Best setting

[1000xZero]

To expand on the Heaven/Hell idea, why not have a game called "War of the Gods"?

Pit all the mythos against one another: Greek, Norse, Christian, Demon, Hindu, Buddhist, Aztec, Native American, Darwinian (aka Scientific), Wicca etc.

Each would have followers of that Myth and within that Mythos certain powers and abilities.

[Vanraw]

To expand on the Heaven/Hell idea, why not have a game called "War of the Gods"?

Pit all the mythos against one another: Greek, Norse, Christian, Demon, Hindu, Buddhist, Aztec, Native American, Darwinian (aka Scientific), Wicca etc.

Each would have followers of that Myth and within that Mythos certain powers and abilities.

I could see the Buddhist army now

[1000xZero]

To expand on the Heaven/Hell idea, why not have a game called "War of the Gods"?

Pit all the mythos against one another: Greek, Norse, Christian, Demon, Hindu, Buddhist, Aztec, Native American, Darwinian (aka Scientific), Wicca etc.

Each would have followers of that Myth and within that Mythos certain powers and abilities.

I could see the Buddhist army now

Like the Myanmar Junta, Muay Thai fighters, or Singhalese Sri Lankans?

[Flab]

A Lovecraftian world would be interesting and it could jibe with Vllads horror genre.

[bonestomper]

before you decide on a genre, i think you need to determine the number of large factions you think would work best in a game.

2 sucks. GvE is not a game, and people will flock to what they like

3 sucks. traditional GvE and an addon.

4 sucks. comes down to 1 vs 1 after they combine

need 5 factions. break it down how ever you want

socialist, capitalist, totalitarianism, anarchy, communism

human, vampire, zombie, werewolf, alien

whatever

but 3 vs 2 has a lot more complications and would make for a better game

[Slamz]

I believe we were thinking more along the lines of "hundreds" if not "thousands". Although some will grow to dominate I think I'd try to arrange it so that no one faction would be likely to obtain more than a 10th of the map (although they may be able to do some "scorched earth" tactics to destroy some of the map that they don't want to risk expanding into...)


Incidentally, I was thinking that a Diablo style interface would probably be mandatory. In thinking about WW2O, the huge map is cool and all but the game doesn't display more than about 30 enemies at a time, if that -- you just can't draw 200 entities running around within the 10 mile vision radius.

But you could do it if it was a top-down, Diablo-style view. Maybe even zoomed out a bit more. It limits what you can actually see so the huge world doesn't crush your system when you try to look at it. I prefer regular RPG views but I think we'd have to scale our ideas way back to support those graphics. I'm sure there was a good reason WOW changed it so that people on horseback basically materialized in your face as you were passing each other instead of 500 feet away.

[Diggles]

I believe we were thinking more along the lines of "hundreds" if not "thousands". Although some will grow to dominate I think I'd try to arrange it so that no one faction would be likely to obtain more than a 10th of the map (although they may be able to do some "scorched earth" tactics to destroy some of the map that they don't want to risk expanding into...)


Incidentally, I was thinking that a Diablo style interface would probably be mandatory. In thinking about WW2O, the huge map is cool and all but the game doesn't display more than about 30 enemies at a time, if that -- you just can't draw 200 entities running around within the 10 mile vision radius.

But you could do it if it was a top-down, Diablo-style view. Maybe even zoomed out a bit more. It limits what you can actually see so the huge world doesn't crush your system when you try to look at it. I prefer regular RPG views but I think we'd have to scale our ideas way back to support those graphics. I'm sure there was a good reason WOW changed it so that people on horseback basically materialized in your face as you were passing each other instead of 500 feet away.

heh, if we used a 'horror' theme, there could just be thick fog everywhere that limits your view to like 100 ft

[OrsunVZ]

I am in love with the heaven-hell faction (complete with sub factions) set in a post apocolyptic Earth twisted by hell's entry into it. Play in bombed out New York City, or San fransicso with massive battles staged around a smashed and broken golden gate bridge. An Alcatraz citidel/gateway to hell. Even certain portions of the world phasing in and out of hell itself - kind of "Constantine" style. This could be a world where mankind's own attempts to push back demon-kind has caused the post nuclear holocost to begin with. Heaven's intervention occurs only when it is clear humanity is going to lose. Water is poison, death is everywhere, and there is not a single moment where you don't feel like the world could end in a blink.

