cairnswm
05-05-2005, 11:27 AM
The reason I write games is that I want to write the sort of Game I myself would play. Obviously to achieve this I need to know what game I want to play. I have been thinking about this game for about three years now and have finally decided to take the time and write down some of my ideas.
I love Science Fiction and Fantasy, therefore its clear to me that my game needs to be based in one of these settings. As fantasy has always been my favorite I the game will be in that setting. I grew up as a Dungeons and Dragons player, this sort of setting is my favorite for games. Strangely I always enjoyed Starcraft more than WarCraft.
When it comes to computer games there are only two genres of games that I enjoy, these are the RTS genre and the City Building/Simulation Genre. My ultimate game would therefore be a combination of these two genres. My problem with RTS games is that they usually feel like a race to build the biggest base, highest technology and then smash the opponent. Also every race in the games basically functions in the same way - Collect resource X and Y and use them to build units and buildings. My problem with city building games is that the world consists of more than one city. Why should I have to build one big city that revolves around a single area instea dof building lots of little towns scattered around the landscape.
Based on my preferences and the problems I feel my favorite games have I want to create an RTS type game that incorporates city building game play. This means that building the cities should be a core aspect of the game. Having a single city is not neccessarily the best option. Also each race included in the game must function in significantly different ways. Learning to play another race should be like starting to play a new game.
To make each race different I want to make sure that the resources that they use, the feedback value types, the units they have and their technology trees are significantly different. As I'm including the city building aspect we can also use the feedback information types that a traditional city building game has such as availability of shops, temples etc. Just as in a standard RTS game different levels of units should be available to the player (Farmer, Soldier, Knight) etc, but when they become available will differ based on the race being played.
I've though of four races so far. Human Civilised, Human Barbarian, Elf and Humanoid (Goblin, Orc and Ogres). The humans will probably function very similar to the standard RTS and City Building games. Build farms to feed paople, build various buildings to keep people happy and fed etc. The people need to be kept happy by having access to different types of products (ie imports are neccessary) and churches/temples. Civilised humans are more based on a city building structure where you need to build villages and turn them into towns etc, while the Barbarians are more likely to need some pillaging and raiding to stay happy.
The Humanoids are very different. They do not need farms or buildings but they draw their sustenance from the area around them (basically hunter/gatherers) and the longer they stay in an area the less and less the area can support them. They do not need to be kept happy but require a blood level, ie how much the kill and pillage.
The Elves are again different, although they do have buildings and things they get their resource from nature. So they need to tend and defend the natural environment in which they live. Making a building is traumatic to the natural world and as such lowers their resources until nature accepts the new building. Elves dont like blood not need happiness, they need beauty. Beauty to an elf is the natural environment in which they live, therefor they need to defend their woods from raiders etc. Of course combat also scars people and would obviously decrese their beauty, so getting into fightsis something the elves try to avoid.
I've also had some thoughts on a Dwarven race. They need stone access which they get through mining etc.
The idea is that all the races compete with one another in various different ways. The Humanoids want to attack every one to get more blood which gives them access to better units and technology, The civilised humans need to be happy and import goods, which barbarians or Humanoids would love to pillage. The Elves want the world to stay as is but everyone else want to grow bigger.
For AI I'd like to see various levels of AI. Firstly at unit level where the unit tries to optimise their own Happiness, Blood or Beauty; Humans want access to church and shops and security, Humanoids want to kill someone and move to new areas to stay strong, Elves want to avoid combat and spend time contemplating the world. Secondly a level of AI that optimes groups of units; So a town of People would try to build the right buildings to make the villagers more happy, while a tribe of humanoids would look at moving to better areas - requiring scouting, and elves would set traps and obstacles where other races often go) Thirdly a political level of AI that would manage a faction in the game. This would then try and optimise their own teams scores, worrying about the tech tree etc.
A AI only game of Civilised humans for example would end up in a more or less peaceful society where they trade goods between them and have borders between factions. Each faction then trying to get happier by building the right type of buildings etc. A AI only game of humaoids would be in constant nomadic movement with skirmishes between the factions as a contstant and ongoing way of life. An AI game of Elves would be mostly peaceful with occasional conflicts between them to secure their own patches of nature. As each faction builds new buildings they disrupt the balance of nature through out the game causing each faction to adjust them selves to repair the damage.
Game where multiple races are involved would obviously involve a lot more conflict and reaction.
