N7Pathfinder
N3
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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N7Pathfinder
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February 2017
n7pathfinder
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Ajer17327
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Post by N7Pathfinder on Feb 21, 2017 18:17:45 GMT
Well this is embarrassing. It turns out I have this habit of a bit TOO ambitious when it comes to trying new things, and The Deep is a little TOO big a project for me at this stage. So The Deep won't be the first game I develop, but it will still be an eventual goal in the future. You can still read about the idea here, but don't think about taking it...unless you ask of course, in which case I will say it thank you, but please have me involved in the process.
I'll be making a new thread soon centered around my early journey as a hopeful indie game developer.
So, I'm planning to make a video game inspired by Mass Effect, and my first game to boot. It's called The Deep, and like Mass Effect, it's an action RPG set in a sci-fi underwater timeline. Specifically, it's an alternate timeline in the early 1920's (just after WW1) in which humanity has begun colonizing underwater with aid of "Atlantean" technology. "Atlanteans" are sort of like the Protheans in Mass Effect, and they have their own mystery surrounding them. I don't plan on this game making a lot of money, it's just an idea I had that I want to see done as a video game and would like others to experience.
I don't want to go into too much detail right away until I know what I'm doing, so this thread will basically be me posting details on what I plan to do for the game. If you are interested in the game be sure to bookmark this thread so you can get more details in the future!
I'll start with the most important thing in my opinion, the team:
- You are the Mariner, the leader of team of soldiers, scientists, and engineers, as you explore the mystery depths of the Deep. Each teammate you get into your group has their own personality and an exclusive ability you won't have access to. Taking a cue from Bioware with Andromeda, I won't reveal who's romance able to what gender yet, or maybe at all!
- Your team includes:
-- Steve Maker - an African-American war vet. He is an idealistic, charismatic individual with a very black and white sense of justice. His ability is Rally Cry in which his allies get a boost of confidence making them resist damage for longer periods of time.
-- Mel - short for ML-18, Mel is a Mer, a soldier with genetic modifications based on various sea creatures. She is an impulsive and cocky fighter, constantly using dry humor, but due to her appearance (which she covers with a specialized mask), she's afraid to open to anyone. Her ability is Mer Training which allows her to resist damage, improve accuracy, and increase speed underwater.
-- Wolfgang Jager - a former German spy, Wolfgang lives ashamed at his country's loss after WW1 and plans to start over in the Deep. He is rather cold and distant, but eventually warms up to his friends. His ability is Shadow, which makes him much faster and able to inflict more damage.
-- Nusrat Qureshi - a Pakistani scientist. She is strictly no-nonsense and not a fan of combat. She only views the world from a logic standpoint, based on the facts. Her ability is Booster, a special composition she made that gives her allies enhanced accuracy with their weapons.
-- Vinny Lombardi - a former Italian army surgeon. Vinny is suave and wisecracking, and travels the Deep in search of the next big thrill. His ability is Nerve Toxin, a composition he made that temporarily paralyzes enemies in front of him and weakens their damage resistance.
-- Rose Rivet - an Irish engineer, Rose has worked with your ship since it was first constructed. She's confident and tough, determined to help her crew weather it be busting an enemies head with a socket wrench or fixing a drainage pipe. Her ability is Tiny T.I.M, in which she sicks a miniature T.I.N. anamatronic at her enemies, distracting them.
-- Your sibling - yes, you will have a sibling that's customizable by you. He or she will be supportive of your choices but remind you of other possibilities. His or her personality is based mostly on how you interact with him or her. If your sibling is male, his ability is Inferno Grenades, in which he lobs a special grenades that burns people caught in the blast. If your sibling is female, her ability is Air Flow, in which she provides your team with extra air.
- Three characters you will interact with but won't be a team member are:
-- Sarah Lance - your ship's pilot with a bubbly attitude.
-- T.I.M - an android with a British accent that serves as your ship's cook.
-- Jessica Talbot - your asexual yeoman who provides administrative support and counseling.
That's it for Team mates and their skills. In future posts, I will discuss combat, your ship, the world of the Deep, and a brief description of your story (including how Romance works). I'll also post updates on how the process of design and building the game goes.
