Into Infamy [WIP + DEMO - 20/5]

Hosted Games Works In Progress
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Alright, here we go.

While working on Dreameater, I ran into a wall otherwise known as goddamn bugs. To take my mind off it, I started working on a sci-fi title. Or untitle, since as you can see I am absolute rubbish at coming up with titles and quite frankly I’m tempted to just name it Sci-Fi Story #3.

In any case, here’s the summary.

You play a medical doctor, serving aboard a ship after First Contact. Now, the same aliens that had almost destroyed humanity two years ago have recovered and launched another attack - only this time, their target is not just humanity, but the entire galaxy.

In time, you find yourself commandeering a ship of your own, transforming it into a medical relief ship and using your experience as a physician to provide medical aid. You decide if you will be Switzerland, famously neutral and helping those in need, regardless of species, or if you will play the political game and uplift humanity to a higher status.

So. That’s the summary - a very short one. There will be romances, and I’m expecting this to be a very long game, though not exactly Tin Star level. I currently have about 10k words of a demo, and I’ll release it once I’ve finished a few missing scenes, though god knows when that will be.

UPDATE 25/4: After some deliberation, I decided to limit the demo to the prologue and first scene only. The second scene (which, together with the prologue and first scene, makes up the entire first act) is complete, but I’m not very happy with it just yet and it requires much more polishing.

UPDATE 20/5: Good Lord this thing is surprisingly hard to write.

Please note that this is a rough draft. The writing is not up to standards just yet. Comments on bugs and plot ideas would be appreciated over typos and such as those will be fixed upon line editing.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/b6btwbz2ni9b532/DEMO1.3.html

19 Likes
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This sounds very interesting (i love soft sci-fi and all). I know your summary is very short, but already I have so many questions. Is humanity the only species in all the galaxy? If not, what is the status of other species that aren’t part of the Big Bad? Why are the aliens trying to destroy humanity? did we accidentally insult their mother/god/musical pop icon?
If we play the political game, can we advance one human group over another? Can we even turn brown-cloak?
(too many dang questions, sorry :sweat_smile: )
One more:
How many branching paths have you planned? How much more work do you think you have?

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Sorry, I probably should’ve elaborated more but I figured I should keep it short rather than infodump :smile:

Humanity isn’t the only species; there are at least four including humanity. I still have to flesh out some species, but I’m shooting for roughly three major species other than humans, and another three or so minor species that are mentioned in passing.

You could say it’s because we insulted them. During First Contact, humanity was saved by the second major alien species, the kimeks, who sit on the Intergalactic Council. The varryl were humiliated and forbidden a place on the Council until they got their shit together and stopped attacking random planets, and the varryl are not a species that take humiliation lightly. In the years between First Contact and the game, the varryl have built up an army, and plan on basically wiping the floor with every other species in existence.

You won’t be able to advance one particular human group over the other (oh god, thinking about the variables gives me goosebumps). Turning traitor is an interesting possibility I’ll have to look into, but it probably won’t be a major branch as your crew would probably mutiny and you’d die. Brutally.

There are three major endings so far. I’m focusing on breadth of story versus multiple endings. One issue with having too many endings is that it can feel shallow, like they’re there for the sake of “interactivity”, so I’m trying to avoid that where possible and instead focusing on three large endings with multiple smaller paths that affect it.

Also, relationships play a fairly large part, both romances as well as platonic. I’m toying with the idea of adding alien romances, but I’m not sure how that would go down.

The demo consists of maybe 10% of the game, so… a lot. :smile:

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ALIEn RoMANCES - give! GIVE!

Other than that, I like the idea.

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It sounds nice. Then again, as long as it’s somewhat sci-fi-ish you’d have to put in some effort for me to dislike it :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

It sounds interesting to be specifically playing as a medic, especially since I’d usually picture them as very peace loving people (I am so going to play a mad destroyer doctor :wink:)

As for the title, I actually like it. It’s not nearly as bad as mine. (It used to be called ‘Something Sci-Fi-ish that really needs a better title’)

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The “crazy aggro doctor hellbent on killing everyone” branch may or may not be inspired by that one doctor who insisted my asthma was, in fact, a result of poor diet and exercise and ARE YOU KIDDING ME I HAVE HAD ASTHMA SINCE CHILDHOOD JUST GIVE ME MEDS PLEASE.