This isn't a complete list of my ideas as some are still being formulated. For example how to create a benefit for the Civilised humans to build multiple villages as opposed to asingle city. As each idea gets finalised I add it to my catalog of ideas in my head. This post should give you an idea of what I want to accomplish.
I love Science Fiction and Fantasy, therefore its clear to me that my game needs to be based in one of these settings. As fantasy has always been my favorite I the game will be in that setting. I grew up as a Dungeons and Dragons player, this sort of setting is my favorite for games. Strangely I always enjoyed Starcraft more than WarCraft.
When it comes to computer games there are only two genres of games that I enjoy, these are the RTS genre and the City Building/Simulation Genre. My ultimate game would therefore be a combination of these two genres. My problem with RTS games is that they usually feel like a race to build the biggest base, highest technology and then smash the opponent. Also every race in the games basically functions in the same way - Collect resource X and Y and use them to build units and buildings. My problem with city building games is that the world consists of more than one city. Why should I have to build one big city that revolves around a single area instea dof building lots of little towns scattered around the landscape.
Based on my preferences and the problems I feel my favorite games have I want to create an RTS type game that incorporates city building game play. This means that building the cities should be a core aspect of the game. Having a single city is not neccessarily the best option. Also each race included in the game must function in significantly different ways. Learning to play another race should be like starting to play a new game.
To make each race different I want to make sure that the resources that they use, the feedback value types, the units they have and their technology trees are significantly different. As I'm including the city building aspect we can also use the feedback information types that a traditional city building game has such as availability of shops, temples etc. Just as in a standard RTS game different levels of units should be available to the player (Farmer, Soldier, Knight) etc, but when they become available will differ based on the race being played.
I've though of four races so far. Human Civilised, Human Barbarian, Elf and Humanoid (Goblin, Orc and Ogres). The humans will probably function very similar to the standard RTS and City Building games. Build farms to feed paople, build various buildings to keep people happy and fed etc. The people need to be kept happy by having access to different types of products (ie imports are neccessary) and churches/temples. Civilised humans are more based on a city building structure where you need to build villages and turn them into towns etc, while the Barbarians are more likely to need some pillaging and raiding to stay happy.
The Humanoids are very different. They do not need farms or buildings but they draw their sustenance from the area around them (basically hunter/gatherers) and the longer they stay in an area the less and less the area can support them. They do not need to be kept happy but require a blood level, ie how much the kill and pillage.
The Elves are again different, although they do have buildings and things they get their resource from nature. So they need to tend and defend the natural environment in which they live. Making a building is traumatic to the natural world and as such lowers their resources until nature accepts the new building. Elves dont like blood not need happiness, they need beauty. Beauty to an elf is the natural environment in which they live, therefor they need to defend their woods from raiders etc. Of course combat also scars people and would obviously decrese their beauty, so getting into fightsis something the elves try to avoid.
I've also had some thoughts on a Dwarven race. They need stone access which they get through mining etc.
The idea is that all the races compete with one another in various different ways. The Humanoids want to attack every one to get more blood which gives them access to better units and technology, The civilised humans need to be happy and import goods, which barbarians or Humanoids would love to pillage. The Elves want the world to stay as is but everyone else want to grow bigger.
For AI I'd like to see various levels of AI. Firstly at unit level where the unit tries to optimise their own Happiness, Blood or Beauty; Humans want access to church and shops and security, Humanoids want to kill someone and move to new areas to stay strong, Elves want to avoid combat and spend time contemplating the world. Secondly a level of AI that optimes groups of units; So a town of People would try to build the right buildings to make the villagers more happy, while a tribe of humanoids would look at moving to better areas - requiring scouting, and elves would set traps and obstacles where other races often go) Thirdly a political level of AI that would manage a faction in the game. This would then try and optimise their own teams scores, worrying about the tech tree etc.
A AI only game of Civilised humans for example would end up in a more or less peaceful society where they trade goods between them and have borders between factions. Each faction then trying to get happier by building the right type of buildings etc. A AI only game of humaoids would be in constant nomadic movement with skirmishes between the factions as a contstant and ongoing way of life. An AI game of Elves would be mostly peaceful with occasional conflicts between them to secure their own patches of nature. As each faction builds new buildings they disrupt the balance of nature through out the game causing each faction to adjust them selves to repair the damage.
Game where multiple races are involved would obviously involve a lot more conflict and reaction.
This isn't a complete list of my ideas as some are still being formulated. For example how to create a benefit for the Civilised humans to build multiple villages as opposed to asingle city. As each idea gets finalised I add it to my catalog of ideas in my head. This post should give you an idea of what I want to accomplish.