Your dream RPG
DrakeICN
Member Posts: 623
Ok, here is the deal. You are the lead developer, well, at least manager (for instance, I me personally can't program, at all, so I think it would be a stretch to call myself a developer) with a multi-million dollar backing and absolutely free hands. The only rule is that it must be a RPG.
Here is my tl:dr; a "camera behind the back" action RPG with slowmo, that switches to top down when you issue orders, and first person when you aim a ranged weapon.
For longer version, mix the following ingredients;
Pillars of eternity
Steal: Importance of distance, position of NPC, skill system uses per day etc. PoE is so streamlined it is ridicolous. Definitely have the best combat system of any RPG to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnioEln1ars
Steal: For tactical gameplay, Myth 2 rules supreme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=624ZQoc5ppY&list=PLBiA98i89bbW_bqO22KI-oubxQsqbjRjo&index=5
Steal: Watch 6:29. The importance of outwitting your opponent. Button mashing simply just wont work in this game, you will get your ass handed to you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPqjS6Cn3uA
Steal: The platformning only, obviously. Button mashing DOES work in this game, so I want to be clear about that I am uninterested in the combat system of this game. I dunno why oh why they dumbed down the combat system from probably the most advanced fencing in any game, in the very least of that era, to no brain button mashing, but they did. Now, I don't want all chars to be able to monkey about like the prince, just those with high dex and many points in acrobatics skill or whatever.
Grim Dawn / Champions of Norrath:
Steal: Both these games have incredibly responsive controls. I want that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-titSCAoxc&t=95s
Red Steel 2 is such a great game. It is criminally underappreciated. Yes, I mean that literally. If I was dictator of the world, I would put people in prison for badmouthing this game.
Steal: Everything!!! Unfortunately, button mashing DOES work, once you aquire a special blocking move. You can keep repeating it indefinitely, and you will block everything followed by a riposte. I am 100% convinced that spamming that move is an exploit and not intended to be part of the game, so I pretend it is not possible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhGZTlHsK-0
Steal: The wall attachment feature (cover system). Also seen in games like Gears of War. I think at least - I have never actually played that game, just seen footage.
Secret of Mana:
Steal: Jump in, jump out system. Games like Baldurs Gate are actually HORRIBLE online, because one person is so clearly the leader, therefore, everyone else gets bored out of their skulls in between fights. Games like Diablo works for online play... by sacrificing storytelling and plot submerge all together. So, I propose jump in jump out combat. One person plays the game - others are allowed to jump in jump out when they feel (and, of course, if they are invited), taking control of one of the companions. This way, you can take the best of two worlds. Yes, you can eat the cake and keep it. Lovely!
Mortal kombat / DAO:
Steal: Finishing moves. Being able to execute opponents (at least bosses / minibosses) in style just adds a certain, well, touch to the game.
Many games: Slowmo systems
I want 3 skills.
1) A "reflex" skill, where time slows down if you pass a "reflex" roll, and you are given blue arrows indicating which buttons you must press, and if you do in time, you dodge the attack. Bonus to the skill if you have a shield.
2) A "leadership" skill. You see, you cannot have direct control of your team mates, they have their own mind and GOOD AI, but you can bark out orders to them, that they will hopefully follow. If you are not engaged in a melee fight, you can press a button, and time will come to a complete halt for a couple of seconds (the more leadership and intelligence you have, the more seconds you get) and during this time, you get a top down view, like Myth II or PoE, and you can give orders. When time resumes, you will start barking out the orders, and your companions, depending on their loyalty, your charisma, how dangerous task you give them, how scared they are, etc, will attempt to perform the orders you give, rather than doing what their AI suggested. Once you have issued orders, the leadership skill enters cooldown for some time, before you can use it again.
3) An "execute" skill - when an opponent is dazed, fumbles, badly injured and similar, time will slow down, and you can clickety click in a key combination for a finishing move. Which you then perform, if you clickety clicked it in time.
Sigma;
A game with "behind the back" view (like Prince of Persia 3D), which, when you aim carefully with a ranged weapon, switches to first person view, like Red Steel 2, and, when you issue orders, switches to a top down view, like Myth II. Ranged combat is like Gun, Red Dead Revolver and Red Steel 2, while melee combat is like prince of persia 3D. There is a cover system, you can attach to any wall. The biggest and baddest ranged weapon out there will be crossbows, wands and muskets. Extremely high firepower with high rate of fire of course discourages melee, so that is out.
Skills make you more likely to succeed with, well, whatever you are attempting, but you still need to control your characters every move like in Red Steel 2, Champions of Norrath and Prince of Persia. Melee combat VERY MUCH depends on outwitting your opponent, just like fencing in Prince of Persia (3D).
