Working on two different Game Design Documents (edited title)

Dani-AD

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by to read my thread!

 

I have this dream and it is to be a student at one of the major game design universities here in my country. To be able to join I have been working on a couple of design documents the last couple of years (I'm a slow writer). Both of them mmorpgs. And since I can't make up my freaking mind on which one of the two most progressed ideas I should focus my writing on I'm asking you, the members of mmorpg.com, to help me figure out wich idea I should stick with.

 

I apologise in advance for my english. I'm a swedish boy so bare with me.

 

 

One of the first ideas I had evolved to be an mmo set in the thin genre of - mechanical genious sci-fi vehicle battle mecha. 

The world has been driven far into the clutches of the dark side of capitalism. The individual has little or no say in anything in society anymore. Coorperations set all the rules and crushes every threat and competition with the only means there is left, violence.  During the last decade a very specific trend has been growing. Private persons have been building small organisations to stand up towards the opressing forces that dictates everyday life. Organisations that start with a single invdividual in their garages, gifted in the mechanical schiences, building and remodeling vehicles, battle suits and humanoid mechas. As these small organisations grow the garages are traded for hangars in different shapes and sizes reaching from stationary factories to the mobile aircraft carriers at sea, rolling fortresses between the vast cities, flying models that soars the skies and even space stations that orbits the planet. All the time competing for new technologies and survival in a world tormented by violent forces.

To put it short; you play a mecha nerd that builds and blows shit up.

 

The second idea I have that has been haunting me and doesn't want to let go is a fantasy civilization game where you play a demigod that governs a small village where you are the local deity. This idea is based on the mythology of the localized god concept where villages in the middle of nowhere has been found to idolize specific animals or creatures in turn for good harvest, health and fortune.  In this role you start the game with creating a village and the surrounding nature for you to take care of. You work to benefit your people in what manner you see fit. By conflicts with other villages or forces, by blessing and guiding their development or simply by letting them make their own decitions so you can mind your own bussiness with things you find more important. You will allways have a psychic connection to them and you will allways have a choice if you want to stand in the front defense line when the neighbouring civilazation launches a raid on your village, if you want to build some kind of impenetrable defenses when you first hear about the invasionplans or just leave them to defend themselfes.

One of the cuter events I want to implement is when a villager is in serious trouble, for instance walking in the forrest collecting berries and gets in the way of an angry bear/robber/monster, you can instantly go there to save their life (if you can bother ofcourse). The last section not being the headtheme of the game but it gives some kind of idea what kind of feeling I want the game to have.

 

These are the two ideas that are competing for brainspace in my poor head. Please help me decide which idea I should focus on so I can try to hack and slash the other one out of my mind.

Thank you for taking the time to read all this way.

Dani-AD

This thread was accidentically published before it was ready. I made it to say "editing" during an hour or so while I finished it.

Dani-AD

Edited the title to more accuratly advertise my problem.

Edited the presentation text so I dont seem that retarded.

AIMonster

Your second idea sounds a lot like Black and White:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_&_White_(game) and honestly I don't see how you could make that into a MMORPG.  It's more a "god" game (like SimCity and Black & White) than a RPG and how would that play out with multiple players? (The first game you mentioned also sounds more like a RTS than a RPG, but it definitely could be a MMO)

So I'd go with the first one otherwise you might get accused of plagurism.

Dani-AD

Originally posted by Magnum2103


Your second idea sounds a lot like Black and White:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_&_White_(game) and honestly I don't see how you could make that into a MMORPG.  It's more a "god" game (like SimCity and Black & White) than a RPG and how would that play out with multiple players? (The first game you mentioned also sounds more like a RTS than a RPG, but it definitely could be a MMO)
So I'd go with the first one otherwise you might get accused of plagurism.

 

Thanks for the input

I have played black and white and what I'm trying to describe sounds nothing like it, at least in MY head haha. And why wouldn't it work as an mmorpg? is it because the sandbox factor would be too high? In the games of the future, nothing is too complicated   I belive the rpg part would lie very much in the npc base in yours, other's and computer cities and the mmo part would lie in competing and cooperating with others ofc.

Seems like people so easily get blinded by the god game factor that they can't see anything else than black and white. I've had this problem before, people telling me "But that sounds just like black and white!" I guess I just suck at describing my idea in a good way because, as I said, in my head it doesn't look anything like B&W

The inspiration comes from different kinds of animes :P

 

RTS? now way! its the tinkering that is the heart of that game mew

Onitora

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but your 1st idea immediately reminded me of the Heavy Gear RPG, and I would have to agree w/ Magnum2103 that the 2nd sounds very similar to Black & White.  Similarities to these games is not a bad thing, it might actually help people visualize the basic premises of the games more easily you know?  Giving people a point of reference type of thing.  If I were you, I'd play to those similarities that other people have pointed out to get readers pointed in the right direction, then hightlight more about how and why your concept is different from those games.

Of course, this approach is not useful if your intentions are totally nothing at all like those games.  If that is the case, I would definitely completely reword the synopses in your OP to leave as little room for people to draw connection to the games that have been mentioned.

Aside from that, to answer your question as to which concept to develop:  I'd be more inclined to want to find out more about the Mecha MMOG than the other.  Something like EXTEEL, but an actual POW, (Persistent Online World,) would be cool to see developed I think.

 

EDIT:  Added links.

Dani-AD

Thank you supermuch for your posts both of you

I have had the comments before about people wanting to see the mecha game but I'm not 100 percent convinced yet. 

I will take what you both said to heart and I hope other people will give me more views and inclinations on what I should do.

Dani-AD

 Similarities to these games is not a bad thing, it might actually help people visualize the basic premises of the games more easily you know?  Giving people a point of reference type of thing.  If I were you, I'd play to those similarities that other people have pointed out to get readers pointed in the right direction, then hightlight more about how and why your concept is different from those games.

Of course, this approach is not useful if your intentions are totally nothing at all like those games.  If that is the case, I would definitely completely reword the synopses in your OP to leave as little room for people to draw connection to the games that have been mentioned.

 

Good point. I will use this to my advantage thanks