RoboticGame w/ unique and complex gameplay mechanics

[Jet v4.3.5]

================================================== ====================================
===Information===
==Team Info==
Jet v4.3.5: Lead of Project/Lead Level Designer
CupcakeMan: Level Design/Sprite Artist/Gameplay Conceptualist
Zach (Zman110) Farmer: Level Design/Mesh Artist
Pangahas: Concept Artist
Team ID: N/A

==Game Summary==
Game Name: N/A
Genre: FPS/RPG
Estimated Rating: M--Contains intense violence, blood and gore, and strong language
Status: NO PERCENT AT PRESENT | ROUGH CONCEPT BEING LAID OUT

==Contacts==
Primary Contact e-mail (Jet v4.3.5): johnsoe2@yahoo.com
Secondary Contact e-mail(s)-
CupcakeMan: bmx_720@hotmail.com
Zman110: Zman0897@gmail.com
Pangahas: pangahas112483@yahoo.com
================================================== ====================================

================================================== ====================================
==============WHAT DO WE NEED AND WHAT KIND OF THINGS WILL YOU BE WORKING ON================
================================================== ====================================

Firstly, any persons interested should be hobbyists and should be ready to show work or begin working when you apply. If you are reading this now and have not involved yourself in a particular area, I recommend you become acquainted with that subject and come back here to apply when you are comfortable with your work.

We are still looking for developers interested in a full span game development process. Please read the information and contact me here or on my e-mail if you think you have anything to offer to this project and would like to join. I will keep to myself in the level design and story and concept areas of development. No official assets have been made as of yet, but concept artists and generally everyone else will have a fresh canvas to work on with the game to make many of these concepts a reality in your own view. I will only restrain certain aspects to keep them close to what appeals to me but you will mostly have free reign with what you make.

I'm looking for people specialized in just about everything that could contribute towards building aspects for a personalization concept game. That would include level designers, people adept in creating UE3 quality material aspects, such as textures, and the initial material editing done to optimize materials, modelers who can work with or are experienced in animation in conjunction with very complex scripting, and the scripters themselves, who, if engaged in the project, will have to have a vast knowledge surrounding overall scripting and ones who possess the patience to put together the complex player aspect of which the gameplay revolves around entirely. I must emphasize that the games mechanics is heavily reliant on the quality of the player system.

A and Z of the projects story is generally the only part of the story that I have a fairly vivid idea about. Everything that happens in between the beginning and end have not been worked out yet, but again, it will help when the player's role is explained, as it correlates all story sequences.

The basis of the game which is most important is that character customization exists. On that, what really changes things is the fact that the main character is an Artificial Intelligence program, built to surpass bug in other programs that make them dangerous and lethal. Instead of figuring through the uselessness of humans, the creators of our character have successfully built a prototype AI that functions with what could be described as true remorse, and the care for love, kindness, and preservation of life. So generally, this makes the fact that a human is controlling this AI fairly sensible, as the AI in itself is truly human in nature. Though parts of the corporation that built and contributed to your design appear functional and productive, the entire corporation is infamous for being a true evil lair for many scientists and biologists whose grueling and violent experiments and procedures are kept secret from law at the facility headquarters of the corporation. The actual facility is majorly based underground, and the conditions show the carelessness for a hospitable environment for any of the residents, either workers or test subjects. You were created by the robotics department. You were stored inside of a database, unactivated, while many of the engineers tried to design a basic body with the psychiatrist and AI development team for you that suited all of your mobile functions. Using parts of their major mechanics project, they created a basic skeleton where you would be loaded for the first time and activated. only a few general ports were installed into the skeleton for compatibility with mechanical "muscle" apparatuses for movement, though these are not installed immediately after activation.

