I have a link and a screenshot so you can look at those and if you like it I encourage you to read some of the text here and find out a little bit more about how this game will work.
Download heistgameinterfacedemo.zip (1.19mb)IntroductionI don't have a name for this project yet but that is the easiest way to describe it. Basically you plan out a heist. You plan a path and actions along the path for each member of your team. You can take control of your own character at anytime at which point it turns into an action game. Once you have full control of your character you can follow the plan you made earlier or you can do something else entirely, as long as you don't get caught.
InterfaceThe interface will be similar to a video editor/motion graphics software. You will have a little window at the bottom which contains some information the will be tabs at the side which change what you can see in this window. One tab will be your team. It will look like standard editing stuff with layers but each layer is a team member and this is where you plan out their actions and tell them what to do. There will be another tab where you can hire additional members off of a job board. Different people have different skills and abilities. You need to build a team to suite each individual job. The next tab contains you gear. You can buy gadgets and weapons here and keep track of when certain things are being used and by who. In the main window it will be a top down representation of the heist. You can switch between a realistic view of it and a blueprint view which will highlight circuits to hack, guard routes, camera positions etc. In the team tab you will see all the layers and be able to scrub through the entire job from beginning to end to see how everything will play out.
JobsEach job will range from killing a target to interrogating someone to stealing shit. You will be given a timeframe to complete the heist in. Also you may only be given a certain amount of time to plan it, or it may be unlimited, I don't know yet. In each job you do there will be secondary objectives you can do for extra cash/points. Once you have fully planned the whole event. You can hit a play button and watch the action unfold. Generally things will go according to plan unless you hire someone who is a little shady/unskilled and they don't follow instructions or as I mentioned earlier you take control of your character and do your own thing. At the end of each job you will be awarded the payout which is however much you get from the job, either the value of items stolen or if someone pays you for the job, minus the value of the gear you bought and minus what you owe the team (each person has a different contract which might require money upfront or a cut of the winnings).
StoryI plan to have a story mode and I have the beginnings of the story worked out in my head. You will start as a member of a team being lead be someone else. They give you instructions for your part of the mission. You carry out your tasks (player doesn't have control at this point) but on your way out to the meeting place after you hear gunfire (this is where the player takes direct control of the character). You have to continue out of the building being careful because of the gunfire and once you make it out to the meeting place you see the rest of your team dead on the ground. Someone steps out of the shadows pointing a gun at you and you see that it is the leader of your team. He talks a bit about how this is the end for you but just as he is done talking a guard yells at him. He fires at you in a rush hitting you in the shoulder and then sprints off. The guard comes running and handcuffs you and calls 911 just as you pass out. You wake up in a hospital bed with a cop telling you that you have to spend a year in jail.
A year goes by and you are get out of jail with a little money and no reputation. This is where the meat of the game takes place. You have to start out with small jobs with unexperienced people to get money and reputation to put together the best team to go kill your old team leader. You have a menu with a bunch of different jobs you can do and when you pick once you will get the details of the mission and then get put into the planning stage. After each mission you collect money and reputation which opens new jobs, gear and people to hire. The mission to kill your old leader will be available all the time and it is up to you to decide when you have the right team and gear for it. You can try early in the game and may succeed with careful planning but as progress the mission gets easier as you gain power.
That's a lot of typing, damn. Anyway I'll post updates on progress here and on my blog and hopefully people like the idea and I can finish this project.
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