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OneWomanArmy
N5
Queen of BSN
I’m a brilliant brunette with lots of blonde moments 😜
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
XBL Gamertag: Theonewomanarmy
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12,217
OneWomanArmy
I’m a brilliant brunette with lots of blonde moments 😜
4,360
August 2016
onewomanarmy
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Theonewomanarmy
HypnoticEyes
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Post by OneWomanArmy on Feb 21, 2017 18:21:55 GMT
Good luck 👍
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2017 18:42:54 GMT
Did you license a engine to build it and have a team to develop it? I knew a talented guy who had mortgaged his house to make an indie game... and he had engine and a team , and it was some years back when it was still possible to compete. (Sigh) still breaks my heart that story.
If you just want to create a setting and sell it, it might be slightly higher chance, but still one shot in many millions. Have you ever published anything? If not, I'd start with a short story. And, whatever you do, if you intend to sell it, I suggest you look at the limitations of the open publishing or whatever it's called, because iirc, whenever you damp it on the open internet you might be losing your copyright.
It's fun to play at "let's make it/write it/create it" but I would not expect that the moment you reveal your idea, all of 3 hours in making to the world, it will catch its collective breath... Gotta decide if you just want something fun to toss around with good natured folks on the net that will pat you on the back, or you are into the snake pit of friends and willing to bet your livelihood and everything on the almost non-existing chance of success.
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N7Pathfinder
N3
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: Ajer17327
XBL Gamertag: Ajer17327
Posts: 964 Likes: 712
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N7Pathfinder
964
February 2017
n7pathfinder
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Ajer17327
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Post by N7Pathfinder on Feb 21, 2017 19:00:19 GMT
Did you license a engine to build it and have a team to develop it? I knew a talented guy who had mortgaged his house to make an indie game... and he had engine and a team , and it was some years back when it was still possible to compete. (Sigh) still breaks my heart that story. If you just want to create a setting and sell it, it might be slightly higher chance, but still one shot in many millions. Have you ever published anything? If not, I'd start with a short story. And, whatever you do, if you intend to sell it, I suggest you look at the limitations of the open publishing or whatever it's called, because iirc, whenever you damp it on the open internet you might be losing your copyright. It's fun to play at "let's make it/write it/create it" but I would not expect that the moment you reveal your idea, all of 3 hours in making to the world, it will catch its collective breath... Gotta decide if you just want something fun to toss around with good natured folks on the net that will pat you on the back, or you are into the snake pit of friends and willing to bet your livelihood and everything on the almost non-existing chance of success. I appreciate the concern. The thing is, I'm using Unity3D, a freeware game engine favored by a lot of indie developers. I just have to practise and experiment with Unity's programming to get the recommended features I need, but I want to make it very clear that this is an indie game, NOT a triple A. It won't be the most polished game, but I'm hoping to at least create an experience that COULD be a triple A game. I am not competing with anybody, I don't even expect this game to become a hit. The only reason I'm starting with the Deep is because I already had that idea toyed around for months and feel I already have a rock solid foundation for it. This will mostly serve as an experience to see what goes into making a game and if it DOES turn out to be a hit in a stroke of luck (or if I market it right), then good for me I guess. Now that you mention it, while selling the idea of the game does sound less risky, the only reason I don't want to is because I'm afraid I'll lose control of the idea. If were to sell this idea to a game publisher, I'd want to be heavily involved in its production. I want to make sure it's still my story and my ideas, though I will accept feedback if it seems reasonable. I also want to make sure I get some monetary reward out of the partnership. If you know of any sites that allow me to sell ideas with the above conditions or game publishers that allow soliciting ideas, could you let me know? Heck if any of you own a game developing studio of your own, let me know if you're interested in the idea and we can negotiate a deal!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2017 19:54:59 GMT
My aspirations were always as an amateur, so I never really looked for publisher or a buyer save for working in amateur circles, where the # of downloads & comments was the measure of success. And, heh, I did submit a resume to BioWARE once, all those many years ago, based on my OMG, modding experience (I wish I could cut my throat now). To be honest, relinquishing control/ownership is a necessary step for team work and a successful project, or you end up with over-blown characters and other bad stuff. Unless you write the game just for yourself. Never write a character you are in love with.
I am not familiar with Unity3D, as I have not done anything since... forever, but if it is au par with NWN2 platform, so it can be used as a module builder, have at it.
How much of your rock solid foundation did you document? Do it. Do not keep it in your head, always write, and have someone you trust but who does not have a stake in it read it. If they are not captivated, ask yourself why and cut it till it is captivating. Most aspiring writers can never breach the bastion of Boring Shit.
