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[GlassInMyEyeGuy]

Here it is, the explanation is lenghty but, I hope, thorough:

No single player mode except one that can be added on later. Multiplayer is the focus.
   Features a big world, huge, hundreds of players. First Person Shooter/Real Time Strategy. Going back a bit to colored nations. There will be many worlds with different geography and number of nations.
   There are two game styles: Gun and Sword. Gun is modern, long range, advanced warfare. Sword is old-time, saber & arrow, basic warfare.
   There is only one resource. Not sure what though. It’s gathered from natural deposits, but as these deposits run out, the nations must turn towards the second method of collection: War. Essentially, resources can be collected from the corpses of enemies and brought to a nearby resource depot, which pumps resources quickly to the capital in underground pipes. If the resource pipe is found, then the other nation can build a resource depot over the pipe and intercept and claim any resources pumped through. These resources can be used for many things, such as unit and building construction and weapon buying.
   At the center of the game are the ministers. There are three per nation. The first three ministers are the first three players. From here, ministers are elected or reelected weekly by the players (though voting is optional). The ministers are special in many ways. The key one is that they can design and construct buildings.
   Buildings can be made up of the following:
   
Walls, Floors, Windows, Stairs and Doors: The basics. Fully destructible
   Unit Spawners: Essentially the barracks of the games, where a minister spawns the units he wishes to be created. If a player wishes to spawn at the spawner, he must become the next unit in the list until the list is fulfilled. Units cost resources
   Turrets/Siege Weapons: Manned defense systems.
   Traps: Automatic defense systems.
   Vehicle/Boat/Plane spawner: Like the unit spawners except it creates customized vehicles created by the minister. Vehicles are always manned by a driver and a gunner. They cost resources. Unlike soldiers, vehicles take time to build depending on cost and complexity.
   Message System/Messenger Pigeon: Allows players to send a message from one system to another, no matter the distance.
   Weapon Depot/Armory: A table that is covered with weapons. Every time a weapon is taken from the table, it costs resources to the nation. The ministers decide what weapons are available and in what quantity at the table. Weapons can be picked up from depots but cannot be reused by another player after the carrier’s death.
   Resource collector/Wealth Accumulator:  Allows players to send resources back to the capital.
   Minimap generator/Lord’s Map: Only one is needed to give every player of the nation access to the minimap.
   Stats generator: Allows players of a nation to view the nation’s stats. Not available in sword mode.
Core/Throne: When destroyed, the building collapses. Required in each building.
Ammo Depot: A large container from which players can reload their weapons. Only available in Gun mode. (Note: Ammo can be taken from the bodies of other players, unlike weapons)
Buildings are designated and built instantly by the minister

Ministers make buildings and vehicles out of their blueprint menus. The Minister can share these blueprints with others or for future ministers, or he can keep them for himself in order to improve his chances of being reelected. The minister mainly sees things from the third person but can go to a first person view. When elected, the Minister is teleported or spawned at the nation’s capital. When a minister is killed by another nation, this reduces the amount of ministers that can exist by one. When all ministers are dead, no more units can be spawned and the players of the nation that is left can chose to join another nation or pursue doomed guerilla warfare. Players that choose to convert die and must be spawned in the other nation.
There are three other types of units:

The Soldier: Basically, this unit can carry any weapon and is used as the primary military force of the game.
The Repairman/Mason: The only type of unit that can repair buildings and vehicles.
The Spy: Can change his color to any he chooses and always looks like a soldier. Can only be seen by ministers or other Spies. A large range of vision appears on the minimap of his nation. If he works his way to an opposing nation’s minimap generator, he can go to a Message System and send a shot of the other nation’s minimap info to his own nation, updating their minimap. He can also do the same with a nation’s statistics. The Spy has a deadly but very short range attack and has little health. There is a limit on the number of spies a nation can have and players can only become one if a minister asks. Even then, the ministers must vote on whether they want one.
All players can use message systems, turrets, siege weapons and vehicles. They can also collect resources.

There are a few screens the player must become acquainted to:

The main screen: The player’s view. The view is mainly first-person, but ministers can switch to third person.
The minimap: Shows a view of where the nation’s buildings and ministers are located, as well as the general geography of the map.
The stats screens: Shows lists of buildings, vehicles, units and resources of the nations.
Political screen: Shows declarations of the ministers and candidates, comments by the populace, the popularity of ministers, and the most voted for candidates for the next election and more. The player votes here
The Diplomacy Screen: Can only be accessed by ministers. This is where ministers vote on and propose alliances with other nations, the creation of spies and major projects. Exchanges in resources and blueprints also take place here.

