What would you like to see in a game?

[Aemoh87]

Just recently got my team and my budget for a game.

But what are some things you value in a game?

For the record my resources our limited so I will cut corners where I can. Level design is one place we plan on doing this, no epic landscapes for me But we do plan on including one. Also this will be and RPG, most likely some semblance of turn based. But bring on the suggestions as well as any references you might have. I will try to respond to you directly to make sure you get your ideas across.

Also don't suggest anything you don't want me to use. It's a nonprofit venture made to expand art as well as challenge how we think of it as a medium. Thanks Escapists!

 

[Darkhill]

I for one, would love to see protaganist based off Yossarian, the 'hero' of Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22. Excellent book, if you haven't read it, I highly advise you to do so. I highly value character and motivation as well as clever dialouge in the plot. If you're expanding art, then you're going to have to leave the Tolkein-land fantasy RPG setting in the past, where it belongs. And try to get a wonderfully original soundtrack in there, if you've got any friends with musical talent. That and an original art style really help to elevate the experience. Course, the rest of it has to be well made.

 

[Mister Six]

Not so much opinion on gameplay, but as for story/setting, preferably something along the lines of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice, more low fantasy with darker tones, where the conflict is less black and white and more gray and gray or black and gray.

 

[GiantRaven]

I would love to see a deconstruction of what a hero does after he saves the world. What happens when an overly-famous adrenaline junkie has to return to the normal life in the village he grew up in?

 

[cgentero]

Also this will be and RPG, most likely some semblance of turn based.

I was just thinking a few moments ago about a party based turn based stealth based rpg, perhaps about a thieves or assassins guild, but I doubt thats what you're looking for.

 

[Kezboard]

Female characters who are dressed sensibly. No chainmaille bikinis or similiar idiocy.

Also, how about making the hero[ine] ugly? Games today are populated by hollywood actors. Dare to be ugly!

And no escort missions. Ever.

If you're making the game non-profit, why not open-source?
On a similiar note: For soundtrack, have a look at jamendo.com for CreativeCommons audio. That guy/gal called Butterfly Tea has some nice stuff.

 

[hashkage]

An alien which is *very* different from humans, though at the same time a character which you can somehow relate to. I doubt it's possible, but if some great writer manages to pull it off, I'd be one happy gamer.

 

[Aemoh87]

I for one, would love to see protaganist based off Yossarian, the 'hero' of Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22. Excellent book, if you haven't read it, I highly advise you to do so. I highly value character and motivation as well as clever dialouge in the plot. If you're expanding art, then you're going to have to leave the Tolkein-land fantasy RPG setting in the past, where it belongs. And try to get a wonderfully original soundtrack in there, if you've got any friends with musical talent. That and an original art style really help to elevate the experience. Course, the rest of it has to be well made.

We have a collegiate orchestra doing the music. Also we wanted to portray the traditional rpg stereotypes in a new light with a modern twist.

 

[Sticky Squid]

Music that is a throwback to old popular music, like Earthbound.

 

[Aemoh87]

Not so much opinion on gameplay, but as for story/setting, preferably something along the lines of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice, more low fantasy with darker tones, where the conflict is less black and white and more gray and gray or black and gray.

Our conflict is mostly that of a character one. While there is an over-arching conflict it's truly a story of self discovery. Some of the conflict seems like it's trivial or mundane, but we want to challenge that. Also we use different style structures to portray these conflicts, such as Greek Tragedy.

 

[Aemoh87]

I would love to see a deconstruction of what a hero does after he saves the world. What happens when an overly-famous adrenaline junkie has to return to the normal life in the village he grew up in?

One problem with this is can a hero ever return? Can a character ever return to what he was before the beginning of the story? Usually they cannot, even if that is their goal. The story is the change, and the change is why they can never return.

 

[Aemoh87]

Also this will be and RPG, most likely some semblance of turn based.

I was just thinking a few moments ago about a party based turn based stealth based rpg, perhaps about a thieves or assassins guild, but I doubt thats what you're looking for.

