"The Last Protectors" -- Game Idea Feedback

Overview:
'The Last Protectors' is a top down, twin stick shooter style of game. The players aim is to survive long enough to level up a 4 man crew to defeat the level boss. The player will start off each game with 1 randomly assigned crew member. After every (other?) night the player will be given access to another crew member. If the player wants to skip each night, they will be given the option to sleep through the night.

During the day, the player will be attacked by 2 - 4 waves of enemies which will be able to "seek" the player from large distances. During the night enemies will wander, whilst trying to defend the levels boss. The boss will only spawn during the night.

Some of the mechanics:
Crew based gameplay (similar to Pineapple Smash Crew), crew members will be able to die.
Crew Role System (CRS) will be randomly assigned to each member on spawn.
Character Leveling System.
Basic building construction system. i.e. player will be able to construct defensive towers if they have an engineer.
Bullet Upgrade System (BUS), will be pickups. Crew roles will spawn with less powerful versions?

Notes:
There will be multiple enemy types.
*IMPORTANT* This project is going to be mainly a side project for me between the first and second years of university. Updates will be posted to threads on the Unity Forum, and also on a Polycount Forum.


If you have any feedback, I am more than willing to here it and it is more then welcome.

 

I've fleshed out the idea a bit more and here are some of the updates. They mainly concern the CRS.

Crew Roles:
Basic Crew Member:
Has a 3 burst weapon and starts with 3 grenades.
No special ability.

Engineer:
This role can construct defensive towers which will target / defend from enemies.
Uses a shotgun spread style primary weapon.

Heavy Weapons:
Primary weapon is a slow firing rocket launcher.
This role can place down 3 explosive mines.




I'd like to have around 4 / 5 Crew Roles but kinda stumped for ideas. If anyone has any suggestions, that would be great!

 

Suggestion - Prototype? It would be interesting to see how the rules work (even if you use cubes). In that way, we could give you feedback.

 

Or at least some sketches, story boards or something. You may have a great start of an idea and that is awesome. It all starts with the idea. However, when you write about your idea you are drawing from a bigger picture and goals that exist in your mind. So for you what you wrote probably seems quite detailed. To others it is vague and can be interpreted in numerous ways. A prototype as @Asvarduil requested or even sketches of game play screens, storyboards and so forth will help others a lot.

When I have an idea I usually make some doodles. A quick rough sketch of the playfield (or at least a part of it), a quick sketch of an enemy with some notes describing its characteristics and so forth. Basically anything you can do to express your idea is very helpful.

 

Thanks for the suggestion of providing sketches etc, and I will in time but at the moment I am quiet busy attempting to revise for exams next week and this was the easiest way for me to try and get some feedback and I actually haven't started production of anything yet so I would actually need some time to produce gameplay/screenshots

 

Life is always busy. Without sketches, pics, or a prototype, this concept is too foreign to be able to provide much feedback.

Have you considered dropping down to just one crew members (vice 4)? This might offer three benefits. First, it will reduce the complexity of your game play and game development. Second, it allows you to focus on the gameplay (as opposed to balancing crew types). Last, and perhaps most importantly, the resulting game will be less likely to violate player expectations for a twin-stick shooter.

Gigi

 

Thanks for mentioning Pineapple Smash Crew. That makes the format and mechanics fairly clear.

To me, the concept sounds like "Pineapple Smash Crew meets FTL." I'd play that.

The mechanics you've outlined are very much along the lines of FTL -- build up a home base and its crew in preparation for defeating the boss.

That said, if it's a spare time one-person project, the scope is too big. Can you trim it down to one core activity? Perhaps just the core wave-based daytime combat. Design it with the other activities in mind so it'll be easy to add them once you get the core activity done.

 

I hadn't, but now that you have mentioned those points, I may consider it. And I understand about the whole foreign idea thing. I'll work on some sketches and perhaps get a very basic prototype working

 

I always tend to get that when I'm coming up with ideas. I may stick to a one-crew system going through the development like Gigi mentioned and then, if I have time, and the crew system once the core gameplay is nailed.

And that is the sort of gameplay that I'm trying to aim for, where you build up your power as I think it adds some challenge to the game

 

Sounds like a good idea. The core gameplay of FTL, for example, is maintaining systems during ship-to-ship combat. If you think the core gameplay is going to be coordinating crew members in battle, then you may need to focus on a four-character crew from the outset. But if the core gameplay isn't about coordinating crew members but instead, say, leveling up, then starting with one character is probably a better choice.

 

I certainly agree with the suggestions about keeping the scope small, here are a few suggestions about role splits.

Start by trying to define the purpose of the role first, before working out details. It the player is only to play a single character at a time, then the roles can be split along the lines of speed-defence-offense. Borrowing from DnD or MMO party structure can also help. The classic DnD split was something along the lines of close combat - ranged damage - healer - skill user. Once you have the basic role split down, then developing the personalities to fit those roles becomes simple.

In the context of your game:

• Close combat - Basic crew member (He deserves a better name). High armour and defence values. Medium damage. Great at drawing damage. Keeps the enemies off everyone else.
• Ranged combat - Heavy weapons. Low armour. Low rate of fire. High damage.
• Healer - This is one you are missing. I'd suggest a medic. Low damage, low armour, but has the abilities required to keep everyone else alive
• Skills - Engineer - This guy doesn't get involved in the fight much, so give him low damage and low armour. But he builds useful stuff for every one else. Walls, turrets, alarm systems and the like. He can also do useful things like open doors or repair vehicles.

Other roles to consider might be based on stealth, mobility, transport, building, resource collection. Anything you like really.