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Game elements
This page is about the game elements we want in the game. Things like multiplayer, minigames, RPG, world-building, combat mechanics, etc.
Perhaps best to start with a simple extensible basic premise. If we take an RPG as core of the game then we need things like:
- Statistics/abilities that define a character
- Challenges to overcome to progress the character
- Goals and purpose to give meaning to the progression
A character could be a "person", but also a ship. Where the player is the captain of the ship but the progression and statistics and such apply to the ship rather than it's captain. This allows for greater customization and expansion but limits the activity to place that a ship can go and action that a ship can participate in. Of course, having a person as character still means that they can buy, build and expand ships or other structures. So having an indiviual as character is probably best.
I was thinking along the lines of an instantaneous spacetime phase based radio-like communications systems with limited range.
Basically a chat system where you tune to a one or more phase frequencies and get all the data transmitted on that frequency within a certain range.
Not sure about the limited range though. It would need addition of relays to incres the range of certain channels. This may overcomplicate things.
I envision allowing players to run small javascript snippets on their comms to provide encryption. This to offset the lack of private messaging.
Maybe we could have starting players simply running around doing quests and later reveal options to invest in corporations or start them. So that the top-level players are running entire solar systems, creating quests for newer players.
This would be the strategy part where players buy, sell and manage resources, build huge fleets and go to war. Thus forming the backdrop in which the individual RPG stories play out.
Single-player quests would be a big part of the early career of a player. These should have string stories and be very plentiful, though not neccessarily easy to come by (don't want to overwhelm players with choices). We need a system to easily create gripping quests with fun content. This part is probably the most work.
This part is the least thought out at the moment.
How does movement work?
- Does an individual have the ability to move anywhere freely?
- Do we switch between different movement systems on different scales?
- Does distance even matter with the FTL drive?
- What are locations? The solar systems, the individual planets, moons and bases, rooms within a structure like a base or ship or building? What ganularity are we using and what systems underly it in terms of game mechanics?
- How is location information transmitted to the clients? What commands will cause which changes?
- Is PvP combat possible? How would that work?
- Can PvE combat be realtime? How would that work?
- Will combat be possible between individuals? Ships? Fleets? Empires?