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Nolithius w wiadomosci
news:SVihe.440$w21.129@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net pisze, co nastepuje:
>
>
> However, I've begun to kick around my head the idea of developing a
> Cyberpunk-based RL, with the following source material as a guide:
>
What a coincidence. A similar idea has been haunting me for about a month
now, with one major difference in that I'd like to play a light hearthed
game, a parody of some kind.
> Deus Ex (1 only!)
The second one is indeed too apocalyptic (and is a poor game, by the way),
but if you're looking for a really dark reality with no actual do-gooders,
Invisible War is the way to go. The first Deus Ex is a little naive in this
regard (but is much better as a game, and has a better story).
> System Shock (1+2)
I like System Shock 2's character development scheme. I think it's a good
formula to take example from.
What I would also take from Deus Ex and System Shock, is the focus game
mechanic takes on combat and utilitary skills. There is no such stat as
"charisma", for example. I think this can work well in a roguelike, because
roguelike gameplay is focused on combat, rather than social interactions.
> Fallout 1+2 (for style, it won't be post-apoc though this theme needs also
> to be exploited!
>
It's good to know there are still people who appreciate these two games.
When I play modern computer RPGs, I get the impression that everyone except
me thinks games like Fallout are obsolete.
I was thinking about all this post-apoc stuff, and I had an idea which seems
both post-apocalyptic and "cyberpunkish" at the same time. The great
worldwide disaster doesn't really need too mean a great worldwide
destruction. For instance, a Big Bad Corporation of some kind could
acccidentally introduce a mutagen (or a set of mutagens) which rapidly
speeds up forest growth. It could also influence some animals, making them
bigger and stronger (anyone asked for mutants?). It's only a matter of
months, before all but the largest urban areas are overrun with rabid
wildlife. So, after some time there is that dense, deadly forest, laying
"sieges" around separated metropolies. A setting like this gives you all
major cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic features: lack of resources,
civilization on the verge of collapse (the forest claims another city
district every day), dangerous wastelands, advanced technology (I don't
think they would survive for long without synth foods, for example), social
tensions (such as anti-mutant paranoia, lack of strong goverment, economic
collapse), and so on. Plus, you have a good excuse for really diverse
"dungeons" (city streets, secret laboratories, suburbs, city ruins, forests,
secret villages of those who managed to adapt to new environment, and so
on).
The only viable way of mass inter-municipal transit would be the railway.
Air travel's popularity would be limited by fuel cost. So, the trains would
be very important and railway companies would become very powerful. The
private railway security force would be probably the largest and best army
in the area, because they would be engaged in constant struggle to keep
railways safe from wildlife.
> Movies:
> Blade Runner
> Minority Report
While it would be great to see a game with a well developed story, it would
also be very difficult to make one. Especially a roguelike. But hey, what
would our lives be without a bit of challenge, right?
> The Fifth Element
> The Matrix (for stylistic elements as well, not the setting (or is it?
>
).
>
I guess you will have to make a tough choice here. The Fifth Element is
flashy, colorful and parodist, while Matrix is quite the opposite. I think I
would mix Matrix aesthetics with Fith Element's mood.
>
> What features would you like to see in a Cyberpunk Roguelike?
1. The Cyberspace, that's for sure! Just think of how many Usenet-related
puns you could fit in there. ;-)
2. Implants! I think there is an opportunity for interesting character
development choice - natural skills versus mechanical substitutes. I think
implants shouldn't be just upgrades. They should have disadvantages as well,
such as vulnerability to EMP weapons or risk of being killed by ICE during
hacking attempt.
3. Laser guns and plasma weapons! Railguns! EMP grenades! Homemade weapon
upgrades! Who cares about realism, anyway.
4. AIs gone mad. I once had an idea of an AI who acccidentally linked to a
dictionary, then took over city's security system, and then started to kill
people who made typos and grammar errors in their e-mails.
5. Mechs! 3-legged, 4-legged and 6-legged mechs! I think mechs are like
tables - you can't make a 2-legged table and expect it not to topple.
6. NPCs. Deus Ex, from mechanistic point of view, is mostly about fighting,
but as a whole it's mostly about listening and talking to people. I like
that. Besides, cyberpunk isn't really about cyborgs, cyberspace etc. It's
about people. There should be real people in a cyberpunk game, not just some
cannon fodder.
7. A conspiracy. Preferably, more than one. A psi-dog who took over populist
politician's brain and tries to wipe out all cats (hey, that's not a joke,
some politicians do behave as if they were posessed by need of having a full
bowl at all times!). Or a railway company who try to perform coup d'etat
(they already have an army, right?). Or mutated outcasts who managed to
survive in the forest and now take revenge on "civilization". Now that I
think of it, I think you should include a series of "Thief" games in your
reference. They're something I would risk to call "cyberpunk a'la Middle
Ages", and they also use this "rural vs urban" concept. I recommend the
second part, "The Metal Age", as the best one (it's also a few years old, so
it should run fine even on not-so-modern PCs). A major problem with
conspiracies in roguelikes is that conspiracy should be a surprise, and
there can be no surprise when you play a game for 147387324th time. At least
some randomness would be necessary.
8. Sneaking. Frankly, this is my little idee fixe - to make a game, in which
you don't have to fight at all, if you are stealthy enough. This would
require a few other features, such as a goal-based character development
system, rather than an action-based one (in other words: character is
rewarded for completing quests, instead of getting experience for every
enemy killed or lock picked).
9. Multi-layer maps. Most roguelikes (actually, all roguelikes I've seen so
far) use single-layer maps. UFO Enemy Unknown, Jagged Alliance and Silent
Storm are examples of turn-based, tile-based games with multi-layer maps. I
do know it's difficult to make a roguelike with multi-layer maps, but I
think it's impossible to make a good urban combat simulation without them.
Pozdr.
--
Jacek "Zillameth" Weso³owski
zill@jimp.neostrada.pl
FAQ grupy prgk.rpg -
http://faq.prgk.net/rpg.txt
"If you back up, it won't matter if you screw up."
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