I''m just thinking about starting a new project.. Then I start to think of myself, what type of game would I and other''s would enjoy. RPG''s, Adventure games I say to myself.... Ooops there''s like a dozen of these game''s already out on the current market so what would the use of mine be ? Can''t exactly compete with Baldurs Gate 2 or Diablo 2 in the Action Genre... And FPS... That''s a joke with the amount out there. There''s quite a few of them aswell. Anyway, what it come''s down to... Is there a way to design a new genre ? Or do they all go under the main categories ? It would be nice to get some opinion''s from some designer''s since I lack game design

My advice would be to not think of how a game fits into today''s genres initially. Let the genres perhaps inspire you for ideas, but don''t let them govern you. Don''t think to yourself, "This game will be like an FPS or RTS". Just design the game according to what you want to create, and create the feel and theme you want. To hell w/ the genres.

"'Nazrix is cool' -- Nazrix" --Darkmage --Godfree

the trend nowadays is to make cross over games, hybrids if you will. RTS/RPG, FPS/RPG. I am still waiting for a RTS/FPS
Come up with ideas, then see how you can do them, the genre you''ll end up with doesn''t really matter, as long as you are making what you initially thought of. Let the marketing guys do their job and put a nice label on you afterwards

youpla :-P

Re: Genres - forget genres and make games the way you like them. There's always a 100 ways to improve any given game. Just take the two examples you put up:

Diablo 2
Mindless slaughterfest with little or no RPG elements. Compare it to old Nethack - there's literally been no advancement. 20yrs (or is it 30) of game development, and all they've really changed are the graphics. It would be quite easy to make something with a little more depth - or alternatively a different angle. How about a Diablo-like Hack'n'Slash where the player gets to play the monsters instead? Start as a Lvl 1 imp and work yourself up to Lvl 50 demon, fight of other demons and all those heroic wizard, palladins, and thieves who insist on disturbing your peaceful lair.

Baldur's Gate 2
Whenever I look at Baldur's Gate, I always think back to the early Ultima games. There's still something missing, IMO - a certain feeling (or lack of it) of aliveness in the BG gameworlds. Room for improvements yet. Also, the BG games are largely set in the standard D&D worlds - there are an endles number of RPG gameworlds still not done - how about a Dune-like universe? Ancient worlds and mythologies? Many people seem to be tiring of the same old D&D stuff - which affords opportunities for the smaller developers to produce something original and with a fresh slant.

Forget the trends, says I. Forget everything about genres. Just make the kind of game you want to play.

/Strategy
Imperium - Rise of Rome

Edited by - strategy on October 6, 2000 9:14:44 AM

quote: Original post by ahw

the trend nowadays is to make cross over games, hybrids if you will. RTS/RPG, FPS/RPG. I am still waiting for a RTS/FPS
Come up with ideas, then see how you can do them, the genre you''ll end up with doesn''t really matter, as long as you are making what you initially thought of. Let the marketing guys do their job and put a nice label on you afterwards

BattleZone (2) is an RTS/FPS.

-Jussi

I agree with Nazrix: create something you would like to play yourself, don''t think about competition and genres.

-Jussi

"Loves golden arrow
At her should have fled,
And not Deaths ebon dart
To strike her dead"

quote: By Nazrix
My advice would be to not think of how a game fits into today''s genres initially.

I double that advice. I always wanted to do a side view rts. This hasn''t been done and i''m sure if it was done properly then there would be a dozen clones a week later. You see, there''s no point looking at what other people do and wondering how you can compete. This is because once you get the mind frame of "competeing" then you''re already out of the race. You''ve just got to inspire you''re imagination and when you think up something you like then you''ve got something to run with.

But what i really want to know is "why" do you want to start a new project? What''s wrong with the one you''re working on. Remember, determination gets the game done unless you realise that you''ve biten off more than you can chew?! That''s the typical problem i''m used to seeing anyhow. (sorry if this applies as i didn''t mean to offend)

"So you're the one that designed that game are you?"
*Gulp* "Umm, yeah"

quote: Original post by Paul Cunningham

I always wanted to do a side view rts. This hasn''t been done and i''m sure if it was done properly then there would be a dozen clones a week later.

I almost did that. I intended to extend my artillery game to include infantry and air force, but never did that because it was a DOS game and I moved to Windows programming.

-Jussi

quote: Original post by ahw

the trend nowadays is to make cross over games, hybrids if you will. RTS/RPG, FPS/RPG. I am still waiting for a RTS/FPS
Come up with ideas, then see how you can do them, the genre you''ll end up with doesn''t really matter, as long as you are making what you initially thought of. Let the marketing guys do their job and put a nice label on you afterwards

youpla :-P

RTS/FPS has been done. On the Playstation (sorry, only frame of reference i have for games) there is a game called...uhm... I think it''s Wargames: Defcon 1. It was a RTS, and you could control the vehicles individually. Sorry, I guess that was third person view, not first person.
Anyone remeber a game called Return Fire? That game kicks ass in multiplayer mode.
You could make a mutiplayer game, that way you won''t have to focus too much on deapth (if you think that''s a problem for you. I know it is for me. But i can''t even begin to make a multiplayer game. Oh, wait, I wonder if I used multiple input from the keyboard.)



shut up
CAN I GET A WOO WOO!

If I was to create a RPG (which i''m not) I would probably do alot of reading about mythology, then I would think of something entirely different.

*shrug* I''m not sure, just seem''s like to me everything has pretty much been done.... and now they are making the same type of game''s except in 3D.