what WOULD be your favorite game?

[ChrisGwinn]

Start with Freedom Force and combine equal parts of GTA and Xcom with dashes of The Sims 2 and fallout 2. I don't think I've ever need another game.

Use the toilet quickly, Mr Impossible! We need to steal a car and get to the vault to stop Time Master.

I'd totally play that.

[razgon]

I find it amusing that, when asked about the ultimate game, this bunch of people who gripe about the death of innovation happily come up with "cross Game A with Game B on the Game C engine."

The perfect meal would, ultimately, be composed of parts of other meals...

[JSHAW]

Late to the party, I just read the thread, so here goes;

I guess because I have "War of the Worlds" on my mind this would be my game;

The player is in the role of an alien, like the typical Area-51 grey. You would have alien technology at your disposal which you'd use to land undetected on a variety of planets, including earth. If you didn't use the tech properly you'd give the host planet time to locate and possible grab you, your alien UFO and possibly keeping you from completing your mission, which is the total destruction of life on the planet so your alien race can take over the planet and use it's resources, including humans for whatever purposes they see fit.

In the game you as the alien would have the ability to fly a UFO craft, abduct humans and cattle, perform alien experiments/probe's on your abductee, fight and destroy military personnel whose missions would range from capture alive or seek & destroy the alien invaders. Other alien missions would be recon in order to advance the invasion of the planet from other alien troops waiting on the mothership hovering above the planet. Want to get your freak-on with a human woman and impregnate her with some alien/human hybrid babies and see them grow up in test tubes then burst out of the tube when their time arrives to do so, it would be in the game. Want to use your Alien fleet and incinerate the White House like in Independence Day? In the game also. Want to hijack the international space station and blow up a space shuttle or two? In the game. Target some U.S spy satellites to divert attention away from your landing on the White House lawn? In the game. Destroy ALL the land based telescopes to prevent from being spotted, in the game.

My game would use the Grand Theft Auto engine/design which would allow the same range of gameplay which would be a wide open storyline that can branch off into 2-3 different storylines, to roaming the country and cities intent on doing whatever it is that you as the Alien being want to do. Just like in GTA if you want to walk, run, fly, it's in the game.

Multiplayer component would include the ability to play any number of different Alien races or be on the Military UFO recovery team, which recovery isn't the only thing on their mind.

Add-on expansion would include a Military component that allows the player to take on the role of the commander of a UFO crash/recovery unit and a multitude of missions would be available that would be extra and not included in the original release of the game.

That's my game.

I know right now there's a game called "Destroy All Humans", and I don't know how close it is to what my concept is, I haven't played console games in about 2 years.

[ChrisGwinn]

Destroy All Humans is moderately close. It doesn't have a branching storyline, and you can't go everywhere. You can mutilate cows. I'd say it's fairly close in vision, but falls fall short of what you want in execution.

[Kraken]

I find it amusing that, when asked about the ultimate game, this bunch of people who gripe about the death of innovation happily come up with "cross Game A with Game B on the Game C engine."

Easier to explain in conversation.

...which is one reason publishers take the same approach. The sales rep gets 30 seconds maximum to pitch each new product to a buyer who probably isn't a gamer.

[Caine]

star flightt2 ship/crew mechanics + I-war 2 flight engine + ground based fps exploration/combat (similar to boiling point) with resource harvesting and crafting. throw in a little X2 fleet ownership/management, and you have me enthralled.

i would totally dig the mech rpg, alien invasion, and ofp/rtw game.

it is funny, but during an ongoing survey that i have been a part of for a supposed opflash 2, many scenarios have been offered which are quite similar to what people are asking for here. seems some of the developers think like we do about what makes a perfect game.

ibh, i would settle for a sea dogs/morrowind trading game set in the islands ala pirates. if potc had been the game it should have been, it would have been what i wanted.

[DArtagnan]

Emphasis on innovation is not vital to a quality title.

That’s how I feel about it anyway.

But as with most things, innovation shouldn’t be handled only in extremes. I mean, familiar features can be innovated without the game itself becoming innovative. Actually, the way in which you implement features can be considered innovation by itself.

To demonstrate my point, I’ll use something I heard about once. Don’t know who did the research, of if it’s even accurate, but someone once stated that there existed only 7 basic plots in all the history of storytelling. Don’t remember what those plots were called, but apparently every single book, movie or other storydriven piece of entertainment could easily be traced back to one of these plots. I think we can all agree that there are more than 7 good books out there…

Now, that’s not exactly evidence, but it does serve to bring my point across. I’d rather have developers worry about perfecting established ideas, because I believe there is a good reason those ideas were established in the first place. Developers who go out of their way to seem original, usually tend to forget the basics. Peter Molyneux is a good example, in my opinion at least.

