Your great gaming idea(s)

[Andy Shandy]

I know that we are a place full of opinions on some of gaming companies' ideas but what I'd like to know is what idea(s) does The Escapist have, that they would like to see implemented?

It can be as narrow or as wide-ranging as you want, it can be an idea for a game, for hardware on anything in between.

Now I suppose I should start with my idea, which I'll admit is rather narrow, considering this idea will only work on the Wii U (and to be fair, I've also said this exact idea around the forums before, but hey, it inspired a thread)

Does everyone remember the Game Boy Player for the Gamecube? Well assuming not everyone does, it was an attachment to the Gamecube that allowed you to play your Game Boy, Game Boy Colour and Game Boy Advance games on your TV.

What I would like to see Nintendo do is make a "DS Player" in the same sort of vein for the Wii U. Same sort of deal as the GB Player, an attachment for the Wii U, that allows you to play your DS games, but with the Gamepad as your touch screen (meaning this wasn't really possible before the Wii U)

Personally, I know I'd definitely buy one, and I think plenty of others would do as well. Maybe not a system seller, but definitely something plenty of people would buy when/if they got one.

So now I'm shared my perfect/great/good/ok/bad/terrible/awful idea, let's hear what you've got, Escapists.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I posted a really long-winded explanation of my ideal Superman game a couple of weeks ago. Here are some bullet points:

*Superman doesn't have a health bar or hit points but Metropolis does
*Metropolis has a SHITLOAD of health: You could nuke downtown and not completely destroy the city so long as a few buildings left over
*The city will slowly regenerate HP over time, the better its health the faster it can 'rebuild'
*Encounters are random and triggered through Superman's super hearing (cries for help, the crunch of a crumbling bridge, gunshots, children crying because their cats are stuck in trees, etc)
*Completing simpler/smaller scaled missions unlocks greater crisis/problems. Brainiac won't just show up on day one but you might still have to put out house fires in between Toy Man Mechs and, Metallo attacks
*All of Sup's abilities, attacks, etc will have a meter mechanic that works similarly to those in golf games meaning...
*If you use a full-strength punch on a bank robber, it will send his corpse several miles downtown and damage every building said perp flies through. A rabbit-punch however will do nothing to Darkseid.
*Similarly, if you're flying at full-speed and suddenly stop it will cause a damaging sonic boom which could kill people and damage buildings.
*Going back to buildings being damaged, think Red Faction Guerrilla: Light damage to a building would be its windows being blown out. Medium Damage could be entire floors having been destroyed and critical damage would be the building engulfed in flames up to the building finally crumbling to the ground (this will damage other buildings of course)
*The game would center around and focus upon Metropolis exclusively but of course, it's a huge city
*The game is only truly over if the city itself is completely destroyed or, every citizen is killed (you can always check the census in a menu, same with over-all City health)

---

I think Superman on the original Xbox had some of these mechanics (like Metropolis taking damage instead of Superman).

There should also be a console version of the Jump Stars series. Super and Ultimate Stars are DS exclusives and I would love to play this on the Wii U.

 

[Esotera]

I'm currently trying to make a game called Velociraptor Attack, which is ultimately going to be some form of RPG where you have to fend off velociraptors in an apocalyptic world who rather predictably, attack you.

Anyway, I just want to be able to mount a diplodocus and shoot arrows from its back while it charges. If I (or someone else) manage that I will die a happy man.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well if they weren't stuck in two decades ago this can simply be done with emulators (which already exist for every Nintendo console), so not only could you make DS/3DS games work but also anything else they made sofar and the only attachment needed is a cartridge reader.

And honestly this should be a serious consideration now that they are stranded without games.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Sounds good, I barely remember GBA Player but the Super Game Boy was like that and it was pretty fun, especially now that the portable games have developed their own separate identities instead of a lot of the them being just lesser clones of a non-portable game.

From a similar topic on fresh RPG Settings:
'This one isn't exactly new, but it's been a long while since the debut of Bahamut Lagoon on the SNES. T'was a turn-based strategy game, but I felt the main gameplay element of each major character having a pet dragon that they could ride would lend itself better to an aerial combat game with RPG elements. Lagoon's world was almost entirely set in a collection of floating continents orbiting a destroyed Earth including many which could move such as your home base.

Plotwise, I would make the dragons far more active comrades, likely being the closest personal friend of their respective riders with voices, personalities, and relationship values of their own. Them being that intelligent also opens up the debate of how moral it is to tame such majestic creatures as pets, but the practise is well-entrenched not only for warfare but any kind of transport outside of fragile, flammable airships that you can easily blow up during missions. You can also have powerful feral dragons and perhaps a PETA-style faction seeking to end all human-dragon interaction regardless of how it would cripple human society.

While this is all going on, there's a more traditional rebellion your characters have been hired to take part in to gain independence for an oppressed nation, and eventually stumbling upon a secret that may be the key to revitalizing the world of ruin below.'

Adding a bit more, Lagoon allowed dragons to change form and stats depending on what gear/items they were fed. To avoid the problems most real-time RPG AIs have (as well as my favourite air combat game Star Fox 64), allow the player to switch control of party members at any time, so that the number of dragon riders in your party is sort of like extra lives (not sure if having resurrection spells would work). While I wouldn't go so far as to make it like Persona, definitely allow the character's relationship values with their dragons to affect powers and transformations, with them acting as either close friends or foils to each other, the dragon sometimes acting as a soundboard for things about the character they would not confess to anyone else, and have at least one villainous dragon rider with a similar relationship.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

I would like to see a real-time RPG/strategy game based on nWoD Werewolf: the Forsaken TTG. Have a medium sized town with packs. You create a Wolfblood (And choose what Auspice you will First Change under) and you spend the tutorial in a fortnight in your simulated life (based on how you created your character) ... where your character skills and attribute selections divines one of four paths your wolfblood takes over those weeks where you feel yourself descending into the madness.

How you play that character over two weeks will determine what pack claims and bites you to initiate you into the ranks of whatever Forsaken/Pure/Bale pack you are inducted into.

As the Turtorial ends, the game opens up into a two-world sandbox game. Where you have Loci, Flesh side, and the Hisil (The Shadow, a place where the ephemera of Spirits based on the constituents of the Flesh (and vice versa) are mirrored to maddening, dangerous, supernatural degrees ...

By completing tasks for your Alpha you raise up the pack hierarchy, until you can choose (when you think you are strong enough) to overthrow the Alpha and establish yourself as pack leader. You fight spirits, police the Border Marches like Father Wolf decree, fend off other Werewolves from your territory, all while making sure 'The Herd (regular humans) must never know (About Werewolves or Spirits)'.

You can have the occasional vampire elimination quest, or hunter neutralization quest ... other Supernatural entities in the WOrld of Darkness Universe ... but the prevailing theme and setting is violent, dark and gothic story telling.

Have equal diaspora of Mental, physical and Social challenges to face. Become a stronger werewolf ... all the perks of Shapeshifting. Using Gifts, and creating klaives and fetishes (if suitably skilled)...

How does that sound?

 

[MindFragged]

snip

I like your ideas, but I'm not sure how'd you'd put structure into those slightly randomised mechanics.

My own idea? A comedic series of games made by an auteur indie game designer with an over-inflated sense of his own talent and importance. Think Garth Marenghi's Darkplace but through a series of short platform games that slowly reveal just how pathetic and yet egomaniacal their creator is. Throw in a dev blog from the guy for effect and to flesh out his character.

 

[Tom_green_day]

A first-person shooter. Set in a FANTASY SETTING. Yeah. Yeah. It'll be legen... Wait for it...
Because aren't you so sick of fantasy games where you have to wait to attack people when you're up close, or fire wooden projectiles that do barely any damage and have a crazy drop. Sick of all the random words that they make up and the way everything is a copy of Tolkein? Just grab an assault rifle and hop into Narnia for some fun!
...Dary.

