Triple race RPG
by Bryan Knouse · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 12/13/2004 (4:32 pm) · 33 replies
By all means this is not coming out soon, but me and a bud (currently in business with eachohter) are planning out some games, and im looking for ideas. Currently we have a Triple race RPG. Basically there are three different characters of a different race, and they all start separately, you do the missions as each one and they meet up to fight one big bad guy. Someone suggested to me that I should make them mutant and the ultimate boss be like some crazy nuclear scientist who made them into mutants, but this would be our first game, which is pushing our limits ;).
The other idea was like a coleseum game, sortof like Dead or alive, Or monster rancher, except of course you would be a gladiater, and you can pick up weapons around town, gain fame, and eventually rule rome or something.
Any suggestions or ideas feel free to unload in this thread!
The other idea was like a coleseum game, sortof like Dead or alive, Or monster rancher, except of course you would be a gladiater, and you can pick up weapons around town, gain fame, and eventually rule rome or something.
Any suggestions or ideas feel free to unload in this thread!
About the author
#2
It's not a game idea. It's a seed for a story that might work in a game.
Sounds like a story-driven RPG (as opposed to an open-ended progress-oriented one, like Diablo or Morrowind or most MMORPGs). Your content requirements will probably be pretty high, and RPGs are not historically known for being easy to code, either.
If you haven't done games before, I recommend first mocking the whole thing up in something like Neverwinter Nights first.
12/14/2004 (5:57 am)
Honest opinion?It's not a game idea. It's a seed for a story that might work in a game.
Sounds like a story-driven RPG (as opposed to an open-ended progress-oriented one, like Diablo or Morrowind or most MMORPGs). Your content requirements will probably be pretty high, and RPGs are not historically known for being easy to code, either.
If you haven't done games before, I recommend first mocking the whole thing up in something like Neverwinter Nights first.
#3
12/14/2004 (10:37 am)
My thoughts exactly, we are new to C++, and thats why I mentioned this on the horizons, but not anytime soon. Basically Im thinking of something now that doesnt have much human play, preferablly little AI, games like marbleblast and tetris, those turned out as classics and yet nowadays are probably simpler than RPG's or FPS.
#4
"If you want playability tests, check out the Wild Arms games. They begin with the separate characters "brought together" premise. Plus they were enjoyable games (except "searching for cities and such on the main map, which wasn't nearly as horrid a design decision as the Desert of Despair in Breath of Fire III)."
Wild Arms was the EXACT game I was basing it off of, because I remember playing it and thinking "Wow, that's a cool ide for the beginning of a game"
About that story being, just a "Seed for an story," yea THAT is, but there is a lot more to it than that, what Knouse said isn't the ONLY thing we have going on this game, plus there is more I could surely add to it, being that I've written a few fantasy stories, that are rated quite well by others, along with plenty of story background with the hundreds of books I've read. PLUS I play Dungeons and Dragons constantly and make stories for that which would help a lot. So we don't really have to worry about having a bad story or set-up, but yea...
I like the idea a friend brought up to us that Knouse mentioned about having just like a fighting "Coluseum" or some type of arena game. That might work pretty well for what we're trying to do. The thing we've got basically worked out now, is HOW we'll make the game. Being that I'm a little bit better at modeling than Knouse I'll handle most of the modeling and "LightWave" oriented tasks, while he handles much of the C++ and the programming, 'cause God knows I don't have the patience to learn another programming language at this point.
More suggestions are GREATLY appreciated though...
12/14/2004 (4:00 pm)
Ahh...me be Knouse's "bud" and about this:"If you want playability tests, check out the Wild Arms games. They begin with the separate characters "brought together" premise. Plus they were enjoyable games (except "searching for cities and such on the main map, which wasn't nearly as horrid a design decision as the Desert of Despair in Breath of Fire III)."
Wild Arms was the EXACT game I was basing it off of, because I remember playing it and thinking "Wow, that's a cool ide for the beginning of a game"
About that story being, just a "Seed for an story," yea THAT is, but there is a lot more to it than that, what Knouse said isn't the ONLY thing we have going on this game, plus there is more I could surely add to it, being that I've written a few fantasy stories, that are rated quite well by others, along with plenty of story background with the hundreds of books I've read. PLUS I play Dungeons and Dragons constantly and make stories for that which would help a lot. So we don't really have to worry about having a bad story or set-up, but yea...
I like the idea a friend brought up to us that Knouse mentioned about having just like a fighting "Coluseum" or some type of arena game. That might work pretty well for what we're trying to do. The thing we've got basically worked out now, is HOW we'll make the game. Being that I'm a little bit better at modeling than Knouse I'll handle most of the modeling and "LightWave" oriented tasks, while he handles much of the C++ and the programming, 'cause God knows I don't have the patience to learn another programming language at this point.