On the other hand, I’m equally opposed to blindly plagiarizing other games, without at least significantly improving upon them. FATE would be a good example, even if it’s technically very well done, and had a most impressive development time cycle. It’s still obscenely derivative.

Naturally, I’m just as happy as everyone else when a developer comes up with a genuinely original idea, as long as it works, and works better than if they used an already established idea. Which is very, very rare indeed.

To sum up: Be innovative, be creative, but please don’t lose focus doing it.

[Alefroth]

I'd be happy to play razgon's game.

For years, I've picked away at a design for a space exploration and development game. It starts out with real historical conditions at the close of WW2, and slowly progresses thru the Space Age to near-future technologies and programs and on into science fiction. It is highly realistic and contains no (or extremely limited) combat. You're the director of a quasi-NASA organization. You carry out high-level policy directives set by your government (a semi-randomized AI working within historical parameters). You have to cope with budget fluctuations, unstable international agreements, technological failures, and random political and economic events; your long-range goal is to transform your government agency into a semi-independent corporation (like a defense contractor), and ultimately to build a profitable space infrastructure that can sustain itself without government contracts. Each nation's government type influences its budget and planning process, and of course your agency's successes and failures feed back into political support for your agenda. It is basically a business sim with lots of exploration, real historical events, and strong political overtones.

Unfortunately, with no combat and precious few explosions, nobody would buy it. It's the kind of game only a micromanager would love.

I'd play your game, Ironrod. I still have fond memories of Earth Orbit Station. However, the one I'd really like to see is-

A 1st person Traveller RPG with a spaceflight component.

Ale

[Torfish]

This thread is awesome. I saved the link. Everyone has great ideas. I have read though them three times now.

Being very general here, but my dream game would be to take the scripting from a Bioware game (like BG 2), Diablo's 2 loot/skill tree system, Fallout's character interactions with it's deep NPCs, and Planscapes Torment's story writing.

If I was a developer, I would bank some of these ideas.

[Beergut]

A single-player Magic: the Gathering with a decent AI and all the cards/expansions. I would pay anything for that...

[Grifman]

Ok, I've got several:

1) A sci-fi RPG. You are mercenary/rogue commander of a small/medium ship and crew (not a fighter!) and a team of mercs. Missions are space based and terrestrial based. You have a double skill tree - one for space, one for planetside. Along with character development you'd be outfitting your crew and ship with all sorts of goodies, maybe even buying a new ship every once in awhile. You travel from system to system taking whatever missions intrigue you though there is a central plot. The game would be isometric (like Fallout) for planetside, TB combat, as that's the best way to control multiple party members IMO. Space combat would be 3d like HW with boarding actions (then shifts to isometric again inside the ship). There would be tons of factions, wild aliens (some perhaps in your crew depending upon who you recruit), lots of political stuff to consider.

2) An RPG/FPS in a post apocalyptic world, a cross between System Shock 2, Deus Ex and Fallout. Solo, no party members, except maybe a dog, though you could get temporary allies on particular quests. Nothing really new unique here, just an evolution refinement of several similar games.

3) A Western RPG. You start out as a young man heading west to seek your fortune. From there you could be/do anything - a trapper in the mountains, a scout for the army, a marshall for a small western town, the leader of an outlaw band, a cattle rustler, a hired gun for some big rancher, a professional gunfighter, a miner, maybe even adopted into an Indian tribe, etc. or any combination of them as you criss cross the West for 30 or 40 years.

There would be major events linked to actual historical events that perhaps you could play some part in - as a scout can you convince Custer that an attack would be suicidal? Could you bring peace between the US govt and the Sioux - or do you sell guns and liquor to the Indians and make a profit off the fighting? Could you help Wyatt Earp clean up Tombstone - or help the Clantons take over? Maybe you help establish the Oregon Trail by scouting for one of the first wagon trains? Are you the one that discovers gold in CA? Can you rescue the Donner Party? Could you track and kill Billy the Kid or Jesse James? Do you help start the Pony Express?

You'd have a wide skill tree with all the various professions noted above, lots of different choices of dress, various type of weapons (starting with late rifled muskets and early Colts to Sharps carbines, Henry and Winchester rifles, Colt Peacemakers, etc. There would be various types of HORSES with RIDING (why don't fantasy RPGs put you on a horse, why do you have to walk everywhere?)