But definitely have the setting maybe 50 years in the future, so that we could benefit from medical technologies that don't currently exist. Even introduce cybernetics. Include vehicles which you "own" but can be stolen/destroyed/borrowed and enhanced, guild bases where you can store your salvage, and an engineer class which can actually engineer stuff! Your own guild can become a pocket of humanity clinging to its own piece of earth, like a bombed out stadium or arena. Talismans and Relics become vital for travel. Priests are granted holy spells and abilities, paladines are truly holy warriors, and can be armed with conventional firearms or even holy swords/hammers for demons unaffected by earth-born weapons. Include flight as a central premise. A massive guild achievement would be the salvage and restoration of a transport-helecopter (use it at your own peril however as you do become a very visible target as you move about). As an angel your would be given your "wings" at a certain progression level down a career path... combat along thet z-axis has never really been accomplished outside of FPS based games, but done well, could add a level of immersion never felt before.

Speaking of FPS, I think this could be a brilliant opportunity to introduce some more traditionally FPS based gameplay. Inventory needs to be weight based again. And encumberance should be an aspect. the more stuff you have the slower you move.

Death can be dealt with through insurance much like Eve. You die, and unless a priest is present to resurrect, you can "release" and wake up in a medical labratory being put back together by the company you buy insurance from who goes out and gets your body when your heart stops. Or if you are demon, you can simply be reborn with a punishment for dying (ie material value is stripped from you). Actually each faction should have it's own currency. Humanity = credits of some sort, demons can collect blood or souls, and angels collect deeds or good will. And to recover from death would take some of that away.

It may actually be better to strip the angel and demon aspect away initially and make that a character progression depending on your faction. Humanity could easily be split into those support darkness and light.

So many ideas...

[Diggles]

You're forgetting 80% of america is religious nut jobs, the only game I remember that had a heaven theme, tanked

[OrsunVZ]

don't piss in my cornflakes digs!!!

[Slamz]

You're forgetting 80% of america is religious nut jobs, the only game I remember that had a heaven theme, tanked

That's conflicting though. If 80% are religious nut jobs, then religious stuff should sell well.

The real problem is that it was probably just a crap game. Kinda like with religious music -- there are some religious groups out there making a ton of money without being that good simply because if you are in the market for religious music, there isn't a great selection to begin with. So releasing a religious game might actually garner you more money than you have any right to, provided the game doesn't totally suck.


But after reading a number of "Dresden Files" books, I like that setting a lot. Factions in that book include:
* Evil magic wielding undead zombie-style vampires straight out of the movies
* Evil "creature"-style vampires that look human until you piss them off
* Semi-evil psychic vampires
* A group of anti-vampires who are actually humans who were half-turned into vampires but didn't complete the process
* Several styles of "werewolf"
* Wizards of various styles, mostly formed into a "White Council"
* Evil necromancers
* A whole other "faerie" realm mostly divided into Winter (evil) and Summer (also pretty evil)
* Hell, where demons come from
* Heaven, which mostly operates in a round-about way through a small number of highly powerful, rarely seen crusaders
* "Old gods" which mostly don't pay attention to earth because it's too weak and puny
* Mortals (which most of the other factions actually fear because there's so many of us and they can't deal with our technology -- they can kill mortals in isolated incidents but they all fear in engaging in open warfare with a race that understands how to make holy water, lead bullets, silver bullets, chainsaws, armored cars and nuclear weapons)


"Dresden Files" is almost the setting we've been talking about, down to the letter.

[Skelas]

To expand on the Heaven/Hell idea, why not have a game called "War of the Gods"?

Pit all the mythos against one another: Greek, Norse, Christian, Demon, Hindu, Buddhist, Aztec, Native American, Darwinian (aka Scientific), Wicca etc.

Each would have followers of that Myth and within that Mythos certain powers and abilities.

I love this idea.

[Vllad]

If this setting wouldn't work because of nut jobs the following wouldn't have been popular.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Angel
TrueBlood
Constantine
End of Days
X-Files
Millennium (the best of them all)
Suprernaturual


All of the above are right in line with what we are talking about.


Vllad

[bonestomper]

holy crap. i didn't even know there was Dresden File books, i just knew the short lived TV series. this might be the only thing that gets me to actually use the reading glasses.

now if you guys would just get this thing rolling it would be great, WAR is getting a bit tiring.

[Veraphim]

The short-lived TV show was based on the books. I haven't read any of the books, but I liked the show.


Also, as far as the comment on Heaven-vs-Hell games tanking, DiabloII was a great favorite of mine and was fairly popular. Had a good story and good gameplay.