Poll: Would a pirate FPS/RPG work? (Uni research)

[SalamanderJoe]

Here's the gist: this year at Uni, for my game art course, we have to create a huge design document of a single game idea. Basicaly develop a game but without the whole programming element. I'm still all over the place at the mo, but this idea popped into my head the other day: PIRATES. (The genre of pirates isn't as used as you'd think)

In short: a FPS/RPG which focuses around a pair of lowlifes who get roped into service by some pirates, but then steal a large treasure for themselves and thus begins a story of escape, betrayal yada yada yada. Imagine Fallout 3, but with a larger freedom of movement and environment travesring, co-op with a friend, a quick swtich between sword and guns, and exploration including sailing and treasure hunting, proper pirating and a couple mini-games on the side.

There's loads of other issues such as timezone, art style and whatnot, but do you reckon the gist of what I'm trying to develop works? Would it be better in 3rd person? I'll add a poll. Comments welcome. (By the way the game idea is currently known as "Plunder")

 

[Mr. Purple]

<color=purple>I think it would work wonderfully. You could bring many new elements to this mixed genre gaming. It may do better as third person, but if its like Fallout, you have your options with view and you can always change the controls to your liking, so it sounds pretty versatile.

 

[SalamanderJoe]

Flintlock pistols and blunderblusses? Yeah... fire one horribly inaccurate shot every minute... XD

Yeah I did think that would a bit of a problem...

 

[Blackadder51]

The story doesnt sound bad, but it would be hard to develop into a FPS as most period weapons to my knowledge are shit. However 3rd person hack and slash would be cool, if a bit bland/repetitive.

 

[Dexiro]

I'm sure i've seen a Pirate FPS before. I think it was a Counter Strike/HL2 mod with pirate themed maps and weapons. It seemed like a fairly solid game.

 

[TheScottishFella]

In this day and age it is hard to be unique, but most go for wars. I like that you have gone to the pirates concept a lot of pirate games are point and click or problem solving, not true pirate manner still, I like it go for it and good luck.

 

[Fanta Grape]

Make it an MMOFPS! Your central base is a ship which you can modify and you can go through different professions like thief, etc.
Easy use of currency and random encounters are perfectly justified. But I guess it'll be like TF2 mixed with puzzle pirates...

 

[ReckzB]

It sounds like a fairly decent idea, though it's not exactly perfect. There seems to be an issue some people have with the idea of a first-person game as opposed to a first-person shooter though. Case-in-point; my sister immediately dismissed Portal as a typical FPS when she saw I was running along with a 'gun' in the foreground. She later went on to complete the game, once I convinced her how wrong she was...

Where was I going with this? One sec...

Ah, there we are. I'd say the idea of a first-person pirate game seems quite good. Provided there wasn't too much focus on firearms (honestly, horrid idea) and added some unique first-person sword combat, this could work. Hypothetically, I'd play it, if done well. You might want to consider a sword combo system consisting of a variety of offensive and defensive moves.

All in all, sounds like a promising premise. Personally, I believe more games should come with an option to swap between first and third person perspectives, have you considered that, perhaps?

I'll uh, stop making suggestions now. I have a habit of throwing around game design ideas myself. Not that that'll lead me anywhere...

 

[Mukiwa]

This sounds like it has real potential if done right. But I'm a sucker for anything piratey so I'm probably biased.

 

[Swny Nerdgasm]

Interesting idea, but I really really think we need less FPS in this day and age

 

[Geekmaster]

It'sa great idea but you're going to need to go slightly scifi/fantasy in order to make up some sort of excuse for FX aforementioned gun problems.

That's not really hard though. Some major scientific breakthrough in your fictional pirate universe and that's settled. Throw ina few ghost pirates and some curses and you're good to go.

Edit: Oh and downplay guns in favour of melee weapons. Beware of becoming an Oblivion ripoff.

 

[DustyDrB]

It would be cool if you didn't try to make it realistic with the unreliable guns of the time. Also, 3rd person instead of 1st.

 

[AfterAscon]

It kind of sounds like combat of Oblivion (magic/bows=guns) meets the exploration of LoZ: Wind Waker, which is not a bad thing. Using those as a point of reference I can see how on land would work in a first-person perspective, but a third-person view would be needed for sailing.

I think it could work, but then again I'm not a designer and have zero experience.

 

[nelsonr100]

I think it sounds fun, and could definitely be pushed towards the RPG style of play. Maybe if you go for an oblivion/fallout style as I don't think there are enough period firearms to make FPS as viable as it is using present and future technology as a base

 

[RanD00M]

Flintlock pistols and blunderblusses? Yeah... fire one horribly inaccurate shot every minute... XD

Yeah I did think that would a bit of a problem...

Well then you could focus more on melée , but have guns as a "Shit is about to go down" option.

 

[Erana]

Its your damn game! Did anyone say you had to be that historically accurate? Why not make pirates in the antarctic or something with lasers? That would provide plenty of reasons for boundaries in the middle of the ocean and other invisible walls.

But yeah, I think the best thing you could do if you're not going to worry about programming is having the game convincingly accommodate the game mechanics into the story and world.

 

[TheDoctor455]

Flintlock pistols and blunderblusses? Yeah... fire one horribly inaccurate shot every minute... XD
snip...

That's assuming you want to be overly realistic... remember, some of the heavy-hitter guns in the Call of Duty series actually take A LOT longer to reload in real life than they do in the game.

As for accuracy? Guns back then weren't built for accuracy, or to be used more than once per minute. In fact, most type of guns that pirates used were designed to be used once, at close to point blank range, fired, and then put away again. Which is why pirates tended to carry more than one gun of the same (or similar) kind around.