Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
A more daring approach is trying to create something new, a game created almost
from scratch. I say "almost" because it is reasonable to use a traditional basis for it
but enrich it with some original rules, ornamentation, and details. I'm not sure that
you should try to invent a new chess game. In other words, it is not worth working on
a new strategy game with a minimalistic setting and rules. A more relevant goal is an
attempt to design a modern game that will include RPG elements and is based on
cards, a game board (something of a cross-and-circle scheme), and a random num-
ber generator. Players would need to reach a specific rank in the game. The concept
is pretty simple but it can be lit up with few bright details. Let's start with the plot and
settings. It is predictable to begin thinking about another clone of
Magic: The Gather-
ing
,somethingthathasfantasyworlds,magicspells,swords,chainarmors,dragons,
and other such stuff. This can get quite dreary because there is a huge army of vari-
ous fantasy creatures in the world—thousands of them! Many desktops, consoles,
and other such stuff, even browser-based games use fantasy settings; some of them
succeeded, but others only trailed behind.
Without a fresh idea, we will unwillingly become part of this lost army. So let's think
about more original ideas. How about sci-fi, for example? The genre is now quite
popular, and there a lot of sci-fi movies in the theaters. This setting is also pretty wide
and includes a rich background full of various alien creatures, amazing technologies,
and tools. Who is the main character? Say an astronaut, for example. This is good.
What else? A robot! This is even better, because robots can have various designs,
sizes, and purposes. So a lot of characters can be created. Another good thing is the
possibility of upgrading a robot; it is a machine, so some of its parts can be replaced
easily, and here comes in the RPG component. The character is the robot; it can be
upgraded with some new tools, giving it some new skills. What are the robots doing?
They collect some stuff, searching inside special containers where there can be a
reward or a pitfall in the form of an evil force. You shouldn't forget about the main
goal: each player would need to reach a higher rank for his character, for example,
there can be ten rank levels in the game. The idea has been formed, so let's create
the plot.
The Plot
The plot should be a little dramatic to draw the main conflict between the players.
It also should be very visual and easy to imagine. A game world and its elements
should be described. Here's an example:
