ORPG Concept

[iSnow]

Well, I've been using Eclipse and such for some time, and I've had an idea for an ORPG. I've been thinking about it, and I would like input on my idea and if you would try it out. A name for the project was Isle Online. May change it, but that's not important, let me get on with this.

Well, here it goes.

**Story**

Somewhere, hidden in the sea, there are two islands, Haven, and Mysteria. We humans lived on Haven, but never set foot on Mysteria. It was said anyone who went there, never returned. Nobody really knew why this happened, it was shrouded in mystery.

There were five cities across the island of Haven, and one central government. At some point the government got the best warrior they could find on the entire island, the fighter named Rome. He set off to explore Mysteria, and try to set a base for a colony on the island. Unfortunately, he was never heard of again. Months later, a body was found, with a sentence etched into the skull of the body. It read; "The Shroud will not be disturbed."

Who were the Shroud? Soon enough demons set foot on the shores of Haven, claiming to be the race of Mysteria, The Shroud. Soon enough, the shores of Haven were populated by these demons. People needed some sort of hero.

And then there is you.

(From here on, this portion is what you will do in gameplay.)

You wake up in some forest. How did you get there? You don't know. Hell, you don't remember exactly who you are. All you know is you're in a forest in Haven, and you've got a weapon. You meet in an inexplicably large family, who refreshes you on what you can do, and gives you instructions to one of the five towns of Haven. From there, you travel the five towns, help citizens, and protect Haven from Mysteria. Who knows, you may be the one to travel to Mysteria and send the Shroud back to where they came from.

This the story, which supports why Haven has a problem with the Shroud anyway.

**Proposed Classes and Gameplay**

Classes -

Warrior - High defense, uses axes, swords, and other large weapons. Uses few actual Spells, but has many armor options. Not very agile, and less than stellar intellect but average willpower.

Mage - High intellect and willpower, although just average Strength, Defense and Agility. Largest selection of spells of them all.  Uses wands as weapons. Great casters, spells focus on Area-Of-Effect Damage.

Cleric - High intellect and Willpower like the mage, but higher Willpower than Intellect due to their belief in holy forces. Average in other stats. Difference between Cleric and Mage is that Cleric focuses on healing others and themselves, with less focus on actual attacks. Uses staffs for weapons.

Marksman - The only class to have projectile weapons as the main weapon, high agility and attack. Low defense but average in the other stats. Uses weapons ranging from Pistols, Rifles and Shotguns. Marksmen don't use many spells, but spells they use focus on short range spells to give the Marksman room to shoot.

Some gameplay ideas I wanted to use were some of the obvious modifications like the Hotbar Fix, Possibly the Real Defense system. I would also add quests and such. I may use a custom version of EO for this.

**Other Info**

- I planned on either using RMVX, or possibly drawing my own graphics, or even RMXP if it becomes a last resort if my graphics don't work well or I can't find enough RMVX material to work it out.

- I want to focus on Dungeons and PvE Combat, with certain areas for PvP.

-Unless I use some custom version with a large GUI modification (i.e. XpandZone) I will most likely be making a custom GUI.

I'd like some feedback on the plan, and if anyone around here would give it a try. Any ideas for this would be gladly taken into consideration. The best way for me to show my skill with Eclipse is to present something. If this plan comes together I will present much more on this. There is just a story and some other information. Well go on, comment.

[Biohazard]

So, you're next to make shitty generic ORPG?, well good luck.

[iSnow]

@Mastermind:

> So, you're next to make shitty generic ORPG?, well good luck.

Doesn't really help anyone. Besides, everyone's first ORPG isn't anything special in most cases. Just part of experience. Not all, but most.  Regardless, I didn't post this in 'Eclipse Projects' because this is a concept, with some work put into it to form a sort of structure. This is a concept.

[SawQuart]

Well still, the "concept" is lacking originality. Just because everyone's first game tends to be a learning experience doesnt mean that it has to suck. A lpt of game concepts have no been explored upon yet because people just copy others. Here is a list of themes that haven't been used in Eclipse:
1) Underwater
2) Futuristic
3) Egyptian
4) etc…

People just dont have any originality anymore.

[iSnow]

@Jungle:

> Well still, the "concept" is lacking originality. Just because everyone's first game tends to be a learning experience doesnt mean that it has to suck. A lpt of game concepts have no been explored upon yet because people just copy others. Here is a list of themes that haven't been used in Eclipse:
> 1) Underwater
> 2) Futuristic
> 3) Egyptian
> 4) etc…
>
> People just dont have any originality anymore.

You are on to something Jungle. I guess it's just because I need more time to think. Although I plan on something of good quality, I will need originality. I'll be doing some thinking and coming up with ideas.

[shadowdeath]

Not true.
:D

[SawQuart]

@shadowdeath:

> Not true.
> :D

Whats not true?

[Robin]

It's a generic scenario which most MMOs stick to.

What do you need input on?

[iSnow]

@Robin:

> It's a generic scenario which most MMOs stick to.
>
> What do you need input on?

I've already been told about story. Just ideas if anyone has any. In retrospect the title I have for the topic transmits the wrong message, must change it a bit.

