Obsidian (Game Concept)
by Jeff Severson · 02/15/2007 (12:31 am) · 8 comments
I have working quite a bit recently, but I've finally become brave enough to start working on my game idea. Since I work in the industry already I know how much work goes into a game. If I get a one demo level done by the end of the year I'll consider it an acheivement!
I'm not a story writer by any stretch of the imagination, but I've decided to go forward with it anyway. Below is a synopsis of the overall storyline.
The game will be a FPS shooter (I know there are too many) based on futuristic earth. Basically the planet earth has been deprived of resources. Countries are fighting with each other to gain control of those resources and the ecological system has been going down the toilet for some time. A comet (which has been on a collision course with earth for some time now) finally crashes down on the earth's surface causing complete devastation around the globe. A bacteria (sp?) which was contained within the frozen core of the comet is released into the atmosphere and is starts to cause mutations in people. Some of the people on earth infected with the bacteria die, but a large percentage are turned into monsters that threaten to wipe out the entire human race. The mutants/monsters become organized, build a large underground city and they start to capture people (think of the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers) which they place in pods. Once placed in a pod a the subject is injected with a black fluid (which becomes known as Obsidian). The black fluid changes the person into a mutant/monster (sort of like reproducing, only not as nice) and the monster serves the race, which intends on wiping out (or converting) the entire human race.
At the beginning of the game the player will be able to choose which character he/she would like to play. There will be four to choose from. The game will be an FPS and it would be nice to have some squad based tactical stuff in the game although I'm not opposed to having the player character be a MERC who only goes solo (i.e. Chronicles of Riddick). The character is a reluctant hero in other words.
The main goal of this project is to create something that looks very artistic. Something out of a Sci-fi novel or movie. I've been developing some concept art for the game for about a year now and I'm finally feeling brave enough to attempt to create a game.
Here are some links to some of the concept sketches for the game:
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/watcher001.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/brute.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/virus.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/seeker.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/spidermog.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/ag.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/wormy.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/twoheadsketch.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/eye.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/futurewarriorsketch002.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/futurewarriorconcept001.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/jeffsportfolio.html (online portfolio)
Plan:
* My immediate plan will be to get a basic web site up and running, which will take about eight hours (give or take) of work.
* Next plan of action is to find some talented people who are willing to work for free (not easy I'm sure). I'm unable to offer compensation. I will be working on this game after work hours and on weekends. If you feel that this is something that you would be committed to then please e-mail me at jeff_severson@msn.com. Below I've made a list of positions I will be recruiting for.
BTW, my plan is to make this game in TGE 1.5 (I'd like to create it using TGE Advanced. Not really sure about it yet). I'm an environment artist by trade, but I also do character work, so I will be creating a considerable main portion of the content for the game.
Characters:
- Concept Artists
- Modelers/Texture Artists
- Animators (includes rigging and export to engine)
Environment:
- Concept Artists
- Modelers/Texture Artists
Vehicles:
- Concept Artists
- Modelers/Texture Artists
- Riggers/Animators
Misc:
- Special Effects/Particle Systems Artist
Programmers (for all aspects of the game)
I'm open to comments and ideas. If you'd like to work on this project, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
Jeff
E-mail: jeff_severson@msn.com
I'm not a story writer by any stretch of the imagination, but I've decided to go forward with it anyway. Below is a synopsis of the overall storyline.
The game will be a FPS shooter (I know there are too many) based on futuristic earth. Basically the planet earth has been deprived of resources. Countries are fighting with each other to gain control of those resources and the ecological system has been going down the toilet for some time. A comet (which has been on a collision course with earth for some time now) finally crashes down on the earth's surface causing complete devastation around the globe. A bacteria (sp?) which was contained within the frozen core of the comet is released into the atmosphere and is starts to cause mutations in people. Some of the people on earth infected with the bacteria die, but a large percentage are turned into monsters that threaten to wipe out the entire human race. The mutants/monsters become organized, build a large underground city and they start to capture people (think of the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers) which they place in pods. Once placed in a pod a the subject is injected with a black fluid (which becomes known as Obsidian). The black fluid changes the person into a mutant/monster (sort of like reproducing, only not as nice) and the monster serves the race, which intends on wiping out (or converting) the entire human race.
At the beginning of the game the player will be able to choose which character he/she would like to play. There will be four to choose from. The game will be an FPS and it would be nice to have some squad based tactical stuff in the game although I'm not opposed to having the player character be a MERC who only goes solo (i.e. Chronicles of Riddick). The character is a reluctant hero in other words.
The main goal of this project is to create something that looks very artistic. Something out of a Sci-fi novel or movie. I've been developing some concept art for the game for about a year now and I'm finally feeling brave enough to attempt to create a game.
Here are some links to some of the concept sketches for the game:
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/watcher001.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/brute.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/virus.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/seeker.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/spidermog.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/ag.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/wormy.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/twoheadsketch.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/eye.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/futurewarriorsketch002.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/futurewarriorconcept001.jpg
http://www.thirddimensionstudio.com/jeffsportfolio.html (online portfolio)
Plan:
* My immediate plan will be to get a basic web site up and running, which will take about eight hours (give or take) of work.