Over the first few minutes of the game, we are introduced primarily to the fact that there is a robot-like machine in existence, and doctors and electricians are working on said robot. Some story unfolds, and a doctor working on the robot's body, holding an AI that will turn out to be the player, wished to further test his creation with other AI. Only, they aren't the same as you. Each one has quirks that can be as simple as disturbed to terminator-style killing machine. Even after being warned, the scientist immediately sneaks into the AI department and loads in a rather clever yet virtually "bloodthirsty" AI into another skeleton. Ignoring the player, he begins to slide movement motors into the ports of the skeleton housing the rouge AI. His stealthy silence goes to ripping screams as he is quickly torn to pieces by the now mobile robot. Using the machines available plus the bits and pieces of electronics found in the tool stations nearby, several killer AI are loaded into makeshift spider-like robots. The largely industrial building is infested by these things as more and more different creatures are assimilated. Somehow, though, the harness holding you up unlocks, allowing you to move down a rail through the local labs. Starting off, many of the data in the database holding all of the AI have been copied and moved to the robot mechanics department. Being mostly human, things like fear and discomfort start to kick in as you move along, witnessing massacres from across walkways and screams coming from rooms you cannot enter. You want to get out, but beyond your panic, you can only wonder, how?

Mechanics works like this: from the beginning you have no movement other than the harness and rail system you're attached to. The railway begins as being one way, controlled by the player, but with only one path to take at first. Your first goal is to access other areas that the harness will not allow you to access. Over a short period of time, the player should gain access to a station accessible by the rail that installs mobility motors to the skeleton. From this point, the player is released to explore the vast confines of the decrepit facility in a first person style and to find a way out of it in one piece, in other words, alive. Though the player can move around at this point, he will need to gain more abilities to achieve getting past what can be most basically as a door. Around the first areas of the building, and later in certain places, will be small booths that have pieces of machinery developed for the robots that walk around to follow simple instructions, like helping to weld something. These devices attach to rings and metal contact strips make contact with strips on the ports on the robot to form a connection so that the robot can control what the new device does. The ones that the player are first introduced to are basic tools that act very similarly to the motors. For example, if the player needs to see in the dark, he can look in one of said booths for a flashlight attachment. It can be installed on any of the ports available on the player, such as one on the head, the arm, or the shoulder. Most of these are player preference, but others can be more useful. Also, some attachments might have their own ports, so that on top of them, other attachments can be added. To restrain unbalanced looking players, you must complete one layer to begin another in most cases unless the attachment being added on top of another attachment will upgrade or enhance the one it is on top of, like a lens that magnifies the brightness of the flashlight. For the player these act as upgrades so that you can enhance your tools and abilities. Along with tools there are weapons and batteries. Weapons are vital if you are to survive the hordes of mechanical hell that you will face during the game. For batteries, these can be used to increase the power of devices on the character for better functionality. Certain build approaches will be taken for the extension attachments. These are differently shaped pieces that can be placed anywhere and have options as to how they will be shaped. There can be one extension that is an arm like piece with three segments that can bend on mechanical hinges to become either a cube or open up to become an arc. On certain layers, these can determine whether the build of the player is organic, where some act as ribs to build a rib cage so that they are defined with a much more human look or more blocky to resemble a robotic look. This is in preference to the player, but they allow for the player to make different builds every time they play. Some attachments require the player to be on a certain layer, like armor layers. These layers are like the final layers that a player can reach, and consist of only armor. Some armor are just plates of metal, bulletproof glass, and plasma tracks. Other types are similar to mesh armor where very small plates make up large curved surfaces, good for if the player takes an organic approach to their design. Weapons can be more advanced or old fashioned depending on what section of the facility you get a particular weapon. And, in the cases of most obstacles, only certain weapons and tools allow you through, and in the case of the enemies the player will face, certain weapons are better in one situation than any of the others.

This is a basic idea of what I want it to be like. It incorporates ideas from Dead Space, Fallout 3, and some of Half-life's escape from somewhere theme.
================================================== ====================================

[CupcakeMan]

Do you actually plan on making this game scary, cause i havent played a scary game since fatal frame 2 and i would love to make something that scary!

[Jet v4.3.5]

That's what I'm aiming for. Aside from the basic ambush I would really like to produce horror factors not seen in a lot of other games. I want to be original with this, and the character premise is a good start. The fact that several malicious experiments have been taking place within the huge confines of the facility that I've so far resolved to call Re-Ven inc. will open up a large opportunity for just about anything related to the ugly and frightening aspects of the game. Everything started with the technology department, but the robots aren't the only threat, and you'll find yourself facing creatures and bio-mech enemies that range from mutated test subjects to thick muscled cyborgs with body mounted rocket launchers and machine guns. Most of the enemy work will be simple, except for some like bosses and things like that. Basically you're in a place filled with incredibly dangerous stuff, and then **** hits the fan. Many levels will be non-linear but the final result to the end of the game will consist of a few endings, two or three of which are the same in many ways only to be different due to choices that the player made and bad endings like Bioshock, though appropriate for the story for this game.