[Medleyy]

I think you should change all the cool stuff's names to Aeri, because everything awesome that has ever happened/existed was called Aeri.

On a much less serious note, I'd expand on the history of the Shroud and build them more gradually into the storyline, giving them a solid back story (Perhaps a history written in blood on the skin of the dead warrior they found).

I'd also stick to the 'generic MMORPG storyline' everyone seems to slate. They've worked well over the years. There's really no such thing as an original RPG nowadays, everything's been done over and over again.

Focus on a style for the writing and then weave this into gameplay/graphics, make it sunny and optimistic or dark and evil. People respond better to games when they have a solid tone to them, it makes them able to focus on the game much easier :)

[iSnow]

@Aeri:

> I think you should change all the cool stuff's names to Aeri, because everything awesome that has ever happened/existed was called Aeri.
>
> On a much less serious note, I'd expand on the history of the Shroud and build them more gradually into the storyline, giving them a solid back story (Perhaps a history written in blood on the skin of the dead warrior they found).
>
> I'd also stick to the 'generic MMORPG storyline' everyone seems to slate. They've worked well over the years. There's really no such thing as an original RPG nowadays, everything's been done over and over again.
>
> Focus on a style for the writing and then weave this into gameplay/graphics, make it sunny and optimistic or dark and evil. People respond better to games when they have a solid tone to them, it makes them able to focus on the game much easier :)

That's some pretty helpful stuff there, thanks for the tips.

[SawQuart]

@Aeri:

> everything's been done over and over again

Eh, not true at all. Minecraft, although it was copied off of Infirminer, still had tons of originality to it. That game is now starting a huge new craze and genre that was basically non-existent a decade ago.

The only way to have originality is to HEAVILY edit the source, or to not even use an engine at all. The best games created their own genres.

[Biohazard]

@Jungle, but cloning games, provides more money, and less risk. :)

OFFTOP:Ur post count get reset again? :o

[Godlord]

@Jungle:

> The best games created their own genres.

Settlers, Command & Conquer, Warcraft, Starcraft, Age of Empires, etc. are all RTS-games. Quake, Wolfenstein, Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, Crysis, Battlefield, etc. are all FPS-games. So these games aren't nowhere near good, despite being created by the game industry, and generally released as triple A titles?

Yours faithfully
  Stephan.

[SawQuart]

@S.J.R.:

> Settlers, Command & Conquer, Warcraft, Starcraft, Age of Empires, etc. are all RTS-games. Quake, Wolfenstein, Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, Crysis, Battlefield, etc. are all FPS-games. So these games aren't nowhere near good, despite being created by the game industry, and generally released as triple A titles?

It was an opinion. I'd rather go play a game with a completely different goal than play numerous FPS games that generally have the same storyline and gameplay.

Also, RTS games can be broken down into subcategories. HnH would be considered a RTS game, but I consider it completely different than Warcraft.

[Godlord]

@Jungle:

> It was an opinion. I'd rather go play a game with a completely different goal than play numerous FPS games that generally have the same storyline and gameplay.

Then I can assume you haven't played that many titles, because several of them have a completely different storyline, and several of them also have a completely different game-play .

@Jungle:

> Also, RTS games can be broken down into subcategories. HnH would be considered a RTS game, but I consider it completely different than Warcraft.

Wait, what? I think you don't know what conditions are to be met for a game to be considered a _real-time strategy_ game. One of them is the ability to position and manoeuvre multiple units, which you can't really do with Haven & Hearth, which is obviously an ORPG.

Yours faithfully
  Stephan.

[SawQuart]

I'd consider a Battering Ram a unit. Oh well, as I said, it's an opinion.

[Godlord]

@Jungle:

> I'd consider a Battering Ram a unit. Oh well, as I said, it's an opinion.

And you can't even back up your opinion, which doesn't mean anything really, properly? I mean seriously?

The opinion that does count is those of the people who play games, and those usually have a similar opinion. If you want to get started, watch TotalBiscuit's channel, for instance. The "WTF is …?" series will give you a very good idea of what indie titles should be like.

As a game developer your very own opinion isn't worth anything, and neither is the opinion of a single individual. Especially if you can't back it up with proper arguments.

Yours faithfully
  Stephan.

[iSnow]

Man Stephan, that's some good logic you got there.

On another note, I might lock this topic, I've got some ideas gathered now in my head.

[SawQuart]

I'm not a game developer at the moment Stephan; I'm simply a novice. Most of the people I come across on here prefer original genres compared to the basics. I know that the general opinion does not match that though, and honestly I could care less.

Coming from a programmer's perspective, most would prefer to be safe within the genre guidelines, while I would prefer otherwise. Making an original game is a challenge to programmers. I like a challenge. The reason people love clones so much is because the clone developers take the basic concepts of the genre and add onto them. Therefor, the game that ends up accumulating is perfected. If a developer creates a new genre, they have nothing to compare it to, and it will therefor end up being less perfected in most circumstances.

Anyways, I've had enough of this discussion. I know what you're trying to say, and I understand you completely. I just think that we're trying to argue the same points but from different perspectives. Anyways, the kid has ideas now.