Valhalla project

An arena shooter project based on Tesseract which focuses on both competitive and casual gameplay.

I've put together a list of things I would like to do with this project. If you think you can help with these feel free to join the project!

Please note: anything written below is not set in stone, everything is open to discussion, suggestions and ideas.

General

the aim is to create a well-balanced arena-style shooter with casual, fun modes such as Infection, Gunball (football/rugby mode), Invasion (online Sauerbraten DMSP), boss mode and other cool stuff!

• create a gameplay which is more complex, interesting and various than Sauerbraten's gameplay but in the same time as simple, polished and fun as possible;

• create a not too complicated yet interesting movement system, add mutators and other variables to make every game even more unique;

• try to revolutionate the arena fps genre with new ideas;

• colorful graphics (if not a little bit cartoony): spooky maps are welcome from time to time but let's avoid too much hyper realistic (since the gameplay is unrealistic) or gloomy stuff, we don't need ANOTHER gritty sci-fi shooter;

• create competitive modes aswell as casual modes, like zombie mode and invasion mode (online Sauerbraten DMSP) to let newbies and casual players have fun with their friends, too;

• add a progression system and features that allow the players to customize their player model;

• improve the editor: simplify the editor's appearence, make more functions accessible trough clear user interface;

• supporting and encouraging new players as much as possible with matchmaking and other important features which could help new players get into the game;

• create an interesting game storyline;

• keep the game as light as possible;

• create a game launcher and add an updater in it to let players know when their game version is outdated;

• tweak the engine, add features players want to see and develope them with the community.

Some of these points are further explained in the lists below.

User interface

Improve the general user interface: make it as clear as possible, noob-friendly.

• letting the player know when there has been a connection problem or when they got kicked with a clear UI window;

• improve server browser: server previews, letting the joining player type the server passwords directly in the browser;

• launcher that allows players to edit server variables and set up their own server;

• move frag messages regarding the player (you got killed by, you killed, double kill, etc) to the center of the screen;

• move the frag messages regarding other players (dude killed dude) from the regular console to the right top of the screen;

• move CTF and other important mode-specific messages to the center of the screen;

• an alternative scoreboard (toggable by pressing F2) which shows more player statistics than the regular scoreboard like damage dealt, accuracy, medals (double kill, killing sprees), etc;

• player model 3D preview on the left (or right) side in the main menu;

Server

• vote kick, allows players to kick a hacker or another abusive player when a master isn't there, and possibly a system that doesn't let players abuse it (example: one player can start only one vote kick per match);

• ability for developers to send global messages (visible to any player in any server in the master server);

• the game recognizes modded servers and let players know they are modified before joining;

Gameplay

trying to revolutionate the arena fps genre: big NO to the fear of creating and experimenting particular and original weapons, attack combinations and modes (as long as they're not too complicated); adding classic FFA mode (which relies heavily on map control and is not that noob-friendly) as a mutator; suggestions are welcome!

• create a not too complex yet interesting movement system: adding, for example, wall jump and dodge as mutators is more than enough;

• pulse rifle combo mines that stick to players like in Red Eclipse;

• new casual modes: race mode, invasion mode (online Sauerbraten DMSP), football mode (Gunball), side scroller mode (Side Scroller Deathmatch/SSD), online boss mode;

• weapon and power up drops by dead players;

• EXP point gains to level up after every match (online multiplayer only) for players who have an account (?);

• game point gains to unlock player skins and vanity items after every match (online multiplayer only) for players who have an account (?);

• integrated player statistics, ranking, achievements, progression system with various and unlockable vanity items, skins, etc. (nothing gameplay changing)(?);

• improve bots' AI (especially movement);

• possibility to jump to an exact moment in a demo playback;

• movement and weapons tutorials for newcomers;

Aesthetics

• cartoonish and/or colourful graphics, without exaggerating... avoid the grittiness/darkness of Quake and of most maps in Sauerbraten;

• unique characters (player models) with unique personalities and voices;

• immersive atmopshere (ambient sounds, decent audio and graphics/effects, cool weapons effects to make sure that weapons are fun to shoot and feel powerful);

• player model customization: variables that allow players to attach vanity items to their player model and change its colours, same for weapons;

Editor & engine

• being open to tweak the engine and add features;

• possibility to download a new map in-game everytime it's available on the server, even outside edit mode (with custom files like textures and sounds?);

• possibility to undo or redo modifications done by our client in online coop edit;

• map sounds menu in the editor where you can listen to sounds before creating an entity;

• mini in-game Quadropolis that allows players to share maps, mods and stuff (?);