I'd suggest a demo of a quest and do a setting first, rather than start with a cast. Cast/NPCs is what most people start with in the amateur circles, and it is far easier to work on than a full questline. If you can build and populated 3 to 4 areas with the content that brings a character through an interesting and complete story with a few points of choice and good/variable dialogue, you will get an idea of what is involved in the process. Maybe start with one square of an area, make 2 NPCs, make two of them feel alive, then make your PC talk to them. It's a great feeling to see characters in game spout out your dialogue.
In NWN2 environment I've almost managed to hold it together to the end. I had stopped half-way through scripting the encounters for a 20 to 30 min module with everything written and I was doing a semi-voiced environment (I am that dumb) after a few years of doing just the add-on dialogues and short quests in the old games. As a one-man shop, limiting the scope for maximum impact is a must.
Pick a quest that blows your socks off and captures the world's most appealing aspect and the bestest character/dialogue you have in you.
Anyway, good luck, if anything, it's a fun hobby.
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N7Pathfinder
N3
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: Ajer17327
XBL Gamertag: Ajer17327
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N7Pathfinder
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February 2017
n7pathfinder
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Ajer17327
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Post by N7Pathfinder on Feb 21, 2017 20:14:59 GMT
My aspirations were always as an amateur, so I never really looked for publisher or a buyer save for working in amateur circles, where the # of downloads & comments was the measure of success. And, heh, I did submit a resume to BioWARE once, all those many years ago, based on my OMG, modding experience (I wish I could cut my throat now). To be honest, relinquishing control/ownership is a necessary step for team work and a successful project, or you end up with over-blown characters and other bad stuff. Unless you write the game just for yourself. Never write a character you are in love with. I am not familiar with Unity3D, as I have not done anything since... forever, but if it is au par with NWN2 platform, so it can be used as a module builder, have at it. How much of your rock solid foundation did you document? Do it. Do not keep it in your head, always write, and have someone you trust but who does not have a stake in it read it. If they are not captivated, ask yourself why and cut it till it is captivating. Most aspiring writers can never breach the bastion of Boring Shit. I'd suggest a demo of a quest and do a setting first, rather than start with a cast. Cast/NPCs is what most people start with in the amateur circles, and it is far easier to work on than a full questline. If you can build and populated 3 to 4 areas with the content that brings a character through an interesting and complete story with a few points of choice and good/variable dialogue, you will get an idea of what is involved in the process. Maybe start with one square of an area, make 2 NPCs, make two of them feel alive, then make your PC talk to them. It's a great feeling to see characters in game spout out your dialogue. In NWN2 environment I've almost managed to hold it together to the end. I had stopped half-way through scripting the encounters for a 20 to 30 min module with everything written and I was doing a semi-voiced environment (I am that dumb) after a few years of doing just the add-on dialogues and short quests in the old games. As a one-man shop, limiting the scope for maximum impact is a must. Pick a quest that blows your socks off and captures the world's most appealing aspect and the bestest character/dialogue you have in you. Anyway, good luck, if anything, it's a fun hobby. I actually was planning to make a few test levels. I'll basically be making short segments themed around practicing certain features, from dialogue to action scenes. In regards to scope, I'm trying not to make things too big. Using the first Mass Effect as a bit of a guide, I plan to make sure to start by focusing on each locale individually, making sure they feel written and handled correctly and from there see if I can tie them together to the overall story idea. I want the locations to be small, but still have character. A good idea I have is to write a version of the main questline as a story and publish it on an online storywriting site (pitch it as an original story so nobody gets any ideas). It'll require me to focus on what the main quest will be, what will the important locations be, and what important events happen. I'll then use the feedback I get from that story to tweak my characters and ideas and then figure out how to handle the rest of the game (including the choices you'll make).
