Do any of these sound good?

Hosted Games Works In Progress
1

So I’ve been wanting to write a choice script game for a long time. Do any of the following sound good?

A fantasy epic where your small kingdom has declared war on a much larger more powerful kingdom. Your soldier (fully customizable) will have to come to deal with their comrades dying at the hands of enemy swords and spells. Might throw in guns if you guys want.

A game where a nuclear war happens and you alone survive your towns destruction. The catch: you get magic. Dominate the post-apocalyptic wasteland and untite the various waring factions. Or:

A futuristic story where humanity has discovered aliens, and they do not come in peace. Play as a fleet commander as you try desperately to defend what remains of humanity’s colonies.

Let me know if any of these sound good, or if they sound too similar to an existing WIP.

2

It’s hard to tell from ideas. All of them have the potential to be good. Write which one interests you most. If you’re not sure which one that is flip a coin (then again) and just pick one.

You’ve some common themes in all three entries though. You have a small faction fighting a war against a much larger one.

What sort of setting interests you most? Or which do you think would be easiest for you to implement?

Why not have humans developing magic to fight off this alien invasion? :slight_smile:

3

I like the underdog aspect of the first proposal. Have you given thought to the fantasy setting? It doesn’t have to be the usual castles and medieval, though that can be fun to play with. Would the player mainly be controlling a character or the kingdom? Specifically, is there more likely to be a focus on the ruler’s relationships, personality, etc or the military, logistic, and infrastructure of running a kingdom?

Post-apocalyptic’s very sad, in general, but I still love it a little. Though, if it’s nuclear, magic doesn’t make sense to me, personally. Maybe something like the X-men, though that might be cliche. I’d like it, personally. You could make it like a mutant mashup (Fallout/X-men inspired if you want) and the MC could have magic-like mutant powers. Or they could pick their power from a small (large?) selection. If you want. Sorry about this x). Also, how are there already warring factions? I like that, though, because Fallout…

I’m sorry about all of this.

4

The first idea would be told from a soldiers perspective, focusing less on the overarching plot and more on individual battles. I can’t think of a good way to describe the second one so think of it as Fallout’s setting with Infamous powers.

5

It’s cool to have guns in fantasy, but including them would render swords useless. Why try to stab at someone when you could just shoot them?

It also sounds vaguely similar to Choice of Rebels. See: Choice of Rebels Part 1 WIP thread

Seems fairly similar to Magikiras: Magikiras (Finished) - Beta Testers Needed!

This is basically a popular trope. See: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WeComeInPeaceShootToKill

That said, it doesn’t mean that it has no potential. You’ll just be working with something which has been played around with a lot.

6

Oh, sorry, I just assumed the MC was top dog. Like in Long Live the Queen but different.

I mean, if you’re going for Fallout, though, I think you should keep in mind the setting. Mainly that (I’ve only played Fallout 3 and NV) it’s set a couple hundred years after the initial nuclear disaster. Just as something to consider because that explains why everyone’s organized enough to fight each other. Right now, even if people were in rival gangs, warring families, etc I imagine they’re busy with all of the death and horrors. Maybe if the MC was the child/grandchild of that lone survivor? Artistic license can take you some way, though. Just my opinions though.

@Owlet Swords might be less useful, but they’d probably still be used if guns are new. I remember in this one class that the Japanese initially rarely used guns because they were seen as less badass and requiring less skill to use. Like, there’s a specific way to use the katana (?) (I assume, can’t remember the reading word for word) but anyone could use a gun. So low class. If the soldier’s a noble, they might look down on the new gadget. Even if I’m wrong, that’s still a pretty good justification and artistic license yay.

7

Basically, in the second one you were comatose for 1-5 years allowing this post-apocalyptic world to form.
@Owlet I didn’t realize the first one was so similar to choice of the rebels. People did use swords for several centuries after guns were created though, play Sabres of Infinity or any of the newer Assassin’s Creed games.

8

I assumed the catch is the epic fantasy genre. If you mix guns with spells you essentially make swords pretty useless.