Squad tactics, that is, position of your characters, height advantage, cover, traps etc etc etc matters.
All of that alone makes a great game, even if the storytelling is on pair with Diablo.
But for good measure, I pour some solid storytelling on top, like the icing of the cake.
Your turn.
Here is my tl:dr; a "camera behind the back" action RPG with slowmo, that switches to top down when you issue orders, and first person when you aim a ranged weapon.
For longer version, mix the following ingredients;
Pillars of eternity
Steal: Importance of distance, position of NPC, skill system uses per day etc. PoE is so streamlined it is ridicolous. Definitely have the best combat system of any RPG to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnioEln1arsSteal: For tactical gameplay, Myth 2 rules supreme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=624ZQoc5ppY&list=PLBiA98i89bbW_bqO22KI-oubxQsqbjRjo&index=5Steal: Watch 6:29. The importance of outwitting your opponent. Button mashing simply just wont work in this game, you will get your ass handed to you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPqjS6Cn3uASteal: The platformning only, obviously. Button mashing DOES work in this game, so I want to be clear about that I am uninterested in the combat system of this game. I dunno why oh why they dumbed down the combat system from probably the most advanced fencing in any game, in the very least of that era, to no brain button mashing, but they did. Now, I don't want all chars to be able to monkey about like the prince, just those with high dex and many points in acrobatics skill or whatever.
Grim Dawn / Champions of Norrath:
Steal: Both these games have incredibly responsive controls. I want that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-titSCAoxc&t=95sRed Steel 2 is such a great game. It is criminally underappreciated. Yes, I mean that literally. If I was dictator of the world, I would put people in prison for badmouthing this game.
Steal: Everything!!! Unfortunately, button mashing DOES work, once you aquire a special blocking move. You can keep repeating it indefinitely, and you will block everything followed by a riposte. I am 100% convinced that spamming that move is an exploit and not intended to be part of the game, so I pretend it is not possible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhGZTlHsK-0Steal: The wall attachment feature (cover system). Also seen in games like Gears of War. I think at least - I have never actually played that game, just seen footage.
Secret of Mana:
Steal: Jump in, jump out system. Games like Baldurs Gate are actually HORRIBLE online, because one person is so clearly the leader, therefore, everyone else gets bored out of their skulls in between fights. Games like Diablo works for online play... by sacrificing storytelling and plot submerge all together. So, I propose jump in jump out combat. One person plays the game - others are allowed to jump in jump out when they feel (and, of course, if they are invited), taking control of one of the companions. This way, you can take the best of two worlds. Yes, you can eat the cake and keep it. Lovely!
Mortal kombat / DAO:
Steal: Finishing moves. Being able to execute opponents (at least bosses / minibosses) in style just adds a certain, well, touch to the game.
Many games: Slowmo systems
I want 3 skills.
1) A "reflex" skill, where time slows down if you pass a "reflex" roll, and you are given blue arrows indicating which buttons you must press, and if you do in time, you dodge the attack. Bonus to the skill if you have a shield.
2) A "leadership" skill. You see, you cannot have direct control of your team mates, they have their own mind and GOOD AI, but you can bark out orders to them, that they will hopefully follow. If you are not engaged in a melee fight, you can press a button, and time will come to a complete halt for a couple of seconds (the more leadership and intelligence you have, the more seconds you get) and during this time, you get a top down view, like Myth II or PoE, and you can give orders. When time resumes, you will start barking out the orders, and your companions, depending on their loyalty, your charisma, how dangerous task you give them, how scared they are, etc, will attempt to perform the orders you give, rather than doing what their AI suggested. Once you have issued orders, the leadership skill enters cooldown for some time, before you can use it again.
3) An "execute" skill - when an opponent is dazed, fumbles, badly injured and similar, time will slow down, and you can clickety click in a key combination for a finishing move. Which you then perform, if you clickety clicked it in time.
Sigma;
A game with "behind the back" view (like Prince of Persia 3D), which, when you aim carefully with a ranged weapon, switches to first person view, like Red Steel 2, and, when you issue orders, switches to a top down view, like Myth II. Ranged combat is like Gun, Red Dead Revolver and Red Steel 2, while melee combat is like prince of persia 3D. There is a cover system, you can attach to any wall. The biggest and baddest ranged weapon out there will be crossbows, wands and muskets. Extremely high firepower with high rate of fire of course discourages melee, so that is out.
Skills make you more likely to succeed with, well, whatever you are attempting, but you still need to control your characters every move like in Red Steel 2, Champions of Norrath and Prince of Persia. Melee combat VERY MUCH depends on outwitting your opponent, just like fencing in Prince of Persia (3D).
Squad tactics, that is, position of your characters, height advantage, cover, traps etc etc etc matters.
