Sci-Fi Apocalypse
by Oscar Hayward · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 07/03/2005 (8:20 am) · 21 replies
Hi.
My mates and I have had a rather good idea if you ask me. Although this is like the seventh idea we've had (the others were scrapped).
Okay, briefly, its Earth sometime in the far future and we've expanded beyond our solar system etc. Meanwhile this alien race is longing for oxygen. They need it because they use it for fuel and they have exhausted all of their own sources. So they see Earth and they also see that it is one of the most richest sources of pure oxygen for a few parsects. And so they gather up their invasion fleet and thye move in.
The player is a soldier which is in training at the beginning, then the story unfolds as what seems to be missiles pass them overhead. What they really are is pods from the invasion fleet which act in a kamikaze way. The alien is inside the pod and when it crashes into the earth, it loosens it all up so that nthe alien can immediately seek for oxygen. (We will probably think up a better reason some time soon!)
We haven't really developed the story much from there. Basically the aliens start mining the Earth for oxygen. They mine the rocks to extract the oxygen from them and they suck in the atmosphere and squeeze out the oxygen from there too.
The story develops with missions ranging from stealth: boarding one of the mining ships and infiltrating it; to full throttle shootouts.
You might be asking, Who wins? Well the humans do obviously. But to break away from the usual, 'And so they lived happily ever after' end line, the Earth will be severely damaged with massive craters and huge volcanos caused by the alien's huge mining efforts.
Alternatively, we might make the enitre story longer to make a sequence of titles, sort of like Star Wars.
I've already started making a few models. Here are some of them:
That's the pod the aliens land in.
That's a destroyer class alien ship.
We'll think of a proper name for the aliens later on, once we've totally decided to go with this idea.
Please comment on what you think of this idea, and if you have any suggestions, please post them as well. Thanks!
My mates and I have had a rather good idea if you ask me. Although this is like the seventh idea we've had (the others were scrapped).
Okay, briefly, its Earth sometime in the far future and we've expanded beyond our solar system etc. Meanwhile this alien race is longing for oxygen. They need it because they use it for fuel and they have exhausted all of their own sources. So they see Earth and they also see that it is one of the most richest sources of pure oxygen for a few parsects. And so they gather up their invasion fleet and thye move in.
The player is a soldier which is in training at the beginning, then the story unfolds as what seems to be missiles pass them overhead. What they really are is pods from the invasion fleet which act in a kamikaze way. The alien is inside the pod and when it crashes into the earth, it loosens it all up so that nthe alien can immediately seek for oxygen. (We will probably think up a better reason some time soon!)
We haven't really developed the story much from there. Basically the aliens start mining the Earth for oxygen. They mine the rocks to extract the oxygen from them and they suck in the atmosphere and squeeze out the oxygen from there too.
The story develops with missions ranging from stealth: boarding one of the mining ships and infiltrating it; to full throttle shootouts.
You might be asking, Who wins? Well the humans do obviously. But to break away from the usual, 'And so they lived happily ever after' end line, the Earth will be severely damaged with massive craters and huge volcanos caused by the alien's huge mining efforts.
Alternatively, we might make the enitre story longer to make a sequence of titles, sort of like Star Wars.
I've already started making a few models. Here are some of them:
That's the pod the aliens land in.That's a destroyer class alien ship.We'll think of a proper name for the aliens later on, once we've totally decided to go with this idea.
Please comment on what you think of this idea, and if you have any suggestions, please post them as well. Thanks!
#2
07/03/2005 (9:15 am)
That's just the lighting effects (which to be honest aren't that good)
#3
Ah, such a good movie.
Seriously, however, the idea sounds good as a starting point. I like the destroyer - the simplicity of the shape combined with the gridlike lighting really appeals to me for some reason. I can't encourage you enough to develop characters more than even story. Character-driven games like Prince of Persia and Psychonauts really add a depth to the gameplay that simple "see alien, kill alien" stories do not. Develop twists that are unexpected... Maybe the aliens aren't alien. Maybe the main character is related to the aliens. Maybe it isn't an invasion as much as an escape.
Good luck!
07/03/2005 (10:04 am)
Heh. I was watching Spaceballs last night on TV and the plot is similar... The Spaceballs need air, so they kidnap the princess so that they can get the code to the shield (1-2-3-4-5), and then transform their ship into Mega Maid, whose vacuum sucks the air off the planet. "She's gone from suck to blow!"Ah, such a good movie.
Seriously, however, the idea sounds good as a starting point. I like the destroyer - the simplicity of the shape combined with the gridlike lighting really appeals to me for some reason. I can't encourage you enough to develop characters more than even story. Character-driven games like Prince of Persia and Psychonauts really add a depth to the gameplay that simple "see alien, kill alien" stories do not. Develop twists that are unexpected... Maybe the aliens aren't alien. Maybe the main character is related to the aliens. Maybe it isn't an invasion as much as an escape.