@Pyla8 Sure, there was the “oh guns don’t need skill” conception but the truth is, guns do require a fair amount of skill to use effectively (hence boot camp and sniper training). Anyone who has used a gun will tell you that hitting a moving target (especially in any of the vital organs) isn’t a cakewalk. Heck, some guns are heavy and have significant recoil. Those two factors can rule out individuals from using them.

I’d assume that when guns were introduced to military groups, their mechanics were thoroughly explained. Those Japanese swordsmen were likely strongly biased by their traditionalist values and likely didn’t pay much attention.

That said, I remember learning about how Maori (indigenous New Zealanders) picked up muskets from European settlers and engaged in inter-tribal warfare over territory. More than 18,500 people died from that (and the total population was only something like 60,000). It took a few years at most, but that was mostly because the muskets sold to them by settlers cost something like 200-300 potatoes (note: they were being financially exploited, it didn’t take that much to buy them). The price later dropped. After that, there was an “arms” race among tribes to buy muskets because they realised how effective they were.

Furthermore, those who prefer swords over bullets will face higher fatality rates. So even if they’re a relatively new invention, there will be more people who use firearms over blades very soon.

“The introduction of repeating firearms virtually ended the value of the sword as a military weapon, though isolated instances of its use continued in 20th-century wars. As it declined in its military usefulness, the sword gained a new role in the duel, especially in Europe, out of which practice emerged the modern sport of fencing.” Source: Sword | Medieval, Samurai & Katana | Britannica

I’m pretty sure most commanders would’ve realised that swords are pretty flimsy against guns. Anyone who stubbornly insisted on using swords probably would’ve been dismissed for tossing away lives. So, yes, swords were used for centuries - but for dueling.

About games, it’s pretty safe to assume they’re more focused on entertainment than complete historical accuracy. Especially AC - Ubisoft loves to work their visuals.

9

Alright, so you guys have made it pretty clear that guns should not play a major role in the first option. If and when I make the game I MAY put in some flintlock pistols and muskets later in.

10

You guys? I think you should put the guns in. Especially if you want to. It’s fantasy and I was pro-gun in my last post (I can’t believe I just said I was pro-gun x/) Plus, you know, do what’s best for your story. We’re just sharing opinions. Though it’s nice to be listened to.

11

You’re right. For now if I do make the first one I would only put in flintlocks. For now though, which one do you guys think has the most potential? Feel free to ask questions and I’ll answer them to the best of my ability.

12

About this one - what kind of magic are we talking about?

13

Basically elemental stuff. I know that’s kind of lame but I want whatever game I choose to be out by 2016, so I may not have time to code in telekinesis and invisibility. What I’m thinking right now is to give players a choice between ice, fire, and lightning.

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@Zane_Hiam
2016? Is it really going to be that big? :open_mouth:

15

I want darkness!!! I want to destroy!!!

16

I think they mean finished and published by 2016 …

Honestly, the only one I find really interesting is the last. I’m not a huge fan of fantasy - it has to be fairly original and interesting to get me to take a look - and the second sounds like Fallout meets The Walking Dead with magic … which, granted, could be interesting. However, IMO, the third is the most fleshed-out of the three, since there is a stronger premise (the second has vision but lacks ‘solidity’ - i.e. I’m not clear what you would actually do, aside from survive) and the stakes are higher and more interesting (in the first case, where defeat is the most likely outcome, I would expect soldiers to be deserting left, right and centre, but here, there’s no real way to survive except to win).
But, take into account that I’m biased towards sci-fi.

17

@ballmot Yeah, I want to pick a subject, write it, make sure it’s as extensive as can be, and hopefully release it by January or February 2016.

@ Abyss Yeah, mostly the second one will have options to be an evil post-apocalyptic overlord who disintegrates his/her opponents.

@jkkiller Let the records show you vote for sci-fi.

1 Like
18

What I would love you to do is to combine your ideas. Why not create a game where you are a soldier Who is defending earth but who has been genetically modified to have magical powers? I would definitely play a game like that.

19

Yeah, that seems to be a common request. The thing is though, I want to make each of them one day. I just want to know given the current CoG’s and WIP’s which one you’d like to see first.

20

I vote for fantasy! Magic is my favorite weapon! Cower before my power pathetic worms! Muahahahahaha :japanese_ogre: