If you do intend to sell such a game, I think you're going to have a lot of problems earning a profit on it. And I really don't think any publishers would pick up on such a title, knowing that the market interest in such a game would be quite low. Imagine how hard it would be to sell a game the revolved around making Big Macs or mopping floors all day. People generally "play a game" to escape the real world, to immerse themselves in adventure and go on a journey that's normally out of their grasp.

Do you mean to say that Farmville, Harvest Moon, Skyrim, The Sims, Dwarf Fortress, Minecraft, and MMOs in the vein of Ultima Online have this market completely saturated? I think there could still be enough lee-way to atleast warrant a try. You just have to put some new spins on the mechanics, like how battles work, how farming works, how crafting works, etc. It can't be obtuse for new players to learn, but if it works basicly the same as elements of the previously mentioned games then more experienced players won't have as much incentive to add another 'limitless' game to their schedules.

I think this previous post of mine might help get some ideas going (from: http://www.gamedev.net/topic/624851-unextraordinary-you-are-no-one-special-%e2%80%93-an-rpg/page__st__20 ):

In Dwarf Fortress, you are kind of ordinary in rouge-like mode. I say kind-of because I put a lot of skill in swordplay and maybe dodging (?) and ended up having about 13 people come at me before I began to die (there are a ton of injury description stages before anything dies in that game; before-hand I had killed about 4 people without anyone able to hit me even through the beginning of the town chasing after me, needless to say all the injury descriptions made me wonder how any of us were still able to swing weapons at each other... hmmm).

As far as your game, would there be some kind of story or set of game-goals to win or would it be a run out of new stuff to do type of game (like Alternate Reality, played by The CRPG Addict. I agree with him that a CRPG not having a definitive goal to accomplish can be off-putting)?

I think I would like to see a combat system that focuses on avoiding getting hit by an enemy (blocking attacks, staying out of their attack patterns, etc.) and using objects and the environment as a means of fighting. If my character's going to be an everyman like me, but in a fantasy world, he may be adventurous enough to get into a fight, but he will not want to get hit. Therefore, he will always be keeping his distance, getting that sheild always between the enemy and his body, stay behind/on top of stuff, and throwing/whacking with everything that isn't too unwieldy/bolted down. I find such a combat not only hilarious but also communicating just how human and concerned with his/er well-being my character is. If there is a party, there should also be sets of moves that allow for tactics to prevent other party members from being hit and/or becoming frightened (maybe some battles just make 1 or 2 of your party members run off because they fear some enemy far too much or they do not wish to be caught in the fray, and you will have to change up the tactics you were planning to use for most of that area's encounters).

So, any thoughts? Has that last part been implemented in any way in a game (because that would be awesome, and I would appreciate the name and where to get it)?

I hope you make this game you set out to make. Cheers.

I really liked this concept. Seems to be a cool mix of sandbox with the limited environments on the likes of hHarverst Moon. Loving the thread.

This sounds like a fantastic game idea. I especially like the idea of a full economy that you can actually influence (a great, if a little under-developed, part of Mount and Blade). I imagine doing this in 3D (effectively) would be an immense project, primarily because each duplicate NPC or item will take away from it all. Regardless, I look forward to playing this game if you decide to go through with it. If you want help, let me know!

Do you intend to make money from the game?

Well I don’t think I plan to get rich off of this, maybe a small kickstarter if it seems popular; if not I’m happy to make games for free in my spare time.

That's what guards are for. Anyway, you can try to run away or hide. Also, these parts of the rpg are only lame because the developers spend too much time on what they're trying to sell (i.e. combat and whatnot), not to mention that in most rpgs you can't buy guards and whatnot.

Quoted for truth.

I think I would like to see a combat system that focuses on avoiding getting hit by an enemy (blocking attacks, staying out of their attack patterns, etc.) and using objects and the environment

This idea is very interesting, since you aren’t a soldier or skilled fighter you main goal would be too stay alive through careful blocking.
Also your mention of objects and environments intrigues me, if done well it could be awesome to say grab a random cooking pot to hit them with or kick them in a ditch.

This sounds like a fantastic game idea. I especially like the idea of a full economy that you can actually influence (a great, if a little under-developed, part of Mount and Blade). I imagine doing this in 3D (effectively) would be an immense project, primarily because each duplicate NPC or item will take away from it all. Regardless, I look forward to playing this game if you decide to go through with it. If you want help, let me know!

I think having unique NPCs is a must, especially if the community is relatively small, relationship-building would be essential.

