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[Advenith]

In this thread we spout off all the random game design ideas in our heads in an attempt to start projects. Give your ideas, see if other people want to work with you, and so on.

Here's one to get things started. I want to create a game designed specifically to kill you from the start. The first stage is almost impossible, but when you die, the challenge becomes escaping from Hell and returning to your body. However, your body is getting all runny and gross while you're wasting time in the underworld, so you have to hurry it up a little. You could also get time bonuses from formaldehyde fairies, which would fly up and dump preservatives on your lifeless stinking corpse. By the time you finally return to your original spiritual vessel, you've gained enough new abilities to easily finish the original level and complete your original task.

[Inane]

A sci-fi FPS in the same vein as the Deus Ex games and System Shock 2, but it all takes place in one huge, realistic city. The idea would probably be community driven, with contributors submitting maps, items, etc.

I'm not sure I should mention games I want to make.

Not my idea, but I am inclined to mention it:
A non linear platformer where you're constantly being chased by a boss character.

[fish]

im not telling you any of my genius ideas!
they're worth MILLIONS.

MILLIONS I TELLS YA.

[handCraftedRadio]

A fighter game where the players do not have direct control over their fighters. They have to script the ai before the battle and see who's AI is better. It would probably only attract game developers, though.

[fish]

and AI enthusiasts!

[Stij]

Oh man I have tons of these.

One I've been noodling around with for a while:

A top-down shooter set in a psychic world, where "ships" are creations of the pilot's mind. Your pilot's mental stats, like Courage, Wisdom, Memory, etc., influence how many parts you can add to your ship of each type(more on that later).

Ships are fully customizable, and that's where the awesome part comes in. You start out with a blob, Spore-style, and you can add engines, guns, melee weapons, and whatnot by "drawing" them. The larger the part, the more effective it is (stop snickering), but larger parts are an easier target and cost more of your stats. Also, making the main body larger can increase your health, but at the costs of having less Psy Points (which is basically your ammo), and they're slower.

Also, you can have multiple ship designs, and switch between them on the fly. (takes time though). I have an idea of how the morphing effect would look, but it's hard to show in a static image...

Also, I was thinking your stats could be influence by the choices you make in the game. Maybe have a Monkey Island-style adventure thing outside of battle where you can walk and talk....

[gustav]

Wouldn't it be fun with a game that can only be played while the player is drunk?

I'm thinking maybe a 2D platformer would be the best choice since a world in 3D is, as probably everyone knows, too much for someone who's had a few too many drinks. Also, gravity is fun.

Maybe the player has to stand on something, like a rolling barrel (or preferably some kind of round, cute creature that squeaks and gurgles gently as it gets wobbled around) and use it to navigate the playfield.

Balancing the character on top of this object would, to a sober person, probably be a pretty mundane task, but if done right it might evoke some fun responses from a jolly drunk.

The game could, at some points, encourage the player to drink more.
"If you don't drink, you can't play me!" Of course there's no real way of making the game actually tell if the player is drinking or not, but if he/she's drunk enough they probably won't know that.
This could also be used as a punishment AND a reward!

I'm not envisioning a party game, more of a game that only focuses on the effects of intoxication, but some kind of multiplayer element would probably be a great idea! Maybe other people could join in and play as different creatures (birds and shit) on the screen and completely follow their own goals. Attack the main player and push him down a pit of lava or try to help him out as best you can. Whatever the other players do, they should be rewarded for it in some ways...

Tons of things to think about with a game like this and i'm sure lots of people would have fun ideas to add to it. The only thing i'm a bit worried about is actually making it and knowing and realizing what the player will do in the situations presented to him/her.
...Being packed off your ass while working on a game would probably be fun for a while but i'm afraid what it might lead to... And beta testers might start getting unwanted habits. Either way, i'd like to see a game like this!... Maybe i'd get a reason to get hammered again :D

[handCraftedRadio]

Of course there's no real way of making the game actually tell if the player is drinking or not

Well then I guess you've never heard of a usb to breathalyzer cable, have you.

[gustav]

Of course there's no real way of making the game actually tell if the player is drinking or not

Well then I guess you've never heard of a usb to breathalyzer cable, have you.

..We'll add one to the retail copy!

[Zaphos]

A fighter game where the players do not have direct control over their fighters. They have to script the ai before the battle and see who's AI is better. It would probably only attract game developers, though.

RoboWar and Core Wars are both like that.  I think it works decently as a technical edutainment concept.

[Advenith]

Wouldn't it be fun with a game that can only be played while the player is drunk?

You have to love this idea. Best thing since beer pong.

[moi]

A fighter game where the players do not have direct control over their fighters. They have to script the ai before the battle and see who's AI is better. It would probably only attract game developers, though.

RoboWar and Core Wars are both like that.  I think it works decently as a technical edutainment concept.

There have been many robot-programming games like that , there was one on the Apple II in the 80s.

[Terry]

I found this saved as a note in my phone today - I'll quote it back verbatim:

Minesweeper. Without the flags. Ultra realism! Think of the possibilities WHY WHY

Checking the date on it, I think I saved it while drunk at some concert, then totally forgot about it. I think I was going to enter it as a B-Game :D

[gustav]

I found this saved as a note in my phone today - I'll quote it back verbatim:

Minesweeper. Without the flags. Ultra realism! Think of the possibilities WHY WHY

Checking the date on it, I think I saved it while drunk at some concert, then totally forgot about it. I think I was going to enter it as a B-Game :D

[Melly]

I found this saved as a note in my phone today - I'll quote it back verbatim:

Minesweeper. Without the flags. Ultra realism! Think of the possibilities WHY WHY

Checking the date on it, I think I saved it while drunk at some concert, then totally forgot about it. I think I was going to enter it as a B-Game :D

Epic

[fish]

CHICKEN OF MANA

its a wonderful RPG adventure starring a magical chicken with a sword.

there.

[fish]

here's another one.

CONFLICT: FIREARM

wherein you play as Jack Colt, a member of the special G.U.N squad.
your mission: shoot some bullets. out of your gun!
the human race depends on it.

[Melly]

"So, guys, we need to make a Shadow the Hedgehog game, but we wanna make is DARK and give it some EDGE. Ideas?"

"Guns!"

"Swearing!"

"Brilliant! We'll be millionaires!"

[Chris Whitman]

I'm sold on this CONFLICT: FIREARM game.

I was intrigued at first by the idea of shooting bullets, but the fact that said bullets are shot out of a gun is mind-blowing!

[fish]

yeah. one mission's goal is to blow a mind.
the president's mind.
with your gun.
G.U.N's gun.