DeleD Community Edition

[Spelmyst]

I'm working on a Sci Fi MMO. "Strikers" is only a tentative name, I am also considering "Boarding Action" as another name.

Story revolves around Mining operations in the asteroid belt here in the Sol system. Primarily the belt between Mars and Jupiter. Rarely out in the Kuiper belt near Pluto. I have a larger rough draft of the story here.

I want to try and focus on the emptiness of space and space ships on a more personal level, first person perspective. I would like to have an SWG:JTLS style MMO where people can mount and use turrets on ships. Fights in the close quarters of a ship's corridors. Defending their ship and the cargo a sense of ownership.

I'm alone in this project because I can't afford to hire, I wouldn't know how to manage extra help even if I asked for it.

[Jeroen]

Sounds like a game I'd like to play. I would keep the Strikers name - it has a nice "bite" so to speak. Keep us posted!

[Starnick]

Heh, when you say boarding action I immediately think of Infantry Online.

While you describe the game as more along the lines of JTL - you're also describing Infantry Online (especially the idea of boarding ships, ie "ground" combat). Infantry Online is an older MMO that is zone-game based (each zone is a different style of gameplay), but in some zones there are vehicles that have turret slots/passenger slots, etc. And there's also a space zone where players on opposing sides build up a headquarters base, build up a fleet (ships ranging from fighters to large capital ships with several turrets to man) and try to win the day.

Overall, I love that sort of stuff - kind of bringing the best of FPS' (ie one thing I love about the Halo series is its sci-fi, AND has vehicles) to an RPG world. There are simply not enough games out there that take this route, especially in the MMO genre. I don't just want to shoot my enemy, I want to work with a squad of teammates and command a fleet of ships, board my enemy's warship and take it as a prize

AND be a mayor of a small town up the coast/run a virtual business...

Ultimately thats why I prefer sandbox-style games, as you said...that sense of ownership. To me, questing and getting treasure from a chest is very very unappealing opposed to working towards building up an enterprise, or building items/vehicles/etc.

[trucker2000]

This sounds like it wil be a real fun game.
_________________
Some day I will grow up and be a real modeler.
"Never give up! Never surrender!!"
Sys specs:
asus
8 gigs ram
Invidia gtx560 video card
Windows 8 (worst op sys Ever)

[Spelmyst]

I have come up with an alternate game play idea for teams, but I'm not sure how I'm going to implement it yet. Here is the basic idea:

Like too many other games it's based on "killing" an opponent. In real battle its actually frowned upon if you don't "need" to kill the opponent.

So, as a way of adding a sense of realism. Teams (clans/guilds etc) have a Humanitarian rating. This rating gives them benefits in cities.

I would like, characters in the game to be hard-core (to quote the Diablo system). If your characters dies, you start over. Which gives you an incentive to use the "Surrender" command. Each player that surrenders, gives the capturing team a Humanitarian point and gives the victor his choice of ONE item from the backpack (if he wants it) and is sent to the brig to wait for the combat to end.

So what happens between being healthy and surrendering. This is where the joy of combat comes to play. Each player will have a "stress" stat that keeps him from passing out (auto-surrender). Stress is built up when you take hits. Stress goes down by using the Expletive command. This command makes you yell various things like "Son of a ...." or "Ahhhh, damn that hurts" or just plain "Ahhhhhhh". So your rival can have the joy of hearing you whimper as he burns holes in you, but this reduced stress lets you stay in the game and keep fighting just a little bit long. Taking hits reduces your movement speed too.

So it very dramatic, as your friend is cursing on the floor, unable to continue moving, but saying stuff like

"Keep going, I'll hold them off as long as I can! GRRRRRRR!" As you run off down the corridor to you here him "AHhhhhhh" them another battle ensues as he holds them off.

Whether your opponent wants the Humanitarian points or not is on them. They can proceed to kill your character, but then they get a negative value applied to their Rating and loose the right to loot an item from your backpack.

Because players of different teams can take part in the same combat, it could make for some interesting surrender option. Like only surrendering to a certain team because you know others won't take prisoners.

Good idea? Bad Idea? What are some opinions on this?
I am always open to opinions, so feel free to bash me.