Re: My game idea... feasable?

[jcmason@uwaterloo.ca (Joe Mason)]

dwl <dddd@dd.df.asd> wrote:
>The game idea I have is an Alien-esque action/horror type game on board
>abandoned space stations/planets in a neutral sector of space.

I was thinking of doing something similar at one time, actually, but I've
started other projects instead.

>I want the storyline to have enemies/aliens roaming the halls that you
>have to blast.  The puzzles will be based on securing the stations and
>disarming any old weapons found on board etc..  There is a possibility
>of a story line based on enemy races wanting control of the stations.

If you make "blasting aliens" a big part of the game, put some thought into
how you want to set it up.  I'd love to see more strategic-type IF (check out
B@d M@ch1Ne at ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/games/tads/bmch.gam for a great
example).  If you make it so you have to sneak around, set up ambushes, look
for defensible areas, conserve you ammo, and generally make use of the
environment, I can see this type of game being really fun.  If it's "BLAST
ALIEN. AGAIN. AGAIN. AGAIN" it'd be really boring.
 
>I would like to have the player be accompanied by 1 or 2 partners that
>will have their own jobs/ajendas that you can communicate with via
>radio.  But that might be extremely complicated.

Definintely.  Consider doing a short prequel to get the atmosphere and
mechanics right, and then adding NPC's later.  (Maybe you encounter just one
or two aliens, and then go into a bigger nest of them with more people to help
you.  Kind of like the difference between Alien and Aliens.)

My idea, FWIW, was to set it up like the Warhammer 40K "Space Hulk" games: the
player controls a whole squad of armored marines, who act on their own when
they're not under player control, but as long as their suit isn't too damaged
the player (who actually plays a tactical specialist monitoring from orbit)
can take direct control of the armor and use it like a VR suit.  So if someone
dies, falls unconscious, panics, goes nuts, etc. then the player can still use
them.  Or the player can issue more general commands.  "BRONSON, COVER LEE.
ALL EXCEPT SIMMS, GO TO SECTOR A."

This would be even more work than one player and two or three NPC's, though,
which is why I'm delaying the idea.

>I grew up with my Nintendo where games followed a linear Level 1, Level
>2, Level 3 etc... pattern without much description of what happened in
>between.. is