So I've been mulling over a few things in my games design lately......and I'm looking for some opinions and suggestions

So far, I'm looking at a game core like dwarf fortress, where you have a few NPC's to control and you need to help them survive. I'm adding a civilization-type building core to this, where you have the freedom to build and design your civilization you want to build. There'll be a few different game modes:

1. Regular Gameplay: The "player" is not physically a part of the game (like dwarf fortress); you control the NPC's by delegating tasks to them and they'll complete them. You can watch what they are doing, command them to do different tasks, and control traits and other such "RPGish" elements that would apply to how effective NPC's are at certain role-playing tasks (if I even want to segregate tasks to particular skilled NPCs.....)
2. Blueprint Mode: You are creating the buildings you want to add to the city; this is done in blueprint mode. This also allows you to delegate and count sources needed for certain projects so you can prepare for projects that will eventually be going on. I'm hoping that buildings can also have simple structural analysis techniques to allow for no "floating" or "unsupported" sections. Since this is done in a blueprinting mode, when nothing but planning is going on, I think there could be enough time per frame to do some simple simulation (not entirely accurate, but simple enough to seem closer to reality).
3. Civilian Mode: You can actually play as a civilian NPC for a while. This is useful for exploration and immersion, and also allows you to walk through the cities you create. This can also do certain things for NPC traits -- leading them into battle gains respect for you, for example.
4. Other modes??

For the RTS part of the game, there'll be small clans and foraging hordes that lie about the land. Things can be done to persuade them to join you, but things you do may also turn them into enemies. I want a sort of Civilizations type RTS battle system going on, where you delegate your forces to doing particular jobs -- creating armour, firing catapults, ripping open the front gate to an enemy's castle, etc.

What do you all think? I'm just looking for some thoughts and suggestions because I don't know how new/overused these ideas could be. I'm not even sure what my "own twist" or specialty might be with this game...but I know I want to make it my own. If you have any questions (I can't possibly have answered all questions about these mechanics in this post!) don't hesitate to ask so I can clarify

Thanks!

-ST

Combat could use a "blueprint mode" as well perhaps. Planning missions against enemies before carrying out the attack. This encourages scouting and spies. I like the construction blueprint mode using simulation, it could make for dynamic destruction of the structures during combat (I'm getting a minecraft inspired image in my head from this design idea, am I right?). This blueprint mode twists the genre slightly exploring the idea of an RTS that focuses on pre-planned gameplay and the players challenge of dealing with the dynamic challenges that occur when a plan goes into action.

Combat could use a "blueprint mode" as well perhaps. Planning missions against enemies before carrying out the attack. This encourages scouting and spies.

That's definitely an interesting point....I love the idea! I'll have to play around with some details and logistics to see how it might fit in :) I always knew I wanted to expand the "blueprint mode", and this is a great idea of how I could begin working with that.

I like the construction blueprint mode using simulation, it could make for dynamic destruction of the structures during combat (I'm getting a minecraft inspired image in my head from this design idea, am I right?).

That's sorta what I've been driven from. Allowing for a "segmented" view of the world (juggle between simulation and planning) allows for the game to do a heck of a lot more destruction and other cool effects that can't be done well otherwise. Minecraft really drove me to understand how easy it is to unlock creativity; Voxel games are definitely the way I'll be going with this game's visual design, but I want to also look into a little more....freeform modeling environment when building and designing. Keep the grid-like look, but allow for more details (in moderation) to make things more fun and creative.

This blueprint mode twists the genre slightly exploring the idea of an RTS that focuses on pre-planned gameplay and the players challenge of dealing with the dynamic challenges that occur when a plan goes into action.

You hit it right on the head.....It's like you're in my head -- get out! All jokes aside though, you've hit the goldmine there -- I love RTS games, but I wanted a more dynamic, destructive and complex environment that also takes into account the planning players take as well as watching and understanding what is unfolding, and to deal with it both with planning and real-time reactions.

Hah, I'm glad to be in your head on this one. It sounds like a fun project. I'm a blender character animator hobbyist. I don't have a ton of time for my hobby but when you're art gets to a stage where you need to breath some life into characters feel free to msg me. I feel like this RTS would be a metaphor for my career in gaming. In short its one thing to plan, but a whole other thing to put that plan into action. If you are posting WIP or blogging progress I'd love to follow it.

I think you should make just one mode. And make it the most fun possible. Personally, I believe a game focusing on one thing is always better that one that tries to do many incompatible things. At least I have never seen one that would not be better if they discarded the excessive modes.