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What do you find interesting/cliche? *This is important.* I would appreciate your imput if you have any. The most important parts woud probably be what you think would make a new real time, sci-fi/fantasy mix game exciting, intersting. What do you enjoy in a game that would make it interesting for you to play? I am trying to take a survey for a project I am working on, and I think the best source would be to ask gamers. Currently, I am getting stumped on the story line, and I don't want it to sound forced. I am no novelist or writer, so, if you have anything you would like to see, please tell me.

Thanks.

Player customization. Whether it be your character(s), army, squad, organization, whatever. The more customization, the better, from names to logos, images, and badges to equipment to style to clothes... I love to customize it all.

Your question is vague. Are you asking for a plausible or interesting backstory, or simply game mechanics ?

I agree with Bounty. The question is a bit vague.

If you are going to make a game, focus on the gameplay first and foremost. Once you have a solid gameplay, you can flesh it out with a good story. In fact, a game with a good gameplay but a crappy story is still going to be a good game (unless the story somehow manages to ruin the gameplay), but you can't make a crappy game good by putting a good story to it. And furthermore, if your gameplay isn't good, people aren't going to care about the story anyway, because they'll just stop playing and go read the walkthrough or something. It's better then to write a book or make a movie of just the story...

Of course, if you do have a solid gameplay concept, then it's definitely possible to increase the fun and immersion of the game with an equally solid story.

Personally, I'd like to see a game where story and gameplay is completely merged. I don't know what that would be like, because I haven't quite figured out yet what it means. A game, which couldn't work without the story, and a story that couldn't work without the game. I bet it'd be hard though, because both the gameplay and the story would have to be good...


Also, I think the best source would be to ask game designers for critique on ideas for the game, and writers for story ideas. They should know what works and what doesn't. Gamers know what games they like to play, but it's not at all certain that they know what it is that actually makes those games fun (but just asking them for ideas is fine of course, but you wouldn't want your game to be based on demographics surveys or something (unless you're evil and just in it for the money ) )...

I was looking for game mechanics/gameplay mainly, but I did have couple questions about story.

What story ideas are YOu personally looking for. Perhaps something you have not seen but would like to, in a RTS. We have a basic gameplay design, but I went out to do a survey just in case (They didn't want me to, since they think that's below them) Haha. I don't know why. So, I an sneaking away just to get a small story ideas, but mainly gameplay things you like. Maybe if I get someone else's opinion, they will stop with the pseudo-starcraft.

One question I had about gamestory is civilizations. This is basically a RTS basec in a world that's an amalgamation of fantasy (magic) and science fiction. Now, for civilizations, is it too cliche to have a civ that seems to unified as a people, or should there be races that are really broken up into many factions (like an earth nation-state world). I thought it was, but they didn't like the idea of a race being many-factioned in the storyline.

I am recently studying up on Fascism, because I wanted to, in the story line, incorporate elements of Fascism in one of the nation-state governments. I am looking for a corporativist system, but I also don't know if that strikes anyone's fancy.

I think one of the things about gameplay we were working on was dual human/AI control of operations. I always hated having to do everything myself all the time. It got tedious, so we divided the game into three subtiers in which the AI can take partial control/full control if you don't wish to have a lot of micro in every field 24/7. There are two economic AI's you can choose from. One deals with producing military units. One deals will producing all non military units/buildings and collecting resources. One is a tactical AI that can be given commands and/or does all the combat maneauvering itself while you do something else. They can be switched on/off in gameplay.

Boyish-Tigerlilly wrote:What story ideas are YOu personally looking for. Perhaps something you have not seen but would like to, in a RTS. We have a basic gameplay design, but I went out to do a survey just in case (They didn't want me to, since they think that's below them) Haha. I don't know why. So, I an sneaking away just to get a small story ideas, but mainly gameplay things you like. Maybe if I get someone else's opinion, they will stop with the pseudo-starcraft.

Copying other games storylines is bad, boring and evil, and you should tell them that. Your own opinion counts too, doesn't it

One question I had about gamestory is civilizations. This is basically a RTS basec in a world that's an amalgamation of fantasy (magic) and science fiction. Now, for civilizations, is it too cliche to have a civ that seems to unified as a people, or should there be races that are really broken up into many factions (like an earth nation-state world). I thought it was, but they didn't like the idea of a race being many-factioned in the storyline.

That sounds like a good idea. If you have many races, you could have the factions divided by ideology or something rather than just race. That's obviously how it works (or should work) in "real-life" RTS games. Imagine what it'd be like if they made a RTS where blacks were battling whites and so on, because of their "race". It'd not be pretty...

I am recently studying up on Fascism, because I wanted to, in the story line, incorporate elements of Fascism in one of the nation-state governments. I am looking for a corporativist system, but I also don't know if that strikes anyone's fancy.

I don't think anyone is going to have much against that. People are perfectly happy to do the Emperor's evil bidding in numerous Star Wars games. Some people might be annoyed if it seems like you're promoting political views on them through the game though, so try to avoid that.

I think one of the things about gameplay we were working on was dual human/AI control of operations. I always hated having to do everything myself all the time. It got tedious, so we divided the game into three subtiers in which the AI can take partial control/full control if you don't wish to have a lot of micro in every field 24/7. There are two economic AI's you can choose from. One deals with producing military units. One deals will producing all non military units/buildings and collecting resources. One is a tactical AI that can be given commands and/or does all the combat maneauvering itself while you do something else. They can be switched on/off in gameplay.

Sounds interesting, just make sure that the AI is good. You could also consider scrapping the whole micro-management thing completely, if people are just going to let the AI do it for them all the time anyway. Also if there is no advantage to micro, then people won't do it, and then there is again no reason to have it there as an option...