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WILL
19-03-2005, 07:59 AM
This forum has been used once in 2 years. :P So, I figured I'd actually make proper use of it.

As mentioned here (http://www.pascalgamedevelopment.com/viewtopic.php?t=2019), I am planning on making a platform 2D sidescroller. I have several ideas for the premise, but I'm not sure what to pick as a type story to hone the gameplay off of. So here are my ideas I have so far(2);


(Please keep in mind that these are just rough drafts ;))


Idea #1: Robots

You wake up in a strange place(dark alley, sewer tunnel, cave, etc). You quickly discover that you are a robot as your system diagnostic starts up shortly after you are 'concious'. The diagnostic reveals that all core systems are fine, but you have no memory of who you are or who your maker was. Also it shows that you appear to be missing some subsystems with no specification or designations. While trying to get up you get a system message reporting that you have taken some minor stuctural damage recommending that you 'take it easy'.

This all makes you little robotic mind spin! You have no model or serial number, you have taken damage, yet no memory of any of these events if any memory of anything at all.

Suddenly, a message file pops up in memory with a garbled attached video feed. ~"This is Dr. (insert some neat sounding scientist's name), I am your creator! I wish I could explain more to you, but there is no time. There is an organization called (instert cool para-military sounding name), they wish to take my work and use it for their own means of power. I cannot let this happen so I have sent a small team to transport you to my assistant Dr. (insert assistant's name) outpost located here. [A little map shows where small outpost is on the globe] Hopefully at your arrival there h will be able to install the rest of your sub-systems that will give you your full capabilities. At all costs do not let (cool para-military name) get their hands on you or your technology! I am sorry that you had to wake-up in such dark times, I would have liked to see you brought to life, but they know how to track me somehow and I cannot risk you being taken by them. Best of luck (insert robot's name), may you be able to discover what us humans call happiness in your new life."~ The message ends.


<strike>Idea #2: Para-Military Teams</strike> (NOT USING THIS IDEA!)

2103; it's the new dark ages. The rise of fanatical terrorist attacks overtook the last of the remaining superpowers and what was once huge prosperious countires are now crushed chaotic warzones. Humankind has resorted to developing small factions and armies of their own to provide protection and a possible future for themselves. Some have tried in the recent past to restore some of the old governing bodies, but such attempts have only ended in failure. Hope is seemingly at a minimum for most.

You have managed to avoid serious injury or desease in a small remote village in the mountains of (insert part of continent). When you were just 12 years old there was an attack to take food and supplies from the villagers. Your father and sister were killed durring the small battle and you started hanging around with the villages own combat team and aspired to learn how to fight after that.

At age 16 you met up with 2 other young men, now friends that have dreams of wanted to join a popular and growing unit called (insert cool squad name). They are rumored to be trying to start up a local governement to restore peace in the area. You and your friends have been trainning for 2 years and their great deeds and victories were mentioned from villages around the area and have been known as heroes by all you know. The 3 of you finally decide, after great restraint from your home villages, that you are ready to finally join up and help in their cause.

K4Z
19-03-2005, 08:17 AM
Oh-oh-oh, Idea1 is awesome - what happens next??!

WILL
19-03-2005, 09:50 AM
:) I dunno, that will take place over the course of the game. It should make finding new weapons and subsystem upgrades interesting though, no?

K4Z
19-03-2005, 10:12 AM
yeah that would be awesome, upgrading yourself throughout the game, and replacing damaged parts.

You may have something here... :)

Traveler
19-03-2005, 12:19 PM
The robot story appeals to me the most as well. I can already see some twists and turns like for example the assistant who is actually the one who informed (instert cool para-military sounding name) about the good Dr's project in the first place. (But then again how would you get your sub-systems :scratch: )

Anyway I definitely like to read more about this one

WILL
20-03-2005, 09:57 AM
Hmm... well two others that haven't posted on thi thread yet have also said that they liked the Robot story better too. And to my knowlage thats 4 for 4. So... It looks like the Robot story it is...

Now to add to the story a bit... Hmm... still have to think on it a bit. The assistant betraying the Doctor is a good one. I might think of a good twist to that though. ;)

We'll see what my muse tells me I guess. :lol:

savage
20-03-2005, 11:16 AM
Idea #1 comes across as more of an adventure and it essentially is a voyage of self discovery, which everyone can relate to because ultimately that is what we all search for, Our true self!