* Next plan of action is to find some talented people who are willing to work for free (not easy I'm sure). I'm unable to offer compensation. I will be working on this game after work hours and on weekends. If you feel that this is something that you would be committed to then please e-mail me at jeff_severson@msn.com. Below I've made a list of positions I will be recruiting for.
BTW, my plan is to make this game in TGE 1.5 (I'd like to create it using TGE Advanced. Not really sure about it yet). I'm an environment artist by trade, but I also do character work, so I will be creating a considerable main portion of the content for the game.
Characters:
- Concept Artists
- Modelers/Texture Artists
- Animators (includes rigging and export to engine)
Environment:
- Concept Artists
- Modelers/Texture Artists
Vehicles:
- Concept Artists
- Modelers/Texture Artists
- Riggers/Animators
Misc:
- Special Effects/Particle Systems Artist
Programmers (for all aspects of the game)
I'm open to comments and ideas. If you'd like to work on this project, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
Jeff
E-mail: jeff_severson@msn.com
#2
02/15/2007 (2:26 am)
Yeah, nice portfolio you have there.
#3
Youre an artist, I would expect a little more imagination :)
Seriously though, its a classic trap, are you SURE you want to do this?
Your portfolio looks reasonably good, I think you can come up with a better concept with more style.
02/15/2007 (3:09 am)
Jeff, I have to ask. Why would you go for something so generic as a "sci fi FPS game"?Youre an artist, I would expect a little more imagination :)
Seriously though, its a classic trap, are you SURE you want to do this?
Your portfolio looks reasonably good, I think you can come up with a better concept with more style.
#5
Online Portfolio
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/watcher001.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/brute.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/virus.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/seeker.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/spidermog.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/ag.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/wormy.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/twoheadsketch.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/eye.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/futurewarriorsketch002.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/futurewarriorconcept001.jpg
02/15/2007 (1:38 pm)
I linked your stuff for you :)Online Portfolio
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/watcher001.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/brute.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/virus.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/seeker.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/spidermog.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/ag.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/wormy.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/twoheadsketch.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/eye.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/futurewarriorsketch002.jpg
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/futurewarriorconcept001.jpg
#6
I have a few questions that popped up while reading your synopsis. If you really are going to pursue this story, they're worth pondering. I had come across a guide to roleplaying an evil alignment some years ago (I'm unable to find it again unfortunately) which asked the player to consider why the character was 'evil'. Evil characters are not evil for the sake of being evil. They have motives and ambitions, just as normal characters, but they don't limit their options on how to achieve their goals.
What resources do the monsters use to create their underground city?
The monsters must retain some intelligence after the transformation, do they retain any of their humanity?
Do they remember their family members, life-goals, or other things they cared about as humans?
Do _all_ of the monsters want to overthrow humanity?
Are there any monsters outside of the
Do the monsters simply want to enslave humanity?
Can the monsters reproduce?
Have the humans run out of antiseptics? Maybe a virus would be scarier.
I'd rather ask questions than give advice. Sometimes asking the right question is better than giving the answer. If you ever need some more questions, please feel free to contact me. You're off to a good start.
02/15/2007 (5:56 pm)
I noticed you said you were not a story writer, which is fine. You get points for trying!I have a few questions that popped up while reading your synopsis. If you really are going to pursue this story, they're worth pondering. I had come across a guide to roleplaying an evil alignment some years ago (I'm unable to find it again unfortunately) which asked the player to consider why the character was 'evil'. Evil characters are not evil for the sake of being evil. They have motives and ambitions, just as normal characters, but they don't limit their options on how to achieve their goals.
What resources do the monsters use to create their underground city?
The monsters must retain some intelligence after the transformation, do they retain any of their humanity?
Do they remember their family members, life-goals, or other things they cared about as humans?
Do _all_ of the monsters want to overthrow humanity?
Are there any monsters outside of the
Do the monsters simply want to enslave humanity?
Can the monsters reproduce?
Have the humans run out of antiseptics? Maybe a virus would be scarier.
I'd rather ask questions than give advice. Sometimes asking the right question is better than giving the answer. If you ever need some more questions, please feel free to contact me. You're off to a good start.
#7
Unsung Zero - I've come up with a storyline based on the artwork, which I've created with a basic premise in mind. We'll just say that the ambitions or motives of this new life form is survival (at first). Human beings are the hosts and they need more of them in order to survive and evolve. Over a very short amount of time they will learn to harvest human DNA, create creatures of higher intelligence, and they will begin to wipe out the human race.
To answer some of your questions:
What resources do the monsters use to create their underground city?
They will build this city using a combo of their own organic materials (which they create) and earth materials.
The monsters must retain some intelligence after the transformation, do they retain any of their humanity?
Some of the creatures will retain much of the human intelligence, however they will learn how to manipulate DNA to create creatures of higher intelligence.
Perhaps some of them do retain their humanity, but they are unable to return to human civilization so they create their own hidden city away from the other mutated creatures. I'm not sure about this one yet, but it would be another interesting dimension to add to the story.
