Reborn along the timeline (refinement of earlier idea)

AJ · 2005-05-06T23:23:22

Given that a major part of an RPG is character investment, what would cause you to be interested in spanning "lifetimes"? Assuming an RPG where: Death doesn't end the game You can't undo past actions by reloading It's important for the story to level your "ghost" / "spirit" Civilization expands, tech levels change You can skip forward to epic points in the timeline I'd like to bounce this refinement of earlier ideas off of you: You're facing off against godlike forces as a kind of immortal highlander-style character (infected with a super-AI that's growing). The story can only unravel across lifetimes and vast distances in space. Nations and social institutions may ebb and flow around you, but every lifetime you'd have a few critical windows of opportunity to make a change that impacts the story. To sum up several posts so far: You'd play through freeform gameplay or missions on a level with certain initial conditions (like war, or scientific challenges). You could either stay on the level or cause critical shifts in the game world by choosing to advance time forward, skipping to important life moments (and making critical story choices along the way). There would be rival NPC "highlanders" operating around you. Ignore them and they'll change the world without you. Engage them and you'll either fight or ally, depending on how you feel about what they want to do. The new twist I'm trying out is: Death of a character would be permanent barring resurrection technology. But if you couldn't resurrect, you'd be an electronic ghost whose power would be cumulative the entire game. The ghost could do certain things in the game world, namely spend its accumulated power to significantly alter a secret, vast network of forgotten technology. This tech could supply a starving city or raze that city; cause storms across a planet or shield it; or even cool a star or move it. Given this, you'd actually WANT to die in order to both advance the story, change the world to be more favorable, and drastically affect your other highlander rivals (who'd also be dying and leveling). The catch is that to bank more of your ghost ability, you'd need to live again. Being alive would have some critical advantages. The longer you lived, the more "ghost" power you'd have, by sheer din of being able to skill up and develop personality traits. You'd need a certain amount of power to get past nodes in the story. Upon death, you'd have a few options: You could reincorporate exactly as your old character, with all skills and personality bonuses; but your money, "ghost power" and world reputation would be lost and you'd start in a random location further down the timeline. This might give your rivals a chance to consolidate their power or wreak havock on your mortal allies. If you had progeny, you could restart as any child. You'd have a new character, no skills, no "ghost power," but access to all your old wealth and allies; but also have the same enemies and troubles. Progeny would require winning a spouse or lover. If tech permitted, you'd start as a clone that had whatever skills you last "backed up" with. Each backup would cost money or some special resource, and you could only backup in certain places. Backups would be along "soulcatcher networks" (like cell phone nets), and you'd have to be part of a faction that had a safe and secure respawn loc or your enemies would just come in and kill you again. Goal Of The Idea - Watch a world build and unfold, participating at an intimate level; make death a beginning, not an end; capture the epic flavor of science fiction. Thoughts?

Game Design and Theory Game Design

Started by Wavinator April 21, 2005 04:22 AM

30 comments, last by Wavinator 19 years, 9 months ago

Reborn along the timeline (refinement of earlier idea)

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Reborn along the timeline (refinement of earlier idea)

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