This is an idea I cooked up for a single player console style RPG...It basicly parodies all those "super robot" anime type shows (Voltron, Power Rangers, etc..) Backstory goes something like this: America 1999. Aliens are in the process of invasion. Its up to the "UFO Powered" team to stop them. The UFO Powered team has ''Rozwell'' at it''s disposal. Essentually this is the UFO that was supposedly shot down in the 1940''s, and until the aliens started attacking, our scientists could not figure out how it worked. as the game begins they still only have a rudimetary knowledge of the potential for the craft. Earths scientist belive the aliens have ''brain washing'' technology and so they formed the UFO Powered team to both pilot ''Rozwell'' as well as act as ''anti-brain washing'' agents for Earths population. They do this by being "superstar bubble-gum pop celeberties" spreading anti-alien propaganda through concerts, a line of toys, music videos, and other merchandiseing... But something is wrong. The aliens, despite haveing thousands of huge warships in Earth orbit, only attack a single location at a time (usually with a large UFO robot) at consistant intervals (once a week)...And some sort of huge mysterious corporation seems to own everything related to the UFO Powered team...is there some sort of conspericy? Are the Aliens a hoax? What is really happening? Gameplay: Players control one of the three female UFO Powered team mates...all three are world renown celeberties...they cannot venture out among the public without being noticed and hounded for autographs...so they must hide thier identities when investigateing the game mysteries (essentually role play while role playing). as they solve parts of the story (mini-quests) in this hidden form, players recieve "skill points" which can be allocated to a number of stats... However if players don''t spend enough time in "celeberty mode", thier "popularity" rateing will drop and they will be kicked off the team (game over)...it is also in this mode that players will control ''Rozwell'' in battle... There is no combat system per si...It would be more or less a mix of fighting and dance games...the stats the players can allocate "skill points" to open up new "dance moves" that players can perform while in concert which are also applicable in ''Rozwell'' battle mode...actually both the concerts and battles are basicly simular...in concert mode the player is going aganst the audiance (the more *damage* players dish out the better the concert...they arn''t trying to harm the audiance...but entertain them...keep the audiance from getting board and leaveing)...in battle mode the same dance moves launch attacks against the enemy... Sorry if this seems disjointed...I''m trying to explain everything in as short amount of space as possible (very hard to do with such an uncommon game idea) and I''m leaveing a lot of cool stuff out in this process I''m wondering what you folks think of this? I''ll prolly get a few "RPG huh? where''s the magic system?" type replies...but I''m really interested in what the *alternative game design* crowd thinks.

Where's the unique bit?

[Elaboration:]
A unique, silly, nonsensical plot (while fun) doesn't make a game "unique." Fact is, story and other such is largely to provide a context (and clues) for the gamer. It is the gameplay that decides whether the game (and thus the idea) is unique.

Fill us in.

Edited by - Oluseyi on December 1, 2001 9:54:58 PM

Unique bit?...okay, for starters there are no hitpoints/experience points/magic points/attack/defense stats...

The only thing roughly close to hitpoints would be the "popularity" rateing...but there are no health potions or power-ups allowing the player to directly effect this...to maintain "popularity" players must do well in the concerts as well as select the correct clothing to wear during such events...wear something too skimpy and popularity among the 18-25 male crowd may increase but it could reduce players rateing with other age/sex groups.

In "celeberty mode" players may be capable of getting a "presidentual hotel suite" but they won''t have free axcess to the hotel basement...but while in disguise they could have axcess to the basement but not the suite (this is just an example)...also be allowing the players to interact both in celeberty mode and disguse mode in the same location (talking to the same NPCs for example) players will have different experiences...NPC that are very polite and nice in the "celeberty mode" could seem "two faced" and rant at length to the disguised player about how bad the celeberty really is (clues the player on how to maintain thier popularity).

Players cannot use the same disguise too often or they will arouse the suspicion of surrounding NPCs...and when in disguise players are limited by the actions the disguise allows (disguised as an old woman?...well don''t start running around...walk at a nice slow pace)...this isn''t a forced limitation, but one players will need to perform to pull off the disguise.