Good luck!
#4
07/03/2005 (10:36 am)
I totally agree with you Tim. As I've said, we haven't really developed the story as of yet, so theres plenty of room to make a lot of stomahc-lurching twists. But yes you are right, the 'see alien, kill alien' thing is a bit old. Anyhow, thanks a lot for the advice!
#5
1) it's found anywhere/everywhere (at least in our solar system)
2) on earth, why mine it from rocks when they can get it from the air in much higher concentrations
3) Aliens have too much C02? just steal a few scraps of vegitation and go home happy.
Though a spaceballs type of plot would be absolutely sweet.
WE MUST HAVE THEIR OXYGEN! SEND IN THE MEGA MAID!
obviously that game would fall more towards the humor genre, which may be a good thing.
07/03/2005 (11:50 am)
Nice model, but drop the oxygen idea.1) it's found anywhere/everywhere (at least in our solar system)
2) on earth, why mine it from rocks when they can get it from the air in much higher concentrations
3) Aliens have too much C02? just steal a few scraps of vegitation and go home happy.
Though a spaceballs type of plot would be absolutely sweet.
WE MUST HAVE THEIR OXYGEN! SEND IN THE MEGA MAID!
obviously that game would fall more towards the humor genre, which may be a good thing.
#6
07/03/2005 (1:21 pm)
Ditto on the oxygen. there are many was to create oxygen thru chemistry and stuffs.... buy them some plants or something.
#7
Just a quick idea for you.
- Ronixus
07/03/2005 (1:23 pm)
I think Jason hit it on the nail with #3 - Why not have them stealing the world vegitation?! That could make for an interesting plot (think of how valuable plants are in the movie Waterworld).Just a quick idea for you.
- Ronixus
#8
07/03/2005 (1:29 pm)
Besides, i always think it's better for it to be a mystery why an alien force is attacking, why not make the earth actually an ancient weapon left by the creators of the universe. The weapon disguised as a planet to keep safe, and humans placed there as guardians.
#9
I honestly don't know what to say about your game idea. To me, it isn't really a game idea at all. It is a first draft of an idea for plot/setting, but not a very original one, as I'm sure you'll agree. Sure, it might have a few original twists in there, but the overall impression? Very much like most other Sci-Fi's out there...
However, I'm sure you'll be able to create something good out of that if you put in enough time and effort into developing the initial idea into a full plot, a comprehensive setting and an extensive storyline. As with all ideas, it's not really about the idea, it is about the execution. There's simply not enough of the execution present in your post for me to say anything other than "Yeah, that idea could work, given enough effort being poured into it". But the same goes for almost any idea...
But the whole plot/story/setting thing is not my main concern. Sure they can be important, especially for heavily story driven games. But at the end of the day, GAMEPLAY is way more important, and I would want to hear a lot more about your thoughts in this area... I know the game contains "missions ranging from stealth: boarding one of the mining ships and infiltrating it; to full throttle shootouts", which kind of leads me to believe this might be a first person (or maybe 3rd person?) shooter. But how will it work? Which gameplay mechanics will it borrow from other games? Which mechanics are unique to your game? What will make the gameplay of your game really stand out from the gameplay of other similar games?
These are, to me, the important questions. These are the things that, for me, sets games apart.
On the other hand, it may be that your idea is to make just a run-of-the-mill FPS, with only the story/setting being what sets it apart from other games. And there's certainly room for those as well, but they tend to be hard to make to stand out without the resources that the large studios have.
In any case, it would be very interesting to hear more about your actual game, as well as more about your story/setting.
07/04/2005 (4:21 am)
Ok, first of all, I don't mean to shoot you down, and I'm not posting just to be negative, so apologies in advance if it comes across like that.I honestly don't know what to say about your game idea. To me, it isn't really a game idea at all. It is a first draft of an idea for plot/setting, but not a very original one, as I'm sure you'll agree. Sure, it might have a few original twists in there, but the overall impression? Very much like most other Sci-Fi's out there...
However, I'm sure you'll be able to create something good out of that if you put in enough time and effort into developing the initial idea into a full plot, a comprehensive setting and an extensive storyline. As with all ideas, it's not really about the idea, it is about the execution. There's simply not enough of the execution present in your post for me to say anything other than "Yeah, that idea could work, given enough effort being poured into it". But the same goes for almost any idea...
