Mechanics Concepts, Looking for Input

Hi, I have some ideas about what I think would make for a pretty interesting concept for an open world rpg style game. It's not so much about the specific game but more about the features and mechanics. I'm just gonna post what I have written so far and I'll respond with more info/ideas if anyone is interested enough to read it, it's quite the tome already. My main concern about this is feasibility in general as it seems like its pretty in depth and I'm not entirely sure what is possible as far as making a game, and also feasibility of using Unity to make something like this. As of now I am just making random assets of things that I would use in the game in Blender. I'm not sure how productive this is but I don't have too much 3D experience either so it makes for good practice. Anyways, here are my ideas:

Game Mechanic Concept



Open World 1st Person/ 3rd Person apocalyptic RPG with multiple play types on same maps with same assets. Specific War/Conflict is unimportant, I see this as more of certain mechanics that might work well in any era, but I am writing the bulk of this concerning how it would work in a pre apocalyptic/apocalyptic martial law, end of days, civil war type scenario, I mainly see this as being set very much in a realistic world without zombies or anything like that. Layered difficulty levels would change how the game is fundamentally played. Easy, Medium and Hard would effect gameplay mechanics respectively while the second tier would determine point of view. 1st/3rd would allow switching between 1st and 3rd like Fallout, Soft 1st would be forced 1st while switching to 3rd during actions and cover, similar to Deus Ex. And Full 1st is always 1st person, including actions and cover, enabling genuine blind fire and requiring peeking around corners and aimed shooting to expose player. Crafted items help greatly in all situations but are a near necessity in more difficult tiers. (Knife+Chewing Gum+Piece of Mirror = mirror around the corner like Saving Private Ryan) cinematics and story are unaffected by difficulty decisions. Possible MMO modes using either sections of map or entire map depending on game mode. Traditional game modes (deathmatch, conquest, capture the flag) in sections and larger “War” mode on entire map where server is split into 2 teams and respawns are unlimited and winner is determined on control of map after period of time or by “Total Domination” controlling entire map. Multiplayer mode should also be customizable to fit play time eg. ¼ Map War for 30 min game and smaller player count, larger wars may only start at specific times in different regions to allow for pre planning to maximize players online. There should also be customizable servers where all of these things are options that can be controlled by players. Maps should be more populated with items in multiplayer but otherwise be the same and have all of the same mechanics as single player. I see this being very similar to an age of empires style RTS conquest type game but from the point of view of the soldiers on the ground. It would be interesting but potentially very slow paced to have large maps sparsely populated by online players and npc armies and a very similar gameplay to single player but with competing player factions taking over the map. 4 teams of 4 people working together to complete the same task as in single player with the same tools and everything but with the knowledge of the faction you join at the start chosen from the factions in the single player mode.



Mechanics Ideas



Character Creation: Character creation should be similar to other rpg games with specific stats like IQ, Strength, Agility, Endurance, Luck, Charm etc…There should be a few ways of populating these stats using a set number of starting points based on difficulty. 1) A complete custom built from scratch character just based on stats and perks and options chosen by the player 2) A way to build the character based on strings of questions about the characters past choices 3) A set of archetypal characters to choose from based on a back story of the character, these options should have a clear advantage at specific play type but also a clear disadvantage at other types with a few more starting stat points and some already learned recipes relating to past eg. soldier has advanced weapon training and starts with a rifle, cop has some weapon training and starts with a pistol but also has previous connections and intel, criminal has some weapon training different types of connections and the ability to hotwire cars from the start etc… These archetypes also determine the stats of all npc but varied a bit more. Other decisions made before starting could be location to start in, maybe archetypes start at specific locations based on difficulty, easy soldier starts in base while hard soldier starts in recently downed helicopter, easy criminal would start in the hood with their gang while hard could be in jail and have to escape, archetype could also effect initial reactions to your character before reputation/karma is built which could be good or bad, having people actively fear and avoid you as a criminal to running straight up to you in hopes you will help them as a police officer. In the end if played for near total completion these decisions will eventually have little effect but played through the entire game as a specific play style loyal to a faction or archetype focusing on specific skill types, they should effect the entire experience.



