Stealth - what would you like to see?
by Maddermadcat · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 08/28/2008 (11:00 pm) · 11 replies
Hello GG forums,
I'm currently working on a first-person sci-fi stealth game with the C4 engine. Got a team going, a pretty solid design, and things are going fairly well so far (wish me luck). The idea behind my project is quite different from what's out there today, in terms of philosophy as well as gameplay. The focus is on immersion and player choice. Missions are nonlinear, providing several points of entry, and allow the player to go about completing objectives in any way or order he or she likes. Mechanics are all designed to focus on the player's own ability (few of the player's actions are automatic in any way, unlike the pick-a-death stuff you see in splinter cell for example). Again, everything is in first person - cutscenes, conversations, everything.
All that aside though, I'd like you guys to lend me your creativity for a bit if you don't mind. We've seen lockpicking, hacking, disguises, fancy moves - what kind of stuff would you like to see in a stealth game?
I'm currently working on a first-person sci-fi stealth game with the C4 engine. Got a team going, a pretty solid design, and things are going fairly well so far (wish me luck). The idea behind my project is quite different from what's out there today, in terms of philosophy as well as gameplay. The focus is on immersion and player choice. Missions are nonlinear, providing several points of entry, and allow the player to go about completing objectives in any way or order he or she likes. Mechanics are all designed to focus on the player's own ability (few of the player's actions are automatic in any way, unlike the pick-a-death stuff you see in splinter cell for example). Again, everything is in first person - cutscenes, conversations, everything.
All that aside though, I'd like you guys to lend me your creativity for a bit if you don't mind. We've seen lockpicking, hacking, disguises, fancy moves - what kind of stuff would you like to see in a stealth game?
About the author
#2
This is a bit vague, so let me clear it up.
Let's say the objective is to kidnap an important member of an undercover group named the 'Trinities.
1. They look for clues. These clues can help them find out useful and useless info on how to kidnap the member.
- They over hear a chef saying they have a delivery order to a group named the 'Trinities'.
2. They follow the person delivering the order, up where they are almost going to be at the door.
3. They use a needle filled with a sleep medicine to knock out the delivery man, while not killing him.
4. They hide the body and then impersonate the man.
5. They infiltrate the hideout and find where all the members are at.
6. They toss a sleeping grenade into the room to make everyone fall unconsious.
7. They bring the body to a drop-off point and complete the mission.
Get it? The player will need to find clues and then think fast to do it.
08/29/2008 (7:53 am)
I would like you to put strategy in the game, where the player needs to find out how to actually complete them.This is a bit vague, so let me clear it up.
Let's say the objective is to kidnap an important member of an undercover group named the 'Trinities.
1. They look for clues. These clues can help them find out useful and useless info on how to kidnap the member.
- They over hear a chef saying they have a delivery order to a group named the 'Trinities'.
2. They follow the person delivering the order, up where they are almost going to be at the door.
3. They use a needle filled with a sleep medicine to knock out the delivery man, while not killing him.
4. They hide the body and then impersonate the man.
5. They infiltrate the hideout and find where all the members are at.
6. They toss a sleeping grenade into the room to make everyone fall unconsious.
7. They bring the body to a drop-off point and complete the mission.
Get it? The player will need to find clues and then think fast to do it.
#3
08/29/2008 (8:07 am)
@tyler you just described hitman 
#4
08/29/2008 (8:26 am)
Hitman was an awsome game. I'd personally like to see for games that require indepth player involvement, as opposed to point-shoot FPS games.
