so how does a fps/mmo/mechbattle (think starsiege)/ tribes-esque/ freelancer-esque space combat/ rpg game strike you? a little too much for one game? a new genre? stupidist idea in the world (i know stupidist isn't a word, bear with me). as this is the game that my small group has decided on making, i wanted the input of someone who is not in my group, so here i am. personnaly i think the idea is insane, especially since we're using the torque engine which i doubt can do this. oh the game has a good backstory/ history, bt the basic design and idea seems flawed. what do you guys think?

Well, if you can actually desgin it...
I personally think that genre-mashing for the sake of comming up with something different is a bad idea.
If on the other hand you start out with an idea, and it ends up as this, well, who knows, it might work out nicely.

please, please tell me you're joking.

if not, read this thread. Right now. Go.

Still here? *sighs* First off, MMO and anything fps/mechbattle esque is begging for trouble. Second, trying to jam every genre possible together does not an original idea make. Or a good idea. Or even a kind of okay one.

Try to do everything, and every part of it will suck. I'm not being mean, I'm being honest.

How big is your "small group"? I'm picturing somewhere in the vicinity of 5-6 people? On the bright side, while the current idea is doomed to failure, that's at least a small enough group of people for you to try to convince them that you're making a REALLY BIG MISTAKE.

What's your timeframe? I get the impression that this is some kind of a school project?


Look, just read the article I linked to. Then print if off and show it to your team members. I hope (for your sake) you'll be able to convince them.

I think it might be a bit too much

Why don't you guys think about this little piece of advice:
Make a game that's fun to play.

Take the example of ChronicLogic. Fairly simple, but incredibly fun games.

Well, the goal is a littel high, but if you break it down into reasonable chunks, you might be able to achieve it bit by bit. First, make a playable FPS-type game. Don't worry about graphics or anything, just make characters that move and shoot, and maps that they can inhabit. Look at Ambrosia's classic game "Avara" for an idea of what I'm talking about here.

Then, throw in some customizability. Again, Avara's a good example. Three shassis sizes, and your choice of weaponry, all with a tradeoff between capability and hinderance. A light, fast guy with little in the way of armament becomes a scout. A heavy, slow guy with all the gear becomes a tank. Specialization is there. Now you have a new, better game.

Now you pick another feature from your wish list. You want multiplayer? Try it out. You was RPG-style stat levelling? Do that. Try adding some mission-oriented features, so you can eventually get a variety of "win" conditions. Add in teams. Just build yourself a basic system, and then assimilate new features into it. Keep what works, ditch what doesn't. What you wind up with won't be the thing you set out to build, but it might be terrific.

thank you all. personally i felt that we were just trying to appease everyones (5 people) wishes in one game. now that they have been shown the light, we've decided to do a series-thingy. one game is fps, one is space, etc. it is a school project, so now we have enough to keep us busy for a few years. thanks!