Thank you everyone, I’m definitely going to go forward with this idea now. The game engine I’m currently using for projects is Unreal so it’ll probably be made in that though the way we’ve discussed it, in-browser support from Unity would be nice

Please keep chipping in your opinions, good or bad, and your ideas/suggestions.

I would recommend taking a look at Recettear: an Item Shops Tale (you can get it on Steam, or even just the demo). Basically, you run an item shop, buy stuff and then sell it to customers. You can also go on some dungeon crawls by hiring adventurers, they do all the attacks while you just follow them (well, the player controls the adventurer but the merchant character follows them around).

There is also one Dragon Quest game that has a merchant hero. The guy himself isn't a big fighter but he knows how to buy and sell things and he hires mercenaries to accompany him on his routes.


What could be nice would be have a shop of some kind, buy stuff from adventurers, craft things, make deals with the local blacksmiths or other craftsmen, find out what's happening on the trade routes, and maybe be able to hire adventurers to go solve problems instead of doing that yourself.

I actually enjoy playing support roles in cases where I have decent allies who know what they are doing. In TF2 I play medic or engineer when I can (that is, when my allies know how to handle the job and the enemy don't constanly kill me) so playing a character with lots of support powers could be fun. Like you learn healing spells or skills... then when in town you sell your services to get money and maybe on adventures you stick with the group and keep them patched up (perhaps even in the event of a party kill you get captured by the bandits and they keep you on hand so long as you keep them healed and they might ransom you back to town, with a ransom you have to pay back).

So, it would be interesting to play a character who isn't "The Hero". He might be a farmer or tradesman just doing his job, he might be a merchant selling stuff to the heroes, might be the guy giving the heroes quests to take out the bandits, the medic keeping said heros alive, the captive held by the bandits and forced to heal them (or a willing ally of the bandits who conveniently switches sides to the heroes once the bandits are beaten), the guy who buys up all the loot the heroes get after raiding the bandit camp, and the guy who has to deal with the logistics of re-selling or crafting things with all the junk the heroes sold him.

I would recommend taking a look at Recettear: an Item Shops Tale (you can get it on Steam, or even just the demo). Basically, you run an item shop, buy stuff and then sell it to customers. You can also go on some dungeon crawls by hiring adventurers, they do all the attacks while you just follow them (well, the player controls the adventurer but the merchant character follows them around).

Dungeon Village in in the same ballpark as this. But you play as the mayor. You have a fantasy game type village to run, and by upgrading it, you attract new adventurers who move in and make it their base of operations.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.kairosoft.android.bouken_en&hl=en

perhaps even in the event of a party kill you get captured by the bandits and they keep you on hand so long as you keep them healed and they might ransom you back to town, with a ransom you have to pay back

I love this idea, it would have to be rare to stop it from being tedious though. I also like the idea of venturing out with mercenaries to protect you.

Dungeon Village in in the same ballpark as this. But you play as the mayor. You have a fantasy game type village to run, and by upgrading it, you attract new adventurers who move in and make it their base of operations.

The developer of that game made Game Dev Story, one of the most addictive games ever, so it must be good! I think I might download this on my phone today and try it out, thanks for the suggestion.

The developer of that game made Game Dev Story, one of the most addictive games ever, so it must be good! I think I might download this on my phone today and try it out, thanks for the suggestion.

Problem is, all their games are Game Dev Story with a new coat of paint. Ironic, since this is a bad strategy in Game Dev Story to begin with!

Still, it seems like it'd be very easy to fall into a pattern of "Water the crops, pluck the barley, help at the bakery, go to sleep, repeat." The problem with marketing your game on having an unremarkable adventure is that it'll be...well, unremarkable.

Now there's an idea - be as refreshingly honest as possible with the marketing.

"This game is probably the most boring one you'll keep playing."
"You wouldn't want your livestock to die from neglect, now would you?"
"Congratulations on your purchase, peasant. Now get back to work!"
"Starvation, dysentery, and dying has never been this much fun since Oregon Trail!"

Now there's an idea - be as refreshingly honest as possible with the marketing.

"This game is probably the most boring one you'll keep playing."
"You wouldn't want your livestock to die from neglect, now would you?"
"Congratulations on your purchase, peasant. Now get back to work!"
"Starvation, dysentery, and dying has never been this much fun since Oregon Trail!"

I like the idea but you'd have to be careful it's not so boring that it goes un-noticed, the slogans would have to simple but also humorous like the examples you've given.

I like the idea of an empty advert and then "There's no time for advertising in a world this dangerous" or something like that.