buckaroobonzai
VR nomad
Hello all, my Design studio is conceptualizing and planning out a CRPG with Adventure elements concept that I have been working on on and off for over a decade. It is basically a micro environment CRPG, within which the player can have almost the same options and freedom they can at the table playing a Pen and Paper game.
Of course many games have been designed to emulate many aspects of the tabletop, but I don't think any of them tried to do so as close to 100 percent as this design.
We not only want to emulate what other games have done in this regard such as Conclave, NWN etc., but go beyond that, far beyond that eventually.
For now, we would be happy to emulate a game module being played at a table within the boundaries of the module fully represented digitally, as a computer game, not a virtual tabletop. Again their are already several virtual tabletop out there, but they are tools to help you play with friends actual tabletop RPGs using the computer for connections, mapping, and combat placement depiction, not what we want to do here which is a full game.
So here it is the design concept, please discuss your ideas, hopefully yo will all understand where we are coming from and specifically what we want to create:
The main concept is to emulate as many ideas, actions, interactions and concepts form a tabletop RPG session into modular installments of a CRPG. This will ikely include Adventure and Text elements.
Basic design philosophy:
To do this realistically we are thinking of sarting with a small outpost/vilage/guard station/archeological dig site etc and nearby dungeon/ruin/temple complex areas. The area for the first installment will be confined like a tabeltop Adventure Module to start, so we can make the installment completely filled with content, well rounded realistic NPCs with full conversations (as much as possible), and very complete environmental interactivity coupled with the availibility of just about any action a player can think of can be enacted in the game in the controlled environment.
So here are the main points from that philosophy:
1.Unlike open world huge travel games like Skyrim, this goes the opposite direction, and then slowly builds up with new versions. More like building up from Quest for Glory.
2.This game and engine tries to simulate the Tabletop PNP RPG experience as close as possible on a PC.
3.Practically every action and conversation option a player at a tabletop game could think of can be done in the microenvironment Modules of the TCASH games
4. It's core is built around a Solo CRPG/Adventure hybrid interface, using only a small dungeon and a trading outpost area(or other genre equivalent) to start. CoOmpanions and party to be added in future installments.
5. Eventually later installments will incorporate full party co-op as well as DM game modification ability as in Neverwinter Nights.
Inspirations:
1.Inspired by Quest for Glory Adventure/RPG, but add better turn based combat like in tabletop
2. Inspired by Conclave as well, which is a CyoA quest mixed with turn based combat. This will have exploreable environments s well as clickable interactive objects, and CLI words/sentences to type in as well, unlike Conclave.
-Later versions can ad elements of PnP fro NWN like DM, Player created content via toolkit, and persidtent worlds etc.
quote:”The 3 Ds for an ideal RPG to me are density, depth and dynamism “
Basic design outline:
two small areas (temple ruin/castle/dungeon 40 or so rooms, and an outpost/guard keep)
10 NPCs
10-20 items
Interactive environment
But the player can try to do almost any action within reason with these game elements
Game interface:
Combine RPG with Adventure and Choose your own adventure elements
-1st version should be easy and simple graphics, maybe HTML5 or Flash web based game.
Or, other options would be from: GemRB engine, Visual RPG Studio (need to research more)Blender Game Engine, Unity, Panda3D, Irrlicht, OGRE, Nebula device, Crystal space.
Graphics and animations for walking, running, crouching, crawling, jumping, climbing, combat, swinging, swimming, hammering, shoveling.
Non graphics for all other actions
Any possible action can be taken using a Command Line Interface or Hover Over/Point and Click graphic pointer menu interface
If an action is not available in the point and click interface, then the Player can type in there actions in the Command Line Interface (CLI) . Some action results can be animated if not to time consuming, most will be described in text with affects applied.
This will be similar to how Adventure games interfaces work
E.g.
The Player searches a wall and finds a secret door. They go into their inventory and use thief tools to search for traps and then unlock it.
Options the player tries:
Point and click inventory:
hammer around the door to find any clues
crowbar to force it open (animation?)
explosive runes
use gaseous form potion to pass through key opening
CLI:
say secret password
Area design:
Option A:
1. Ruin/Temple/Dungeon/Castle/Keep/Crypt/Mine first version has only 20-40 rooms/areas (try to only have about 5-7 NPCs that can be interacted/talked with)
2. Mining/Guard/ Outpost , Cleric temple, Monk monastery (try to only have about 5 NPCs that can be interacted/talked with)
Option B:
On an uncharted island, or planet?
Steamship/airship gets washed ashore on island.
Raft made of bamboo. Needs steerable rudder. Needs sail made from thatched palms and coconut fiber strands to be able to steer it. Needs paddles.