 

[Siege_TF]

Mechanically something like Space Hulk except you are leading a team of grey-skinned bug-eyed aliens who abducted the wrong human, who for whatever reason escaped confinement and is running amok through the ship. Just imagine if it was a sumo wrestler; It'd be like Alien 1 or 3 except with a fat bastard in a thong terrorizing the hapless 'people'.

 

[rofltehcat]

I thought about a pvp puzzle game the other day. It would basically be a mixture of Go and Tetris and a little chess.
The two players would be able to select 3 or so different shapes/puzzle pieces. Those would be classic tetris bricks (used to secure/deny territory) but also "jumping" shapes like knights in chess (got empty tiles to jump over enemy lines) that would be used to flank and break enemy lines and capture/break them a bit like in Go (one start tile, one end tile, enemy tiles would maybe be changed into own tiles or destroyed if jumped over).
Players would for example want a small 1 or 2 tile piece to close gaps and prevent flanking/jumping shapes from jumping their line by blocking/denying their target tile for example. They'd also want a large piece that wouldn't fit into most gaps but would be used to capture large territories. And of course they'd want a line breaker.

Could maybe be combined with (when the basic design of the game is ready):
-resource system (high cost of very good pieces, low cost for standard/worse pieces so people couldn't spam good pieces/line breakers).
-hero/xp system
-"offmap" artillery to destroy some enemy tiles
-give units the look of actual soldiers etc. instead of just puzzle elements
-varying maps (random/procedural generation)
-special areas on maps (resource points, victory points, buffs?)

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Not exactly new, but would interest me. Since CoD2 (the WW2 fps that is better than any of there MW/Blops titles) i loved the open hub levels like clearing out a street of house. Storming the beaches and clearing out the machine gun nests and cliff top. Now i always wanted a larger scale version. When you have bigger maps, where you have a large area and have to make your own way through the level where there is multiple routes. Do you go through building? Gardens? Alleyways? Even make your own holes in walls to help navigate the bombed out area. At that time you are clearing buildings you have loads of computer generated soldiers both allies and enemies shooting and fighting around you. Planes dropping bombs and shooting bullets, tanks shooting each other and everything happening to change the scenery around you in real time and creating new ways through the level that on a previous playthrough wasnt there. Think of it like the battles in Saving Private Ryan....total un scripted chaos.

Now this is where i though with every new console would evolve to. Instead we get the same game as CoD2, just with better graphics. And anything new they do add is pointless. Like the wing suits in Mw/Blops i say in the advert. Great idea but pointless as the level is linear.

 

[go-10]

a 2D action adventure game called "The right to keep and bear arms" in the game you start as Mr.Regular and your family is kidnapped by hornets in Random City #4 you take the 2nd rulesofthecountryinwhichyoulivebutnotnececesarilyagreewith and you convince your neighbor to give you and bear arms.

Armed with your super human and abnormally strong bear arms you travel through 8 stages made of different sections of a city, except sewers, I hate sewer levels

each level has a hornet master with a specific weapon/element, upon killing them you can collect their weapon which can help you reach new areas, beat other hornet masters and/or make the game all around easier

in 4 of the levels there is 1 shark spirit, if you can find them they'll give you special shark armor, that when combined with your own bear powers turn you into the ultimate turtle form

at the end you go through 5 stages of increased difficulty where all of your powers are put to the test
in the end you kill the hornet queen and rescue your family and you get to keep your bear arms

 

[Matthew Abbott]

I posted a really long-winded explanation of my ideal Superman game a couple of weeks ago. Here are some bullet points:

*Superman doesn't have a health bar or hit points but Metropolis does
*Metropolis has a SHITLOAD of health: You could nuke downtown and not completely destroy the city so long as a few buildings left over
*The city will slowly regenerate HP over time, the better its health the faster it can 'rebuild'
*Encounters are random and triggered through Superman's super hearing (cries for help, the crunch of a crumbling bridge, gunshots, children crying because their cats are stuck in trees, etc)
*Completing simpler/smaller scaled missions unlocks greater crisis/problems. Brainiac won't just show up on day one but you might still have to put out house fires in between Toy Man Mechs and, Metallo attacks
*All of Sup's abilities, attacks, etc will have a meter mechanic that works similarly to those in golf games meaning...
*If you use a full-strength punch on a bank robber, it will send his corpse several miles downtown and damage every building said perp flies through. A rabbit-punch however will do nothing to Darkseid.
*Similarly, if you're flying at full-speed and suddenly stop it will cause a damaging sonic boom which could kill people and damage buildings.
*Going back to buildings being damaged, think Red Faction Guerrilla: Light damage to a building would be its windows being blown out. Medium Damage could be entire floors having been destroyed and critical damage would be the building engulfed in flames up to the building finally crumbling to the ground (this will damage other buildings of course)
*The game would center around and focus upon Metropolis exclusively but of course, it's a huge city
*The game is only truly over if the city itself is completely destroyed or, every citizen is killed (you can always check the census in a menu, same with over-all City health)

---

I think Superman on the original Xbox had some of these mechanics (like Metropolis taking damage instead of Superman).

There should also be a console version of the Jump Stars series. Super and Ultimate Stars are DS exclusives and I would love to play this on the Wii U.

That's more or less how Superman Returns operated (which was a 360 release). The only things I can recall that were missing from your points are sonic booms causing damage (they were in the game, but were only cosmetic) and I can't remember if the buildings had a damage mechanic or not.

===

Me, I'd like to see a survival horror game that was literally a survival game. No real plot, unless you care to make your own, but essentially a resource collection game. You have to keep yourself fed, watered, healthy, and armed; and the game is over when you die (not when you push a boulder on the bad guy). It could be zombies, cannibal road warriors, aliens, or whatever, so long as the survival mechanic is the focus.

I also wouldn't mind an updated version of Silent Scope...or a Warhammer 40K game that didn't suck.

 

[Lunar Templar]

I had an idea for a modern set fantasy RPG.

some high lights.

the quest system works on a 'timer' of sorts and each quest has 'tiers' of escalation. Like say your tasked to clear out some demon worshipers but get side tracked you might come back find the cave over run by demons or find the town over run at the worst case.

you have no epic quest to 'save the world', ever, you might a few times over the course of the game, but it'll be more a side effect of what ever else your doing at the time, kinda like "you just killed the warlock who was going to summon the demon king! you saved the world!" 'nice, I guess, I was really just here to bust him in the head with a pipe and nick his stuff though...' more or less. It's really a giant sand box and your telling your own story, kinda like a TES, only with out the presence of an over arcing goal and better written.

less conventional 'races' for the player character. you start off human, but early on you unlock several different skill trees relating to different creatures, like dragon or werefolk (yes folk, meaning more then JUST wolves) these effect what your character is and thus your stats and ability pools, each race having there own strengths and weaknesses naturally. these races, by the way would take the place of more traditional 'classes' and once you pick on, that's it, that's what you are, but that's what multiple saves are for.

 

[Wackymon]

I've always had a pretty epic idea:
A game called "Timeline"
Basically, the main character's a villain who, after being killed, is recruited into a group of "Officers of Imagination" to basically regulate the multiverse (Which would be basically branching timelines, which is another idea for a game). I'd have a main hub for you to walk around in, chat with other officers, and almost everyone is insane in some respects. The biggest part, the gameplay, though, is pretty much this: You manipulate events so that the heroes win, and the villain loses. However, two things must happen: It must be 'Dramatic' and it must not strain the willing suspension of disbelief, because when it's broken, Physics kicks in and will do his best to screw you over. Not dramatic enough, the world falls apart, and cece's to exist. Also, Fate is a pretty big player, and will oftentimes seek to help the villain, and screw you over.
Basically, the goal is to screw with lives to make a epic story, with an epic story.

