Part of the problem I have when making games, is focusing. Not that I'm lazy or anything, I just have too many ideas on the go, and keep making drastic changes. On the whole though, I have four key ideas for proper adventure games, and have done some work on each, but have a desire to push forward with at least one of them. Right now, I'm finishing up a puzzle game, but after that, I'm going to put the (considerable) spare time I have towards finishing up one project in particular, and in order to avoid too much wasted effort, I'd be keen to find out what kind of adventure most people would be more keen to play. So, I present the four ideas I have - do tell me which would appeal to you the most, or how you might alter one to make it appeal more!
1: Cyclone's Eye
- 1963: an experimental USAF spy plane develops a malfunction over Soviet Kazakhstan, forcing the pilot to eject in dire circumstances amidst the crumbling wreckage of his aircraft. As he comes to, he finds himself recovering in a rural doctor's surgery; in Oklahoma. A year before he took off. His goal is therefore to find out how he got here, and why everyone's a little bit off-kilter.
- Intended to be slightly more serious, in as much of a FoA style I can muster.
2: Welcome to the Quantum Police
- having finally been forced to seek work after sponging off her parents for years, the only job that a young lady can find and keep is with an underground, well-meaning if often unsuccessful quasi-vigilante group, who take their orders from a quantum-supercomputer a bit too literally. While initially there for the money, she takes well to it, and finds herself increasingly becoming the "common sense" of the group.
- a shorter game, episodic with a story-arc over a few of them. More cartoony, sort of a Sam & Max style.
3: Manifold Selfhood
- Harry Janeiro's acting career took a turn for the worse after his sudden and unexpected death in a transit accident. Fortunately, his insurance company stumped up to have his mind backed up into a computer, but no more. Now effectively stuck in a small box in his own apartment, he gets an offer he can't refuse from an old friend - pretend to be him for a week while he does some slightly shady work for a biotech company, in exchange for a new, grown-from-scratch body. But of course, it's never going to be as simple as that.
- sci-fi styled, sort of taking Deus Ex 2 as an aesthetic inspiration, and once again a bit more serious.
4: Sami the Cat and the Blasphemous Cake
- Sami is, of course, a cat, and she would like to do something special for the
guy who took her in's birthday. Being a cat makes this a bit difficult, but an evil arch-sorceror decides to give her a bit of a hand by turning her into a girl, and suggesting she bakes a birthday cake. She's given free reign of the castle to do this, and is cheerfully oblivious to the sheer evil that resides within this temple of despair while she searches for the ingredients.
- Once again, more cartoony, with a strong theme of the juxtaposition of the sheer evil in the environment, and her nonchalant attitude towards it.
I'm well aware I should be making something I want to make, but these are four things I would like to see finish. I'd just rather that what I make is something other people want to/are going to play! Thanks in advance for your input.
*EDIT* - corrected. Consistently four now!
They could probably all be good, but #1 piqued my interest.
#1, 100%
Sounds like it would be a really cool game. The others were kind of "meh" in my opinion.
-Bill
Yeah, I'd go for #1 too.
Quote from: Technocrat on Sun 06/12/2009 22:17:06
...So, I present the five ideas I have...
... but these are five things I would like to see finish...
#5 8)
In seriousness though, #1, providing you do it well. Seeing a cool set up like that ruined by a less cool explanation would suck.
I think they all sound really good. I'd play all of them.
The synopsis I like the most is Cyclone's Eye (#1). I love the idea of the protagonist ejecting out of the plane and ending up traveling through time to a year before. If done right, this could be a really good adventure.
The one I like the least I think would be Welcome to the Quantum Police.
Sami the Cat sounds really interesting too, as well as Manifold Selfhood (which I can totally see being a Ben30x game).
\\--EDIT--\\
Heh, where is your 5th one?
Quote
The synopsis I like the most is Cyclone's Eye (#1). I love the idea of the protagonist ejecting out of the plane and ending up traveling through time to a year before. If done right, this could be a really good adventure
And if done wrong it could be Escape from Delirium :p
Got gAmeD-H-D? Start making all 3 - one will stand out in time :)
QuoteAnd if done wrong it could be Escape from Delirium :p
Someone's gonna' cut yer tounge off...
am I the only one that votes Quantum Police? It made me laugh when I read it :(
My bad Snake ;) Not if I cut theirs off with my slack tongue clinic first! Oh...I forgot to actually say which I liked. Yes 2 (Quantum Police) made me chuckle too so I agree Divon that is a strong idea. That and 3 are your strongest ideas to me Technocrat! 2 would make a nice comedy, 3 would make a good dark game.
And I guess ultimately I'm saying this on which I'd prefer to play, rather than which I think you'd have most success/ease of developing. I'd imagine game #4 would be the easiest to do, but its structure would surely be less imaginative than the other 3 ideas. And #1 does sound a wee cliche. I think I already know what I'm going to find by the end of it, even if I don't... And time loops, dimension crossing, death & memories... we all have Resonance for that, surely? :=
So good luck! I say 2 or 3 :)
Is #4 what that Catgirl on the critics lounge was about? Even so, I'm still going to say that #1 sounds like it'd be the most "AGS" sort of thing to do (and judging by the popular opinion on here, looks like it'll probably end up the winner!), but I also think seeing what #4 leads to could be fun.
Hopefully, with #1, you won't take too much of a cliche route!
I like number one personally.
Depending on how good of a story teller you are, all four could be great games or train wrecks. It really just depends on you.
I'm intrigued by #1... I already want to know what happened, and how he's gonna get back.
The others could all be good aswell, but there's no mystery. With Cyclone's Eye, not only do you have an awesome title, but we've got something to think about before the game's even been made.
#1 seems the most interesting. The things that stir my imagination the most is the 1963 setting, Twilight Zone atmosphere, and FOA style.
I'd also like to see #1, mystery and cold war, what could go wrong? :)
Well, looks like number 1 is the resounding favourite. I guess it was mine in a way too, after all, the Cold War isn't a theme that's been visited much, and I like weirding people out with storylines like that! I'm going to have to get some practice at the backgrounds, just got to make the more sixties-ish with the low-res assets available.