Also, I’m a fan of Empty Shell (or did you change the title again?). I might borrow the puppet protagonist idea sometime. :smile:

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I like this idea I might just end up being a switzerland because of my moral code consisting of : who cares I do what I feel like amd btw I would like alien romances it would make for an interesting dynamic.

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There are several games on here having to do with galaxies and spaceships, but I like how you added a medical doctor and aliens to the mix. I’d develop the protagonist into a pseudo-politcian because politcial science is one of my main interests. Though by ‘poltical game’, is that another way of saying political intrigue—with more intrigue than politics? If not, will we be able to gain office, influence important decisions in detail, set up institutions, etc?

Also, what sort of stats should we expect? I’m excited to read that they’ll be platonic romances. I usually ignore romantic interests because the characters are either flat and boring or they offer nothing substantial to me in the long run. My opinion wouldn’t change even with alien romances, but it sounds interesting to try out nonetheless. Have fun with that should the idea ever become a reality.

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That would depend on your definition of “political intrigue”, I suppose. I’ve always sort of conflated the two. You’ll be making some political decisions that have significant effect, but because you’re a doctor rather than a bureaucrat most of these will be behind-the-scenes. There may be the option for you to dispose of unfavorable politicians.

As for stats, I’ve opted not to include the usual “strength/dexterity/agility” types because you won’t be engaging in much - if any - combat. The stats I have so far are:

  • Military Strategy
  • Politically Savvy
  • Medical Prowess
  • Speechcraft

(Yes, one of those is not like the other. I really am bad at naming things.)

The romance options will be involved in the main plot whether or not you romance them. The romance branch adds more scenes and dialogue changes, plus a small effect on the plot as you learn things from them. There’s also friendship scales, so they can walk out on you if you piss them off too much. :smile:

Things I also forgot to mention in my OP: there is debt (income? wealth? I don’t know the right word for it, hm) as well as personalities. The former affects how supplied you are, the latter affects dialogue and some choices.

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Sounds pretty good, like the idea. And he will be called Bones…and he will say "I am doctor and not a… :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

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Playing as a medic sounds pretty… Unique.

But I hope it won’t be awkward like mass effect when it came to alien romance and stuff :grimacing:

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I am assuming speechcraft is like bartering and persuasion while potical savy is more the ability to make convincing speeches and such.

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Politically savvy affects your skill at winning over politicians or building alliances. It also allows you to access information you might not know with a lower stat, and use that to your advantage.

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This is interesting I want to know how the medical side will play out will it be choose to save an important person or poor kid or something much more

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I don’t want to be medic!!! I am the destroyer!!! Not a pathetic medic!!! :rage: :japanese_ogre:

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Wait if we know medicine then we have knowledge of diseases so bio warfare or atleast poison I think a doctor could make a really nasty poison bio weapon combo

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Acceptable! But i want to create viruses and diseases muahahahahaha!

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(The overlord Zane begins awaiting this game’s demo)

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about being evil: Paracelsus, father of toxicology, said “The dose makes the poison.” Basically everything can and will kill you. Things that are literally everywhere like water? you got it. Oxygen? yes. And so one.
So how about putting that knowledge to slowly end people around you?
But will you mention Hippocrate’s or a twenty-third century version of his oath, if you really believe in it or not, etc?
Also I’m actually studying medicine at the moment, and even though the US school of thought is different from the French one, I’m curious as to how you will portray a space doctor.

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Note that during times of war, in modern days, it’s now a war crime to hinder an ambulance that’s treating both sides (or either for that matter…) I don’t think the alien attackers would follow Geneva Convention, but it’s a thought to mull over, it happens in combat to this day.