I see the basic plot as follows ( not necessarily in this numerical order )...
He needs to...
1. Find out who he is.
2. Find out what he is capable of ( as each subsystem is brought up - both good and bad )
3. Decide what his destiny will be ( What must he achieve in his *lifetime* )

Point 3 allows for 2 ( or more ) alternate endings. So at some point in the game the player needs to decide which side he will fight for and as such the game engine and story needs to be able to handle this.

It has huge potential for twists and turns, which I think are essential to pull the gamer in.

If fleshed out properly, I can see a film/movie rights being licenced :D.

Obviously this is how I see it, so take it with the pinch of salt it deserves.

WILL
20-03-2005, 04:54 PM
Wow what an awesome insight into the story Dom! :D <-- Ok, I'm obviously not making this face for real because my mouth is all swollen right now, but I would be.

Seriously though, these are some excellent ideas and possiblilities. I blame the painkillers for not realizing this type of gameplay potential so soon. ;)

K4Z
21-03-2005, 06:43 AM
It could be made out that the Assistant is good, but is being used by the Para-Millitary dudes to capture you. But then later you actually find out that it's the Assistant that's using the Para-Millitary. And the assistant, being the mastermind behind everything, is going to try and kill the Dr.

Like savage said, the twists will keep the players hooked. :D

WILL
21-03-2005, 04:49 PM
Well what if the Assistant has a sister or family member that has been involved in his work? This might provide another resource for our robotic hero.

Another way for him to realize his true self. Get weapons to fight the Para-Military group with...

Traveler
21-03-2005, 04:54 PM
This might provide another resource for our robotic hero.
Yeah, one of a romantic nature, no doubt :D :lol:

WILL
27-03-2005, 07:35 PM
Ok I just can't keep it to myself anymore... I just have to see what you guys think of this afterthought of a sort of 'continuation' of my Robot story idea. Now keep in mind that the story will not unfold like this, you'll still have to discover who you are, whats going on and what happened to the assistant and these upgrades you were told about. It's just a behind the scenes 'whats actually happening' telling of the story.

Tell me if this sounds good. :D

Robot Prelogue:

You are a Prototype class of android robot that was created by an honest scientist that was hunted down and killed for his research. In an attempt to conceal his work from a corrupt organization hell bent for power, his prototypes and research was to be sent to his assistant in another part of the world. This convoy was intercepted and a battle ensured. One of the prototype androids was lost, but some of the good Doctor's work was taken by the attacking force.

The doctor's assistant in an attempt to take back the stollen research and to stop the evil commander he armed and completed a second android, with heavy assistance from some other colligues of the doctor's and his. They then planned an attack to retreive and destory any remaining stollen work. The plan failed and the battle was lost. The other android was taken studied and production of a robotic army was started. 10 solid years of quiet plotting and planning had ended, the evil force struck and battles insued for near 40 years. Nearly strained of resources the robotic army called the peace starved world for a truice, having taken enough of a chunk of the globe to satisfy it's self ...for now!

20 years later... today... you finally awake!

Eriken
11-07-2005, 04:25 PM
Gotten any further with this one Master WILL?
_____
Eriken

lief
11-07-2005, 11:52 PM
I tried to remember as much as I could, told it as a bedtime story for my 5 year old son. He loves that kind of stuff. I had to add a romance angle with a girlfriend robot as well though. And boxing. And a tiger. And Doc Ock.

Traveler
12-07-2005, 07:24 AM
hehe, I dont think that would work in a game lief :) WILL is not working on a soap :wink:

On the other hand, getting a tough of romance in a game might be way to get it played more by girls.

WILL
12-07-2005, 08:03 AM
Oh wow. I'm flattered man! ;) 5 year olds are always the toughest critics though, aren't they? :lol:

I had thought about a romance... I'll let you know if it gets me anywhere. ;)

I wasn't really planning on having that much depth to this story. The game is more geared towards action than story. Just enough to make the point of all the laser blasts and explosions come alive. :)

Nothing much else on it though I guess if I start working on the actual game more I might come up with something.

Eriken
12-07-2005, 10:50 AM
1) Pure action game: something that could be cool is a top-down variant where you have to search various areas like in good old Rambo (iiihh.. I only played the green-black-colored game on the Spectrum) where you could scroll in all directions.. or like Ikari Warriors where it only scrolled vertically.. Wouldn't need much of depth in a story like that, and each stage could include some sort of goal (like rescue or finding upgrades and stuff)

And now.. Roboween 2005! (I'm kidding)

2) Robot-romance, now that would be funny. But it would be more of an adventure game I think.

Compability-issues there as everywhere else ;)
COM-ports vs USB-ports
Ethernet vs Tokenring (talking about minorities.. hehe)
and so on.. "Check out the software/hardware on that one!"

