There is only really one thing you could do without going sci-fi or fantasy, and that is making a real life emulator. A wild west mmorpg is a form of fantasy, zombies are sci-fi, horror world is sci-fi or fantasy - To make an interesting game you would have to escape reality in some way, otherwise it would just be a reality sandbox.
So ignored that limitation, I would make some form of mmorts. Where you play as a character and progress as a character in a persistant world mostly like a non-themepark mmorpg (disqualifies all modern mmo's), while having rts building mixed in (base building, defending, exploration, expansion, resources management and control).
You not only level yourself, but also key members (npc) of your organisation, complete with abilities, skills, levels (or whatever fits the game best) - You take these npc with you on traditional mmorpg play where they gain xp/gear/points/whatever and the same npc are also used in the rts part of the game as military, production, service, diplomacy (you name it) personnel. Imagine yourself playing as both a leader who issues orders as well as an adventurer and explorer who directly influence both rpg play and rts play.
Player conflicts will be limited to indirect pvp by power struggles on influence of factions by supporting and helping these, by alliances and various means, and only consentual pvp is allowed.
And there is more, but this is mmorpg forums so why waste time writing more details. You can transfer the 250m to Bank of Panama account number 666 666 666, thank you.
You have the entire human history to pick from and that is all you can think of?
mmorpg forums.. where any kind of original thinking is shot down :chuffed: At least it is a new idea that hasn't been done to death.
You are missunderstanding me, what I commented was the "really only one thing you can do" comment. You have the entire history of the world together with horror, steampunk, dectective/CSI and a whole bunch of others.
There is never just one thing you can do...
Yeah ok fair enough, point taken. I was using fantasy in too broad a definition there.
The opening cinematic would start off with a view of the stars. slow panning back through a pane of thick glass you would see a console control system. You would notice a solar system on a holographic screen being scanned. Still panning back slowly as each planet is scanned starting from the sun outwards it would stop on earth and begin to flash green.
You would hear the chatter of beings in a language you do not understand. Still slow panning backwards as you get a wider fuller view of what you believe is a very large cockpit. The camera would stop between two beings that you cant make out except from the subtle green flash the holographic screen that barely lights up each side of their faces.
After a short pause the camera starts to move forward and then ZOOM it rushes through the galaxy and thousands of solar systems as you watch each star pass by like a spec of dust until it stops. Earth is now in full view in all its glory.
At this point you can spin the earth with your mouse to select where your journey will begin. Once your starting point is selected. The camera again pans back slowly. A massive ship. Clearly alien. Flies over the camera. The engines stop and cool off.
What looks like a small telescope comes out of the bottom of the ship it looks around for a little bit and then goes back up. A second compartment opens. Out of it comes what looks to be a massive cannon.
Now the camera switches to an FPS cannon view that you cannot control. It points directly where you are to start your journey. It fires a small pod which the camera now follows at high speed. You can rotate the camera with your mouse at this point. Watching it burn from all angles as it enters our atmosphere.
Once the pod reaches a certain point it will break off into more pods which basically spread out over a wide area of the zone you selected.
The pods crash land from an aerial view but not hard enough to cause significant damage. The camera now fades to a single pod. Could be somewhere or out in the middle of nowhere. It breaks open and reveals a dark greyish sphere. The sphere then activates with a small subtle blue screen on the outside of it and tiny compartments around it open up as it sprouts tiny tentacle like legs.
The sphere walks outside of its pod at which time you're prompted by a beeping sound to click your mouse button. The sphere then receives mission parameters that will type across the screen as given. Which are as follows.
>Scan life forms and collect data. >Scan technology and collect data. >Scan chemical compounds and collect data. >Scan and retrieve mineral samples. >Scan and retrieve biological samples.
>>Mission Critical >Do not be discovered. >Do not allow yourself to be taken. >Use any means necessary
The camera now puts you into a 3rd person perspective over the sphere. You are now in control of this tiny alien robot.
While you scurry about your surroundings. You will scan anything you deem necessary. Just about anything should be scannable but not everything will be retrievable.
You will walk and scan people, animals, surroundings, etc.. Collecting valuable data that is being sent back to the mother ship. The tiny robot will also have it's own set of skills including lethal ones. Skills are..
Ping > Send out a frequency ping that lines out interactable objects as well as secret places to climb and explore to get a better view and or just enjoy a view.
Night Vision > Some places you travel will be dark.
Sample > A leg will collect a sample from said target or will deny if no sample can be collected. Samples can be collected from humans, animals, liquids, solids, etc...
Thermal Vision > Customizable skill that will allow you to see what you want to see in it > Power usage > Life forms > Anything that projects heat you can select if you want to see it or not.