More suggestions are GREATLY appreciated though...
#5
Alot of other things are hard about RPGs though. I kept adding features people suggested, and the source code turned into a convoluted mess. Had I not added those features I may have eventually finished the game. As it was, I abandoned it to work on easier things for a while.
Your idea is good, but it's only small part of what you'll need. Since you're planning to do this game far in the future, you can take your time and look at how to best expand your idea.
One problem you'll have to look it is how much overlap there will be between the 3 practical storylines (1 for each character). If each storyline is completely different, it will be like writing the stories for 3 games.
Most games that let you choose from a bunch of different characters just have spots in the game where some character appears - which character depends upon who you chose as your character. This is easy to implement but rather unsatisfying.
12/14/2004 (4:04 pm)
I don't think RPGs require too much AI. I made a couple of RPG engines, and the only AI was pathfinding + walk towards the nearest enemy and attack OR randomly cast a spell.Alot of other things are hard about RPGs though. I kept adding features people suggested, and the source code turned into a convoluted mess. Had I not added those features I may have eventually finished the game. As it was, I abandoned it to work on easier things for a while.
Your idea is good, but it's only small part of what you'll need. Since you're planning to do this game far in the future, you can take your time and look at how to best expand your idea.
One problem you'll have to look it is how much overlap there will be between the 3 practical storylines (1 for each character). If each storyline is completely different, it will be like writing the stories for 3 games.
Most games that let you choose from a bunch of different characters just have spots in the game where some character appears - which character depends upon who you chose as your character. This is easy to implement but rather unsatisfying.
#6
12/14/2004 (4:29 pm)
Well the basis of the game was that they all had something in common, like being mutants or created by the same evil dude, then there are three small storylines for each guy, and then at one point in the story the "meet up" and save the world or somthing. So yea we WOULD have to make three different stories but they would be considerably small, and would eventually merge into one big story.
#7
Here's the sad truth of the matter - just like Gypsy Rose Lee tells ya, ya gotta have a gimmick. Three races that may or may not be mutants with something in common - eenh. So what? Been there done that. Maybe not that EXACTLY, but it's got nothing to intrigue me or catch my interest.
A man, a woman, and a mutant hamster - a little more interesting. I might listen to more details.
A minister, a rabbi, and a nun? Okay, you have my interest. Now I'm going to download your demo just so I can hear the punchline.
A recovering alcoholic criminal defense attorney, a washed-up pop star turned actress, and a vampire hunted by members of the the Sacred Order of Van Helsing? Okay, that may be overdoing it a little. But you've GOT my interest there - just to figure out what the hell you were thinking.
Anyway - the point is - the devil is in the details. You need to think about the concepts a LOT more deeply, pull out the details that really catch people's attention and bring them front-and-center? What makes your RPG or fighting game different from the FIVE MILLION other games out there?
12/14/2004 (5:55 pm)
The real key with selling a story is that you need some kind of solid hook that intrigues people.Here's the sad truth of the matter - just like Gypsy Rose Lee tells ya, ya gotta have a gimmick. Three races that may or may not be mutants with something in common - eenh. So what? Been there done that. Maybe not that EXACTLY, but it's got nothing to intrigue me or catch my interest.
A man, a woman, and a mutant hamster - a little more interesting. I might listen to more details.
A minister, a rabbi, and a nun? Okay, you have my interest. Now I'm going to download your demo just so I can hear the punchline.
A recovering alcoholic criminal defense attorney, a washed-up pop star turned actress, and a vampire hunted by members of the the Sacred Order of Van Helsing? Okay, that may be overdoing it a little. But you've GOT my interest there - just to figure out what the hell you were thinking.
Anyway - the point is - the devil is in the details. You need to think about the concepts a LOT more deeply, pull out the details that really catch people's attention and bring them front-and-center? What makes your RPG or fighting game different from the FIVE MILLION other games out there?
#8
Oh my god a blast from the past--anyone place this quote:
"The eyes, go for the eyes Boo!"
12/14/2004 (5:58 pm)
Quote:A man, a woman, and a mutant hamster -
Oh my god a blast from the past--anyone place this quote:
"The eyes, go for the eyes Boo!"
#9
12/14/2004 (6:12 pm)
"Butt-kicking for goodness!" 
#10
12/14/2004 (7:12 pm)
Sounds very similar to Dragon Warrior 4.
