The Dark Lady

[Luggs]

"This world lies fractured. Its inhabitants have waged war against each other as you waited in silence. Now, they lie amidst the ruins of war, their only protection a fragile peace. The fruit is ripe for the picking. Now is the time for you to conquer them all. How you shall do this remains the question. Be it through grand war machines or biological abomination. Massive battles or subterfuge. The choice is yours. But one thing is certain...

 

They shall kneel before you

 

In a nut shell, this is a game idea that stewed around my head for a number of years. Now, out of boredom and the fact I'll never do it, I release the idea onto the internet. Keep watch.

[Luggs]

Overview

 

The best way I can describe this game is Risk combined with aspects of games such as Dungeon Keeper, Rebuild, Civilization, Mass Effect, and other rpg and strategy elements. With just a hint of first person action. The game places you in the role of an as of yet unnamed lady who seeks to use the post war weakness of civilization to take over the world.

[Luggs]

Character Customization

 

An unusual aspect of this game for sure shall be its character customization element. You have to create your leading lady after all. What will be unusual is its minimalistic options. First you are prompted to put in a name. But the actual customization screen itself will seem empty. You shall only have 4 options: voice, skin, left arm, right arm. Voice is self explanatory. This is the voice that shall be heard during any dialogue. Skin includes options such as skin color, aging, filth, and other things dealing with her flesh as a whole. The individual arms deal with things such as what jewelery is she wearing, what are her sleeves, which hand is dominant etc.

 

Now why so minimal? While she is certainly you character and therefore, avatar into the world, any thing involving her, be it cutscenes, listening to blathering peasants, research, shall be from first person view. Only her hands shall be visible. You shall be placed into her viewpoint, with hopes to give the player a sense of power and might.

[KidneyBeanBoy]

Seems interesting. If this was made into an actual game, I'd be willing to support it in any way I can, be it testing, writing (though you've probably got that covered), or anything else.

Nevertheless, please make it and if so as soon as possible.

[Rabbitfist]

LadyD is the dark lady

EDIT:nvmd i thought this is a story or something, but sure looks interesting.

[KidneyBeanBoy]

LadyD is the dark lady

Then who is the Light Gentleman?

[Battal]

I know how to make if/else statements in Java.  Thats pretty much it.

[jbeetle]

I know how to make if/else statements in Java.  Thats pretty much it.

System.out.println("Me too.");

[Rabbitfist]

I really should learn to read before typing, because I thought this would be like a pen&paper roleplay

[Spinorex]

I really should learn to read before typing, because I thought this would be like a pen&paper roleplay

But we're on the internet. There is no pen, nor paper.

This is a very good concept for a game that I would probably play if it was real. Too bad it's just an idea.

[Rabbitfist]

But we're on the internet. There is no pen, nor paper.

This is a very good concept for a game that I would probably play if it was real. Too bad it's just an idea.

Incoming shitstorm.

[Luggs]

Dialogue choices and tone

 

Dialogue choices is an important factor in games, especially rpgs. However, in The Dark Lady, the tone you speak your words with is just as important as the words themselves. For example, lets start with a hypothetical scenario you may run into to over the course of your campaign.

 

A village elder has come to your fortress. You have led a violent campaign of destruction to dethrone his king and his people have suffered. You sit on your throne as the man is pushed forward by your guards(what they are is up to you.) Three choices are presented.

 

Come forward.

 

Speak.

 

Silent gesture

 

You mouse over the 1st choice and a new list expands besides it. Two words: Calm, Anger. 

Calm: You calmly tell him to come toward you while simultaneously gesturing for your guards to stay still. The man is a bit more relaxed, not nearly as nervous as when he arrived.

Anger: "Come forward, fool." you command, signaling for your guards to prod the man with their weapons to motivate him forward. The man's hands have begun to shake. You've clearly inspired fear in him.

 

As you can see with this example, by simply changing the tone of the choice, you affected what the statement was meant as and how it affected the elder. These choices will not always be so cut and dry but allow for similar routes to be taken by different means. Obtain info  while you inspire a healthy amount of fear or overwhelm him with fear tip he spills the beans.

[Luggs]

The Fortress

 

Your base of operations and laboratory. The start of the game consists of selecting the location of your fortress. There are a variety of areas to pick from, each giving their own advantages and disadvantages. We will go into this more in-depth when we get to the world segment. Once you've selected your preferred location, you will start in your crumbling ruin. The building contains a library and a throne room. Nothing grand but its a start. The library is used to select research topics from your knowledge trees. The throne room acts as your commander chair, issuing commands to your minions.