EDIT: I will keep to myself in the level design and story and concept areas of development. No assets have been made, but concept artists and generally everyone else will have a fresh canvas to work on with the game to make many of these concepts a reality in your own view. I will only restrain certain aspects to keep them close to what appeals to me but you will mostly have free reign with what you make. Thank you.

[CupcakeMan]

Well I'm very excited inside to see what you can do. I can come up with a premise on scare factors, I have quite a knack for it.

[Jet v4.3.5]

That's fantastic, and I'll really need it once the in-game encounters really start to unfold. Do you have any area regarding the engine and development, like modeling, level design, sound scheme, or kismet scripting, to name a few aspects that seriously need people for? Generally all of those I need if I can get anything done at all, aside from level development, which I would really like talent in that area to help it along. Anything helps in its own way, so any ideas you can come up with I will be grateful for if and when development picks up.

[CupcakeMan]

Well level design would probably be my favorite, but I can do Kismet, Programming, and Matinee as well. Also particle effects are fun to create.

I do believe that the lighting in a horror themed game is very important. do you plan on having a flashlight just to make it more intense?

I am not a good modeller, but I can make textures and sprites.

EDIT: Dude please email me @ bmx_720@hotmail.com I have some great ideas I would like to share with you.

[Jet v4.3.5]

1. Really anything you can do will be a great catalyst for starting development on this, and if you are most interested in level design that can be your primary area if that's what you want. If you can, we can develop a prototype with some of the UT3 content and see what we want and what we can do in those regards. As for artistic aspects of the game, they'll be essential, but the scripting is singularly important and I'll need it to work well with the modeling aspect of the overall game later, like animation and such.

2. Unless the player will want to be feeling his or her way through the dark, they will probably want a flashlight for sequences that might consist of vent crawling or a few other things I might not want to give away here. An array of flashlights will exist along with a basic one you will get pretty close to the start. As I mentioned before, almost everything in inventory will be something that becomes part of the entire component of our player's body, besides a few hand held weapons and inventory items that can be stored inside of inventory containers and utility belts when the player upgrades himself towards that direction, all things the player has in his possession will be a part of him.

3. Holograms will be seen in some places and in others might not be seen at all. In some of the high-tech areas you might see just about every computer screen using some sort of holographic display. Depending on what kind of graphics you can provide and how we can tweak them in the material editor, they might help in these regards, but I'll have to see how they look before I really say for sure that they will provide accordingly. For the HUD I want to take an approach that combines Dead Space's strategy with a generic First Person HUD, so some HUD components might need that kind of graphical help when it comes to sprites.

4. And finally, first and foremost, my e-mail is johnsoe2@yahoo.com. I'll contact you for anything you would like to set on the table.


TO ANYONE ELSE: We are still looking for developers interested in a full span game development process. Please read the information and contact me here or on my e-mail if you think you have anything to offer to this project and would like to join. Note that all participants should be hobbyists, as this game is non-commercial. Thank you

[CupcakeMan]

1. A protoype using UT 3 assets would actually give us a very good idea as to how we can go about general gameplay mechanics and scare factors. So yes good idea.

2. I coded a flashlight from scratch, turned out very very well. Shouldnt be too hard to implement at all.

3. And for the HUD, why dont you have health/light blinkers on the armour or specific colors to let the player know when he is being hit or about to die. minimalist huds are awesome. especially in a survival horror action game.

EDIT: sorry i was not thinking, your in a machine. of course you will need a HUD lol

[Zman110]

Well i got your request and i was just wondering is this facility abandoned? like are there sparking wires dangeling from the celing and is there a lot of damage done to the place? I will start working on one of the levels immidiatley i just need an answer to those questions.