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2017 20:32:09 GMT
My aspirations were always as an amateur, so I never really looked for publisher or a buyer save for working in amateur circles, where the # of downloads & comments was the measure of success. And, heh, I did submit a resume to BioWARE once, all those many years ago, based on my OMG, modding experience (I wish I could cut my throat now). To be honest, relinquishing control/ownership is a necessary step for team work and a successful project, or you end up with over-blown characters and other bad stuff. Unless you write the game just for yourself. Never write a character you are in love with. I am not familiar with Unity3D, as I have not done anything since... forever, but if it is au par with NWN2 platform, so it can be used as a module builder, have at it. How much of your rock solid foundation did you document? Do it. Do not keep it in your head, always write, and have someone you trust but who does not have a stake in it read it. If they are not captivated, ask yourself why and cut it till it is captivating. Most aspiring writers can never breach the bastion of Boring Shit. I'd suggest a demo of a quest and do a setting first, rather than start with a cast. Cast/NPCs is what most people start with in the amateur circles, and it is far easier to work on than a full questline. If you can build and populated 3 to 4 areas with the content that brings a character through an interesting and complete story with a few points of choice and good/variable dialogue, you will get an idea of what is involved in the process. Maybe start with one square of an area, make 2 NPCs, make two of them feel alive, then make your PC talk to them. It's a great feeling to see characters in game spout out your dialogue. In NWN2 environment I've almost managed to hold it together to the end. I had stopped half-way through scripting the encounters for a 20 to 30 min module with everything written and I was doing a semi-voiced environment (I am that dumb) after a few years of doing just the add-on dialogues and short quests in the old games. As a one-man shop, limiting the scope for maximum impact is a must. Pick a quest that blows your socks off and captures the world's most appealing aspect and the bestest character/dialogue you have in you. Anyway, good luck, if anything, it's a fun hobby. I actually was planning to make a few test levels. I'll basically be making short segments themed around practicing certain features, from dialogue to action scenes. In regards to scope, I'm trying not to make things too big. Using the first Mass Effect as a bit of a guide, I plan to make sure to start by focusing on each locale individually, making sure they feel written and handled correctly and from there see if I can tie them together to the overall story idea. I want the locations to be small, but still have character. A good idea I have is to write a version of the main questline as a story and publish it on an online storywriting site (pitch it as an original story so nobody gets any ideas). It'll require me to focus on what the main quest will be, what will the important locations be, and what important events happen. I'll then use the feedback I get from that story to tweak my characters and ideas and then figure out how to handle the rest of the game (including the choices you'll make). Do you do Critters? You can try that (or a similar closed workshop) to protect your work and to have it critiqued by uninterested writers - and see what and how other people write, since it is build on the critique exchanges. Anyway, good luck with yout project.
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N7Pathfinder
N3
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: Ajer17327
XBL Gamertag: Ajer17327
Posts: 964 Likes: 712
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N7Pathfinder
964
February 2017
n7pathfinder
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Ajer17327
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Post by N7Pathfinder on Feb 21, 2017 20:57:32 GMT
I think one of the reasons I want to make this game myself is that I can have a proper idea of what goes into making a game. I've tried reading about the video game teams, and there is way too many positions for me to keep track of. Again though, bear in mind, I don't plan for this game to make a lot of money or even become a big hit. If by some stroke of good luck it does, than good for me I guess. Until then, following The Deep, I plan to make several more indie games by myself, figure out what my strength and my weaknesses are. When that's handled, I'll offer my services to other game developers and help them with their games based on what I'm comfortable with. I may post my indie games on sites like IndieDB for feedback.
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N7Pathfinder
N3
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: Ajer17327
XBL Gamertag: Ajer17327
Posts: 964 Likes: 712
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N7Pathfinder
964
February 2017
n7pathfinder
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Ajer17327
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Post by N7Pathfinder on Feb 22, 2017 1:32:32 GMT
Actually, first things first, get this school year over with. Once it becomes summer, I will begin production of the game, with some designs, test levels, etc. I'll also work out the details for the main story quest, but I'm thinking that individual character dialogue will be written after I cast the characters so I can work the script around the actors.
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N7Pathfinder
N3
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: Ajer17327
XBL Gamertag: Ajer17327
Posts: 964 Likes: 712
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3219
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712
N7Pathfinder
964
February 2017
n7pathfinder
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Ajer17327
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Post by N7Pathfinder on Feb 22, 2017 16:30:10 GMT
To be fair, The Deep was originally a ginormous game, but as someone who doesn't have a team or any prior gaming experience, I've come to realize that often times, less is more. This means that certain things I originally wanted in the game would be cut. These include things like:
- Character customizations: I still want to give players the opportunity to select a gender but ultimately the overall look of your character is unimportant.
- I originally had ideas for this sort of ship combat and customizing your ship, but Mass Effect didn't have that so it doesn't matter.
- I'm thinking of not including side-quests or proper side-quests. They weren't really handled very well in the Mass Effect games and they weren't important or necessary. I still want a form of Loyalty missions though for each character.
- The actual combat levels will be more linear and not so open ended as I originally thought of, but there will be these small hub worlds that you could freely look around, access shops, talk to people to learn more about the place, ya-di-ya-da. Because of my lack of sidequests, I don't think players would have a reason to revisit them, but like the original Mass Effect, I want to make sure they're at least memorable.
I guess all in all, my biggest goal is to make a story experience that people will get invested in with characters they care about despite what's most likely going to be flawed gameplay.
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