Sorry for the novel I’m about to post -_- But maybe it’ll garner some interest. I’m at about 10k words (it’s been one week) and I’m still going strong. I have a beta (really an alpha) but I’m going to wait a while to post it. Not too long, though. Message me if you want to check it out ahead of time.
I’m working on a ChoiceScript RPG called Sovereign Reality (title pending). It’s a futuristic Virtual Reality set in a Fantasy world.
It’s the year 2322. You are one of 12 Alpha-testers lucky enough to enter Sovereign Corporation’s newest Virtual Reality game through their newest invention, the Neural Interface. By plugging directly into a player’s brain, it allows players to become one with their characters, or avatars, seeing what they see, and feeling what they feel.
But this is more than “just a game.” It’s a contest. To make it fair, no one is allowed to leave the game until their avatar dies. No one knows how long it will take to get to the main objective, so all of the Alpha-testers are placed in suspended animation while their brains play the game. In the future, where companies scoff at moral ambiguity, this is just another PR stunt.
Meanwhile, Sovereign has been working a little too hard at making their game super-realistic. They’ve inadvertently angered a previously docile AI, who then starts to target the Alpha-testers as agents of chaos, and tries to prevent them from carrying out their mission. The player will have to fight against, or work with, the other Alpha-testers, and avoid the wrath of the AI.
Everything about this game is customizable. From what the name of the actual VR is, to what you call the other Alpha-testers (Alphas, players, losers, etc.). You can play as a male or female, and also choose either a male or female avatar. You can even name your avatar something completely different from your real name to hide your identity from the other testers. Each lie you tell about yourself, however, decreases your Honesty, just one of several stats. You also have good/evil, and lawful/chaotic, which allows you to be placed on a D&D-style alignment chart, no matter what your scores.
Your real-life character will have their own motivations, whether it be the $1,000,000 prize for the winner, or just playing the game for fun. Your “real-life” personality translates certain properties into your avatar, as well as the decisions you make in and out-of-game. Even relationships started outside of the game world can continue to affect you inside the game.
You can choose from three separate starting classes (for now) based on the beloved Rogue, Fighter, and Mage archetypes, but in this game your starting class doesn’t count for too much. “Levels” are nonexistant due to the scope of reality this game allows. You must LEARN to fight to get better at it. Luckily, “character creation” allows the computer to generate a perfect fighting machine for your new body. The more you do something, the better your character becomes at it.
I try to make the games I’d like to play. I don’t bog the player down with too many decisions, backstory, or stats. Everything has a purpose, and it does that purpose fairly regularly. If there’s an ability check, you might see whether you passed or failed. If you spend a day working out, your strength will increase. You have the ability to play through the tutorial, or you can skip it. Same with the introductory text. You can also turn Hints on or off at any time.
There are interesting characters, from quirky geek-turned massive fighter, to rogue vigilante-like artificial intelligence, to the one-eyed cyborg in charge of running the game. Each one of them can either help you or hurt you as the story goes on. You can be smart enough to predict their betrayal, strong enough to withstand it, or genuine enough to avoid it altogether. Will the other Alpha-testers be your allies? your pawns? or your opponents?
You have your 6 standard D&D stats (strength, dexterity, etc.) but they operate differently than a d20 system. You can also choose between a variety of melee, ranged, and magic starting weapons, with more unique and powerful items as you adventure. The game is very intuitive, and I actually have a working combat script that allows for turn-based battles, which can easily be duplicated just by changing the enemy name variable and resetting the enemy’s health. I can also add changing subroutines for complex boss battles, if I so choose. I’ve got a little experience in video game programming, and ChoiceScript makes it much easier!
As I go I am creating new spells, combat actions, and companion interaction. At the same time, you can choose to play solo (without a companion) and without magic, enabling “Hard Mode.” As of yet this doesn’t change much, but not being able to use magic or have a friend help you fight will make surviving combat a challenge.
This is based as a prequel to a book I’ve half-written, just FYI. The reason I’ve written so quickly is because I have a lot of source material.
EDIT: Happy Independence Day!
TotDH, ZE, and Way Walkers all have images, but they have low prices. It could be that that’s just a factor for CoGs.