[Jet v4.3.5]

Oh, well, it's not abandoned, but all of those things apply. Try to imagine how the environment would be damaged if it were busted and torn apart by robots with different understandings of things like building structure and wiring. Some of the defense systems and security will be have been damaged, so just remember that. Also, if you're making any of the static meshes or textures for the level, level specific or not, please send the separate packages along with the map, or any other way you can send them for me to look at, whatever is most convenient for you. Also, do you have any particular e-mail address, and if so, may it be displayed publicly or would you like to keep it private?

[Zman110]

my email is Zman0897@gmail.com

[Jet v4.3.5]

Main post was updated successfully. Contacts and other team participants are now visible in the top information area.

[MagnumAI]

Estimated Rating: R--Blood and violence-Language

Just a note, if you are referring to a ESRB rating, there is no such thing as an R rating.

[Jet v4.3.5]

Thank you. It will be changed accordingly.

[Pangahas]

I'd like to help out as concept artist..
here's a link to my old deviantart account>Haven't updated it in a long time though
http://pangahas.deviantart.com/
If there's a specific concept art you want done then just PM me and I'll come up with something..

[Zman110]

Well im back. I went on a vacation and have been away from my computer but yea. Im still working on a level to show you so dont count me out yet.

[Jet v4.3.5]

Pangahas, from what I can see, you're good enough for some of the work we need concepts for. Right now I have another team member whipping up some concepts. He chose from a list I gave him, so I can ask him what he's not doing out of the choices and you can look into that. Some of them, though, could be worked on by multiple people, but I'd have to check in with him on what he's decided to do, and then you can dig into making some of our pre-development concepts we need. If you want to participate as a team member I can add you and your e-mail to the list of team members on the first post.

Zman110, take your time. I'm not setting development on a time basis so we're not too constrained on what we get done, though preferably it should be finished in less than at least four years. Your still in the loop unless you choose to pull out, so don't worry, there's no rush.

[Pangahas]

I'd love to be part of this project..my email is nivram1124@yahoo.com

[Jet v4.3.5]

All right, and welcome; I'll add you to the updated thread post.

[Pangahas]

Thanks just tell me what needs to be done and I'll work on it right away..

[Jet v4.3.5]

CupcakeMan, if you're online, you have a message from me on your e-mail.

Pangahas, I've sent you something in particular that you might be interested in. Take a look at your e-mail and tell me what you think you could do with that concept.

[Pangahas]

Ok I'm checking my email now..BTW once done should I post what I have here on the forums?or by email?
I made a new email specifically for U3 modding..it's pangahas112483@yahoo.com.

[Jet v4.3.5]

Send it via e-mail. Most of this stuff I want to keep private, because anything like concepts or WIP media that we show will need to be appropriate, and showing things before we've really put too much time into together as a team is something to avoid, though we will display preview things once we have completed or nearly completed works that we might want to tease the public with, as in, advertise some of the things one might want to look forward to for when the game is released. Also, in the case of e-mail being displayed on the first post of this thread, which one would you want people to see?

[Pangahas]

Please do change it to the new one-pangahas112483@yahoo.com.Another thing,ahm I failed to mention it before but I prefer doing character concepts,I'm not too good doing environments but I would give the assigned work you sent a shot.I'll take is as a challenge and a learning experience..

[Jet v4.3.5]

It's okay anyway, seeing as how it's only one of the things currently available, but this is just a not too detailed overview of a room, and I was hoping you would aim towards the style of your dessert pic, where there's not too much fine detail, just a good overview of lighting and size. Also, like I said, it really doesn't have to be perfect, so I'll accept your best, what ever your best may be.

[Jet v4.3.5]

For those who are collectively following this project, work by me is being put on hold for a short time. I plan to focus on another smaller mod project of mine which should be completed much faster than production of our game, and work will continue at a later date once I have wrapped up some of my specific work on the other project. Minor concept development will continue, and any mappers that are willing can receive information to begin on newer game developments if they so choose. As level designer, I will not be able to work on my maps that are currently far from complete, but they will swiftly completed when my schedule is not as tight as it is now. As for any of my current developers, I have sent you all update requests to see what you have accomplished since the last update, so please respond to those so that I know where we are overall for planning.