All of that alone makes a great game, even if the storytelling is on pair with Diablo.
But for good measure, I pour some solid storytelling on top, like the icing of the cake.
Your turn.
3
Comments
* My dream would be a camera very similar to DA: origins, but slightly more responsive. So a mix between over-the-shoulder action but with a mount&blade-esque map view for when traveling, but it should be possible to zoom in at any time.
* I'd go with a semi-classic approach to races and classes etc, but using my own ruleset and lore.
* Instead of going "open world roaming" as been done to death, I'd go "open world but it changes constantly based on yours and others actions", so something like a mix between the otherwise horrible LOTR SoM game and DA:O. This means quests will be tied to factions and houses etc and progress their standing, so that the world changes and empires rise and fall as you progress and choose sides. Tyranny but without the unavoidable ending of antagonizing everyone and with some Mount&Blade-esque factions with leaders, followers, family ties, hierarchies and alliances.
* I'd use my own fatigue system for HP/mana etc. I'm not a huge fan of "You can use X skill Y times per day" since it breaks my immersion.
* Balanced usage of coins.
* A reasonable level of deteriorating on items, without going over the top though (*cough* fallout 3)
* A lot of ships! I want a portion of the game to be revolving around trade, commerce, invasions and pirating etc. So Ships and naval combat should be part of it.
* Let the game's power-levels revolve more around characters skills and less about powerful items.
* ..
I have a thousand more things but I won't bore you to death, hehe..
Edit: Holy crap, I forgot the most important part, hah!
* The protagonist is just another ordinary chum! You are not the celestial offspring between sweet baby jeebus and the Andromeda galaxy's demon avatar form. You are just an adventurer but your actions can still shape the outcome of the world. I have my story already in my head as well. Maybe one day I'll write a book, hah
I wrote an intro once..
He was almost as excited as the crowd outside his tent now, licking his lips after every sip from the mug of warm beverage. The heated mead gave him warmth in his belly and fervor in his heart. He needed it in order to tell the tale as it must be telled: with passion, geist and energy. His assistent put a warm robe over his shoulders and gently whispered:
- It is time, my love.
Benron thought for a second of his assistant, whom he had never had the pleasure of laying eyes on, thinking he would bed her savagely after the story-telling, as if he was twenty years younger. He never felt more alive than on nights like this, and this night was something extra. It was almost as if he could feel the presence of the gods, wathcing him, waiting for him to start talking. He had felt it before, once a year, always on this exact night and on this exact hour, and his predecessor had said the same.
The old man turn to his servant, or at least towards where he could smell her presence and hear her silent breathing as she stood and waited for him to finish his preparations.
- Indeed, it is time.
It was the same conversation, the exact same few words and phrases every year. Even though Benron had memorized a thousand different tales down to the exact words of the original, he loved to recite these two simple phrases more than any of grand stories in his oral arsenal. It was indeed time, he thought to himself, it was almost as if he could feel the gods growing impatient with him. He grabbed the ends of the robe and wrapped it tighter around his fragile old body and started to walk towards the door, his servant's firm grip leading the way as always. He took a deep breath and stepped outside.
It would be top down/isometric, with a party size of 5. The graphics would be 3d like DoS2 rather than pre-drawn. Combat would be real time with pause. The ruleset would be close to D&D, with a choice of classes (soldier, rogue, scientist, engineer, psionisist, technomage, pseudojedi) and races (very important - I hated not having this in Mass Effect).
The gear grind would be minimal, with standard gear readily available and not changing with level, and special gear only available through quests and exploration, never buyable is stores, no matter how many credits you accumulate. It was the gear grind that lead me to be massively disappointed in Starfinder - not everyone wants to be a mercenary. It's also a flaw in Mass Effect.
As for plot - surprise me.
Out of experience I can say that games like that tend to have much tighter and easier to navigate level-design. It also tends to be more quality over quantity.
This also comes with the - bear with me - advantage of having more stylised and/or much less detailed character models. One thing that tends to restrict my roleplaying experience is when I can't customise my character(s) to look like I want. In that case often less is more, because as players we tend in to fill the blanks by ourselves. Especially the lack of diverse body types to choose from is an issue for me. So have minimalistic-ish character models and let us use custom character portraits.