EMP > A small blast emitted from your outer shell that will disable you for a short period of time but will completely make useless any tech in a small radius. Best used strategically. Or for good humor.
Heat > A first step in damaging self defense. Maybe you've been picked up by an animal. Maybe you've been picked up by a human. Either way wherever you're going. You could be destroyed or discovered. Your shell starts to heat up causing whatever is carrying you to drop you immediately. Smarter life forms may also become more curious as to just what the hell you are.
Laser Charge > A precise lethal beam that must be charged. Will need to be recharged if having just used EMP. Only use in times of absolute certainty that mission critical parameters are about to be failed. And it will be violent.
Beware of too many bad decisions. Should you kill too many intelligent beings or draw too much attention. You will be dematerialized in order to protect the mission. Resulting in a minor loss of data and sample collection.
As you explore this area of Earth. Each sample you "can" actually retrieve will be placed in multiple compartments in your legs. Each leg has a vast majority of tiny compartments that will light up specific colors when holding specific samples. These samples can also be discarded when you no longer want them.
The legs themselves will be an interchangeable menu that is accessed. Pretty much like an inventory with an animated drag and drop sequence. You will open each compartment via mouse that will only hold one sample each. Each leg can hold multiple samples. As stated the sample will determine what color the compartment will change too to make for ease of identification.
These samples will play a large roll in the game itself.
Once you feel you've gathered enough samples. Now the fun can begin!
You will go into your mission window and contact the mother ship. They will ask you if you're satisfied with your data. It will also say if you don't have much not to worry because you may be called upon again to collect more.
The next screen you're brought too is chest level of a being walking through a corridor. They go into a dark room and flip a switch which lights up a table.. Holographic images flicker as they activate what looks like a surgical table.
The creature then inserts a data card into the table where you the player are then transferred to a menu.
This is where you will create your character.
Using all the data and samples you gathered as a robot will now be attributes and knowledge for whatever being it is you're going to create.
Example: The human you scanned and collected samples from was a scientist so now you have a science and intelligence boost from stealing his genetic code. The satellite you scanned gave you knowledge on long range signals.
The character creator would be an over simplified version of Zbrush but still capable of supporting your imagination. Carving, sculpting, and adding but merely changing pre made models to fit your desire.
Once your genetically modified and data enhanced character is created. You awaken in a first person perspective but can switch to third at any time during the game as well. Looking at your surroundings in the mysterious ship. You're now alive.
The beings all come into the room to check you out and make sure you're up to par. Only now can you understand their language.
This is what they will say
"We are glad to see you have awoken. We are the last of The Originators. Tasked to map this galaxy and spread life across the universe. Thousands of galaxies now harbor vast quantities of consciousness due to our efforts to create a union of life in hopes to better understand our own existence. "
"Our work has yielded more than expected in both positive and negative outcomes. Though this we fear is the end of our time without having ever discovered the answers we sought."
"Great effort has gone into your creation maybe you will find the answers we seek but first lets see how you handle."
From here you're shown how to walk, run, jump, crouch > all that basic
You're then shown the standard methods of combat
You're then shown space flight training, mining, and combat
You're then given a data pad with its own scanning ability for discovering objects directly in front of you. This data pad contains a broad list of things that you can learn as an individual. Learning comes with doing. The more you do. The more you will become knowledgeable in that skill. The vast majority of skills that will take up the most space on this data pad initially are things the sphere robot scanned on Earth.
Maybe you scanned a vegetable somewhere down the line. The information as to how to achieve a tomato will be on the data pad under farming. So you will need soil it can grow in, water it can drink, and sunlight. All displayed and broken down in a sub menu under farming.
It may require you to build an air tight green house if necessary depending on planetary conditions. Maybe the sun doesn't reach the surface so you'll need artificial sunlight as well.
It will work the same way with weaponry, clothing, armor, vehicles..etc.. Everything in some way will be useful to you depending on what it is you want to do.
From this data pad. You will be able to access the sphere robot at your convenience. When you've gotten far enough with one sphere. You will then be given a sync option. This will activate one of the other spheres that crash landed. Which you can continue to gain more attributes and skills as you scan and collect samples. Doubling and adding too your range of knowledge. So on and so forth with the other spheres the more you advance
All the while being observed from a distance by The Originators as they study you.
You will have little contact with them once you're sent out. They will from time to time give you missions or ask for help.
The only restriction you will have is that you will never be able to visit Earth. You are not allowed to intervene directly with the initial planet of selection according to The Originators. The planet was chosen they will tell you. It in itself is a measure of study. Outside intervention must be minimal.