But the whole plot/story/setting thing is not my main concern. Sure they can be important, especially for heavily story driven games. But at the end of the day, GAMEPLAY is way more important, and I would want to hear a lot more about your thoughts in this area... I know the game contains "missions ranging from stealth: boarding one of the mining ships and infiltrating it; to full throttle shootouts", which kind of leads me to believe this might be a first person (or maybe 3rd person?) shooter. But how will it work? Which gameplay mechanics will it borrow from other games? Which mechanics are unique to your game? What will make the gameplay of your game really stand out from the gameplay of other similar games?
These are, to me, the important questions. These are the things that, for me, sets games apart.
On the other hand, it may be that your idea is to make just a run-of-the-mill FPS, with only the story/setting being what sets it apart from other games. And there's certainly room for those as well, but they tend to be hard to make to stand out without the resources that the large studios have.
In any case, it would be very interesting to hear more about your actual game, as well as more about your story/setting.
#10
I totally agree with the part on gameplay. As this idea is only in the 'brainstorming' area, we haven't thought of that much yet. You are correct in assuming that this is going to be a FPS game.
But as we are complete newbies to the game development business (we are only 13 after all), could you or even someone else explain to me what you mean by gameplay mechanics? I'm assuming for the moment that you are referring to the HUD.
Thanks for the advice!
07/04/2005 (9:03 am)
Mattias, yes I agree it is only an idea which we haven't developed yet and I also agree that it is pretty stereotypical for sci-fi games. I have conferred with my story guy and we as a group are thinking of ways to make this story unique.I totally agree with the part on gameplay. As this idea is only in the 'brainstorming' area, we haven't thought of that much yet. You are correct in assuming that this is going to be a FPS game.
But as we are complete newbies to the game development business (we are only 13 after all), could you or even someone else explain to me what you mean by gameplay mechanics? I'm assuming for the moment that you are referring to the HUD.
Thanks for the advice!
#11
Basically, there are two alien species (yes we are staying with aliens here - we'll tihnk of a non-stereotypical name for them later on) who are having a war amongst themselves. But then they see Earth as a potential outpost and they both want it. One of them attacks Earth, we retalliate and inadvertantly take sides. The story goes on (we haven't thought about this yet).
Maybe one of the alien species I've just outlined could be an exiled general from the other race and he has banded together an army of other races.
Now this idea is completely fresh from the oven so it isn't picture perfect yet. Tell me what you think.
07/04/2005 (9:30 am)
We have had a revelation! How does this sound?Basically, there are two alien species (yes we are staying with aliens here - we'll tihnk of a non-stereotypical name for them later on) who are having a war amongst themselves. But then they see Earth as a potential outpost and they both want it. One of them attacks Earth, we retalliate and inadvertantly take sides. The story goes on (we haven't thought about this yet).
Maybe one of the alien species I've just outlined could be an exiled general from the other race and he has banded together an army of other races.
Now this idea is completely fresh from the oven so it isn't picture perfect yet. Tell me what you think.
#12
I've had an idea similar to this, though not exactly FPS (more 'in-the-cockpit' so-to-speak). It revolved more around the gameplay more than the plot. Basicly, you play as either of the warring alien races, which are using Earth as the battleground, or as one of the defending earthlings. Sort of TopGun meets Forsaken meets Defender. I posted it in the 'Challenge' thread a while back.
- Ronixus
07/04/2005 (1:58 pm)
Gee, isn't that borderline? ;)I've had an idea similar to this, though not exactly FPS (more 'in-the-cockpit' so-to-speak). It revolved more around the gameplay more than the plot. Basicly, you play as either of the warring alien races, which are using Earth as the battleground, or as one of the defending earthlings. Sort of TopGun meets Forsaken meets Defender. I posted it in the 'Challenge' thread a while back.
- Ronixus
#13
We've developed the story a bit now (stressing the 'bit' part). We've only done the prologue and the first level but that's quite a lot of ground to do in the space of 30 minutes. I'll give a sample later on when we have the main jist of the plot sorted out. Now don't worry, we are very much considering gamelay and characters here.
07/05/2005 (9:02 am)
That actually sounds like a whopping good idea! But Tom, our storyline guy, and the rest of our group are determined to have our own original idea. And I must say I have to agree, I don't want to take credit for someone else's idea.We've developed the story a bit now (stressing the 'bit' part). We've only done the prologue and the first level but that's quite a lot of ground to do in the space of 30 minutes. I'll give a sample later on when we have the main jist of the plot sorted out. Now don't worry, we are very much considering gamelay and characters here.
#14
Examples: they could be organic in their design (think tree people, like on Doctor Who!), they could be bioorganic (think Alien/s, and Giger's stuff), they could be insect-like (think War of the Worlds, afa the tripods)... Their motivations and beliefs will come out in the design of their structures.
