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Original post by rmsgrey On the other hand, Data is one of the more popular Star Trek characters, despite being an android. The Doctor in Voyager is merely a hologram, and people still relate to him. I think the key thing in the player avatar is not whether it's (simulated) flesh and blood, but whether it has a character the player can't empathise with.

Good point. I also think that you'll most likely choose something that allows for wish fulfillment, such as "being powerful" or "being attractive." So of robots / androids, Data would probably be more appealing than a Number 5 or R2D2.

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Original post by robert4818 The question I have is how drastically the world changes depending on your acts in these crucial times. I.E. Is it the same world with different faction scores...or is it vastly different such as the lack of a city, civilization etc.

I'd like to be able to have both, with the smaller, stat-based changes for factions opening up chances for sea changes. So you'd work to build up a faction so that it'll be in a position when the eventful change comes along.

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Original post by Alpha_ProgDes this super-AI is it a chip that implants in you or something else entirely? i mean if you spawned in 2500 BC, then super-AI wouldn't exist would it?

The AI isn't a chip, it's imbedded at the quantum level into whatever makes up you (your soul, your energy pattern, whatever). Kind of tech version of a family curse. I'm still trying to decide the nature of the "illuminati" who put it there, but for story purposes the battle may go very far back in time. Practically speaking, though (since you can only make a limited amount of art and other content), it all happens in the future.

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also can your "ghost" influence who your progeny marries? another immortal perhaps? or how he obtains your past skills and allies? as a "ghost" i think it would be cool to guide but not directly control your descendants. if you get resurrected or cloned then you can control things directly and maybe make a clan of the others you guided.

Can you elaborate a bit more? This sounds interesting, but I'm not sure what you'd be able to do.

Being a ghost is supposed to be a mode where you can switch to more direct strategic gameplay, provided you've done the things while alive to build up enough resources. I'd thought of it more big picture, but if you can somehow peek in on the lives of decendants or guide them, it would be a more personal feel. (Again, just not sure what you'd do exactly.)

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Being a ghost is supposed to be a mode where you can switch to more direct strategic gameplay, provided you've done the things while alive to build up enough resources. I'd thought of it more big picture, but if you can somehow peek in on the lives of decendants or guide them, it would be a more personal feel. (Again, just not sure what you'd do exactly.)

Being more strategic seems to make sense, since the player is in a possition to see more political moves and plots in motion than if he would be alive. In literature, ghosts often have the power to "give a strong feeling" and direct where someone may go, to direct possession of someones body, or talk to them in their dreams, or have a kind of poltergist effect and hurl stuff around the room. Stuff you generally see in horror flicks like House On Haunted Hill and such. ;D

Lets say for instance, that your great-granddaughter who's quite young is set to inherit the family estate. Now because she's not old enough, and lets say for sake of argument she has no other living relatives, a close friend has become her legal guardian. Now, this close friend may choose to trick or force her to marry one of his own sons and then have her killed so that his family can gain your estate. Under those circumstances, the player could try to warn those who are loyal to his family line of whats happening and try to thwart the plot so your estate can stay within the families bloodline. This could extend to various other plots or things that the family may need to know, but not be in a possition to be aware of.

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Original post by Gyrthok Lets say for instance, that your great-granddaughter who's quite young is set to inherit the family estate. Now because she's not old enough, and lets say for sake of argument she has no other living relatives, a close friend has become her legal guardian. Now, this close friend may choose to trick or force her to marry one of his own sons and then have her killed so that his family can gain your estate. Under those circumstances, the player could try to warn those who are loyal to his family line of whats happening and try to thwart the plot so your estate can stay within the families bloodline. This could extend to various other plots or things that the family may need to know, but not be in a possition to be aware of.

I just wanted to say that this is such a fascinating idea, but I see it as being so hard to realize. The storylines would have to be interesting enough to watch so that you'd feel compelled to try to influence them. The AI would have to be good enough to plan and counter-plan against one another, as well. Then you'd need hooks, built in or other-wise, that allow you to warn (and what shape might that take, I wonder?)

It's a very cool idea, I just can't see how you could do it with limited resources.

Write a book man, put all your thoughts down and put a plot behind them. Don't release the the public, just let a few friends proof read. After you have it done talk to some one serious about game design and let them in on the details. Your book should contain all the info the'll need... a well writen book is far better then anything that the current home PC's AI could think up... AI with the limited processing and knowlage found on home pc's is so cleche.

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Original post by MiDri Write a book man, put all your thoughts down and put a plot behind them. Don't release the the public, just let a few friends proof read. After you have it done talk to some one serious about game design and let them in on the details. Your book should contain all the info the'll need... a well writen book is far better then anything that the current home PC's AI could think up... AI with the limited processing and knowlage found on home pc's is so cleche.

Hey, glad you think all this crazy stuff is book worthy. Unfortunately, unless you create some widely known IP (i.e., a successful book, which most aren't), you won't get very far trying to get someone to turn it into a game.