Also, another game set in the same universe: "Reality."
The main character is a guy who can pretty much screw with the laws of physics, and override them at will.

Also, third one (This time a sorta 2.75D Brawler/Fighter): "Stories"
Basically, large multiversal even results in many universes, resulting in The Shadows in Gunkrigg Court to land in Ank-Morpork, along with Harry and Murphy, Ricewind in the land where the Order of the Stick lives, random characters of homestuck scattered all around, and basically a really large crossover between most all of my favorite shows, books, comics, and webcomics.

Also, as a base, I'd make a epic story of a lone traveler, who obtains a companion, and his growth, his struggles, and his past, a mere man travels the multiverse, and becomes a legend... Though I'd probably make it a book. Called "Tales of a Vagabond."
Basically, Doctor Who on a multiversal scale with more of a focus on characters.

Oh, also, just a little thing: You understand highly complex math and do it in your head: YOU WILL BE LIKE A GOD! AN EPIC GOD OF EPICNESS!

Also, a few things about the multiverse: Everything runs on faith, imagination, and creativity. Stories make up everything, and Imagination created the universe. Also, physics changes at points unknown, allowing a good deal of magic and such.

 

[Camaranth]

Ideas are cheap I've got plenty. But one of the few that I think are actually worth while is inspired by a novella I hope to work on if I get my current one finished and the lack of satisfying "reluctant hero" options in Mass Effect and Dragon Age (both of which I've been replaying recently)

Basically you are an Angel who has been fighting the legions of Hell for centuries and has become fed up. You start fighting at the gates of Hell completely overpowered, cutting down swarms of enemies like they're wet tissue paper. You make a deal with Satan, work for "him" (Satan will change gender and appearance every time you encounter it)in exchange for mortality. Then the game opens up a bit as you explore, taking on missions and sending demons and evil-doers back to hell. As the game progresses you slowly lose your powers, you get weaker, dealing less damage, can't run as far and health takes longer to regenerate. The enemies don't change in skill or abilities. At the last boss all you have is your favourite weapon and very slow regenerating health.

Not sure on too many details yet, if there will be companions a la the bioware model who may help you in the end depending on how you treat them. Or what ending to give it (couple ideas are knocking around my head).

I had an idea for a modern set fantasy RPG.

some high lights.

the quest system works on a 'timer' of sorts and each quest has 'tiers' of escalation. Like say your tasked to clear out some demon worshipers but get side tracked you might come back find the cave over run by demons or find the town over run at the worst case.

you have no epic quest to 'save the world', ever, you might a few times over the course of the game, but it'll be more a side effect of what ever else your doing at the time, kinda like "you just killed the warlock who was going to summon the demon king! you saved the world!" 'nice, I guess, I was really just here to bust him in the head with a pipe and nick his stuff though...' more or less. It's really a giant sand box and your telling your own story, kinda like a TES, only with out the presence of an over arcing goal and better written.

less conventional 'races' for the player character. you start off human, but early on you unlock several different skill trees relating to different creatures, like dragon or werefolk (yes folk, meaning more then JUST wolves) these effect what your character is and thus your stats and ability pools, each race having there own strengths and weaknesses naturally. these races, by the way would take the place of more traditional 'classes' and once you pick on, that's it, that's what you are, but that's what multiple saves are for.

I like this idea a lot. especially the timer aspect and lack of chosen one saving the world (really tired of that trope). Can I be a were-hedgehog? or are we talking big cats?

Sorry I just couldn't resist the bad joke.

