The Arrowhead Project - A FPS Fan Game based on The MIST

[TechLord]

Greetings All,

For the past week, I've been pondering over using UDK to develop "The Arrowhead Project", A FPS Fan Game heavily based on the Stephen King's Novella The MIST and movie adaption by Frank Darabont.

If you’re a fan of the book & movie, you may have thought about developing such a game yourself. If so, I’m very interested in your opinions. Of course, I have my ideas about level design and game play (with strong influence from the Left 4 Dead series) and I've written a very concise Game Design Document to outline the game's design, features, etc. But, I’m really interested in what other Fans for this awesome horror story think.

Thanks for your time.

[immortius]

Hmm... A touch off-topic, but apparently Half Life was originally inspired by this novel.

[TechLord]

Hmm... A touch off-topic, but apparently Half Life was originally inspired by this novel.

True, but, the traces of inspiration from The MIST are very small. I'm shooting (pun) for something directly related to the elements in the story:

The small town of Bridgton, Maine is suddenly enveloped in an unnatural mist that conceals otherworldly monsters. Strong allusions are made to an inter-dimensional rift caused by a military experiment conducted at a nearby top-secret military facility up in the mountains refered to by local townspeople as "The Arrowhead Project".

It is later revealed by one surviving soilder that the true purpose of the Arrowhead Project was to find other universes, but the experiment goes wrong, resulting in a freakish thunderstorm followed by The MIST.

The Arrowhead Project builds on this specific sub-plot for the book & film, following the immediate aftermath of the “experiment” in which 3 Soldiers fight for survival against the Monstrosities of the Mist.

[Blackblood]

I think it sounds good, but how would copyrights work?

[Hboybowen]

lol... dont think he thought about that much but he may have some clever plan that still might infringe of the creators rights but anyways good luck on this

[TechLord]

I'm aware of the copyrights. It is a Fan game based on their IP...so it is their game and I'm gladly willing to develop it for FREE. Anyways, its not a commercial endeavor, so sue me. If anything, its free publicity for the book & movie, and my skills as a game developer.

Please don't turn this post into a legal squabble. At the moment, there are NO media assets, NO code, NOTHING other than a few scribbles on paper - called a design document.

I'm very interested in the ideas that other Fans of the story may have thought about if they were to create a FPS based on The MIST. If you have some, please share - thanks.

[TechLord]

The MIST Text Adventure based on the IP, developed by Angelsoft and published by Mindscape, which was released in 1985.

[TechLord]

The Arrowhead Project - Game Design Document

The Arrowhead Project Game Design Document (Work In Progress)

[Hboybowen]

dude we get it you dont have to keep posting madly...its not your IP and you dont care...

[Rives]

I don't want to burst your bubble, but aren't you copying L4D too much? It seems like a really good idea, but maybe you should develop it more. Give it some unique gameplay mechanics. Just my two cents.

Also, you'll have a s*itload of working to do on the AI if you want it to behave like you wrote in the design document.

[Blade[UG]]

wow, i'm going to have to totally dig up that text adventure.

[TechLord]

I don't want to burst your bubble, but aren't you copying L4D too much? It seems like a really good idea, but maybe you should develop it more. Give it some unique gameplay mechanics. Just my two cents.

Also, you'll have a s*itload of working to do on the AI if you want it to behave like you wrote in the design document.

Its work in progress. One unique game mechanic is protecting the ever-growing LINE of Civilians. As a AP Soldier you have to protect, guide, clear paths for the LINE. They're several missions that could be based on this mechanic. The incentive is, the more Civs that join the line the more powerful your skills become. Did I mention the inter-dimensional Weapons from Planet X?

[Rives]

Yeah, yeah, I get the inter-dimensional weapons. Like Portal, right?
So how are you going to handle 50 NPCs?

[TechLord]

Yeah, yeah, I get the inter-dimensional weapons. Like Portal, right?
So how are you going to handle 50 NPCs?

No not like Portal. Its just weapon that creates vortex and sucks up the target into it.

As far as handling 50 Civs, I will have to evaluate the Pathfinding in UDK.

[Hboybowen]

seems like your thinking on a too grand scale... and your answer to how you plan on doing this is im evalutating it. think on a scale where you wont give up becuz you cant get help or dont know what your doing...


i know from experience but still doing alot more than i thought i could