Character Progression: Progression should be based on: reputation points gained by completing tasks and killing enemies, each level unlocks specific abilities based on the specific reputation points received, there should be a negative and a positive progression, gaining influence through respect or fear, this determines the type of people you attract and are able to interact with, and what they are willing to do for you, maybe each faction has a separate tree based on their opinion of you, each faction being able to teach you different skills depending how much you do for them. The faction route will leave you positively aligned with one while potentially negatively aligned with the others. Other progression not determined by alignment is accomplished through books and consumables found throughout the world and neutral npc’s that you meet and assist or potentially threaten. This leaves many ways to accomplish similar progression, you can learn everything neutrally which may take longer but is more open in terms of potential or you can choose a faction and learn all of their specific skills quickly but this also will increase hostility towards you by other groups and force you to learn the skills they guard through other means. Interactions with factions is based on a number of factors including your stats, world reputation, faction reputation, crew you have with you, vehicle you're driving, weapon you're carrying, what you look like, and especially the specific stats and alignment of the specific enemy npc’s archetype, the more enticing the things you’re carrying, the lower your reputation and numbers the more likely you are to be attacked and mugged or killed without warning by a group of violent thugs, whereas the more intimidating you and your history is the less likely you are to be attacked unprovoked, or the more likely to be attacked by whoever the law enforcement is.



Ability Progression: As you level up and meet new people you will learn new things and find new items that will unlock different possibilities, there will be different types and levels of tools for dismantling specific items down to smaller components eg. mechanics tools, gunsmith tools, electronics tools, manufacturing tools, building tools as well as benches that can be built at a base to increase capabilities even further and assign npc’s to. Different locations and base types will also effect the bases capabilities eg. power plants have a lot of power as long as they are totally functional, dams have unlimited water, but it may need to be treated before if can be used, gas stations have built in pumps, but you may need the power plant, big box stores make for good scavenge and storage as well as defendability, but will also be prime targets for other people. As you slowly take over each area and staff them with your crews you can slowly rebuild infrastructure and the size of your occupied area, you must also build up defenses though as inadequate defenses will be more prone and attractive to attack and you can lose the areas if you fail to protect them.



Scavenging: Crafting items are found all over and objects can be broken down to further increase possibilities. A car can be searched for items but you can also break the mirror to take the mirror piece, or if you have a tire iron you can take the wheels off to build or repair your own vehicle, the more tools you acquire the further you can disassemble things to find harder to obtain materials. or separate materials from each other, tire from wheel, rubber from tire. Could also find or build vehicle capable of towing and tow entire vehicles to base for dismantle. Objects should be as common as reality, nearly every car has a spare, a tire iron and a jack, the difficulty comes in the items being relatively specific, a large truck tire is more rare than a small car tire and unless you have all 4 they cant be used. a car jack would also be useless on a large truck. Fuel is also consumable but as you progress it will become less of an issue. When you start you may just walk maybe you’ll get lucky and find some keys at a dealership or mechanic shop, once you learn to hotwire you'll be jumping from car to car as you drive each one dry, to eventually keeping a jerry can in the back of a more permanent vehicle and inevitably filling up every time you leave the base. Even in a base how it is stored still offers more decisions, it can be stored in a tanker which is portable but can be easily stolen but also used as a potential bomb or it can be stored in a secure underground pumping facility, and everything in between. Other necessities will also be scavenged and stored similarly. All large items visibly effect your character base and the effects are more pronounced at higher difficulties. Storage on player is based on found or crafted bags, the vehicle you have with you, if you brought a team, NPC Allies can be ordered to load items in car or you can also do it solo, larger items might require more hands. That may be better as an optional mechanic, maybe as a simulation difficulty.



Crafting/Building: Recipes based on base IQ/experience/books read, there are multiple ways to learn the same things and by the highest level of experience the player could have slowly learned everything but a low level player could also spend hours running around reading recipe books and learn quite a bit before ever making any significant story progress, thus shaping how they approach the rest of the game. Qualifiers like IQ level add to the difficulty of being able to accomplish certain recipes and tasks eg. failure probability at certain chemistry recipes is higher for a lower IQ build while more delicate tasks like repairing a pistol, may take longer for larger tank type builds. Depending on difficulty and recipe crafting will take time and you are unable to fight while in this mode, action must be canceled but progress should be saved and can be continued from where you left off unless project was destroyed in fire fight, character stats determine probability of being able to successfully scavenge from a destroyed project. all of the grindy bits, like making 100 items to sell or something will be able to be automated as you build a base and crew and are able to delegate the tasks to your npc crew, however npc resources must be managed appropriately as you cant take them with you and have them building things or dismantling things at the same time. Similar to age of empires you would have “peasants” who worked around the base, and then there would be soldiers that stood guard and joined you or attacked where you told them. As far as what would be possible, i think everything should be buildable, and customizable, either based on a recipe, or as an addition to an existing structure or vehicle, like adding a roll cage or big tires and weapons to cars, or bombs and guns on a cropduster plane, maybe even adding a tank turret to an airliner, the possibilities should get pretty ridiculous but be at least somewhat grounded in reality.



