I''m trying to figure out how this idea might work (and whether or not it should be strangled quick! ) I''ve always loved the Sim games, but for me there hasn''t been enough conflict*. So since I''ve been working on a space RPG, I''ve been thinking about how you might put gameplay into the idea of having a crew. One thought that''s come up is something like the Sims meets Star Trek: The Next Generation. Here''s how it might work: You have a party like in an RPG. It''s made up of characters that have special skills and some rudimentary personality. As the Captain of your ship, your goal is to make things run smoothly and keep your vessel in top shape. So you need to add the right people and the right equipment to your ship. There are three parts to this: First, your crew personality / relationships: Likes / dislikes in terms of people, things, actions (yours and other NPCs), and game states (being in combat, exploring, being poor, etc.). You have to put the right people in the right place and make sure they work well together. If not, your ship suffers in other areas of gameplay (combat, science, trade, etc). Second: Ship design. Not just the cool things like weapons and gadgets, but things like layout and amenities and such. Like in the sims, different gadgets might make your crew react differently. Say, for instance, you have the choice between a top quality food maker or a cheap one. Maybe some crew might complain ("Protein paste again!?") and either demand compensation elsewhere or leave. Also, the layout of your ship could correspond to regular efficiency __AND__ tactical combat situations. So maybe putting the medical bay next the reactor __seemed__ like a good efficiency choice, but now that the reactor''s leaking...!!!! Third: Crew generated situations (this is the TNG part). Who your crew members are and how they interact spawn certain events. This could be dramatic or just interesting: For ex., two crew members might fall in love and ask you to marry them. Later, you have to make a command decision sending one to their death. As a response, the other hates you and plots revenge, or is unresponsive and won''t speak to you. The rest of the crew then might respond to this. The point is that you''d have something to do in the cold, boring reaches of space when you''re not fighting or trading or whatever. What do you think? More trouble than it is worth? Or might this give you the feel of being a __REAL__ captain in charge of a __REAL__ ship and crew? * = PS: I know, I know, that''s not what these games are about! But I''m just wondering! -------------------- Just waiting for the mothership...

The Sims : NExt Generation ? Yeah Actually I like the idea.
Instead of watching those Sims go around all day, you could control them (you are the captain after all), you would have events that would gather everybody (fights, exploration, etc). But in the quiet moments, suddenly your crew would get a life (those deep conversations they have in the coffee deck...)

I think there is something that goes that way in Battle Cruiser 3000AD. Every single member of your crew can freely move around, get hurt, etc. But they don''t really affect the game more than jsut be distinguished entity. I think it would be really interesting. The problem is (of course, there had to be a problem), going for a Sims like game would concentrate your attention on the AI, so what attention would you have left for the rest of the game ? But really, in terms of concept, I say go for it. I think it blends nicely with the idea of a lone spaceship cruising through the galaxy (and it fits perfectly with the background story I am describing in the Game Writing section, BTW).

youpla :-P

Better that Sim X Files. That many people will dissapear and you must find.. And too arrive a new sim-people (one of this will smoke!!)



-eng3d.softhome.net-

ahw mentions Battlecruiser 3000. I remember playing that game and watching the status of my crew, ie. "Marine 1 On Turbodeck, Technician 27 Engineering 1" And watching them move around and such and thought, jeepers, that''s swell! Then I played for awhile then realized it really has no important affect on the game, other than driving you nuts. One thing that I think most everyone except hard core players is turned off to is extreme micro-management. Meaning I think if you decide to make a game with a huge crew each with individual personality, having manage each and every one all the time would be a complete pain.
I would say have the interest in the large crew be the hiring/firing phase, that is initially looking through the roster trying to figure out who would work with who, then assigning them. Telling each one to go to the bathroom or making sure they''re not idle would be ludicrius!
Hey I have a thought. Go ahead an make each crew member complex with a boatload of stats, even general traits or some such trivial things. You only pay attention to their critical skills. You don''t control them directly, but every now and then, the computer will check for compatible/conflicting personalities between two crewmates. Then, in your daily log, you are presented one section called ship happenings (or something) that leaves you messages like "Wesley Crusher and Geordi Laforge engaged in a heated argument. Wesley is a RACIST and therefore is opposed to Geordi''s presence." Note RACIST is capilized because it is one of Wesley''s Traits. (ie. The crew has skills and traits, traits are what foods they like, what turns them on)
If you select that message, you are presented with a brief array of options ranging from "Sensitivity Training" to "Disciplinary Action" Each option has a price, total time, and hours per day it will take up. Ie. price 100 credits, time 10 hours, hours a day is 2 hours. This means that you spend 100 credits on Wesly for Sensitivity Training, he will need a total of 10 hours to complete it, and 2 hours out of his workday will be cut into the do the training. And maybe the outcome would be his RACIST stat would drop a point, one day possibly reaching zero and dissapearing.
WHEW! Think, this way, you don''t have to directly control every trivial detail that comes your way, but occasional conflicts/interests will pop up that you have the option, as the captain, to work out. And it may even effect the function of the ship in an important way. This will add a touch of class to a stale standard space sim. Esp. if you used the
Well, think about it! Using the Star Trek NG crew would be particularly fun. ie. "Dieanna Troi (Ship Councelor) proposed to William Riker (1st Officer) today." "Warf (Security Officer) caused a serious injury to Wesly Crusher (Teen Idol) because of his LOW TOLERANCE to WHINING."(two traits)
Just brainstorming, have people get married, then if you accidentally (or not) group them with a different attractive shipmate, they have an affair! HA HA! Or maybe have a clutzy shipmate continuiously break things or no ok I''m done.
Thanks all!

