Post Nuclear Idea
by Nick Zafiris · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 04/04/2005 (1:13 pm) · 20 replies
Me and my cousin John Tesseris have been working on this idea. Since it's in its very early stages, I'd like to get some feedback.
It's a post apocalyptic Action/RPG game. It takes place a few years after a nuclear holocaust. After the war, people have been forced underground because of the massive amounts of radiation and now reside in large steel vaults in order for them to survive. When their stockpiles of food run out, they live by scavenging the wastelands.
The vault goes into alert when an increasing number of its dwellers sent out to scavenge, disappear. Vault dweller Gabriel has been chosen to unravel the riddle behind the disappearances. Along the way he needs to meet people, gather clues, and fight many types of enemies in order for him to get to the bottom of this mystery.
While I don't want to give away any more for now, the game goes on introducing many plot twists with some limited branching.
What do you guys think of this idea? Here's a preliminary screenshot taken from the city level in TGE.
Nick
Edit: Updated link
It's a post apocalyptic Action/RPG game. It takes place a few years after a nuclear holocaust. After the war, people have been forced underground because of the massive amounts of radiation and now reside in large steel vaults in order for them to survive. When their stockpiles of food run out, they live by scavenging the wastelands.
The vault goes into alert when an increasing number of its dwellers sent out to scavenge, disappear. Vault dweller Gabriel has been chosen to unravel the riddle behind the disappearances. Along the way he needs to meet people, gather clues, and fight many types of enemies in order for him to get to the bottom of this mystery.
While I don't want to give away any more for now, the game goes on introducing many plot twists with some limited branching.
What do you guys think of this idea? Here's a preliminary screenshot taken from the city level in TGE.
Nick
Edit: Updated link
#2
Nick
04/04/2005 (1:25 pm)
The lighting has not been worked on yet but keep in mind that it's a post-nuclear setting during night with no electricity.Nick
#3
04/04/2005 (1:34 pm)
It still needs to be somewhat visible...
#4
04/04/2005 (1:43 pm)
What do you think about the idea?
#5
04/04/2005 (1:53 pm)
I loved Fallout and Wasteland and Bad Blood, so it sounds like it's right up my alley.
#9
04/05/2005 (4:57 am)
Beautiful screenshot, I've actually been looking for a game to do some level design for, and I'd love to help with this one. If your interested you can send me an email at wezoin@rogers.com
#10
04/05/2005 (5:22 am)
Sounds like a good idea to me :)
#11
I'd like to add some more technical details. The RPG elements will include a basic inventory system (almost done), a journal to keep track of quests (including the ability to add your own game notes), and a conversation editor (RPGDialog?).
Character advancement will probably be done through the acquisition of items. Also, I'd like to add melee combat and still debating if we should include a map or not. And since it'll be single player, a Save/Load game feature is needed. Have done quite a bit of work on that.
To me the most difficult thing is to develop the challenges/quests that the player will need to face/solve. It's easy to just spawn dozens of bots and start shooting them like crazy to advance to the next level. But to create interesting challenges that require you to think without making them extremely difficult is a tough task. I guess many will pop-up as we develop the story.
Anyone wants to suggest anything or make any requests, feel free to do so.
Sam, I'll keep you in mind when our load increases.
Nick
04/05/2005 (7:17 am)
Thanks for the replies guys. It's a bit challenging to NOT make this just an action FPS shooter. We all know those need big teams in order to compete with games like Doom3/Unreal2. So we chose to develop a strong story and add different gameplay features.I'd like to add some more technical details. The RPG elements will include a basic inventory system (almost done), a journal to keep track of quests (including the ability to add your own game notes), and a conversation editor (RPGDialog?).
Character advancement will probably be done through the acquisition of items. Also, I'd like to add melee combat and still debating if we should include a map or not. And since it'll be single player, a Save/Load game feature is needed. Have done quite a bit of work on that.
To me the most difficult thing is to develop the challenges/quests that the player will need to face/solve. It's easy to just spawn dozens of bots and start shooting them like crazy to advance to the next level. But to create interesting challenges that require you to think without making them extremely difficult is a tough task. I guess many will pop-up as we develop the story.
Anyone wants to suggest anything or make any requests, feel free to do so.
Sam, I'll keep you in mind when our load increases.