As a final note on the building system: This system is incredibly complex. Certain walls are stronger than others, the most expensive ones (i.e. almost impossible to buy) being indestructible. Certain traps and turrets have different rates of fire and damage caused varies. The sheer variety is amazing. One could build a huge wall by combining several blue prints, design an impermeable palace for the ministers or create a giant building only for the purpose of creating an enormous superweapon. The choice is yours.


Now that I've finished explaining, I'd like to say that I realise making this would take years and be nealy impossible to do. If the idea has any merit, please comment. Suggestions would also be nice.

[deadlycairn]

As far as the resource goes, you could always make it water - easy enough to make an armageddon backstory to explain why its so rare now, and makes a good explanation for the harvesting it from dead bodies part.

[Sowelu]

Hmm.  The setting is neat, but I'm concerned whenever someone starts talking about a persistent world in an RTS/FPS.  How long do the games run for?  How long are ministers elected for?  How long are players expected to be connected at a time, and how much damage will it do to a nation if a lot of its players have to go eat dinner for a while or something?

[Derakon]

I admit I stopped reading when I got to the "hundreds of players" bit.

Multiplayer is hard. It is in fact the hardest type of gameplay to implement, technology-wise, that we have today. And the more simultaneous players you have, the harder it is. While I appreciate ambition, it needs to be tempered with realism. Keep your idea in mind. But your first project (indeed, your first half-dozen projects at least) should be more realistic.

[Okenido]

Build the basic structure first.

Use Battlezone (1998 Version) for inspiration.

Keep the maps small for now and build up, or learn how to randomly generate environments.

The spy is a poorly implemented idea.

Savage already did it.

For epic scale expect more AI than players.

For multiplayer keep it 1 vs 1, and 2 vs. 2 for know, then expand upon it. DO NOT try to make a MMOG.

[woose1]

Didn't Tabula Rasa fail at this?

[GlassInMyEyeGuy]

Now that I've finished explaining, I'd like to say that I realise making this would take years and be nealy impossible to do. If the idea has any merit, please comment. Suggestions would also be nice.

I thought I ought to repost that, and also add that this is just a neat idea I had, not something I actually plan to do ( I have poor programming skills). I'm sorry if anyone misinterpreted (which I admit would probably be quite easy to do) what I posted as a legitimate attempt at making the game. It's just a neat idea and I thought I'd share it.

Also, everyone who posted advice for my idea, thank you, 'tis aprreciated.

[woose1]

Er, yes, but this is in the Creative Projects forum. Sometimes it's hard to differentiate between 'crazy-batshit game theories' and actual projects going on.

[GlassInMyEyeGuy]

Er, yes, but this is in the Creative Projects forum. Sometimes it's hard to differentiate between 'crazy-batshit game theories' and actual projects going on.

Yeah, that's why I thought the explanation was necessary, tardy though it was. Once again, sorry.

[Muz]

User interface should go last, after the game is made. Most new designers like to do it first.. which is natural because it's the first thing they see, but it's best saved for last because you don't know how the implementation is. It's like windows on a car, if you're not sure what the shape of the car is like, it's hard to manufacture the window.

From what I'm assuming, it's sort of like a Dungeon Keeper/Build a Fort kind of game, but with massive multiplayer and a FPS once you start playing it. But putting the nation building on top of that is a bit too much. You'd probably end up dumbing it down somewhere, unless you take the Total War approach and treat the nation mode and the 'fortress mode' as separate.

It seems possible to make; but IMHO, game design is the hardest part of making a game. Anyone can learn to program. And even if you can't, a good designer could simplify his plans to suit a simpler engine. But that's where the problem lies.

In conclusion.. I dunno. I'm not getting a tingle from this idea. I suppose it could be better with better explanation or more details.

[Jakkarra]

i can help you do 3d weapons modelling and possibly 2d graphics too if you wish.

preferably using the XSI mod tool.

[Leafsnail]

The only real time strategy MMO which is set in a consistant world which I've seen is Travian, which sortof works, but has basically no graphics.  It's kindof fun, but you have to spend ages waiting when you're on and the rest of the time worrying that you're going to be attacked by the village that's 20 DAMN TIMES BIGGER THAN YOU just 30 minutes march away.