Now, this is not a book, it is a video game idea, but I still need to create this plot. There are two factions in the world right now, now that the world had been driven into chaos. The two factions are: Hephaesta and Vulca (based on the greek and roman gods of metallurgy). Ivan Drakov (antagonist ) approaches you as you wake up. He offers you a chance to help him build a robot, the Drakovian, the size of the tallest building in the world. If you accept, you get to help him create an army of robots, destroy the cities, etc. After you have successfully created an totalitarian existence for your people, you must destroy the Clockwork Guild, a secret society you are part of, erasing it from existence. Once done, Drakov turns on you and you have to destroy the giant robot. If you refuse, he accepts the answer and he goes. After you get up, you have to go and build your weapons (the player character is an engineer for the Clockwork Guild, so he can build his own guns, modify his gun with the correct parts, and break down his guns for parts), and once you have, you have to go stop Drakov from destroying the cities closest to you. He has miniature robots, the size of people, attacking the city, burning down the buildings etc. To back you up, you have the Clockwork Guild as members of your team. Once you have won, you go back to your headquarters, and after each city you save, you get a better gun. After you've successfully saved the world, you have to destroy the giant robot, kill Drakov, etc. Though, depending on which side you take, you get different weapons, armor, etc. What do you think? Any help is appreciated.
So you have a game that can take two very different directions depending on what choice you make in the beginning? Wouldn't be more natural if the choice between good and evil would come say halfway through the game? That way the player would learn about the different sides and actually know the results of his decision. Other than that the first thing that strikes me is that it will be difficult (and somewhat inefficient) to make two so different ways to experience one game. It would probably be awesome, but in such a competative market it would be hard (it's allready insanely hard, like almost impossible) to get a developer to make the game, because of the resources needed. It becomes an entirely different matter if you make the game yourself, of course. Steampunk is kind of western with some machines, falloutish?
@Tesgah: What do you think would be in the first half, before Drakov asks you to help him? And on the note of what the game would be like, it will most likely be a third person game, with what I like to think of as Fall(out)-(Bio)shock (Red Dead) Redemption game play. @Seranum: Actually, I was planning on making it myself.
That is so awesome You choose for yourself, of course, but I would imagine that it would be great with some missions in the beginning that establish the setting, storyline, characters etc. The main character could start out working freelance with the ability to choose between rebel or robot missions (as well as some neutral "you have to help me do x" missions). When the time comes the player would then know if he wants to aid or fight Drakov, instead of making a blind decision. This also helps the rpg element of the game (you can be entirely good, bad or both, depending on your own preferences). It doesn't have to be much, but ther should be some background stuff I think. Or you could just discard all that and make the game how you want it. The choice at the beginning does make it interesting (what am I signing on to here?).
Haha, I meant that that was a good question for the player. "What is happening, what am I signing on to?" As in; "what am I really doing" (protecting the world or attacking it)? You know what I mean?
Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was kind of confused. (See, there's a little smiley explaining my mood. >> ) Now I get it...
Sounds interesting just got a small question though. If you help the clockwork guild. Then in the end have to destroy Drakovs robot... When you did not decide to build it. How can he have the robot. Does everybody know how to build these gigantic robots? Cause if thats the case why would he try to turn your character? if you are just a run of the mill engineer?
I don't claim to know of your experience or know what resources you have at your disposal, but in the grand scheme of things... I think this is an unreasonable goal to have. I've been down the same path, I wanted to make my main epic a turn-based RPG (that's actually what it was originally made to be). But the thing is, with the state of the video game industry these days, you will need a development team. And if you're just breaking into the industry, you'd probably only have a chance with mobile phone games. You'd need knowledge of business practices and skills related to media production, moreso than the skills needed to create the product itself. I'm not saying there's no chance; there very may well be a chance you'll throw together a fantastic development team, get picked up by a great producer and make the next Shadow of the Colossus. But if you're truly passionate about the story, like me you'll eventually not care about the end result format. That being said, I do like your concept.
Well, actualy, if he created indie games for x-box live, he would have a pretty decent chance of being noticed, providing he knows all of the coding and scripting techniques, he's be able to get along quite well there, (there's some very basic things there 'I made a game with a cookie in it' would be a great example). But, he would of coarse need a full team to bring this to life in that case, another writer to critisise his work and improve it, artists, designers, it's a project that he couldn't take on alone. If done right, this could be good. You'd need to give a longer introduction, build up of the setting, earning the trust of your chosen faction, make the option come through earlyer in the game, with simple choices which then lead the dividing choice. Several games do, do this, they tend to be fairly popular, giving decent replay value straight off the bat. Excamples of this would be 'resident evil 1&2' -2 different scenarious, both set in the same area- 'Fable' although I've never played these games properly, they get good reception. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any others atm >.<. If you plan to go through with this, and want to gather a crew together, I'd be intrested in doing the artwork for it. I'm a student, studying art foundation, starting uni next year focusing on illustration, plus graphic design and animation. You can see samples of my work in the thread 'artists unite' in the lounge. ^.^ You may not be intrested, but I'd like to know non the less. Worth a try, getting into a major project.
Well, I'm kind of putting together a team now. My only problem with creating the indie game for the xbox is that, I don't have the money to buy a dev kit. I would love to create an indie game, but I'm learning Javascript and C++, and I've got a friend that knows it. I would love to see some stuff you would do. PM me if you've got a concept for the character.
Actually, his plan was to find the five best engineers in the CG, and he would try to corrupt the best, and go down in rank. You were his second choice, but one of the others, your best friend, decides to help him. They go off into (must come up with name) land, build the army of robots after they recruit others, and attack the various cities.
I could do with more information before I begin considering designing the charecter really, the apearence should reflect the personality. Here's a link to a thread with some of my drawings in: https://www.writingforums.org/showthread.php?t=39425&page=2 To give you an example of what I can draw. I wont be able to provide you with any detailed concepts over the next 3 weeks though, I'm going to america, wont have access to a scanner, however, if you give me a complete briefe for the charecter, I'll see what I can do. ^^
