Release Game Concept/Game-to-Be: Arms and Armor

[atomicthumbs]

The idea for this game popped into my head yesterday, and I plan to make it this summer.

It's a cyberpunk side-scroller, with some ARPG elements. Kinda like Mega Man, except much more awesome.

The year is 2098 or whenever, and body augmentation has become commonplace. Everything from radio implants to full-body replacement can be done, for the right price.

You start out as a human, with a simple pistol (or a GyroJet, for coolness). Throughout the game, you can earn money to buy implants and augmentations. You can choose to stay mostly (or entirely) human, or you can go all the way up to full-body replacement (with or without remote command, so you don't have to risk your precious brain).

There will be a system that allows you to customize your implants and weapons, kind of like Armored Core in some respects. For instance, if you have a weapon arm, you get the base system (which would function as a weak weapon of whatever type you chose, like beam laser, pulse laser, rocket launcher, chemical gun, or whatever), and you can install upgrade parts on it in various slots. The upgrades would change the mechanics of the weapon (for instance, you could install collimators on the laser, which would make it longer-range but less damaging at close range, or splitters, which would split it into two half-power beams, etc.), and the mechanics of the player (for instance, you can't install a 20-rocket magazine without something powerful enough to lift it; if you try a gigantic weapon while being otherwise human you could rip your arm out of your shoulder trying to lift it).

Money will be earned through missions, killed enemies, and other things I have yet to design.

How's it sound? I plan to develop this during the summer.

 

[Dauric]

Armored Core RPG Cyberpunk FTW!

Get a good storyline together and you've got something there.

 

[Mithrildor]

Wow, very nice, go for it!

 

[SiegfriedCroes]

The more games for Pandora the better, and this sounds as a good idea, with a good story and nice graphics this can become an awesome game!

 

[Aethix]

Sounds good. I like the idea of augmentation.

Side note: should there be a separate sub-board for game concepts now?

 

[Kaze0110]

Wow... that sounds startlingly similar to a short story I'm in the process of already in the process of writing, except I'm focusing on storyline, and dialogue rather than the actual game play elements or interactivity of it all.

 

[GunPei2X]

Will you have a balance mechanic for remaining human vs bio-replacement? i.e. is there any incentive to not go ball-to-the-walls Metal Mickey?

Something like psi-powers that weaken as metal parts are added, or increased viciousness of enemies as you lose your humanity? Perhaps less money collected for missions.

Could add another twist, even a philosophical lament about the nature of life.

 

[atomicthumbs]

Hmmm... those, and maybe metal parts break down, whilst remaining organic means you can just grab a new gun.

It could have a damage system, where each part in each subsystem becomes damaged depending on whatever.

Edit:

And going full cyborg will be really expensive

 

[danielpwnsricky]

i was thinking about making something similar in gameplay, but based on biological upgrades like flammable venom plus some sort of igniter for fire breathing, acid shooting abilities, wings, or a coexisting colony of flesh eating bacteria in your body to be used at will.

 

[siphre7]

This sounds like an awesome idea.

Just a thought, something that could also be really interesting are biological mods.

You know, like one way that you play you go cyborg, the other way you go mutant.

Kinda reminds me of E.V.O. for SNES. (amazing game btw)

 

[Prometheus]

Kinda like Mega Man, except much more awesome.

If you're going to make a claim like that, I hope you can back it up.

In all seriousness, though, what you've disclosed in this thread* sounds really cool, and I wish you the best of luck.


*(I quite like the damage system idea, by the way. For some reason the concept of it ever-so-slightly reminds me of the ability chips in Mega Man Zero 3, probably because those focussed on specific parts of the body... )

 

[T045T]

Xian Long: That sounds a lot like Evolva, actually
Apparently, that game pulled off the mutation mechanics pretty well, so you might wanna look there for inspiration

 

[Kaze0110]

I found my manuscript file, geez, it's been over a month since I'd been writing on it. Without going into the actual text of the document, I'll post the synopsis / overview of the world, maybe it'll help you brainstorm

(bear in mind, these are notes to myself, there might be some jazz that just flat out doesn't make sense, as I was writing these to me, to remember what the hell I was thinkin' at the time.)

Living creatures (plants and animals included !!!) are able to produce metal naturally from their skin, as easily as body hair.  Rapid evolution turns metal into biological light machinery, ultimately evolving into human super computers, running in tandem with the human's synthetic brain.  Excercising such skills (unique in scope from person to person) is taxing in terms of stamina, and is controlled as an "exercise-able" muscle.  One that chronically "works out" their electric skills, are able to use them better to a certain degree, and one that does not, is hardly able to do so on demand.

One that has the electric circuits necessary to run a central processor, given time and dedication, can increase their body's amperage, and voltage, to overclock themselves, and process faster, and cause the processor to be more powerful.  This holds true for all metallic interface devices, in their own unique manner.

Some people refute the technology, and work hard to have the technology removed from their bodies, isolating themselves away to breed amongst their kind to have as little technology as possible, but there is no stigma for using external technological devices; phones, radios, and the like.

Others, that have less sophisticated technology (due to heredity), and others that are extreme in the tech world, kidnap, murder, and otherwise brutalize innocent people, and each other in order to obtain rare "human electric technology"  as the technology is precisely the same as the model of the human genome, (and of blood types) each person has different voltages they operate at, and different amperages, as such not all human electric technologies are compatible with one another.

The devices that are grown naturally are far more sophisticated than the people are in terms of being able to understand them.  The people are able to understand how to connect the tech to themselves, but no one has the technology to build it themselves (otherwise there'd be no conflict, as the need to acquire new tech from other people would be non existent)

Tech is typically kept away from the face in nature, and is predominantly a hybrid of bone to metal, coming from the torso, and limbs, but always somehow attatched to bone, or completely replacing certain bones.  Extreme conditions are significantly more visible, and serve as a social stigma of sorts, they are more likely to be outcasts, and are more likely to join on with the rest of the ragers as a form of belonging.

Antagonist is a recent recruit into the Ragers at the story's beginning.  Antagonist is cold hearted, but inquisitive, signing on specifically for access to new parts.  Open to antagonist helping a true-rager / commander bring in new parts / new corpse for digging around through.  Antagonist's job maybe a sorter through parts /  a tester to figure out the electric output / input of devices, so that they can be price tagged for market sale.  Eitherway, he shouldn't hold a position of significant rank.  Has to have a more perky friend to lighten stuff up, but to remain indifferent to.  He gets beaten up, and accidentally murders one of the rager guys, so maybe a plot about him trying to scavenge parts as he's on the run for his life.

 

[GreyIBlackJay]

The idea of full body replacements immediately reminded me of an old, 70's-gen anime called Galaxy Express 999 (See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Express_999). Maybe you could scrap some background/setting info off of there. Also, the idea sounds pretty fun. A good way to pass some time, which I'll need. Especially since I can hardly ever find any good homebrew for my DS.

I'll be happy if it turns out as you say it will.

 

[emcp]

may i just add my own idea
atleast get some sort of playable demo

this will give you the boost to finsih it, but wont be too complete that the community cant add their ideas
right now or your gonna get is good go for it
no ones going to discourage you

the likely hood that this will project will be in the bin within the nest week or 2 is high