I'm thinking of a game not unlike World War Zero: Ironstorm.
Quite simply what if a war, similar to the first world war, never ended.
As time goes by war changes, as do the tools and tactics, and the player is never sure when their understanding of how things work will have to evolve. Time skips are used to allow significant advances to be introduced to the player but they always play as a descendant of either the original protagonist or another character they encountered to maintain a familiar feel.
This is not a game to be played, but experienced; it would be unafraid to leave the player facing insurmountable odds or trapped in some quasi-futuristic foxhole for potentially minutes as bizarre artillery rages overhead. Most importantly there would be a mode that meant that any death for the player ended their tenure in that period; death would be permanent and the story would adjust accordingly. Thus the player witnesses the descent of mankind into absolute barbarism despite all the "advanced", weaponry at his disposal through the degeneration of language, custom and appearance.
When the conclusion appears to have been reached, the final assault upon your enemy's headquarters, the player would be abducted by generic aliens and forced to face trial as a representative of humanity in an equivalent of the Hague's war crimes court.
The player would be allowed to admit guilt for his race's barbarism or defiantly claim innocence; depending on the choice made the game would have one of two endings.
Guilt: The beings berate the main character, unable to understand how his race could destroy themselves while still comprehending the impact of their actions. Returned to a post-apocalyptic wasteland not unlike the moonscapes of the battlefields of world war one the player finds himself alone with nothing but a pistol and a single round. Eyes flooding with tears the player is shown a constant stream of images of all the killing he has done as every playable character until you personally pull the trigger.
Innocence: The beings are disappointed but not surprised. Mankind is stricken from the records of intelligent life, nothing but beasts that thought they were gods. The player is returned to the game the very instant they left and personally executes the entire enemy command even as they surrender. The "victors", celebrate, the war is won. Cue patriotic speeches from your compatriots about rebuilding civilisation anew.
The camera draws back from the scene as mournful music plays gradually drawing back showing the remains of the shattered Earth on a greater scale until the planet itself is shown from space, its very surface blackened and charred by the ravages of war.
The Earth fades to black.
Another gunshot rings out.
Quite simply what if a war, similar to the first world war, never ended.
As time goes by war changes, as do the tools and tactics, and the player is never sure when their understanding of how things work will have to evolve. Time skips are used to allow significant advances to be introduced to the player but they always play as a descendant of either the original protagonist or another character they encountered to maintain a familiar feel.
This is not a game to be played, but experienced; it would be unafraid to leave the player facing insurmountable odds or trapped in some quasi-futuristic foxhole for potentially minutes as bizarre artillery rages overhead. Most importantly there would be a mode that meant that any death for the player ended their tenure in that period; death would be permanent and the story would adjust accordingly. Thus the player witnesses the descent of mankind into absolute barbarism despite all the "advanced", weaponry at his disposal through the degeneration of language, custom and appearance.
When the conclusion appears to have been reached, the final assault upon your enemy's headquarters, the player would be abducted by generic aliens and forced to face trial as a representative of humanity in an equivalent of the Hague's war crimes court.
The player would be allowed to admit guilt for his race's barbarism or defiantly claim innocence; depending on the choice made the game would have one of two endings.
Guilt: The beings berate the main character, unable to understand how his race could destroy themselves while still comprehending the impact of their actions. Returned to a post-apocalyptic wasteland not unlike the moonscapes of the battlefields of world war one the player finds himself alone with nothing but a pistol and a single round. Eyes flooding with tears the player is shown a constant stream of images of all the killing he has done as every playable character until you personally pull the trigger.
Innocence: The beings are disappointed but not surprised. Mankind is stricken from the records of intelligent life, nothing but beasts that thought they were gods. The player is returned to the game the very instant they left and personally executes the entire enemy command even as they surrender. The "victors", celebrate, the war is won. Cue patriotic speeches from your compatriots about rebuilding civilisation anew.
The camera draws back from the scene as mournful music plays gradually drawing back showing the remains of the shattered Earth on a greater scale until the planet itself is shown from space, its very surface blackened and charred by the ravages of war.
The Earth fades to black.
Another gunshot rings out.
But yeah, that's a great idea. I love the Tuf stories. Or even something like Dying of the Light (which I think is the same setting, but more serious).