There is no battle system...even the Rozwell stuff wouldn''t quite qualify basied on current RPG combat systems...the robot battle for example takes place over populated cities...one mis-step could cause damage to the city and hurt the player''s popularity rateing (as they would be viewed as being "reckless")...

The game would have many elements from other genres...dateing games (other famous people would date the players charactor)...danceing games (the concerts and battles)...princess maker games (celeberty upkeep)...adventure games (the game story...heck any story basied RPG has mucho adventure game elements...so this isn''t that unique)...

I''m not aiming for realisam here...obviously the game would be more humorus then deadly serious...heck it could even work well as a 2D game...

I don''t want to reviel to much because it would spoil story secrets...Sorry, if this gameplay description isn''t as *unique* as you would like...I happen to think a non-midevil/non-combat basied RPG is pretty unique.

MSW,

Sounds like a lot of fun. I''m fond of any game that thinks outside the box; remember Toejam and Earl? I particularly like the fighting/dance combat system. However, to keep the mood of the game light you could have a slightly more light-hearted approach to property damage... "sure she knocked down my house, but it was an accident, and besides isn''t she just so cute?"

Just some thoughts.
-SpittingTrashcan

You can''t have "civilization" without "civil".

SpittingTrashcan - he he he...the whole game is supposed to be light-hearted...crashing into buildings will effect players popularity rateing by a little bit...worse is that players will need to pay to have the building repaired if they want to regain the lost popularity rateing (like insurance companies would be interested in uderwriteing the players actions )...

The concerts are how players make money (and they can make a lot)...they are timed events and players must freestyle dance to the music...each dance move has pros/cons in which certain audiance members will leave if they don''t like the dance moves or the player isn''t keeping in time to the music...when the time limit is up the player recieves something like a thousand dollars from each remaining audiance member...the audiance members that left early effect the players "appeal" for the specific target market that audiance member was part of...essentual there are 4 target markets: younger male, younger female, older male, and older female...they all have different rateings as to what they like/dislike...the players "appeal" rateings effect the crowd makeup at the concerts...players must, in effect, please everyone (you are trying to save the human race afterall)....the difficulty of the concerts can change by ajusting the time limit, number of audiance members, money made per entertained audiance member at concert end...I don''t intend this to be realistic...so max audiance (that players can get money from) may only be 100.

The Rozwell battles...actually only *real* battles in the game...are also dance basied...but basied more or less on Monkey Island sword fighting...crossed a bit with Tetris like puzzle elements (something like puzzle fighter)...basicly the players perform a dance move, which in turn creates a special icon at the bottom of the screen (the aliens do the same)...these icons start in opposite corners and slowly travel toword the center of the screen...when they reach screen center which ever side created the icon will perform the action associated with said icon...dance moves create different icons...some icons move slower toword screen center...others faster...some icons will change basied on other icons they come into contact with...for example the player creates a "heavy attack icon" which moves very slowly toword screen center..the player then notices that the aliens have created a likewise icon, but they did it first so it is closer to screen center (meening they will get the attack first) so players create a "light attack" icon...which moves much faster...comes into contact with the players "heavy attack" icon and combines to form a new "double quick attack" icon which beats the aliens icon to the screen center (players attack...knocking the aliens back one location) essentualy there are 3 battle locations...left,center,right (think Monkey Island)...battles start off in the center location...if players lose an attack they get knocked back to the left...if hit again they get knocked off screen (and lose one of thier three pilots)...same thing happens if the aliens get knocked off the screen...it sounds more complicated then it really is...the attack (and defense) icons act as an elaborite game of "rock, paper, scissors"...with the winner pushing the loser off screen...

I''m trying to keep the overall game design as simple as possible...the concerts/battles and such are basicly mini-games...game flow would be basied on a "weekly" scheduale...starting with a Rozwell battle, then 5 "days" are given to purse the adventure game elements, then on the 6th day the concert takes place...day seven just involves traveling to a new location to start the whole week over again...at first there are only 3 "citys" open to the player...and if the player completes the mini-quest/adventure aspects of a particular location while in disguise...the story moves forward and new cities are open to the player...there is a lot more to it then this...but this just describes the basic idea