Fish trap in tidal pool, when tide goes out fish get trapped etc.,etc.
Option C:
Using Unity or Blender
Deus Ex/Deus/Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine and Quest for Glory Hybrid, 3rd person/1st person
Inspired by Indy Jones and fate of Atlantis/Hollow earth book, and Forbidden kingdoms d20
Planetary comics, Doc Savage,
Theme direction: Pulp 1930s adventure about evolving superhumans, Nazi Antarctic bases and entrance to Hollow Earth ,
First installment can be similar to Tomb raider/Indy Jones , an archeological site somewhere:
with a ruin/dungeon complex
Or modern day or second version is modern day. Modern day researchers/archeologists/fortune hunters/paranormal investigators, psi powers
NPC Conversation system:
Each character could have 500 lines of conversation minimum
There shoul be a general conversation tree template that is the basis for all the NPCs.
Then, the base template can be modified to fit NPC archetypes, or individually for some NPCs.
1. NPC background database, all the history and recent events for that NPC
2. NPC Social network database, all the people and humanoids the NPC interacts with
3. NPC knowledge database, all the skills, information, and rumors the NPC has knowledge of
Incrporating player/customer input for building:
Submit suggestions for a list of any possible actions they can think of that a character would take in a dungeon, and a trading/guard outpost, temple or monastery, as well as any questions or conversation topics a character may ask of a certain NPC in a dungeon/castle/temple ruin
Example of gameplay philosophy:
A. The player has to get into a castle/stronghold occupied by bandits and goblins or unded.
They can attempt to get in in these ways:
1. Stealth
a. Sneak over the wall at night
b. hide in a crate or barrel on a goods supply wagon entering the castle
2. Exploration/Searching:
a. Search for a secret cave/tunnel entrance that goes under the castle to a secret room
3. Conversation, Diplomacy, Bluff/Intimidate:
a. Convince a bandit or hobgoblin to let you in (might be tons of conversation options have to weigh them carefully so not to be to much work)
b. Bribe a guard to open a gate at night
4. Disguise
a. Disguise as a bandit or hobgoblin and go in with a returning band of raiders
5. Magic:
a. scroll or potion of invisibility
b. scroll or potion of flying
c. scroll or potion of gaseous form (might be cheapest way to get in)
c. scroll or potion of alter self or polymorph (can bring up tons of roleplaying options: bird, dog, cat etc.
SO thoughts and ideas?
Of course many games have been designed to emulate many aspects of the tabletop, but I don't think any of them tried to do so as close to 100 percent as this design.
We not only want to emulate what other games have done in this regard such as Conclave, NWN etc., but go beyond that, far beyond that eventually.
For now, we would be happy to emulate a game module being played at a table within the boundaries of the module fully represented digitally, as a computer game, not a virtual tabletop. Again their are already several virtual tabletop out there, but they are tools to help you play with friends actual tabletop RPGs using the computer for connections, mapping, and combat placement depiction, not what we want to do here which is a full game.
So here it is the design concept, please discuss your ideas, hopefully yo will all understand where we are coming from and specifically what we want to create:
The main concept is to emulate as many ideas, actions, interactions and concepts form a tabletop RPG session into modular installments of a CRPG. This will ikely include Adventure and Text elements.
Basic design philosophy:
To do this realistically we are thinking of sarting with a small outpost/vilage/guard station/archeological dig site etc and nearby dungeon/ruin/temple complex areas. The area for the first installment will be confined like a tabeltop Adventure Module to start, so we can make the installment completely filled with content, well rounded realistic NPCs with full conversations (as much as possible), and very complete environmental interactivity coupled with the availibility of just about any action a player can think of can be enacted in the game in the controlled environment.
So here are the main points from that philosophy:
1.Unlike open world huge travel games like Skyrim, this goes the opposite direction, and then slowly builds up with new versions. More like building up from Quest for Glory.
2.This game and engine tries to simulate the Tabletop PNP RPG experience as close as possible on a PC.
3.Practically every action and conversation option a player at a tabletop game could think of can be done in the microenvironment Modules of the TCASH games
4. It's core is built around a Solo CRPG/Adventure hybrid interface, using only a small dungeon and a trading outpost area(or other genre equivalent) to start. CoOmpanions and party to be added in future installments.
5. Eventually later installments will incorporate full party co-op as well as DM game modification ability as in Neverwinter Nights.
Inspirations:
1.Inspired by Quest for Glory Adventure/RPG, but add better turn based combat like in tabletop
2. Inspired by Conclave as well, which is a CyoA quest mixed with turn based combat. This will have exploreable environments s well as clickable interactive objects, and CLI words/sentences to type in as well, unlike Conclave.
