Transilvaynia-style RPG
by Robert · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 02/24/2005 (2:45 pm) · 3 replies
This idea's been popping through my head a while... An RPG based on classic horror movie stuff (the wolfman, Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, demon fighting stuff). It'd be an action-RPG, where you create your own demon-fighter, and then choose a style (one for guns, one if you like to use swords and spears, one if you like wielding magic, maybe one if you like to sneak, and through the game, you could complete missions to become authorized to tutorials so you could learn a bit of stuff on a certain subject, and by using that subject more and more, your level of "understanding" on the subject or skill would increase, and would unlock more flexibility; a simpler control scheme, maybe some bonus skills).
The gameplay would be kinda like Jedi Academy (real-time), and less like most RPG's (point-and-click combat).
Each mission you complete would give you money too, so you could buy more clothes, weapon upgrades, tutorial sessions, weapons, etc. Maybe you could even go to a taxidermist and get the head of bosses you've beaten stuffed, so you could put them up in your encampment, which would increase your renown (just think: the head and torso of a 8-foot-tall hellspawn sitting stuffed like a fluffy pillow in your house).
How you would increase your skills would be by earning money (by completeing missions and challenges) to buy tutorial sessions at some sort of 'home base' type thing, like a guild. Like if you wanted to increase your guile: earn 2-5,000 dollars, go to the head of the 'guild' and purchase the lesson. these would be little interactive training segments. If you wanted to just get exp. to spread around anywhere you like on your stats, you'd go to the head of the 'guild', select how many EP's you want, then spread them around on your skills. When you spread the skills around on your feats, the feats would become more effective, or easier to pull off.
Character creation would be cool, because you could choose from a lot of different races, like lycanthropes (were-people), humans, half-Vamps, half-demons, and maybe animated beings (golems and such, things created with magic by fusing multiple things together to create life, or giving things that wouldn't normally be alive life, like statues and such).
So, that's my game idea. PLease post feedback.
The gameplay would be kinda like Jedi Academy (real-time), and less like most RPG's (point-and-click combat).
Each mission you complete would give you money too, so you could buy more clothes, weapon upgrades, tutorial sessions, weapons, etc. Maybe you could even go to a taxidermist and get the head of bosses you've beaten stuffed, so you could put them up in your encampment, which would increase your renown (just think: the head and torso of a 8-foot-tall hellspawn sitting stuffed like a fluffy pillow in your house).
How you would increase your skills would be by earning money (by completeing missions and challenges) to buy tutorial sessions at some sort of 'home base' type thing, like a guild. Like if you wanted to increase your guile: earn 2-5,000 dollars, go to the head of the 'guild' and purchase the lesson. these would be little interactive training segments. If you wanted to just get exp. to spread around anywhere you like on your stats, you'd go to the head of the 'guild', select how many EP's you want, then spread them around on your skills. When you spread the skills around on your feats, the feats would become more effective, or easier to pull off.
Character creation would be cool, because you could choose from a lot of different races, like lycanthropes (were-people), humans, half-Vamps, half-demons, and maybe animated beings (golems and such, things created with magic by fusing multiple things together to create life, or giving things that wouldn't normally be alive life, like statues and such).
So, that's my game idea. PLease post feedback.
#2
It actually sounds like a rather interesting cross between Vampire Panic, Fable, and Ravenloft. I thought Fable was interesting for about an hour or two, but lost interest quickly. Ravenloft was an interesting world, but the game itself was turgid. Just because you have a D&D license doesn't mean you should do something with it. Vampire Panic had a fun story (and a Berserk demo) but rather horrid gameplay.
Seriously, though.
it sounds like the idea is suffering from split personalities. It sounds a lot like Devil May Cry (which reminds me, comes out tomorrow here in the States) and Siren (story splits, etc), Fable (renown), and Guild Wars.
I think the key to focusing the idea into something that can be developed is to figure out what kind of game you want to make. Horror RPG's exist and can be a lot of fun (Koudelka, Ravenloft--er, okay not always that much fun, Shadow Tower: Dark Abyss, Vampire Panic, Makai Tensei). But some parts of it sound like it really wants to be an action title like Devil May Cry, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, Daemon Vector, Run Like Hell, etc.
Also, the idea of lycanthropy is interesting until you start making balance choices. Can they wolf-out whenever they want or are they at the mercy of the moon? If they are at the mercy of the moon, their lycanthropic affliction is rather worthless in most gameplay. Is it based on action points (like Shadow Hearts) where they become a berserk character after a while and may attack "the party"? If there is a party. On the idea of balance, vampires are traditionally only effective during half the day. Would the player be forced to rest during the day and miss out on daytime events? Or are they an "I can go out in the daylight and have the super strength benefits of a blood sucker" half-vamp? Does your mythology vary greatly from tradition? Will the players accept your mythology over the traditional mythology. Vampires are extremely popular in pop culture today, and the opinions on new mythologies are often scathing.
If you play a golem, will a fire spell bake your clay so that you cannot move and then a lightning spell shatter you into a million pottery shards? Will a lava spell melt a stone golem?
Just a few things to get the gears turning.
02/28/2005 (11:20 pm)
Dracula May CryIt actually sounds like a rather interesting cross between Vampire Panic, Fable, and Ravenloft. I thought Fable was interesting for about an hour or two, but lost interest quickly. Ravenloft was an interesting world, but the game itself was turgid. Just because you have a D&D license doesn't mean you should do something with it. Vampire Panic had a fun story (and a Berserk demo) but rather horrid gameplay.
Seriously, though.
it sounds like the idea is suffering from split personalities. It sounds a lot like Devil May Cry (which reminds me, comes out tomorrow here in the States) and Siren (story splits, etc), Fable (renown), and Guild Wars.
I think the key to focusing the idea into something that can be developed is to figure out what kind of game you want to make. Horror RPG's exist and can be a lot of fun (Koudelka, Ravenloft--er, okay not always that much fun, Shadow Tower: Dark Abyss, Vampire Panic, Makai Tensei). But some parts of it sound like it really wants to be an action title like Devil May Cry, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, Daemon Vector, Run Like Hell, etc.
Also, the idea of lycanthropy is interesting until you start making balance choices. Can they wolf-out whenever they want or are they at the mercy of the moon? If they are at the mercy of the moon, their lycanthropic affliction is rather worthless in most gameplay. Is it based on action points (like Shadow Hearts) where they become a berserk character after a while and may attack "the party"? If there is a party. On the idea of balance, vampires are traditionally only effective during half the day. Would the player be forced to rest during the day and miss out on daytime events? Or are they an "I can go out in the daylight and have the super strength benefits of a blood sucker" half-vamp? Does your mythology vary greatly from tradition? Will the players accept your mythology over the traditional mythology. Vampires are extremely popular in pop culture today, and the opinions on new mythologies are often scathing.
If you play a golem, will a fire spell bake your clay so that you cannot move and then a lightning spell shatter you into a million pottery shards? Will a lava spell melt a stone golem?
Just a few things to get the gears turning.
Steven Fletcher
Create a design doc.
Personally, I prefer point-and-click combat over real-time combat, but that's just me.