Hi! I just realized that my new pet game needs some more gameplay in it. It's a small project but I feel like there's a part of its design that could use some more flavour. Putting it simply, it's a 3D space shooter that uses some innovative control systems to make it recapture the gameplay of the good ol' days (Tyrian, Raptor, just to mention a few). It won't feel anything at all like the new 3D shooters, but it will look like one. This is the center idea of the whole thing. I think this would mix well with some heavy ship customizations before each mission, both by buying new components and adjusting current ones, so that is also in the plan. I want it to be a fast-paced experience (which is easier said than done :) , so the player's enemies will alternate between: - Expendable droid ships that show up in easily recognizable waves and formations, with a somewhat predictable behaviour, kinda like in arcade shooters (Tyrian...); usually one or a few shots kill them, so there you go, the slaughter-fests everyone loves :P - Duels with thougher AI-based pilots, similar to when you go heads on with another ship in Freelancer and you try to get in as much hits as you can, with one pass; there are mechanics in place to include alternating between a chase and these passes - Some larger scale battles against AI pilots, but usually with support from allied ships - Hopefully I'll be able to use a new technique I'm experimenting with to have some battles set on huge (I mean HUGE, otherwise it won't be worth it ;) AND detailed capitol ships, with lots of turrets and points of interest to shoot at If all these things are mixed well, it should make for a good gaming experience. Now, the problem is that the big battleships might not make it in if I ever want to finish this game. With this in mind, and looking at the rest of the gameplay I have, I don't really feel like making up some cheesy story-line to bind all the repetitive missions together. There's something missing here. On the other hand, open-ended gameplay could be much harder to include in the game. I need something to glue all these things together! Thanks in advance for your help.

Network play so you can blast your friends.

From the types of game-play, I'd say go with a cheesy plot-line. It won't be cheesy if the game-play is logical; such if you're attacking a fleet and the player is being used as the spearhead.
You've got 4 types of play
1 - Attack the Drone Zone made of enemy drones - they'd be considered expendable and gives the enemy time to scramble the tougher AI
2 - The tougher AI zone is just a thin screen to analyze your current activities and skills. That's your heads-on with another ship like in Freelancer.
3 - What you and your allies are trying to do is arrive at a rendez-vous point. You can use this section to organize for the fleet assault.
4 - today's major Major capital ships are always escorted by missile ships and smaller utility ships. That's your larger scale battles against AI pilots, but usually with support from allied ships
5 - final stage is the Main Fleet BattleGroup Carrier - the Mothership with Fuel ports, repair docks, flight decks, command and control sections, and fleet command sections. This is your HUGE battle but only if you've blunted or crippled the escorts.

What about using money, a very simple reputation / status tracker, and mercenary missions as a way to tie everything together (sort of like the Mechwarrior games). You don't so much need a story, cheesy or otherwise, if you've got something else to look forward to, like getting enough cash to get a better ship. For this to work, I'd say that you MUST make the more lucrative missions dangerous enough to cost you more than you might make. What I think this might do is bring a gambling element into the game. If you want, you can then stretch a paper thin story over everything talking about how you're a new pilot with something to prove or whatever.

In terms of the modes of gameplay you have in mind, what if robotic assault drones are standard issue ordinance for some craft? If you're trying to engage a small frigate, for example, it might only have light weapons and lots of drones, giving you your expendible droid battle.

If you did break things up this way, then I as a player might be able to choose what kind of fight I want to get into. I could, as a merc, sign on, see 8 drone frigates on the menu, look back at my once shiny now slagged corvette and say, "Pass!" :)

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Ned_K Network play so you can blast your friends.

Hehe thanks for the suggestion, you're right, that would be lots of fun! But unfortunately this is going to be a relatively small project so there's no room for that, at least in the initial plan.

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ZoomBoy From the types of game-play, I'd say go with a cheesy plot-line. ...

Actually, that's not a bad idea :) I'll probably go with a story along these lines, yes. Although it's pretty cliche, it would be easy to do and the game would still be fun!

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Original post by Wavinator What about using money, a very simple reputation / status tracker, and mercenary missions as a way to tie everything together (sort of like the Mechwarrior games). You don't so much need a story, cheesy or otherwise, if you've got something else to look forward to, like getting enough cash to get a better ship. For this to work, I'd say that you MUST make the more lucrative missions dangerous enough to cost you more than you might make. What I think this might do is bring a gambling element into the game. If you want, you can then stretch a paper thin story over everything talking about how you're a new pilot with something to prove or whatever.

This kind of open-ended gameplay would be really cool. But I'm afraid that the missions might get boring quickly. Are you talking about missions generated from templates like in Freelancer, or hand-written? In this case, would you be able advance the mission story-line for different factions at the same time? However, I just love this gambling factor, I definitely must find a way to get it in.

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In terms of the modes of gameplay you have in mind, what if robotic assault drones are standard issue ordinance for some craft? If you're trying to engage a small frigate, for example, it might only have light weapons and lots of drones, giving you your expendible droid battle. ...

Sweeeet!! Ordinary frigates being protected by drones... That would be insanely cool :) I'm imagining something along the lines of Freelancer, where you always see merchant ships moving around with their escorts. What about expeditionary forces and movements of fleets, with their own drones, so each one is a kind of a mission in itself? (here, I'm thinking of a mission in the sense of the classsic 2D shooters, with drones moving towards you in waves and formations)

I think that this might really be going in the right direction now, thanks!

For battles with the HUGE ships, I have an idea that completely and utterly defies logic and common sense, but gives exactly the type of gameplay I think you want.

Instead of having frigate to frigate battles, ust have your support frigates move off into the background and be completely ignored for the battle. Instead have your ship approach the cruiser, having whomped all of it's support craft(fighters etc.) and dodge any lasers, bombs, missiles it launches, completely ignoring the fact that lasers hit you before you see them. Then, treat the surface of the cruiser as the surface of a planet, flying along it's surface. This way only a few guns can depress far enough to shoot you at a time, and fly along it's outer hull destroying strategic objectives. Finally, blow a hole in the hull and enter, and blow up the power core/command center/main important thingy(tm) and escape before the thing goes KAFOOM!

This isn't exactly an original idea. AFAIK, it's been done in Terminal velocity, an old dos game, in the level with the BigEvilPlanetDestroyer(I forget what it was called) and again in Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi When the Millenium falcon flew inside the second death star.

I love this style of game!