Knights of the Old Republic 2 meets Final Fantasy X meets Planescape:Torment. It would be written by Obsidian, the level design would be the guy who did Dear Esther x10 with some of the Naughty Dog guys and someone with creativity and vision (I'm not sure who I'd pick for this, The Elder Scrolls are too dull and normal for my tastes, I want something like the vibrance and creativity of FFX but without a weird mishmash of technologies that makes no sense). I don't really care who does the gameplay, but it has to be under Obsidians direction because Obsidian are really good at tying it into the story. Unsure for music too.
-----------------------------------------
So what would it look like?
Overview
Party-based turn-based RPG (maybe similar to KotoR 2 but requiring more variety than normal attacks) in a semi-open world with a fairly linear storyline and predetermined main character, but some player choice in each mini-scenario.
Main character
Levelling mechanics symbolise character growth and becoming more experienced- Lots of RPGs forget why they have them which is bad game design, for example in Mass Effect, the levelling does nothing in terms of story (it actually contradicts it, Shepard is meant to be a badass from the beginning), this is a huge mistake.
So my ideas is:
Main character was a general in a fated calamitous battle, was gravely wounded and slunk into the shadows till people would barely recognise him. Story is about learning to stop retreating, regaining what you once had and having the confidence to strike out in the world again, confronting old decisions and being proactive after a setback.
This ties in well with the party-based system, because the general is afraid of the way he inspired people before and reconnecting with others and trusting himself to lead people once again is an important part of his character arc. Gameplay=Story
Gameplay
The party influence system from KotoR 2. This is the most important part. Any other way is crud (particular the Bioware method). Characters judge your actions and what you say to them through their own personal viewpoint and relate with you depending on that. If the character is highly moral and you go around slaughtering children, they will not trust you. The way to gain their trust is to be good to other people and they will take note and respect you for it.
I want a large dialogue focus. A lot of the gameplay should be learning things and solving problems and talking to people. (Like the first half of Planescape Torment). Lots of settlements each representing their own little unique viewpoints and ideologies in the wider conflict. The skills and attributes you choose have an effect on what dialogue you pick and the dialogue is sorted in a more meaningful way than 'good/bad', you have to pay attention to what you're saying to get your way (similar in design to Deus Ex:Human Revolution or Alpha Protocol, but with the KotoR 2 interface so we get more than a standard 4 options). Most of the game wouldn't be voiced, only key dialogue, and often only the first line to give flavour. Maybe voice with the main bad guy.
Combat I care the least about. Since the guy is an ex-general it should be strategic. KotoR 2 of FFX would suit me fine.
Story outline/Themes
The main themes would be:
1. Dealing with loss and mistakes
2. How much should we be involved and how?
So lots of tragedy and setbacks, lots of questions about when do we have the right to intervene? When do we have a duty to intervene? How guilty are we if we don't do something to help? (ties into the first theme)
The main character was a man who was once very passionate, he believed in what he was doing and followed orders and led other people and ultimately got them killed. He's scared of touching or influencing other people again and has spent his years in hiding, but whilst he's sat back, things have gone wrong. A person he once knew and came to oppose believes in helping others, but he doesn't do it with respect to who they are and is inactive when their business doesn't directly concern him. He's become ruler (after helping with a genuine problem) and people are dying around him because of them.
Something personal happens to the general to shake his way out of his old life. The problems come to the village he was hiding in and people die maybe. He goes out into the world guided by people, but grudgingly, not sure how much influence he has. As he travels through the empire he sees more and more of the life around him and gathers more people to him and begins changing things again until eventually he challenges the corrupt person and stuff happens and emotions are twanged and things are resolved etc. He can't be outright cruel to people, but he can be detached and disinterested, pushing people away or letting himself get to involved and things will diverge based on these decisions.
Setting
Some sort of fantasy medeival world makes best sense with the general arc, I want it to feel very different and less normal fantasy inspired than most, something more akin to FFX's setting, with lots of very different places and cultures
-----------------------------------------
So what would it look like?
Overview
Party-based turn-based RPG (maybe similar to KotoR 2 but requiring more variety than normal attacks) in a semi-open world with a fairly linear storyline and predetermined main character, but some player choice in each mini-scenario.
Main character
Levelling mechanics symbolise character growth and becoming more experienced- Lots of RPGs forget why they have them which is bad game design, for example in Mass Effect, the levelling does nothing in terms of story (it actually contradicts it, Shepard is meant to be a badass from the beginning), this is a huge mistake.
So my ideas is:
Main character was a general in a fated calamitous battle, was gravely wounded and slunk into the shadows till people would barely recognise him. Story is about learning to stop retreating, regaining what you once had and having the confidence to strike out in the world again, confronting old decisions and being proactive after a setback.
This ties in well with the party-based system, because the general is afraid of the way he inspired people before and reconnecting with others and trusting himself to lead people once again is an important part of his character arc. Gameplay=Story
Gameplay
The party influence system from KotoR 2. This is the most important part. Any other way is crud (particular the Bioware method). Characters judge your actions and what you say to them through their own personal viewpoint and relate with you depending on that. If the character is highly moral and you go around slaughtering children, they will not trust you. The way to gain their trust is to be good to other people and they will take note and respect you for it.
I want a large dialogue focus. A lot of the gameplay should be learning things and solving problems and talking to people. (Like the first half of Planescape Torment). Lots of settlements each representing their own little unique viewpoints and ideologies in the wider conflict. The skills and attributes you choose have an effect on what dialogue you pick and the dialogue is sorted in a more meaningful way than 'good/bad', you have to pay attention to what you're saying to get your way (similar in design to Deus Ex:Human Revolution or Alpha Protocol, but with the KotoR 2 interface so we get more than a standard 4 options). Most of the game wouldn't be voiced, only key dialogue, and often only the first line to give flavour. Maybe voice with the main bad guy.
Combat I care the least about. Since the guy is an ex-general it should be strategic. KotoR 2 of FFX would suit me fine.
Story outline/Themes
The main themes would be:
1. Dealing with loss and mistakes
2. How much should we be involved and how?
So lots of tragedy and setbacks, lots of questions about when do we have the right to intervene? When do we have a duty to intervene? How guilty are we if we don't do something to help? (ties into the first theme)
The main character was a man who was once very passionate, he believed in what he was doing and followed orders and led other people and ultimately got them killed. He's scared of touching or influencing other people again and has spent his years in hiding, but whilst he's sat back, things have gone wrong. A person he once knew and came to oppose believes in helping others, but he doesn't do it with respect to who they are and is inactive when their business doesn't directly concern him. He's become ruler (after helping with a genuine problem) and people are dying around him because of them.
Something personal happens to the general to shake his way out of his old life. The problems come to the village he was hiding in and people die maybe. He goes out into the world guided by people, but grudgingly, not sure how much influence he has. As he travels through the empire he sees more and more of the life around him and gathers more people to him and begins changing things again until eventually he challenges the corrupt person and stuff happens and emotions are twanged and things are resolved etc. He can't be outright cruel to people, but he can be detached and disinterested, pushing people away or letting himself get to involved and things will diverge based on these decisions.
Setting
Some sort of fantasy medeival world makes best sense with the general arc, I want it to feel very different and less normal fantasy inspired than most, something more akin to FFX's setting, with lots of very different places and cultures