Once you've picked a destination on your galaxy map. A course will be charted and you will jump to said planet. You will be required to build a habitat should you wish to stay alive on an underdeveloped planet should you have the knowledge and resources to do so.
When you find a place you want to call home and maybe you start getting lonely. You will be able to place a beacon that sends out any message you want received. Maybe it will read "Starting a colony, warp here and lets begin." Maybe someone posted up near old alien tech with their own beacon "Scannable tech here"
Keep in mind. Ships will be capable of picking up these signals anywhere they are in the galaxy.
This will lead to the lore as well as wide scale interaction.
The Originators you know are the last of their kind. Which means at one point there were many. Many sent out through the universe that no longer exist. They spread life in many reaches of space. Life that has lost complete contact with their creators and quite possibly evolved into not so friendly genetic experiments with the possible range of more advanced technology. The chances of them paying you a visit is very likely.
Comments
"I am my connectome" https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HA7GwKXfJB0
The opening cinematic would start off with a view of the stars. slow panning back through a pane of thick glass you would see a console control system. You would notice a solar system on a holographic screen being scanned. Still panning back slowly as each planet is scanned starting from the sun outwards it would stop on earth and begin to flash green.
You would hear the chatter of beings in a language you do not understand. Still slow panning backwards as you get a wider fuller view of what you believe is a very large cockpit. The camera would stop between two beings that you cant make out except from the subtle green flash the holographic screen that barely lights up each side of their faces.
After a short pause the camera starts to move forward and then ZOOM it rushes through the galaxy and thousands of solar systems as you watch each star pass by like a spec of dust until it stops. Earth is now in full view in all its glory.
At this point you can spin the earth with your mouse to select where your journey will begin. Once your starting point is selected. The camera again pans back slowly. A massive ship. Clearly alien. Flies over the camera. The engines stop and cool off.
What looks like a small telescope comes out of the bottom of the ship it looks around for a little bit and then goes back up. A second compartment opens. Out of it comes what looks to be a massive cannon.
Now the camera switches to an FPS cannon view that you cannot control. It points directly where you are to start your journey. It fires a small pod which the camera now follows at high speed. You can rotate the camera with your mouse at this point. Watching it burn from all angles as it enters our atmosphere.
Once the pod reaches a certain point it will break off into more pods which basically spread out over a wide area of the zone you selected.
The pods crash land from an aerial view but not hard enough to cause significant damage. The camera now fades to a single pod. Could be somewhere or out in the middle of nowhere. It breaks open and reveals a dark greyish sphere. The sphere then activates with a small subtle blue screen on the outside of it and tiny compartments around it open up as it sprouts tiny tentacle like legs.
The sphere walks outside of its pod at which time you're prompted by a beeping sound to click your mouse button. The sphere then receives mission parameters that will type across the screen as given. Which are as follows.
>Scan life forms and collect data.
>Scan technology and collect data.
>Scan chemical compounds and collect data.
>Scan and retrieve mineral samples.
>Scan and retrieve biological samples.
>>Mission Critical
>Do not be discovered.
>Do not allow yourself to be taken.
>Use any means necessary
The camera now puts you into a 3rd person perspective over the sphere. You are now in control of this tiny alien robot.
While you scurry about your surroundings. You will scan anything you deem necessary. Just about anything should be scannable but not everything will be retrievable.
You will walk and scan people, animals, surroundings, etc.. Collecting valuable data that is being sent back to the mother ship. The tiny robot will also have it's own set of skills including lethal ones. Skills are..
Ping > Send out a frequency ping that lines out interactable objects as well as secret places to climb and explore to get a better view and or just enjoy a view.
Night Vision > Some places you travel will be dark.
Sample > A leg will collect a sample from said target or will deny if no sample can be collected. Samples can be collected from humans, animals, liquids, solids, etc...
Thermal Vision > Customizable skill that will allow you to see what you want to see in it > Power usage > Life forms > Anything that projects heat you can select if you want to see it or not.
EMP > A small blast emitted from your outer shell that will disable you for a short period of time but will completely make useless any tech in a small radius. Best used strategically. Or for good humor.
Heat > A first step in damaging self defense. Maybe you've been picked up by an animal. Maybe you've been picked up by a human. Either way wherever you're going. You could be destroyed or discovered. Your shell starts to heat up causing whatever is carrying you to drop you immediately. Smarter life forms may also become more curious as to just what the hell you are.
Laser Charge > A precise lethal beam that must be charged. Will need to be recharged if having just used EMP. Only use in times of absolute certainty that mission critical parameters are about to be failed. And it will be violent.