 

You can upgrade your fortress using resources you obtain through mundane means or looting. Visually, this will improve the ruin to an actual castle. But there is customization to be had. A grand castle for a king or a sinister fort of a mad scientist. Your choice. Upgrades increase fortifications and adds construction space for Fort Addons (which will be covered separately.) 

[sirmentlegen]

I would try to make this, but i am very bad at making games.

[KidneyBeanBoy]

I would try to make this, but i am very bad at making games.

Perhaps Klei will.

On a side note, it'd be quite interesting to see the http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis implemented somehow. You could be able to force-evolve/mutate them to make people perform various actions (and then die.) Here's how I'd think it would go should this game A: exist, and B: have this implemented:

Over the course of your conquest, you could obtain this fungus to use to your advantage. Over time, you could kidnap people or animals to inflict alternate versions of the fungus obtained by screwing around with it's DNA. This would make the subject do various things, in order from most likely to least likely:

Nothing (Meaning the fungus was inert)

Give them minor sickness

Give them extreme paranoia, making them run from everything, potentially weakening armies but stopping the virus spread

Instill certain traits into them, such as:

Aggression

Pacifism

Immorality (Like a thief)

This would also make the rest of the person's lifestyle/personality shift to fit such traits

Paralyze them sporadically

Give them severe sickness

And finally,

Make them extremely weak willed.

This would take LOTS of effort and time cultivating/splicing, so it would be less of a main method and more of a side method for making things easier. People chasing you? Paralyze them. A city refusing to give in? Make their citizens thieves and fling it into chaos.

[TRENTOMINOUS]

If you make this, make a secret option for a dark "gentleman"

I'm not trying to be sexist but I really want to be an evil gentleman who torments prisoners and be heads them during afternoon tea

[Hugo M.]

Hmm, luggs im in a class with some smart students, some which are good at certain areas (music, math, etc) and i can suggest a project to either myself work into, or all the class togeter, since last year i decided i wanted to make a videogame, even if just a simple one, i (and everyone else who decides to work init) will work on this using the free time i have for the entire year, but probably there may be somd things that could differ from what you had in mind (it will be my first attempt on being a game dev of course), so i would like to know if i could suggest this idea of yours in the class, if it happens to interest everyone i'll give you the credits for the plot and all the ideas to it, so if i 'd be allowed to do so please tell me. The first class will be tomorrow and (if the teacher doesnt get sick or anything) ill suggest your idea if you allow me, if you allow me to use it (while giving you the credits of course) until tomorrow ill suggest it, so let me know your asnwer.

[Luggs]

Hmm, luggs im in a class with some smart students, some which are good at certain areas (music, math, etc) and i can suggest a project to either myself work into, or all the class togeter, since last year i decided i wanted to make a videogame, even if just a simple one, i (and everyone else who decides to work init) will work on this using the free time i have for the entire year, but probably there may be somd things that could differ from what you had in mind (it will be my first attempt on being a game dev of course), so i would like to know if i could suggest this idea of yours in the class, if it happens to interest everyone i'll give you the credits for the plot and all the ideas to it, so if i 'd be allowed to do so please tell me. The first class will be tomorrow and (if the teacher doesnt get sick or anything) ill suggest your idea if you allow me, if you allow me to use it (while giving you the credits of course) until tomorrow ill suggest it, so let me know your asnwer.

To that I can only say, if they say yes, have fun.

[KidneyBeanBoy]

I know I'm far from being Luggs, but I kinda wanted to play this, and watch it's progress from.alpha to release (I REALLY like seeing glitches/beta material) Unless, of course, you can get it on Steam, then I'd be personally content. But I'm not Luggs. It's not up to me.

Also, *couch* fungus *couch*

I have my heart set on that fungus.

[Battal]

I'll be refreshing Steam Greenlight.

[KidneyBeanBoy]

I'll be refreshing Steam Greenlight.

I think we all will.

[KidneyBeanBoy]

So, that's it? It seemed like there would be more tothe idea.

[Luggs]

...I ever tell y'all I used to have the worst handwriting ever? Cause i feel like I need a Rosetta Stone to translate these hieroglyphs.