Actually we are VERY proud of our stealth mechanic. I cannot talk about it but stealth is a major party of our game. Alot of games favor combat over stealth but we take the route of lack of stealth makes combat overwhelming and difficult. So the degree at which you execute determines how difficult combat can be. (obviously there are situations where combat can be avoided completely. The experience system also rewards progress not combat)

 

[Aemoh87]

Female characters who are dressed sensibly. No chainmaille bikinis or similiar idiocy.

Also, how about making the hero[ine] ugly? Games today are populated by hollywood actors. Dare to be ugly!

And no escort missions. Ever.

We have several female characters and one addresses this. We watch Extra Credits and we try to incorporate ideas from our discussions on these featurettes to our development.

 

[rickvhoeij]

My two cents: Make sure you have a compelling story with good pacing.

To really make a name for yourself in the already crowded genre of RPG's you would be better of using a non-fantasy story and setting.

Really liked the suggestion thieves/assassins story ... maby will use that myself

Good luck with your game.

 

[Aemoh87]

An alien which is *very* different from humans, though at the same time a character which you can somehow relate to. I doubt it's possible, but if some great writer manages to pull it off, I'd be one happy gamer.

Aliens are outside of what we are doing. But this task seems impossible. Try to imagine something you have never seen before. Does it resemble something you have never seen before? Is it just a mix of qualities of things you have seen before?

Or even try to imagine nothing, usually you imagine the color black... but obviously that is just symbolism.

 

[Aemoh87]

Music that is a throwback to old popular music, like Earthbound.

We looking for an original score/free music. If you have good sources of free music let me know via personal message!

 

[GiantRaven]

One problem with this is can a hero ever return? Can a character ever return to what he was before the beginning of the story? Usually they cannot, even if that is their goal. The story is the change, and the change is why they can never return.

This is true. The hero cannot go back to the regular life that he had beforehand. In my mind, this comes out gameplay-wise as the player searching for quests (as not doing so would be counter-productive towards being entertained) but the ramifications of such a strong, outside force onto matters that aren't world threatening could be bigger than if the hero (and by extension, the player) had not forced themselves into that situation.

That probably sounds like a load of rubbish. I'm not so good at putting my ideas across.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Think Quest for Glory + Diablo II + Oblivion/Fallout 3.
So the whacky fun world & puzzle solving of Quest for Glory + the hack and slash battle style of Diablo II also the magic system 'cause that's one of the few games where magic users didn't suck + character customization of Oblivion/Fallout 3.

...wait that's probably beyond your means isn't it? Still it'd be awesome though.

 

[Whateveralot]

A main character with a phobia, where he or she conquers the phobia in the end of the game. Where the game scares the player into being afraid of the phobia as well, for example if it's a water phobia, the game could play near the open sea where, whenever you are near water your character will be notifying you of being scared, and when the player is still tempted and tries to jump in, something deeply distrubing drags you down to the bottom of the sea and you blackout halfway there. The more disturbing this is, the more intimidating the end will be. Imagine being on a drowning ship with something that is very dear to you and the only way to save that thing you love, is by swimming.

A game where, when you die, your screen blacks out and all you hear is a distant echo of the sounds you heard before death.

 

[Aemoh87]

My two cents: Make sure you have a compelling story with good pacing.

To really make a name for yourself in the already crowded genre of RPG's you would be better of using a non-fantasy story and setting.

Really liked the suggestion thieves/assassins story ... maby will use that myself

Good luck with your game.

We are really trying to pioneer here. One aspect we are looking at is older game. They not only told compelling stories but also did it with HUGE limitations. We have different limitations but we really want to tell a compelling story with some fun gameplay.

With that said everything needs to fit the theme of our story. (Art, Music, Game Mechanics, the Characters, and the overall experience.)

As for pacing that is important but it's something that is part of revision. Our setting is also recently become popular among the communities but we feel like it works best for us, even if it is going to have to compete because of it.

Finally I would love to make a thieves/assassins game but my team hasn't solved that puzzle yet. To us the problem is that the key to these games is you should be able to solve the conflicts however you like, while most games stick you in linear patterns and stifle your creativity. Just look at the difference between say Thief and a dungeons and dragons Thief themed campaign.