Ro-Ro-Ro-Robot
Running to his girl
Quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly
What a crazy world

Damn.. If I only knew how to create art ;)

(oh wey, it went silly again)
_____
Eriken

WILL
30-12-2005, 09:46 PM
Here is the story so far in Chronological order;


Robot Prelogue:

You are a Prototype class of android robot that was created by an honest scientist that was hunted down and killed for his research. In an attempt to conceal his work from a corrupt organization hell bent for power, his prototypes and research was to be sent to his assistant in another part of the world. This convoy was intercepted and a battle ensured. One of the prototype androids was lost, but some of the good Doctor's work was taken by the attacking force.

The doctor's assistant in an attempt to take back the stollen research and to stop the evil commander he armed and completed a second android, with heavy assistance from some other colligues of the doctor's and his. They then planned an attack to retreive and destory any remaining stollen work. The plan failed and the battle was lost. The other android was taken studied and production of a robotic army was started. 10 solid years of quiet plotting and planning had ended, the evil force struck and battles insued for near 40 years. Nearly strained of resources the robotic army called the peace starved world for a truice, having taken enough of a chunk of the globe to satisfy it's self ...for now!

20 years later... today... you finally awake!

Game Intro Cutscene:


You wake up in a strange place(dark alley, sewer tunnel, cave, etc). You quickly discover that you are a robot as your system diagnostic starts up shortly after you are 'concious'. The diagnostic reveals that all core systems are fine, but you have no memory of who you are or who your maker was. Also it shows that you appear to be missing some subsystems with no specification or designations. While trying to get up you get a system message reporting that you have taken some minor stuctural damage recommending that you 'take it easy'.

This all makes you little robotic mind spin! You have no model or serial number, you have taken damage, yet no memory of any of these events if any memory of anything at all.

Suddenly, a message file pops up in memory with a garbled attached video feed. ~"This is Dr. (insert some neat sounding scientist's name), I am your creator! I wish I could explain more to you, but there is no time. There is an organization called (instert cool para-military sounding name), they wish to take my work and use it for their own means of power. I cannot let this happen so I have sent a small team to transport you to my assistant Dr. (insert assistant's name) outpost located here. [A little map shows where small outpost is on the globe] Hopefully at your arrival there h will be able to install the rest of your sub-systems that will give you your full capabilities. At all costs do not let (cool para-military name) get their hands on you or your technology! I am sorry that you had to wake-up in such dark times, I would have liked to see you brought to life, but they know how to track me somehow and I cannot risk you being taken by them. Best of luck (insert robot's name), may you be able to discover what us humans call happiness in your new life."~ The message ends.

I was going to say thatthere was no moer till I got home, but I found my notepad that I remembered that I DID pack with me. :D (It's hard being this good! ;))

---

Chronology of Game Missions:

1st Cutscene - Wake up to message from maker.

1) Wake up in tropical swamp cave.
Objective: Find missing hand upgrade via becon.

2nd Cutscene - Trigger new message; List of safe locations for Doctor's assistant.

2) Optional Missions - Find assistant + upgrades;
a) Abandoned Factory [Engineer who helped make parts]
Objective: Find missing upgrade (Dash) and get more information about creator and his Assistant's location.

b) Underwater Complex [Colonel who planned to stop enemy]
Objective: Find a weapon upgrade and information on the assistant's allies and their plan to stop the Robot Army.

c) Hidden Lab in Forrest [Assistant's Lab]
Objective: Find out about 2nd Robot + everyone that worked on him. Find map and memory upgrades.

---

List of established characters:

Main Character(Nameless robot): 1st Robot Prototype to gain machine conciousness designed by the Doctor.
The Doctor: Creator of the Robot technology and the robot that gave birth to true, realized artificial intelligence.
G.U.S.: The last surviving models of the General Union Service, a mechanics and machine worker's guild long since went out of business.
Doctor's Assistant: He assisted the good doctor in the designs and development of the 2 robot prototypes that were to gain sentience technology.
Robot #2: This is the main character's 'brother', captured and used as the template for a large evil robotic army.
Evil Military Commander: A madman who strives only for power and has been after the Doctor's work after hearing about a way to make what he sees as a superior robot capable of being the perfect weapon to enhance his current forces.
The Colonel: A good guy who was able to quickly respond to the attacks from the Robotic Army and managed to help end the conflict in a draw instead of the destruction that would have followed.
The Doctor's Development Team: The people that helped create parts and specific technologies to contruct and develop the first two prototypes.


Thats it for now, that should bring you up to where the story is at right now.