posted
Okay Okay Okay, I know that with this sudden recent trend of people talking about a new EGG that there may be one too many threads but I would really like to try out making 2-3 different threads each one we all brain storm what we'ld want in a certain genre of Ender's Game Game I'll start off with the BattleRoom FPS idea. The next thread can be the Shadow Series/Eros RTS thingamabobit one.
So heres the general outline so far: -0 G/good physics -Battle Room -Squad/toon commands -massively mutliplayer?(*) -In depth story(*) -keeping true to the novels(*) -things that go boom
(*) These are things I feel should either be in the game or I'm not sure if its applicible.
Massively Multiplayer: These days more and more companies and developers are going into Multiplayer for various reasons most notibly because of frequent complaints that the AI nevers does anything clever, just massing units and "CHARGE!" inmultiplayer games, the human is usually more challenging and gets to the point where the human is 1.5x faster then the most powerful non-cheating AI (Starcraft, ever played a South Korean?).
Essentially the idea is that a bunch of people on different serves play battleroomwar games and can walk around the battleroom and explore, talk to NPC's, chat with PC's etc. Wether or not you can "buy new lasers" and "Ablative armor+10" is debatable. What I really want in a MM version is ranks. You start as a private taking orders and slowly going up in rank and giving them, server resets once every 3 months and boom everyone except a few select people are provates again. (to keep the game from getting 800 Commanders .
In Depth story:
Not really needed I think unless you have a super detailed single player mode where you start of as a private make your way up to commander and face some kind of Kobyashi Maru versus Ender that determines your score and Game Over you won!.
Staying true to the novel: Its happened that Game based of movies sometimes aren't true to the novels but I don't worry about it cuz the developers know that us fanatical fans will mob his office if soemthing goes wrong.
Things that Go Boom!: Everygame needs seomthing to go boom...
So ya, the purpose of this thread is not to hear myself speak but for all fo you to chip in and debate what should go into this kind of Ender's Game incarnation. I'll start up a couple other threads after I see whether or not I get bashed or not.
Posts: 1567 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
I like most of the ideas, but one I've thought would make a lot of sense is to work in some of the ideas of an MMORPG into the Ender's Game/Battle Room FPS.
Why not try to simulate Battle School as much as possible? Players are promoted to toon leaders or commanders based on standings--create practice modes and team matches, and you'd have to have commander and toon leader modes built in, but that's the sort of thing I think you'd need to have such a game be more than a zero-G version of Counterstrike.
So--not massively multiplayer, then, but large multiplayer. Teams of 40 (or more, with subs to accomodate the fact that the players really do have actual lives,) with players getting promoted to command positions based on standings--or allowing players to form their own teams.
It would be awful to see an EGG become just another 3D platform game--it wouldn't be that much better for it to become just another FPS. The real draw of the Battle Room is the command environment, I think. Has to be multiplayer.
Posts: 170 | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Agreed good chap (finally soemone posted), MM could work in such a way that the max size allowed per battle/server was 40 and that you could walk around the hallways and manually enter a battleroom rather than select from a screen. (more fun this way) But ya I forgot about the standings, great idea and true to the novel. Apparently Brothers in Arms or whatever its called has a squad based command structure so ya, bots could be added in as well, where you only have 11 people on either side with bots if your strapped for people etc.
Posts: 1567 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
By the way, it's kind of strange to me that, in a forum where we are discussing game design, you are using the name of an actual, living game designer. I mean, Sid Meier is a real person. Don't you feel like you're kind of putting words in his mouth, or giving false impressions, or something?
Posts: 1907 | Registered: Feb 2000
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I had gotten that false impression--but then realized that <b>that</b> Sid Meier would never be tossing out ideas on a public forum
One more idea, re: Things blowing up. It would take some focus grouping, but I wonder how important amazingly sophisticated graphics are to gamers. I know that for me, in an FPS, game play trumps graphics every time.
If you try to transcribe the Battle Room into a game as accurately as possible, look at what we've got:
-- Incredibly sophisticated command structure and strategy framework -- Fairly similar room structure--same room, different star arragngements -- Only 1 weapon, never changes -- No armor -- Really frickin' hard, but possibly very sophisticated movement -- Successful hit will impair movement, disable, or freeze target.