07/05/2005 (11:01 am)
I have one other suggestion for you: before you go and design your ships and stuff, come up with a pretty complete history of the various alien species - how they look, how they think, what they do, why they do it, that kind of thing. The design of their ships and so on will come out of that. The more you know about your aliens, the better the various representations of these aliens will be.Examples: they could be organic in their design (think tree people, like on Doctor Who!), they could be bioorganic (think Alien/s, and Giger's stuff), they could be insect-like (think War of the Worlds, afa the tripods)... Their motivations and beliefs will come out in the design of their structures.
#15
07/05/2005 (12:58 pm)
Make it so the humans can pick which alien race to side with, therefore give you at least 2 storylines to follow.
#16
Tim, yes that's a good idea. We've pretty much come up with a prologue cutscene at the beginning which pretty much explains all. But I will bring that up at the next meeting.
Thanks!
07/06/2005 (9:06 am)
Ramen, that's a super idea, it's just the thing is, I'm a highly unexperienced 13-year-old programmer. I would have no idea of how to allow the user to follow a dynamic plot such as that. I think for our first game, we should keep things pretty simple and linear.Tim, yes that's a good idea. We've pretty much come up with a prologue cutscene at the beginning which pretty much explains all. But I will bring that up at the next meeting.
Thanks!
#18
No no, the HUD is not at all what I meant.
Here's some examples:
In Mario (the old platform game) you can jump on enemies head to kill them. You can pick up a mushroom to grow in size, enabling you to jump higher.
Those are examples of gameplay mechanics.
In Grand Theft Auto (San Andreas) you can hold a button on the controller to "lock on" to an enemy, and the likelihood of hitting the target depends on your skill with the weapon you are currently using. By using that weapon successfully you will, over time, gradually increase your skill. Reaching certain skill levels will allow you to do more things while using the weapon: aim across a larger distance, move while locking on etc.
Those are also gameplay mechanics.
I think that a game design should first be about the gameplay mechanics. If you don't get these right, it doesn't matter if the story or setting is ace, the game won't flow and it won't be fun. But get the gameplay right, and it won't matter if the story and setting sucks, it will still be fun to play. If you do get gameplay right, a good story and setting can greatly improve the game, potentially making it a hit.
With all of this in mind, what you've described above is not really a game at all, it's all plot and setting, which is in some ways irrelevant at this stage. It's probably essential to have the basic idea of the gameworld when you start out, but going into any details before fleshing out gameplay is not a good idea. Story and setting should be evolved to accomodate for the desired gameplay, not the other way around...
Hope this was of some help...
07/12/2005 (5:24 am)
Quote:But as we are complete newbies to the game development business (we are only 13 after all), could you or even someone else explain to me what you mean by gameplay mechanics? I'm assuming for the moment that you are referring to the HUD.
No no, the HUD is not at all what I meant.
Here's some examples:
In Mario (the old platform game) you can jump on enemies head to kill them. You can pick up a mushroom to grow in size, enabling you to jump higher.
Those are examples of gameplay mechanics.
In Grand Theft Auto (San Andreas) you can hold a button on the controller to "lock on" to an enemy, and the likelihood of hitting the target depends on your skill with the weapon you are currently using. By using that weapon successfully you will, over time, gradually increase your skill. Reaching certain skill levels will allow you to do more things while using the weapon: aim across a larger distance, move while locking on etc.
Those are also gameplay mechanics.
I think that a game design should first be about the gameplay mechanics. If you don't get these right, it doesn't matter if the story or setting is ace, the game won't flow and it won't be fun. But get the gameplay right, and it won't matter if the story and setting sucks, it will still be fun to play. If you do get gameplay right, a good story and setting can greatly improve the game, potentially making it a hit.
With all of this in mind, what you've described above is not really a game at all, it's all plot and setting, which is in some ways irrelevant at this stage. It's probably essential to have the basic idea of the gameworld when you start out, but going into any details before fleshing out gameplay is not a good idea. Story and setting should be evolved to accomodate for the desired gameplay, not the other way around...
Hope this was of some help...
#19
07/12/2005 (6:57 am)
Oh right, I think I've got you... So in the game that we're making, just as a starting point, there should be a 'skills development' system - like GTA:SA, the more you use the weapon the better you get. It's making sense now. Thanks a lot! 
#20
-Peter
I mean, what's the plot to tetris anyway? Who cares? Its just fun!
07/12/2005 (11:33 am)
I don't think you got his point. Maybe you should read a book on game design. Go to amazon and search for a good one. That should help you out. Also, since you're so new maybe you should start with a very small project with no plot. I think then you would have a better grasp on game mechanics.-Peter
I mean, what's the plot to tetris anyway? Who cares? Its just fun!
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