 

[Lunar Templar]

I had an idea for a modern set fantasy RPG.

some high lights.

the quest system works on a 'timer' of sorts and each quest has 'tiers' of escalation. Like say your tasked to clear out some demon worshipers but get side tracked you might come back find the cave over run by demons or find the town over run at the worst case.

you have no epic quest to 'save the world', ever, you might a few times over the course of the game, but it'll be more a side effect of what ever else your doing at the time, kinda like "you just killed the warlock who was going to summon the demon king! you saved the world!" 'nice, I guess, I was really just here to bust him in the head with a pipe and nick his stuff though...' more or less. It's really a giant sand box and your telling your own story, kinda like a TES, only with out the presence of an over arcing goal and better written.

less conventional 'races' for the player character. you start off human, but early on you unlock several different skill trees relating to different creatures, like dragon or werefolk (yes folk, meaning more then JUST wolves) these effect what your character is and thus your stats and ability pools, each race having there own strengths and weaknesses naturally. these races, by the way would take the place of more traditional 'classes' and once you pick on, that's it, that's what you are, but that's what multiple saves are for.

I like this idea a lot. especially the timer aspect and lack of chosen one saving the world (really tired of that trope). Can I be a were-hedgehog? or are we talking big cats?

Sorry I just couldn't resist the bad joke.

what you did there, I see it

but Wolves, most large cats, Rats, and Bears was my plan for were folk options.

It's kind of a 'post apocalypse' to, sorta, in that magic 'came back' rather suddenly over just being there the whole time, so you'll encounter ruined city's now and then, but you'll also see a lot of life, I fully intend on having it being a world where it looks like you could actually LIVE IN, unlike >.> say >.> Fallout where they seem to survive 'cause I said so' far as reasoning on the part of the writers goes.

 

[Camaranth]

I like this idea a lot. especially the timer aspect and lack of chosen one saving the world (really tired of that trope). Can I be a were-hedgehog? or are we talking big cats?

Sorry I just couldn't resist the bad joke.

what you did there, I see it

but Wolves, most large cats, Rats, and Bears was my plan for were folk options.

It's kind of a 'post apocalypse' to, sorta, in that magic 'came back' rather suddenly over just being there the whole time, so you'll encounter ruined city's now and then, but you'll also see a lot of life, I fully intend on having it being a world where it looks like you could actually LIVE IN, unlike >.> say >.> Fallout where they seem to survive 'cause I said so' far as reasoning on the part of the writers goes.

So essentially a Bethesda RPG minus everything I dislike about Bethesda RPGs. Sounds Awesome! What rules of magic are we following here?

 

[Lunar Templar]

I like this idea a lot. especially the timer aspect and lack of chosen one saving the world (really tired of that trope). Can I be a were-hedgehog? or are we talking big cats?

Sorry I just couldn't resist the bad joke.

what you did there, I see it

but Wolves, most large cats, Rats, and Bears was my plan for were folk options.

It's kind of a 'post apocalypse' to, sorta, in that magic 'came back' rather suddenly over just being there the whole time, so you'll encounter ruined city's now and then, but you'll also see a lot of life, I fully intend on having it being a world where it looks like you could actually LIVE IN, unlike >.> say >.> Fallout where they seem to survive 'cause I said so' far as reasoning on the part of the writers goes.

So essentially a Bethesda RPG minus everything I dislike about Bethesda RPGs. Sounds Awesome! What rules of magic are we following here?

XD yeah, I noticed that to when I was hammering out the Idea awhile back.

as for magic, not sure, hadn't given that the 'spell slinging' part much thought, save that if you picked a race that's a 'shape shifter' as it's main gimmick you'll never not be-able to use it, IE even while under the debuff that prevents spell casting, you could still transform into a dragon if your a dragon. since that's not a 'spell' but an ability.

 

[Meihua]

I know zombie games have been done to death, and this is more of a wish than an idea, but I seriously want a zombie apocalypse RPG like Fallout or Skyrim. DayZ is the closest I can think of.

Or has anyone heard of Rebuild? A browser-based zombie strategy game. If that was made into a real game. Woah @-)