Quests/Tasks

Quests are not presented to you traditionally as quests by npc’s, there is only one main goal and that is to control the situation, whether that be retain peace and attempt to return things to normal or cause as much chaos and destruction as possible with a specific faction or all by yourself, everything else is optional. This decision determines your enemies as well as which bases you will need to take over to be victorious. During the course of the main quest there will be tons of opportunities to do other things like: take bounties, help the locals, extort the locals, gamble, rob people, organize heists, mad max deathraces and thunderdome, build trade networks through the conquered land, anything that can be thought of, while a main advantage to the tasks is the money whats even more valuable would be the people and information you learn, maybe gain access to different traders and black markets, or hear about weapons shipments, maybe you befriend a weapons trader and run errands for you and he pays you and gives you a discount and eventually through casual conversation and built trust you learn he gets new stock every Wednesday morning. This doesnt seem like a hint or anything, you would assume its just the way of finding out when the stock rotates so come back on Wednesday and hell definitely have something new. But what if instead you decide to get on the roof across the street really early on Wednesday morning and monitor the shop to see the truck that brings the weapons and then you could follow it, see the route it takes, and find the facility it comes from, maybe you’re well armed enough to clear it out now so you gain a weapons facility, or maybe you monitor that to see where the stuff they have comes from, or maybe you just started and next Wednesday morning you park off the trail that the truck takes and ambush them and steal whatever he was bringing to the shop that day and get a new gun without having to spend anything. Of course all of this would open you up for possible danger, if you get too close to the truck they would catch on, and attack you, if you’re driving your personal car and aren’t being secretive maybe the trader learns about it and you lose some opportunities and gain a new enemy. These could take place across all activities, you could learn things while gambling or even hanging out in a bar or something, as you explore and gain intelligence and learn more about the world you learn where certain things are in the world, when certain things happen and it would be up to you to interpret these clues and act on them accordingly, maybe a log of overheard conversation is kept in the pause menu and when you hear something you find interesting you can highlight it and add it to a notebook or planner where the “quest” info is kept and you can use that menu to coordinate operations and plan for things, assigning more simple tasks to teams, with a probability of failure and then possible consequences, or taking on tasks yourself, with or without backup. of course this mechanic could be ignored entirely and you could be just as successful through regular gameplay, slowly upgrading as you take down larger and larger bases and gain experience, supplies and money. Side tasks should give you access to special weapons or higher level weapons earlier. In order to track quests the HUD should be based on difficulty. Just a compass with a fullsized map you can pull up to look at and place your own marks and things for the hard difficulty and then add a minimap in the easier ones.

 

It's not a concept, it's a wishlist, it's too vague to make any assumption other than it's a huge scope and there is too many ambiguous, undefined and non quanticized elements to make any sorts of evaluation.
Also you should itemized long text like this to separate elements.

 

Thank you, I'll work on that. I get pretty over ambitious in my mind and had a surge of inspiration and wrote all this down yesterday morning and wanted to see what people thought about it. That was constructive, I appreciate it. I do want to add that you're right, it's not a game concept so much as it is a wishlist. I'll remove game from the subject. I definitely need to do more work and research personally but I thought maybe I could get some insight in the direction to look for a better understanding of large scale projects with very complicated mechanics such as this. I was working on formatting this into a GDD but the ones I've seen mainly focus on a specific game and I think these certain mechanics could work well in any game. Maybe this is more along the lines of a new engine more than it is about anything else. Which I guess is what I'd like to know in order to better organize these thoughts, what are the possibilities with Unity? Why would big game studios create there own engines unless what was available was unable to allow them to accomplish their goals? Or is an engine nothing more than a tool with possibilities only being limited by your own knowledge and imagination?

 

Condense every paragraph to a single sentence, as a start.

Game development requires a mastery of organization. Organization means condensing complex things into manageable compartments.