[Victoria Raverna]

A Real time adventure game where you play a recently departed soul who are tasked to help some lost people to repent and found God so that he/she can earn a place in heaven.

Each mission focus on a specific person and you have to manipulate situation to make this person decide to stop being bad and come back to God. And because of free will and all, you can't force the person. The person has to choose himself to become good to count.

Example of the missions:

1. Some poor person is tempted to rob a shop to feed his family.
2. An ex-police spend the last few years to track down the murderer of his family. Now that he find the murderer, he decide to kill in revenge.
3. Save a certain famous actor from a manipulative cult.
4. Bonus mission: Help the cardinals to vote for the right person to become the next Pope.

That'll be the ultimate game and good practice in case we need to earn our place in heaven.

[Kaigen]

Another idea, although much simpler than my previous one: Take Splinter Cell's production values, polish and the mobility of the main character and marry that to Thief's artistry and atmosphere. Also, take Thief's open level design and open it up even further. With a more mobile character, don't limit where the player can go. Make each level a completely open and explorable environment with multiple entrys and all that.

You'd never need another stealth game.

[RodeoRanch]

Ok, I've got several:

3) A Western RPG. You start out as a young man heading west to seek your fortune. From there you could be/do anything - a trapper in the mountains, a scout for the army, a marshall for a small western town, the leader of an outlaw band, a cattle rustler, a hired gun for some big rancher, a professional gunfighter, a miner, maybe even adopted into an Indian tribe, etc. or any combination of them as you criss cross the West for 30 or 40 years.

There would be major events linked to actual historical events that perhaps you could play some part in - as a scout can you convince Custer that an attack would be suicidal? Could you bring peace between the US govt and the Sioux - or do you sell guns and liquor to the Indians and make a profit off the fighting? Could you help Wyatt Earp clean up Tombstone - or help the Clantons take over? Maybe you help establish the Oregon Trail by scouting for one of the first wagon trains? Are you the one that discovers gold in CA? Can you rescue the Donner Party? Could you track and kill Billy the Kid or Jesse James? Do you help start the Pony Express?

You'd have a wide skill tree with all the various professions noted above, lots of different choices of dress, various type of weapons (starting with late rifled muskets and early Colts to Sharps carbines, Henry and Winchester rifles, Colt Peacemakers, etc. There would be various types of HORSES with RIDING (why don't fantasy RPGs put you on a horse, why do you have to walk everywhere?)

I want!

[schandorff]

Hey Madsen

vil lige hilse på ...

Så er jeg med i forrumet og må hellere finde min dansk , engelsk ordbøger frem...*g*

snakkes

[razgon]

Hey Madsen

vil lige hilse på ...

Så er jeg med i forrumet og må hellere finde min dansk , engelsk ordbøger frem...*g*

snakkes

Thanks Mr. Schandorff for that quaint observation...sorry about that guys - he's new to the whole Fora experience

[DArtagnan]

Hold da op, er her virkelig mere end en enkelt dansker?

[razgon]

Hold da op, er her virkelig mere end en enkelt dansker?

Hele 3 stks ihvertfald

[McBa1n]

I have a ton of dream games, but off the top of my head, the following would be truly great:

A CRPG with the following features:

The scope and basic gameplay of an Elderscrolls game

1st and 3rd person perspective.
Exploration emphasis.
Freedom and non-linearity.
Real-time combat with player and character skill carrying equal weight.
The sheer scope and size.

The richness and rewards of the D&D 3.5 ruleset

Naturally, modified to be feasible in real-time.
No other system is more rewarding, and every single level gained is significant.

The loot system of Diablo 2

The sheer variety and balance of power in this system is totally unsurpassed.

The dungeon design of System Shock/Ultima Underworld

The level of immersion and detail is still unmatched.

The polish, balance, and production values of a Blizzard game

They know what they’re doing like no other company out there.

The Unreal 3.0 engine

Though Oblivion looks very impressive, I still think a succesful implementation of the next generation Unreal engine would surpass it by quite a bit.

The cinematic feel of an Origin game

I’m thinking in particular of the old Wing Commander games,

The writing of whoever did Bioforge

Don’t know who the writer was, but it still remains in memory as the most brilliant and mature writing I’ve encountered in a game as of yet.

Small-scale cooperative multiplayer

2-8 players. This is a particularly vital feature and a thoroughly succesful implementation in a game like this has yet to be done.

I nominate your game - but I think it also needs just one minor addition:
'fighting styles' other than just 'swing sword'. I don't know a comparable game off hand, but darnit - there's got to be one more complex at that than say... Die By the Sword or Dungeon Lords or something...