Edit:
Okay, after fleshing out my ideas some during the course of this thread, I've refined some of my ideas and scrapped others. I'd like to take a minute to personally thank everyone that's contributed, because you've really helped me turn this random idea of mine into something that I'm going to try my best to bring into existence. Now enough gushing...
My original idea of Runes has been somewhat replaced with a general concept of Magic. The game would start out as I planned, giving you control over a handful of meagerly powered, magically infused Runes. It is from these Runes that the player would begin to plan out how he'd want to play this young sorcerer. The Magic Sword summoning [Slash] Rune would allow for short range hack and slash combat, the basic [Fire] rune would allow for medium range blasting, and the [Arrow] rune would would provide long range sniping of enemies. In addition to Rune based combat, I'm also providing a passive use for your Runes in the form of Etching. You can Etch the runes onto yourself (Or your Robe) and perhaps on whatever weapon I make available. Etching these Runes would either give you a slight resistance to whatever offensive Rune you etch, like Fire; or would provide a smaller bonus to your stats than actively using it, like Speed. Etching them onto your weapon would obviously imbue that effect to your strikes.
After a certain period in the game, you gain access to natural magic. The Natural versions of the spells were inspired by TsunamiWombat's post at the end of this page. These spells are raw, wild, highly effective versions of the spells you've already been casting. This form of the spells would drain the Rune itself, rendering it unusable for a brief time. This would be a slightly longer recharge period after you exhaust the Rune through normal use. The Natural form would also require a fully charged Rune, i.e you haven't used it since the last recharge. I'm also sticking with my idea of mixing Runes for different magical effects. That will also help to balance out the Rune vs. Natural forms of magic, as natural magic is stuck with a single (albeit large and flashy) effect. The combining aspect will likely become the biggest hurdle in my way, but likely the most rewarding. I don't know if it would be better to have a on/off switch in your equipment screen ala Twilight Princess or if I should try to implement it on the fly by hitting two buttons at the same time while you cast your spell. Either way, with dozens of spells and likely hundreds of combinations (as I'm trying my best to make most runes, at least to some extent, able to combine with each other) this is going to be biggest mechanic I'd need to work on.
The gist of the plot would be that Magic has been generally frowned upon for the past several hundred years and that anyone that shows signs of being able to use it is very promptly snuffed out. You (quite obviously, if you've been paying attention) fill the magical boots of a young, newly gifted sorcerer. And by newly gifted, I mean as you and your gypsy relatives are carting their caravan of trinkets over a mountainside, you bumble your way over the edge and a burst of magical energy cushions your fall. You wake up to the care of an old hermit, whom at the last knows quite a bit abut magic, and at the most is likely a sorcerer like you. He mentions to you, after tending to your wounds, that the curious birthmark on your shoulder is, in fact, a Rune of protection that someone etched into you. He briefly trains you in magic, and sets you off on your own with naught but a handful of cheap runes, and a new red robe to find your family. You stumble around, trying to find your way, as you slowly learn of the shape of the world outside the countryside and decide it's pretty crappy and get a vague sense that you should do something about it. As far as who or what the cause of the crappiness is, I haven't come up with just yet, but I'll update more as the plot fleshes itself out.
As for gameplay, instead of describing every little detail at this point, I'll ask you to simply use your Gamer imaginations and imagine a cross between Fable, Twilight Princess, Golden Sun, and Oblivion. Odds are you've played at least two of those games.
To anyone that's been contributing ideas or suggestions, please reference this post for any further advice, and thank you for anything further you might add.
Okay, after fleshing out my ideas some during the course of this thread, I've refined some of my ideas and scrapped others. I'd like to take a minute to personally thank everyone that's contributed, because you've really helped me turn this random idea of mine into something that I'm going to try my best to bring into existence. Now enough gushing...
My original idea of Runes has been somewhat replaced with a general concept of Magic. The game would start out as I planned, giving you control over a handful of meagerly powered, magically infused Runes. It is from these Runes that the player would begin to plan out how he'd want to play this young sorcerer. The Magic Sword summoning [Slash] Rune would allow for short range hack and slash combat, the basic [Fire] rune would allow for medium range blasting, and the [Arrow] rune would would provide long range sniping of enemies. In addition to Rune based combat, I'm also providing a passive use for your Runes in the form of Etching. You can Etch the runes onto yourself (Or your Robe) and perhaps on whatever weapon I make available. Etching these Runes would either give you a slight resistance to whatever offensive Rune you etch, like Fire; or would provide a smaller bonus to your stats than actively using it, like Speed. Etching them onto your weapon would obviously imbue that effect to your strikes.
After a certain period in the game, you gain access to natural magic. The Natural versions of the spells were inspired by TsunamiWombat's post at the end of this page. These spells are raw, wild, highly effective versions of the spells you've already been casting. This form of the spells would drain the Rune itself, rendering it unusable for a brief time. This would be a slightly longer recharge period after you exhaust the Rune through normal use. The Natural form would also require a fully charged Rune, i.e you haven't used it since the last recharge. I'm also sticking with my idea of mixing Runes for different magical effects. That will also help to balance out the Rune vs. Natural forms of magic, as natural magic is stuck with a single (albeit large and flashy) effect. The combining aspect will likely become the biggest hurdle in my way, but likely the most rewarding. I don't know if it would be better to have a on/off switch in your equipment screen ala Twilight Princess or if I should try to implement it on the fly by hitting two buttons at the same time while you cast your spell. Either way, with dozens of spells and likely hundreds of combinations (as I'm trying my best to make most runes, at least to some extent, able to combine with each other) this is going to be biggest mechanic I'd need to work on.
The gist of the plot would be that Magic has been generally frowned upon for the past several hundred years and that anyone that shows signs of being able to use it is very promptly snuffed out. You (quite obviously, if you've been paying attention) fill the magical boots of a young, newly gifted sorcerer. And by newly gifted, I mean as you and your gypsy relatives are carting their caravan of trinkets over a mountainside, you bumble your way over the edge and a burst of magical energy cushions your fall. You wake up to the care of an old hermit, whom at the last knows quite a bit abut magic, and at the most is likely a sorcerer like you. He mentions to you, after tending to your wounds, that the curious birthmark on your shoulder is, in fact, a Rune of protection that someone etched into you. He briefly trains you in magic, and sets you off on your own with naught but a handful of cheap runes, and a new red robe to find your family. You stumble around, trying to find your way, as you slowly learn of the shape of the world outside the countryside and decide it's pretty crappy and get a vague sense that you should do something about it. As far as who or what the cause of the crappiness is, I haven't come up with just yet, but I'll update more as the plot fleshes itself out.
As for gameplay, instead of describing every little detail at this point, I'll ask you to simply use your Gamer imaginations and imagine a cross between Fable, Twilight Princess, Golden Sun, and Oblivion. Odds are you've played at least two of those games.
To anyone that's been contributing ideas or suggestions, please reference this post for any further advice, and thank you for anything further you might add.