Do they remember their family members, life-goals, or other things they cared about as humans?
Perhaps the good ones do, but they cannot return to their former lives since they are all now enemies of humans.
Do _all_ of the monsters want to overthrow humanity?
I would say that they are much like a virus. They want to kill off as many humans as possible while keeping some of them alive to feed off of. Once they no longer require humans they would kill them off and take control of the planet.
Do the monsters simply want to enslave humanity?
It's more like they need humans to evolve. They want the planet. It's an alien invasion without the ships from outer space, if you will.
Can the monsters reproduce?
Initially they use humans as hosts. Eventually they will evolve to the point where they can use DNA extracted from humans to create their own mutantations. I have sketched out a tree that is called the spawning tree. It's pretty sick, but on each branch of the tree there are these pods/eggs much like in the movie Alien only bigger. Once the pod opens a new creature emerges. I'll post the sketch as soon as it's finished. I've also roughly sketched out underground caverns where the pods hang from the ceilings and the Seekers (the venus flytrap looking sketch with the dangly fingerlike appendages) fly up to the pods and pull out whatever creature is inside. Soon, I'll post descriptions for each creature and their purpose.
Have the humans run out of antiseptics? Maybe a virus would be scarier.
I guess I would consider it a virus. If a virus could survive inside a comet that is. I've always heard that bacteria can survive, but a virus? I'm not sure.
I'm not sure if what I wrote makes sense, but I think it will all come together in a short amount of time.
Andy - Thanks for linking everything.
BTW, these creatures do not require earth's main resources to fight against the humans. Many of these creatures can fly, they can fuse weapons to their bodies, etc. (i.e. bio mechanical)
Thanks,
Jeff
02/15/2007 (8:45 pm)
Phil - I thought the same thing about doing a FPS shooter. I would prefer to do something more along the lines of a RPG like fallout. I guess I should've mentioned that none of this is set in stone. If I find the right group of people to work on this I'll take it much further. You're right, a FPS shooter is very generic, but I'm not sure what sort of resources I'll have at my disposal. I guess I'll wait and see what sort of interest I can generate.Unsung Zero - I've come up with a storyline based on the artwork, which I've created with a basic premise in mind. We'll just say that the ambitions or motives of this new life form is survival (at first). Human beings are the hosts and they need more of them in order to survive and evolve. Over a very short amount of time they will learn to harvest human DNA, create creatures of higher intelligence, and they will begin to wipe out the human race.
To answer some of your questions:
What resources do the monsters use to create their underground city?
They will build this city using a combo of their own organic materials (which they create) and earth materials.
The monsters must retain some intelligence after the transformation, do they retain any of their humanity?
Some of the creatures will retain much of the human intelligence, however they will learn how to manipulate DNA to create creatures of higher intelligence.
Perhaps some of them do retain their humanity, but they are unable to return to human civilization so they create their own hidden city away from the other mutated creatures. I'm not sure about this one yet, but it would be another interesting dimension to add to the story.
Do they remember their family members, life-goals, or other things they cared about as humans?
Perhaps the good ones do, but they cannot return to their former lives since they are all now enemies of humans.
Do _all_ of the monsters want to overthrow humanity?
I would say that they are much like a virus. They want to kill off as many humans as possible while keeping some of them alive to feed off of. Once they no longer require humans they would kill them off and take control of the planet.
Do the monsters simply want to enslave humanity?
It's more like they need humans to evolve. They want the planet. It's an alien invasion without the ships from outer space, if you will.
Can the monsters reproduce?
Initially they use humans as hosts. Eventually they will evolve to the point where they can use DNA extracted from humans to create their own mutantations. I have sketched out a tree that is called the spawning tree. It's pretty sick, but on each branch of the tree there are these pods/eggs much like in the movie Alien only bigger. Once the pod opens a new creature emerges. I'll post the sketch as soon as it's finished. I've also roughly sketched out underground caverns where the pods hang from the ceilings and the Seekers (the venus flytrap looking sketch with the dangly fingerlike appendages) fly up to the pods and pull out whatever creature is inside. Soon, I'll post descriptions for each creature and their purpose.
Have the humans run out of antiseptics? Maybe a virus would be scarier.
I guess I would consider it a virus. If a virus could survive inside a comet that is. I've always heard that bacteria can survive, but a virus? I'm not sure.
I'm not sure if what I wrote makes sense, but I think it will all come together in a short amount of time.
Andy - Thanks for linking everything.
BTW, these creatures do not require earth's main resources to fight against the humans. Many of these creatures can fly, they can fuse weapons to their bodies, etc. (i.e. bio mechanical)
Thanks,
Jeff
#8
www.thirddimensionstudio.com/obsidian_intro1.swf
There's no site yet so nothing will happen when you click enter.
02/16/2007 (12:04 am)
here's a sample of a quick intro to the website that I'm working on. www.thirddimensionstudio.com/obsidian_intro1.swf
There's no site yet so nothing will happen when you click enter.
Torque Owner Ian Roach
Look forward to seeing more.