-Later versions can ad elements of PnP fro NWN like DM, Player created content via toolkit, and persidtent worlds etc.
quote:”The 3 Ds for an ideal RPG to me are density, depth and dynamism “
Basic design outline:
two small areas (temple ruin/castle/dungeon 40 or so rooms, and an outpost/guard keep)
10 NPCs
10-20 items
Interactive environment
But the player can try to do almost any action within reason with these game elements
Game interface:
Combine RPG with Adventure and Choose your own adventure elements
-1st version should be easy and simple graphics, maybe HTML5 or Flash web based game.
Or, other options would be from: GemRB engine, Visual RPG Studio (need to research more)Blender Game Engine, Unity, Panda3D, Irrlicht, OGRE, Nebula device, Crystal space.
Graphics and animations for walking, running, crouching, crawling, jumping, climbing, combat, swinging, swimming, hammering, shoveling.
Non graphics for all other actions
Any possible action can be taken using a Command Line Interface or Hover Over/Point and Click graphic pointer menu interface
If an action is not available in the point and click interface, then the Player can type in there actions in the Command Line Interface (CLI) . Some action results can be animated if not to time consuming, most will be described in text with affects applied.
This will be similar to how Adventure games interfaces work
E.g.
The Player searches a wall and finds a secret door. They go into their inventory and use thief tools to search for traps and then unlock it.
Options the player tries:
Point and click inventory:
hammer around the door to find any clues
crowbar to force it open (animation?)
explosive runes
use gaseous form potion to pass through key opening
CLI:
say secret password
Area design:
Option A:
1. Ruin/Temple/Dungeon/Castle/Keep/Crypt/Mine first version has only 20-40 rooms/areas (try to only have about 5-7 NPCs that can be interacted/talked with)
2. Mining/Guard/ Outpost , Cleric temple, Monk monastery (try to only have about 5 NPCs that can be interacted/talked with)
Option B:
On an uncharted island, or planet?
Steamship/airship gets washed ashore on island.
Raft made of bamboo. Needs steerable rudder. Needs sail made from thatched palms and coconut fiber strands to be able to steer it. Needs paddles.
Fish trap in tidal pool, when tide goes out fish get trapped etc.,etc.
Option C:
Using Unity or Blender
Deus Ex/Deus/Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine and Quest for Glory Hybrid, 3rd person/1st person
Inspired by Indy Jones and fate of Atlantis/Hollow earth book, and Forbidden kingdoms d20
Planetary comics, Doc Savage,
Theme direction: Pulp 1930s adventure about evolving superhumans, Nazi Antarctic bases and entrance to Hollow Earth ,
First installment can be similar to Tomb raider/Indy Jones , an archeological site somewhere:
with a ruin/dungeon complex
Or modern day or second version is modern day. Modern day researchers/archeologists/fortune hunters/paranormal investigators, psi powers
NPC Conversation system:
Each character could have 500 lines of conversation minimum
There shoul be a general conversation tree template that is the basis for all the NPCs.
Then, the base template can be modified to fit NPC archetypes, or individually for some NPCs.
1. NPC background database, all the history and recent events for that NPC
2. NPC Social network database, all the people and humanoids the NPC interacts with
3. NPC knowledge database, all the skills, information, and rumors the NPC has knowledge of
Incrporating player/customer input for building:
Submit suggestions for a list of any possible actions they can think of that a character would take in a dungeon, and a trading/guard outpost, temple or monastery, as well as any questions or conversation topics a character may ask of a certain NPC in a dungeon/castle/temple ruin
Example of gameplay philosophy:
A. The player has to get into a castle/stronghold occupied by bandits and goblins or unded.
They can attempt to get in in these ways:
1. Stealth
a. Sneak over the wall at night
b. hide in a crate or barrel on a goods supply wagon entering the castle
2. Exploration/Searching:
a. Search for a secret cave/tunnel entrance that goes under the castle to a secret room
3. Conversation, Diplomacy, Bluff/Intimidate:
a. Convince a bandit or hobgoblin to let you in (might be tons of conversation options have to weigh them carefully so not to be to much work)
b. Bribe a guard to open a gate at night
4. Disguise
a. Disguise as a bandit or hobgoblin and go in with a returning band of raiders
5. Magic:
a. scroll or potion of invisibility
b. scroll or potion of flying
c. scroll or potion of gaseous form (might be cheapest way to get in)
c. scroll or potion of alter self or polymorph (can bring up tons of roleplaying options: bird, dog, cat etc.
SO thoughts and ideas?