Designing a Video Game... Part 1: Genre, Setting, and Major characters

Uh, yes...! Essentially, I would be interested to see what ideas people have, and then to discuss it and essentially, create a Game Design document. And maybe sell it! This thread is meant to be the first one in, uh, 3? 4, maybe? Anyhow, in Part 1, we discuss GENRE, SETTING, and MAJOR CHARACTERS!

So, uh, let's begin, shall we...? Here's a list of genres: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genres_of_video_games Just thought I'd link that, yeah...

Possible settings might be...

Perhaps an Academy of Adventure, that is also a Big Labyrinthine Building? Or an Eldritch Location?

edited 1st Sep '10 9:33:44 AM by E.H.Grayson

Mmmh, care to be a little more precise Grayson? Is this another attempt at creating a TV Tropes indie game, is it just an exercise with writing design documents or?

I was thinking it could be an exercise in writing game design documents & game design in general...

Basically, the idea (in this thread) is to decide more general stuff: genre and gameplay, setting, characters & 'overall story'.

Other aspects would be done in *parts 2, 3 and 4*.

fine, character is my specialty. I can help in this.

I have a preference for 3D-Zelda-style action-adventures and RP Gs, but the choice is up to the consensus.

DANGED DOUBLE POSTS!

edited 1st Sep '10 11:31:15 AM by ACDrawings

Eh, if it was up to my preferences I'd go with an RPG for the genre, but they're incredibly difficult to design decently (AAA developers still struggle with them). Setting, I'd go for something a little bit underused, probably a X Meets Y like, say, fantasy meets post-apocalyptic, or, steampunk meets lovecraftian horror.

Then perhaps we should go RPG. I also like platformers but RPG seems like a nice idea.

In terms of setting,something unconventional would definitely be nice. Perhaps if we apply typical high fantasy but to a complete different culture. How many games do we have take place in Africa or Australia or with themes based off of mythologies in those countries?

Alright then, how about an RPG using an African mythology? I mean, both European & Asian mythologies get their 'moment in the limelight', so to speak, but really, how many African based fantasy worlds? o_O

So, if we're agreed on that, then, we need to cover major characters & the overall plot (or, to be more exact, the plot *as it appears at first glance*)...

Can't really say I know anything about african mythology/cultures, with the exception of North Africa, and precisely Egypt (and even then, my knowledge pretty much stops at the stereotypes). Still, I'm cool with the idea.

I don't know much about African mythology besides Egypt so I suggest we start researching and start coming up with a theme park version.

Might I suggest we start as my favorite spider, Anansi, as a centerpiece, a plot point, anything?

If I may contribute, African sounds like a good idea. Anasi you say? A trickster that sometimes appears in the form of a man... a loki-like character? He could be major (A la The Starscream), or a recurring minor character.

edited 2nd Sep '10 5:51:00 PM by Xeuorux

^ I was thinking a Trickster Mentor type or perhaps a MacGuffin role. Or maybe he's using his trickster ways in some huge scheme that involves messing around with the cast. Ooh, so many choices.

And his main rival Tiger/Leopard, really depends on who tells the story, would fall under... good or bad jurisdiction? Really depends on what we do with Anansi.

We could probably make something up about the Big Five Game, I mean the designated Cheetah, Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, and Buffalo combo could make for something interesting. I mean, I turned them into power rangers.

What region of Africa are we going to take the majority of the legends from? I mean, it is a pretty big place with a lot of cultural diversity. Anasi is from mostly Western African cultural legends, is that where you were aiming for?

EDIT: I looked more though the Other Wiki article on Anasi, and now realize that he's a good guy. Cool. Trickster mentor sounds great! Now what to do with his father. What kind of relationship do they have?

edited 2nd Sep '10 10:40:40 PM by Xeuorux

Don't really know where to start with the research since I bear no love for The Other Wiki, but I guess it'd be a start.

Also, I have to admit, I'm not a superfan of defining the setting and major characters/plot arc, before at least the basis of gameplay have been defined.

Hmm... perhaps, uh, the main character is a young warrior from a small tribe who's about to complete a sort of *rite of passage* to become a man, but messes up (as the Prolouge).

Having failed he is relegated to spend the rest of his life as a 'child', but the Trickster, Anansi, comes to him and offers him the chance to redeem himself? Find some sort of legendary artifact, perhaps? So he sets off on this quest, but, well, things quickly go downhill...

EDIT: Hmm... good point. I'm thinking, uh, Action RPG? Perhaps when you're in 'safe' environments (towns and other safe havens) the game functions like an Adventure game, with puzzles and hidden objects? And then when you're in more dangerous or wild areas, it takes on platformer or action game aspects? And the whole time you've got stats and gold and experience, hmm...?

edited 3rd Sep '10 5:04:13 AM by E.H.Grayson

That sounds like an excellent way to set it up. Would this be linear or hub-based game map?

edited 3rd Sep '10 1:26:41 PM by Xeuorux

^^ Sounds like there's a lot to flesh out, but it could potentially be good. Of course, since we're not going to really work on this game anyway, it will remain just potential, so we won't screw it up with the execution (that is the really hard part)

Perhaps, uh, a hub-based world map, but with several hubs? So, intially your 'home base' is the main characters home village, but as time goes by you have to travel to different villages? And different villages have their own problems/quests...?

Now then, uh, the setting would, uh, perhaps fit according to the nature of African tribal religions? So, uh, sort of a mixture of sentient animals, plants & even inanimate objects being 'alive' in some sense, and a bunch of malignant creatures that constantly interfere with the lives of humans...?

I'm not sure, does african religion have aspects of Clap Your Hands If You Believe...?

I wouldn't know. I'm no Cultural Anthropologist. Speaking of which, does anyone know where they can find one?

^^ I may be biased towards the Clap Your Hands If You Believe trope, but I do think that Fantasy Counterpart Culture is a great trope for having a basis to work with, but I'm not of the opinion that you should be too tied to the culture you're using as a basis. Of course, it depends, tacking Clap Your Hands If You Believe elements if they clash with the rest of the setting would be bad. Meh, ramblings. I probably should just go and do a little research.

If this is okay, I think the main character should be an African girl with light blue hair... and one of her abilities is using a lasso to swing?

edited 8th Sep '10 4:34:40 PM by AwesomeZombie22

Wow, that's awfully specific for one post. But why not? You got to have blue hair, after all.

Also, lasso to swing on what?

edited 8th Sep '10 8:16:36 PM by Xeuorux

Beams? Or maybe a flying creature?

I'm all for unconventional weapons, but why a lasso in particular? Or blue hear for that matter/ I tend to find dark-skinned girls with yellow or red hair to be far more attractive.

But in all seriousness... Wait, I think I can make this lasso thing work, if we have Anansi doling out skills and special abilities to our protagonist, mainly spider or trick related of course. Like his Patented Tar Baby technique.

Personally I'm not a fan of set protagonists, but as long as the story takes advantage of that and the mechanics are specifically tailored to it while keeping a good deal of customization of your abilities, I wouldn't mind.

I'm a bit swamped in my studies in these days so I won't contribute much, but I will try to do a little research in african mythology, reread the thread, and come up with a couple of suggestions.