And that's about it. Compare to UT:
--No real command structure or strategy framework --Lots of different arenas --Lots of different weapons --Can change armor --Easy and simple movement --Successful hit drops hit points, killed target regenerates instantly
Or Counterstrike:
--Slightly more command structure, works better as a team game (but still no integrated way of commanding a team of 40) --Lots of different arenas --Lots of different weapons --Can change armor --Easy and simple movement --Successful hit drops hit points, killed target stays dead until next game
The real interesting part of a battle room would seem to be the command structure, physics, and movement. That's not all that interesting by itself unless you're an intense enough gamer to work at mastering the game. Therefore, it almost would seem to work better as half RPG, half FPS--but that's painfully hard to program.
Posts: 170 | Registered: Mar 2001
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The funny thing is that once a while back a person asked if I was THE Sid Meier, then he checked my profile and found out otherwise. Just to let you all know I liked Civ2 and Sid's work overall so I'm adopting his persona. And yes I do wish to be a Game designer dealing in the RTS arena. though MMORPG is good too. Other then that what else should be in this game? Should we have a single player mode and if so what is the content? Is there some kind of bonus that reinforces multiplayer play? Do you get to premake your own customized formations once you get into the command structure? Does it actually have to be Private-Toon-Commander or Private Half Toon, Full toon, sub commander, full commander? How many hours should be invested to gain a rank? Should it be just mechanics where anyone after playing long enough gets to be a commander? Or is it decided by mysterious people in a smoke filled room? We are the dicision makers here.
Posts: 1567 | Registered: Oct 2004
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"Just to let you all know I liked Civ2 and Sid's work overall so I'm adopting his persona."
I find this mindset a bit baffling, too. I joined this forum before OSC; should I have taken the username Orson Scott Card, since it was available at the time? Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Most forums dedicated to individuals have certain name variations blocked or reserved ahead of time, if the admin knows what they are doing.
As for Sid, no offense to the game concept above, but I can't picture the real him describing a new concept in the terms of existing games. He's too far off the scope for that.
Posts: 12 | Registered: Mar 2005
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I used the wrong words, "I'm taking his name becuase its a cool name, and i like his games" is that better? As for describing new concepts from existing games... its hard to be original.
Posts: 1567 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
The thing about an FPS is, it almost seems that if it was made strictly as an FPS then large parts of the books would just be irrelevant, unless of course your willing to sit through incredibly long cut scenes, something to the tune of a 20 mintute cutscene involving fantasyland. It would be interesting to see a game that had important FPS sections to it without making that the focus of the whole game.
Posts: 13 | Registered: Mar 2005
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"The thing about an FPS is, it almost seems that if it was made strictly as an FPS then large parts of the books would just be irrelevant, unless of course your willing to sit through incredibly long cut scenes, something to the tune of a 20 mintute cutscene involving fantasyland."
See, you're thinking like a platformer. The point would not be to live "the Battle School experience!" but rather to specifically live the Battle Room.
The Battle School experience would actually be pretty dull.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
Personally, I think basing the game on the plot of the books would probably be a mistake. You already know what's going to happen, and making changes to create more suspense might be a little difficult (since there's probably already some of that in the movie).
I think the game should take place BEFORE Ender's Game, with an entirely different plot, mostly different characters, etc. Either that, or after SotG. The plot may not be as epic, but it would allow a lot more freedom with the plot, necessary because what makes a good novel/movie plot does not necessarily make a good game plot.
As for what type of game, I think either a first-person FPS (a la Deus Ex) or third-person RPG style (a la Neverwinter Nights) could work well. You have to have characters and issues and a story that matters, though, no matter what type of game it is.
As for multiplayer, I think multiplayer, but not massively multiplayer, would be best. It would be especially nice if cooperative multiplayer was embedded in the game (but not required, for those that want to play alone). A vs. mode with different teams, etc, would also be fun.
I suppose it might also work as a space flight-sim type game, where you receive "orders" from Ender/Bean whoever and have to carry them out (similar to Descent, etc). That doesn't sound exciting right off, but it could be made well, I suppose. I'm just not much of a flight-sim fan.
Anyway, lots of good ideas have been posted, and I trust all involved to do a good job. :-D
Posts: 11 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
I've been thinking that there should be 2 different FPS versions of Ender's Game, 1 for primarily single player (kinda RPG style but a simulated one like Dot Hack) where plot can play more of an issue (pre EG plot) and a MM one where plot plays no issue and will focus on rank/command and just having fun, possibly utilizing bots in order to shore up the games and have more conon fodder. Having two distinct Ender's Game Games would possibly be needed me thinks to fully utilize the potential in a EGG me thinks...
Posts: 1567 | Registered: Oct 2004
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