individuals supplied tons of human weapons to slaves in a neighboring empire, triggering a slave revolt. The neighboring empire attacked Earth, but while Earth's orbital defenses were nonexistent, the humans were quite capable of preventing the invaders from getting a foothold. The empire collapsed.
Humans are the closest thing to an "aggressor" race. We noted that in a lot of sci-fi humans are the "neutral" race. Here, humans will be constantly poking their noses in other peoples' business. They are industry-oriented, and skilled at adopting alien technology. We deliberately made it so humans do not get the best military - they are powerful later when their massive industrial strength comes into play. We also had the idea for a "feat" called "Government-Sanctioned" which would give a discipline bonus, and be pretty essential for a human military faction. Humans will also be abolitionists, and cannot use slaves.
Ability Modifiers: +2 Industry, -2 Discipline, +1 Science. Humans are individualists and chafe at imposed authority. But they are very good at industry and business thanks to their capitalist culture, and are quick to adopt useful technologies.
Hive:
A race with a tendency to order, the Hive were completely unified before the advent of industrial technology. They forged a small empire, but were forced back to their homeworld during the Galactic War. The Hive do not believe in fighting to the death - they believe in "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day," and when their homeworld was attacked, they still had the bulk of their military. While their homeworld was saved, their monarchy was killed. Now ruled by a military dictatorship that pretty much everyone accepts, the Hive are trying to rebuild.
These guys will be good at mass attacks with basic units. They will be quick to use violence to solve problems, since their homeworld has only experienced one world war, which was imposed from outside.
Racial Modifiers: +4 Discipline, +2 Industry, -2 Caliber, -2 Science. The Hive are extremely disciplined and orderly, but they are slow to adopt technologies, and most of their elite military units were killed during the war.
Those two are the only ones we've outlined in detail. We have basic concepts for the others:
Techies:
These are an aloof, high-tech race. Ideal for those who want to play with all the shiny superweapons.
Racial Modifiers: +4 Science, -2 Caliber. The Techies have focused on scientific learning to the detriment of military virtues.
Psychics:
Psychics have only recently discovered high technology. Most of their technology is acquired from other races, including the humans. We decided against giving them either a penalty or a bonus to Science, since we couldn't balance them easily without stepping on someone else's toes.
Racial Modifiers: +2 Discipline, +2 Caliber, -4 Industry. The Psychics have trained their minds to incredible levels, but are not very materialistic.
Monks:
Monks consider combat to be the highest art form. They are not aggressors, since they know what war can bring.
Racial Modifiers: +2 Discipline, +4 Caliber, -4 Science. The monks are skilled at combat, but they are not tech-savvy.
So, what do you think?
I'll post our ideas so far, then people can add their thoughts and suggestions. Who knows, maybe we'll get a good developer to take our idea and run with it! Alternatively, my friend suggested making a Flash game as a prototype.
All names are working titles.
Anyway, I give you: Inherit the Galaxy (working title)
The game is set some time (maybe 20 years) after the end of the Galactic War. This war was waged between a collection of alien empires, and ended up destroying them all. I had in mind a post-apocalyptic feel to the galaxy - a lot of debris fields and devastated (or even sterilized) planets.
Only five races survived the war with their homeworlds and civilizations mostly intact. They did so primarily by not getting involved (I had an image of Yahtzee reviewing the game and saying that it's like the aftermath of a barfight and everybody's unconscious except the five guys who just stood to the side and punched anyone who got too close).
Now, you command a rising faction. You will spread out from your homeworld into the devastated galaxy. *insert plot hint here*
Before I get into the races, here are the four ability scores:
Discipline: How disciplined your organization is. Mostly important for maintaining a large military.
Industry: How good you are at business and industry. Mostly important for industrial production and making money.
Science: How tech-savvy you are. Doesn't merely reflect tech level, but how good you are at using technology.
Caliber: How skilled your men are. Especially important for military factions.
Racial modifiers can be +2, +1, +0, -1, or -2. All races have their modifiers add up to +1.
Now for the races:
Humans: A recent arrival on the galactic scene, humans had achieved interstellar spaceflight without bothering to unite their own homeworld. Consequently, they didn't have a foreign policy. Problems occured when private individuals supplied tons of human weapons to slaves in a neighboring empire, triggering a slave revolt. The neighboring empire attacked Earth, but while Earth's orbital defenses were nonexistent, the humans were quite capable of preventing the invaders from getting a foothold. The empire collapsed.
Humans are the closest thing to an "aggressor" race. We noted that in a lot of sci-fi humans are the "neutral" race. Here, humans will be constantly poking their noses in other peoples' business. They are industry-oriented, and skilled at adopting alien technology. We deliberately made it so humans do not get the best military - they are powerful later when their massive industrial strength comes into play. We also had the idea for a "feat" called "Government-Sanctioned" which would give a discipline bonus, and be pretty essential for a human military faction. Humans will also be abolitionists, and cannot use slaves.
Ability Modifiers: +2 Industry, -2 Discipline, +1 Science. Humans are individualists and chafe at imposed authority. But they are very good at industry and business thanks to their capitalist culture, and are quick to adopt useful technologies.
Hive:
A race with a tendency to order, the Hive were completely unified before the advent of industrial technology. They forged a small empire, but were forced back to their homeworld during the Galactic War. The Hive do not believe in fighting to the death - they believe in "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day," and when their homeworld was attacked, they still had the bulk of their military. While their homeworld was saved, their monarchy was killed. Now ruled by a military dictatorship that pretty much everyone accepts, the Hive are trying to rebuild.
These guys will be good at mass attacks with basic units. They will be quick to use violence to solve problems, since their homeworld has only experienced one world war, which was imposed from outside.
Racial Modifiers: +4 Discipline, +2 Industry, -2 Caliber, -2 Science. The Hive are extremely disciplined and orderly, but they are slow to adopt technologies, and most of their elite military units were killed during the war.
Those two are the only ones we've outlined in detail. We have basic concepts for the others:
Techies:
These are an aloof, high-tech race. Ideal for those who want to play with all the shiny superweapons.
Racial Modifiers: +4 Science, -2 Caliber. The Techies have focused on scientific learning to the detriment of military virtues.
Psychics:
Psychics have only recently discovered high technology. Most of their technology is acquired from other races, including the humans. We decided against giving them either a penalty or a bonus to Science, since we couldn't balance them easily without stepping on someone else's toes.
Racial Modifiers: +2 Discipline, +2 Caliber, -4 Industry. The Psychics have trained their minds to incredible levels, but are not very materialistic.
Monks:
Monks consider combat to be the highest art form. They are not aggressors, since they know what war can bring.
Racial Modifiers: +2 Discipline, +4 Caliber, -4 Science. The monks are skilled at combat, but they are not tech-savvy.
So, what do you think?