#11
12/14/2004 (7:43 pm)
So, Bryan and Cid, how soon will we see some of this come to pass? I'm thinking that with all the ideas you've got, there must be some actual coding that will take place?
#12
As for dates, Im looking for summer 2005? maybe later, really not sure yet. It all comes down to our ideas.
12/15/2004 (11:15 am)
Well, basically ive been reading almost every thread I can find, looking for every tutorial site, and have C++ for dummies plus 3d game Programming all in one, like he said ill be doing most of the programming. We have talked about how hard this may be, but we are still students and have plenty of time to learn, so we were thinking this has a lot of aspects that would be introduced to us.As for dates, Im looking for summer 2005? maybe later, really not sure yet. It all comes down to our ideas.
#13
12/15/2004 (12:01 pm)
Well, it sounds as though you're certainly working your way through this. Realizing a realistic timeline for development is certainly a step in the right direction. Start with small projects and work up... 
#14
12/15/2004 (12:22 pm)
Summer 2005 for an undefined RPG on a student schedule? Granted you have more time as a student than you would at a full-time job, but still...that's some pretty tight scheduling.
#15
@Jay-Yea well I said this before and I'll say it again, you guys don't know ALL about the game we really only told YOU about the premise of it, being threee guys that have something in common, I'll tell you the WHOLE idea I've got now even though we're not doing it just because I'm bored and I want to show just that I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing. I thought about the whole premise of "catching the attention of people" a few nights ago while I was listening to music:
So the three guys that you already know about, basic strange guys but there is more to them, each one I'll explain seperatly. First off there is the human, powerhouse, normal intelligence of a human not very cunning. An experiment of an evil genious, thrown into a pit in the center of the world, a pit no one has ventured into, in the middle of island that the game takes place on. Not known to anyone else, this pit took you down into an unending expanse of tunnels and caves that housed the evil race of the dark elves, or "drow." Raised and nurtured by dark elves he came to know the ways of the drow, evil, sinister, and other synonyms to those words you can think of. He became like a drow, nasty and evil, and he couldn't get rid of it. Every day becoming more and more similar to a dark elf, his skin got darker and his hair whiter, his eyes changed to the spectrum of infravision, until one day he saw compassion. Walking through the of dark of the drow tunnels he came across a family of gnomes, one had fallen, one was hurt. He was ready, as would be a dark elf, to immediatly destroy and kill the family, but he didn't. In the depths of him there was still a hint of human in him, a hint of compassion. The evil scientist never could get it out of him, try as he might, he could not change something that was not created by him. The drow relized at that second that living this way, he would never be loved. He is not loved by his fellow drow, he is feared because of his prowess. He at that moment of was not a drow, but a human, everything changed, his hair shorten and his skin got lighter, his eyes turned from dark red to bright blue, but every once and a while becomes a dark elf, coming to the deathly ways of the drow, killing and smiting whenever he becomes the slightest bit angry. He returned to the surface with the gnomes, for helping them, they showed him the way back to surface. He came to become friends with another man who, relizing his skill, brought him into the Heltiij Academy of War. Trained and certified as a general for the Army of Gondo. Buy he never could get rid of the personality of the drow that had taken over the first twenty years of his life. He still, during the night or whenever he becomes to angry, reverts back to the covert maniacal life of the drow, ever trying to hide his dark secret.
So don't think of him as a human, he's like a mulitple personality to the MAX, and the other two have stories of a similar fashion that would catch pretty many people's attentions and I would type them now, but since we're not doing this game anyway I'm really not seeing much of a point. And I'm sorry if you took any offense of this, thats not what I wanted to do to you.