Other than that, I need a deep and personal story that encourages deep bonding with companions. What I don't need is yet another run the mill save the kingdom/world plot. The world needs to be reactive and choices need to feel like they matter. Replay value is important. I don't want the game to shy away from heavy topics but I also want humorous light-hearted moments. The companions need to be diverse and - all in their own way - likable on some level. If they are not traditionally likable, they need to be important/interesting in some other way (like Durance in PoE for example). The protagonist needs to be deeply involved in the main plot from the root. I don't wann play A Guy™ like all those Skyrims do. My character must be more important than just be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The world building itself needs to be consistent and imaginative. But not too alien. While I am not partial to any setting in particular, I am not fond of fallout style post-apocalyptic settings and find medieval-fantasy-europe hopelessly overdone. Maybe something Western or Arabian Nights inspired would be nice. Lore dumping must be kept at a minimum, unlike PoE and Tyranny. Things have to be communitcated in an organic way.
Either way, the game must absolutely be a true RPG. The primary focus must always lie on roleplaying. Dungeons and battles need to be quality over quantity. More puzzles than combat. Ideally I can talk my way out of most sticky situations. So basically like PS:T. Combat needs to be tactical based. No action. Either real time with pause like IE or round based like D:OS.
The game needs to bring a certain amount of originality with it. I don't require it to reinvent the wheel, but there needs to be something about it that no other game has and that will make me remember it fondly ten years from now.
The visual design should be pretty. I am expecting IWD and PoE levels of artistic skill at work. PS: Speaking of which, the visual level design needs to be diverse and interesting. Having everything be brown & grey wastelands like in Fallout and most of Tyranny is boring ergo bad. Give me something to look at and keep things fresh.
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So, uh, basically my ideal RPG would be the perfect hybrid of BG and PS:T with a really nifty cowboy hat :B
Yes yes, I know that was the theme of Neverwinter Nights, but they did a TERRIBLE job of it.
Is not related to Tolkien, D&D, Lovecraft, DSA, TES or any other already existing franchises. Seriously, I want to be blown away by something never seen before for a change!
Has not yet another Good vs. Neutral vs. Evil main plot. I want something far more complex than that.
Is not bound to a single fiction genre. Like interstellar travels where each world has its own take on physics and magic systems. Or a fully functioning and visitable multiverse. Something worth to explare in any case.
Has A.I. controlled NPC's which are actually smart for a change. Completely independent for player inputs.
And it of course should be immersive. With swimming, diving, climbing, riding, driving, flying, running, hand-walking and jumping. As well as having realistic temperature rules. Food and drinking rules. Crafting rules. And possessing an affinity system far more complex than "flatter until they're all lovely-dovely" kind of companion interaction. (I'm looking at you IE games!)
Bonus points if it's controlled by thoughts and has an 32K resolution or something. :P
@Kamigoroshi One thing I would look for from my proposed space opera crpg would be all new races. No space elves and space dwarves. And no humans with knobs on their heads either. The playable races should be significantly different from humans cosmetically, culturally, and mechanically.
Edit: vvvv Have you guys checked out Ur Quan masters? Space opera with lots of non-humanoids (for instance talking mushrooms). And best of all, it is freeware!
..hmm. I need to think this through some more, methinks.
Unless of course the setting was completely alien without anything human in it, then you could do whatever you wanted with it. To my knowledge this has never been done though, neither in films, books or games (but I might of course have missed something).
Games: Little Big Adventure
Movies: Robots
Live action TV: Doctor Who - The Deadly Assassin (okay, on a technicality)
Novels: I'm sure I've read several, but I can't think of a prime example at the moment. Try Ursula LeGuin.
Options for camera switch including top down
Fantasy
Graphics nicely done
Number of classes and races
Subclasses and prestige classes - they are not the same
Subraces with favored class, whether it be 3.5 D&d or 2ed d&d, kind of way
No mana, I hate mana system
No cooldowns
Great story
Female protagonist or at least option for sex. Romance included.
Or Isometric RPG with turn-based fights, open world, companions and Dragons. (Basically Divinity:Original Sin or Wasteland 2)
https://www.gog.com/games/role-playing?release=p2000&sort=popularity&page=1
I guess that programming with fixed frameworks makes it easier, you know exactly the story and the world and all the monsters etc so thereby you also know exactly what the engine needs to look like before you even start programming. And once you have an engine up and running for any one of these games - at least if you were smart enough to hardcode very little and make excellent dev tools for your engine - you can start pushing out these games rapidly, as each of them probably need very little new code as compared to what you already done for the first one.
Still, if I were to do something, even if limiting myself to the D&D world, I'd write my own story.
Unique and complex spells like in BG2.
Lovable characters like in Undertale and Okage.
Creative world-building like in Morrowind.
Memorable music like Undertale, Okage, and the Legend of Zelda.
Beautiful scenery like in Oblivion, Skyrim, Skyward Sword, Icewind Dale, and Siege of Dragonspear.
No inventory management except for cosmetic purposes.
Okage is a lot like Undertale, but with grinding and some filler. It's a well-written, funny, character-driven, self-aware RPG with memorable music.