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Designing a new LCS-style game

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SlatersQuest:
Hi everyone,

It's time to start talking about the new game that I've been planning to make. The game will be set in what I have been tentatively calling the Mother Tree universe, although I think I need a new name for it (suggestions are welcome). To date, there is one game, made in RPGMaker, that takes place in this universe. You can download that game here (Windows only, but works with PlayOnMac without issues).

In this game, the player will take on the role of Phoenix, an organization dedicated to redeeming the human species with the intention that humanity can live as part of nature's beauty rather than being at odds with it (Terra Vitae in the mod of the same name is a tongue-in-cheek expy of Phoenix). To complicate matters and to make the story go, the universe in which the game takes place features an exotic physical phenomenon by which the creation and destruction of information creates timelines - alternate versions of reality - that both the player and the villains will be able to use to affect the universe and, ultimately, win or lose the game.

Features

* Tactical, squad-based movement and adventure in the style and mechanics of Liberal Crime Squad
* Base and squad management wherein the player can choose xer overall strategy
* Permadeath (within any timeline that is)
* Randomly-selected NPC villains and other adversaries sporting unique game mechanics, to ensure that each game has its own story and challenges
* Research system that allows the player to learn about villains, discover the villains' secrets and develop the player's capabilities
* Villain factions dynamically increase in strength and activity level over time, putting the player into an X-COM-like arms race against ever-strengthening enemies
* Complex social, political, and economic system to flesh the world out. There are many other factions apart from the player and the primary villain(s), each with their own agenda, and that affect the player's goals in subtle and not-so-subtle ways!
* Ability of the player to change xer social and political focus to adapt to changing circumstances and different villains (e.g. some villains are conservative, others liberal, and the political climate will determine which are easier to fight)
Open questions (yes, please provide input!)
I plan to develop this game as a total conversion mod for Liberal Crime Squad, but with the player playing as Phoenix instead of the LCS. I do not yet know whether it would be best to adapt my Terra Vitae mod, adapt the latest version of vanila LCS (4.12.21 as of this writing), or use Cheshire Cat's graphical mod.

Starting with the Terra Vitae mod
Pros

* I am already familiar with the code and could develop it quickly
* Many of the features are already partially implemented (e.g. timelines will be created from the code that handles movies). Development will be shorterCons

* ASCII text art is not visually attractive and may limit game's audience
* Many newer LCS features would not be included
* Many Terra Vitae features would need to be dropped to make room for them
Starting with LCS 4.12.21
Pros

* I am somewhat familiar with the code and certainly familiar with C++
* A fresh start will clarify many features (including the behavior of factions)Cons

* ASCII text art is not visually attractive and may limit game's audience
* Development will be slower than if I start with TV, albeit probably more streamlined
Starting with Cheshire Cat's LCS remake
Pros
* Cheshire Cat's remake is graphically more appealing than ASCII artCons

* I am unfamiliar with C#, and utterly unfamiliar with Unity. I will need a lot of help.

Taberone:
LCS 4.12.21 is probably the best bet if you can't get help with Unity. It has more features and is more up to date.

a1s:
I noticed that you are not even considering using RPGM as the base, why is that? While it would take longer to implement some of the features, you are well familiar with the engine, as will be any players of your first game.

Putnam:
RPG maker is a fine engine for JRPGs. It's like trying to use a hammer as a screwdriver for something like this, though.

SlatersQuest:

--- Quote from: Taberone on December 24, 2018, 01:32:23 am ---LCS 4.12.21 is probably the best bet if you can't get help with Unity. It has more features and is more up to date.

--- End quote ---

A point - I may also be able to use other C++ libraries that allow the use of GUIs. Maybe I could even use the layout for Cheshire Cat's remake by using a different library.



--- Quote from: a1s on December 24, 2018, 05:06:47 am ---I noticed that you are not even considering using RPGM as the base, why is that? While it would take longer to implement some of the features, you are well familiar with the engine, as will be any players of your first game.

--- End quote ---

RPGMaker basically cannot handle anything that has to be procedurally-generated, which means that it's next-to-useless for roguelikes. Putnam uses a good analogy.

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