#5
You'll be able to find plenty of clues around missions, from conversations you overhear, notes, computer terminals, and data you recover from your enemies' suits. :)
@Daniel:
Computer terminals will be much more detailed and interesting to use than what you usually see in games. Plus, you'll be able to interact with them in the actual game world thanks to C4's panel effect -- rather than bringing up another screen for the player to interact with, the screen you see in-game is the one you'll be using. Using the panel effect as-is would be kind of awkward for this though, so we're allowing the player to press the interact key, which will then switch the mouse from controlling mouselook to moving the cursor around the terminal's screen. As in DX, there'll be a bunch of special options in many terminals (security controls, things that manipulate the environment in various ways). Our character's suit is also partially mechanized and has some fancy features for the player to make use of. :P
I'll try not to say too much here. The player's in control of pretty much everything the character does, and very little is automatic. There aren't any upgrades either, so when the player improves it's entirely on his/her and not the character's part. That sort of thing. Sorry for being so vague. :[
One of my reasons for doing this is because of the setting. There are plenty of powerful weapons scattered all over the place, and if I made handling them as easy as it is in FPS games, the player would just shoot his/her way through rather than being stealthy, as intended. :P
08/29/2008 (8:58 am)
@Tyler:You'll be able to find plenty of clues around missions, from conversations you overhear, notes, computer terminals, and data you recover from your enemies' suits. :)
@Daniel:
Computer terminals will be much more detailed and interesting to use than what you usually see in games. Plus, you'll be able to interact with them in the actual game world thanks to C4's panel effect -- rather than bringing up another screen for the player to interact with, the screen you see in-game is the one you'll be using. Using the panel effect as-is would be kind of awkward for this though, so we're allowing the player to press the interact key, which will then switch the mouse from controlling mouselook to moving the cursor around the terminal's screen. As in DX, there'll be a bunch of special options in many terminals (security controls, things that manipulate the environment in various ways). Our character's suit is also partially mechanized and has some fancy features for the player to make use of. :P
Quote:I like the idea of reating the mechanics more to player skill - out of curiosity, how do you plan to do that? If you don't mind sharing, of course ;P
I'll try not to say too much here. The player's in control of pretty much everything the character does, and very little is automatic. There aren't any upgrades either, so when the player improves it's entirely on his/her and not the character's part. That sort of thing. Sorry for being so vague. :[
One of my reasons for doing this is because of the setting. There are plenty of powerful weapons scattered all over the place, and if I made handling them as easy as it is in FPS games, the player would just shoot his/her way through rather than being stealthy, as intended. :P
#6
X-ray things that can see through walls?
Mini robots to send off, like Metal Gear 4's.
08/30/2008 (8:29 am)
Depending on your game, new hi-tech stuff might work.X-ray things that can see through walls?
Mini robots to send off, like Metal Gear 4's.
#7
08/30/2008 (7:34 pm)
I would like to see RPG elements. Being able to develop your characters abilities. Also be able to use high tech gear for stealthy operations and alot of unique sci-fi type weapons. Plus being able to use a darker theme for many stealthy possibiliities, maybe even co-op for more in depth gameplay and fun. If possible can you PLEASE make it portable for console releases.
#8
I love stealth games, it's one of my favorite genres, but sometimes, the games move way too slow, I want to be moving quickly, if I was sneaking out of a building, I'd think I'd want to do it quickly.
C4 engine huh? That's supposed to be really high quality, well, can't wait to see the game. Are you going to release it here? Or is it commercial?
09/08/2008 (3:24 pm)
Fast paced stealth games.I love stealth games, it's one of my favorite genres, but sometimes, the games move way too slow, I want to be moving quickly, if I was sneaking out of a building, I'd think I'd want to do it quickly.
C4 engine huh? That's supposed to be really high quality, well, can't wait to see the game. Are you going to release it here? Or is it commercial?
#9
Darkness
Shadows
Camo
Dusgiuses
Grass
Invisible field (But then again that would take it all away)
Crowd
Objects
Thats all I can think of, I love stealth games, they don't make much anymore.
12/03/2008 (3:25 pm)
Sci-Fi huh?Darkness
Shadows
Camo
Dusgiuses
Grass
Invisible field (But then again that would take it all away)
Crowd
Objects
Thats all I can think of, I love stealth games, they don't make much anymore.
#11
Of course, if the AI checked the player's brightness against the background's brightness, then it would make everything much harder.
Another idea that came chasing on the tail of that one was to have real optical camouflage - not an invisibility potion (ugh) but a suit that could take on the appearance of any sort of material. So you could blend into walls and stuff, which would lessen the difficulty if the background-brightness idea were used.
12/12/2008 (7:23 am)
I had the thought recently that light-based stealth in games is pretty unrealistic. If you're standing in a pool of absolute shadow, that doesn't do anything if you're outlined against the sky or a light background - that's what breaks the realism for me.Of course, if the AI checked the player's brightness against the background's brightness, then it would make everything much harder.
Another idea that came chasing on the tail of that one was to have real optical camouflage - not an invisibility potion (ugh) but a suit that could take on the appearance of any sort of material. So you could blend into walls and stuff, which would lessen the difficulty if the background-brightness idea were used.
Torque Owner Daniel Buckmaster
T3D Steering Committee
I like the idea of reating the mechanics more to player skill - out of curiosity, how do you plan to do that? If you don't mind sharing, of course ;P
Also, I think first-person stealth will be really interesting. Reminds me of Thief - brilliant games.