12/15/2004 (12:27 pm)
Well I'll just model what ever the voices tell me to 'til I've got it done.@Jay-Yea well I said this before and I'll say it again, you guys don't know ALL about the game we really only told YOU about the premise of it, being threee guys that have something in common, I'll tell you the WHOLE idea I've got now even though we're not doing it just because I'm bored and I want to show just that I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing. I thought about the whole premise of "catching the attention of people" a few nights ago while I was listening to music:
So the three guys that you already know about, basic strange guys but there is more to them, each one I'll explain seperatly. First off there is the human, powerhouse, normal intelligence of a human not very cunning. An experiment of an evil genious, thrown into a pit in the center of the world, a pit no one has ventured into, in the middle of island that the game takes place on. Not known to anyone else, this pit took you down into an unending expanse of tunnels and caves that housed the evil race of the dark elves, or "drow." Raised and nurtured by dark elves he came to know the ways of the drow, evil, sinister, and other synonyms to those words you can think of. He became like a drow, nasty and evil, and he couldn't get rid of it. Every day becoming more and more similar to a dark elf, his skin got darker and his hair whiter, his eyes changed to the spectrum of infravision, until one day he saw compassion. Walking through the of dark of the drow tunnels he came across a family of gnomes, one had fallen, one was hurt. He was ready, as would be a dark elf, to immediatly destroy and kill the family, but he didn't. In the depths of him there was still a hint of human in him, a hint of compassion. The evil scientist never could get it out of him, try as he might, he could not change something that was not created by him. The drow relized at that second that living this way, he would never be loved. He is not loved by his fellow drow, he is feared because of his prowess. He at that moment of was not a drow, but a human, everything changed, his hair shorten and his skin got lighter, his eyes turned from dark red to bright blue, but every once and a while becomes a dark elf, coming to the deathly ways of the drow, killing and smiting whenever he becomes the slightest bit angry. He returned to the surface with the gnomes, for helping them, they showed him the way back to surface. He came to become friends with another man who, relizing his skill, brought him into the Heltiij Academy of War. Trained and certified as a general for the Army of Gondo. Buy he never could get rid of the personality of the drow that had taken over the first twenty years of his life. He still, during the night or whenever he becomes to angry, reverts back to the covert maniacal life of the drow, ever trying to hide his dark secret.
So don't think of him as a human, he's like a mulitple personality to the MAX, and the other two have stories of a similar fashion that would catch pretty many people's attentions and I would type them now, but since we're not doing this game anyway I'm really not seeing much of a point. And I'm sorry if you took any offense of this, thats not what I wanted to do to you.
#16
Please make him anything but. Make his personality a curse that morphs his physical being, make him possessed by shards of his various personalities and alter the reality to his vision so that the player thinks they're playing different characters when it's all just him, do something, ANYTHING! But don't make him a cookie-cutter Drow-gone-astray that has become a staple of every horrid D&D adventure/book/fanfic since they rose to popularity.
Please.
12/15/2004 (1:16 pm)
Oh God, not Drow elves. Please make him anything but. Make his personality a curse that morphs his physical being, make him possessed by shards of his various personalities and alter the reality to his vision so that the player thinks they're playing different characters when it's all just him, do something, ANYTHING! But don't make him a cookie-cutter Drow-gone-astray that has become a staple of every horrid D&D adventure/book/fanfic since they rose to popularity.
Please.
#17
The human needs work, but i have a feeling his finished version could be very, very intricate and complete.
12/15/2004 (3:27 pm)
Me and cid need some work, but basically the bad guy has an illegal business to create mutated humans to fight his war, his war against the world. Overwhelmed by selfishness and controlled by greed, he began experimenting. Subject number 00-1 was experimented on, and was severely screwed up. The boy had been made into a fighting machine, capable of unheard powers, and hulk like control. Upon angering the subject, he would be thrown into violent frenzies of terror and hatred. For this reason he/it could not be killed, so he was banished to a thought to be deserted island where he met a new race. They raised him to kill and work for them, and eventually he learned of his true being and ran back to the humans. He went to the army school, became a fighter...and from there on Cid got the rest. The human needs work, but i have a feeling his finished version could be very, very intricate and complete.
#18
12/15/2004 (3:27 pm)
We also made up two more races, but those we havent even started, the human is coming along though.
#19
12/15/2004 (3:30 pm)
Oh david i just got an idea from you, sorta like four races, except you dont know that the hulky part of the human is him until later and we add some sorta cut-scene i guess? Very good idea...
#20
Don't use Cid.
The name alone draws Final Fantasy fanboys like flies. And they should be swatted as such.
I've come to the realization that I need to stop playing games and cut my own head off with an ax. I'll do that after I finish everything in Viewtiful Joe 2, Dragon Quest VIII, and Alien Hominid. Strangely enough, only a single Japanese title currently in my "on deck" gameplay queue as the Japanese DS titles were extremely short or already on schedule in the US...and Avatar Tuner 2 isn't out yet.
12/15/2004 (7:28 pm)
O.M.F.G.Don't use Cid.
The name alone draws Final Fantasy fanboys like flies. And they should be swatted as such.
I've come to the realization that I need to stop playing games and cut my own head off with an ax. I'll do that after I finish everything in Viewtiful Joe 2, Dragon Quest VIII, and Alien Hominid. Strangely enough, only a single Japanese title currently in my "on deck" gameplay queue as the Japanese DS titles were extremely short or already on schedule in the US...and Avatar Tuner 2 isn't out yet.
Associate David Montgomery-Blake
David MontgomeryBlake
Okay, I'd best not get rolling on RPG's right now. I have some NyQuil to chug and sheep to count.