Sim Star Trek? Yes! I see two ways to do it. Make NPCs in a Star Trek game more Sim-like, as has been suggested. Or make a Sim game with a Star Trek setting. I think either could have its appeal. Though there are things I like about The Sims, I always thought it lacked some conflict that hopefully they will add in later Sim games. If there was more conflict and a really great setting (I do find modern day houses to be boring), I think a lot of people would like and buy such a game. I also think people are looking for RPGs or other such genres that have as good AI as The Sims do. To have NPCs act like they have their own personalities would be great, as long as it doesn''t get in the way of the actual gameplay.

If it were more Sims than RPG, you could add action by having them go on "missions" rather than go to work. Unlike The Sims, you would be able to go with them, since the whole ships goes on a mission together. The missions could affect the relationships of the crew Sims and thus still be a Sim-like game. You might not find a lot of ship-blasting in such a game, but you might find that you have to deal with mutinies, jealous triangles, insane ambassadors, enamourous aliens, compulsive fighters, and other nasty behavior. That can be as fun as annihiliating the Romulans.

YES!!!



Other than that, I''ve got to say the best part would be that you''d be "fixing" the thing most wrong w/ the Sims. That is, I know it''s supposed to be a software toy, not a game, but I might never have been able to break my horrible Sims addiction if there had been some sort of point/resolution to it. Rather than giving up eventually, I''d be obsessed w/ finding every way to beat it, whether its possible to win w/ a manic-depressive crew, etc.

The other thing- I wouldn''t try to make this one small part of a game. I would let it be your keystone or not do it at all. Could you imagine if the game were mainly about winning a war, or privateering, but your crew refused to follow orders? That would just be frustrating, like sloggy response in a fighter game. On the other hand, if the game was mainly about managing the personalities of your crew through various scenarios, it would be an entirely new game, and quite fun to play.

Otherwise, if this were only a small part of your deign, I would try to make it extremely simplistic, maybe represent the happiness of your entire crew w/ a bar or something. I really like the former idea, though! If you make this game, I will personally found a religion in your honor and declare your birthday a world-wide holy day where we are permitted to do nothing but play your game. (like I said, I am a recovering Sims addict )


If you see the Buddha on the road, Kill Him. -apocryphal

Wavinator,
I have to agree with everyone else... I like the ideal alot.
I would definately play it and I would even like to work on something like this





Dave "Dak Lozar"Loeser

This is a marvellous idea.
I would definitely play such a game...
Reminds me of Samuel Delany''s Babel 17

Hmmm. One of the most fun space exploration/ combat games for me, was the unofficial Star Trek game, with the grid of squares for the planet systems, and you moved in a turn based fashion, occasionally meeting klingons or sending out space probes etc. Very simple, unfortunately too tough + you couldn't save, but it was fun to explore and send off probes.


I can't really comment on the Sims in Space idea, not having played The Sims, although it doesn't strike me as a good idea to combine it with your space-exploration rpg game. Too complex, and doesn't really sound like it gels with the "You the player, and you alone are the master of your destiny vibe". As a stand alone product it could be fun for a while. Wouldn't appeal to the same people who bought the Sims though?

Edited by - Ketchaval on September 30, 2000 9:25:55 AM

Wow! Thanks for the awesome replies!

It seems to me that if something like this were done it should be kept to the same scale as The Sims. If it were the Enterprise, then maybe most of the detail should apply to just the Senior Staff? In TNG, that seems to be where you get most of the drama / action anyway. In fact, maybe by managing the upper ranks effectively it implies that the lower ranks are doing well.

If you concentrate on a small group, then you could even grow from a small group to a larger group and keep the same feel (because the larger group would be handled abstractly, like Picard handles the Senior Staff)

?

--------------------
Just waiting for the mothership...