Nick
#12
04/12/2005 (6:16 pm)
I'm working with a similar concept, where most of humanity gets wiped out and we're no longer the dominent species. survival and fear play well with this, its a new dark age.
#13
Nick
04/13/2005 (2:54 am)
Yeah, it's a nice concept. Have you started work on it? Do you have a team?Nick
#14
04/13/2005 (10:28 am)
I would actually avoid calling the underground areas "Vaults", as that's going to bring Fallout expectations you probably don't actually want.
#15
Also... maybe i missed it but.....what's the platform, you said it was an RPG right?
I never heard of Fallout so this idea comes off pretty fresh to me, sounds interesting. Coming up with ideas for quests and stuff is much easier for me than to actually implement them correctly.
04/13/2005 (10:56 pm)
What's the high concept of the game? " Mystery" or "Horror".Also... maybe i missed it but.....what's the platform, you said it was an RPG right?
I never heard of Fallout so this idea comes off pretty fresh to me, sounds interesting. Coming up with ideas for quests and stuff is much easier for me than to actually implement them correctly.
#16
I forgot to mention it's in 3rd person, good thing you asked. Also, it will of course have surprise/suspense scenes and some action but that's not the main feature. Other things included are strange weapons, and creepy enemy models. Don't think of it as an RPG but rather a game with elements from action and RPG games.
As far as the "Mystery", it'll be provided in the way that the story will unfold. You'll assume that it will go one way while it twists and goes into something unexpected. I'd like to have some sort of decision making where the player needs to think which path to take. Then, based on his decision, he'll face the respective consequences. I find that a little difficult to apply though with our limited resources.
@Joshua, thanks for the good tip. I'll look into using another name for it.
Nick
04/14/2005 (3:54 am)
Travis, I'll try to explain...It'll have both elements. For the horror, a lot of time will be spent to provide the right mood with a "messed up" atmosphere/environment and attention to detail. The music and sound FX that will be included will make a huge difference and will add a lot to it. The story itself will help a lot to provide a dramatic experience. It will unfold unpredictably in crazy ways but will not be too unrealistic. Well that's a big question, is The Matrix unrealistic? Hmm...I forgot to mention it's in 3rd person, good thing you asked. Also, it will of course have surprise/suspense scenes and some action but that's not the main feature. Other things included are strange weapons, and creepy enemy models. Don't think of it as an RPG but rather a game with elements from action and RPG games.
As far as the "Mystery", it'll be provided in the way that the story will unfold. You'll assume that it will go one way while it twists and goes into something unexpected. I'd like to have some sort of decision making where the player needs to think which path to take. Then, based on his decision, he'll face the respective consequences. I find that a little difficult to apply though with our limited resources.
Quote:I never heard of Fallout so this idea comes off pretty fresh to me, sounds interesting.To fill you in, Fallout 1 & 2 were isometric 2D RPG games based on the GURPS RPG system and the setting was some 80 years after a Nuclear war. Excellent games.
Quote: Coming up with ideas for quests and stuff is much easier for me than to actually implement them correctly.That's cause you're probably more creative than me! If you have any good ones, let me know:)
@Joshua, thanks for the good tip. I'll look into using another name for it.
Nick
#17
For more current ideas, find whatever copies you can of the Outlands/Deathlands series at your local bookstore.
04/14/2005 (3:04 pm)
Fallout is always getting the credit, except for once in a blue moon someone mentions Wasteland. Really, most of this concept (as it applies to gaming at least) is based on GammaWorld, originally by TSR and written with lots of input by the man himself, Gary Gygax. For more current ideas, find whatever copies you can of the Outlands/Deathlands series at your local bookstore.
#18
04/16/2005 (11:40 am)
Another series of books you could check out which might match a little better with what you are planning are the Endworld series by David Robbins. They deal with a group in the future emerging after being isolated from the world, and how they deal with the trials and challenges of a new world.
#19
Screen shot looks cool--not too dark, considering the circumstances.
04/17/2005 (3:54 am)
Nick, I like the idea...we don't see enough post-apocalyptic stuff anymore. At least minus the zombies...that's been to death.Screen shot looks cool--not too dark, considering the circumstances.
#20
TG, thanks...Future shots will look even nicer.
Nick
04/19/2005 (3:09 am)
Erik/Eric, thanks for the suggestions. Got a lot of reading to do:)TG, thanks...Future shots will look even nicer.
Nick
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