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A sandbox Iron Tower game

Lumpy

Arcane
Joined
Sep 11, 2005
Messages
8,525
As I understand, you aren't going to make an AoD 2. Then, what are you planning to do after AoD?
Since no proffesional development team seems to be going to make another sandbox, Daggerfall-ish game, how about Iron Tower doing one?
Would it be too hard to do for a small development team? Or do you intend to focus on classic RPGs?
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
Lumpy said:
As I understand, you aren't going to make an AoD 2.
Depends on what AoD 2 is. Direct sequel - no, another game set in a different location (another continent, the barbarian lands, etc) - sure, why not?

Then, what are you planning to do after AoD?
Depends on many factors. I'd like to make a sci-fi RPG, but time will tell.

Since no proffesional development team seems to be going to make another sandbox, Daggerfall-ish game, how about Iron Tower doing one?
Not in the near future.

Would it be too hard to do for a small development team?
I doubt it. 13 people made Daggerfall and it was one hell of a game.

Or do you intend to focus on classic RPGs?
That's what I enjoy the most, and that's what's missing from the market at the moment, now that Troika is gone.
 

Ivy Mike

Scholar
Joined
Jun 28, 2005
Messages
495
Location
Ground Zero
So I've been playing Darklands again recently. I sincerly recommend you play or replay that game VD - as it's a sandbox game done right. Even if you won't do a sandbox game, I'd strongly suggest you incorporate some of the features found in games like Darklands and the Realms of Arkania triology. The option to freely roam the world and interact in different ways (even though it's "only" text based choices in Darklands) really adds to the (here we go, marketing 101) immersion while playing.

Vault Dweller said:
Not in the near future.

What's that? You do realize that the near future means "untill AoD is finished" right? Right. Start fleshing out those sandbox features. Chop, chop.
 

Ladonna

Arcane
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
10,639
How about a scifi RPG that has space flight (Combat, etc) and normal RPG type when you land or dock somewhere? I think Space Rogue was the last time that was done :lol:
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
Ivy Mike said:
So I've been playing Darklands again recently. I sincerly recommend you play or replay that game VD - as it's a sandbox game done right.
Played it when it was released, I still have the box and the manual. Great game indeed, one of my top 10 RPGs.

(even though it's "only" text based choices in Darklands) really adds to the (here we go, marketing 101) immersion while playing.
There are many text-based choices in AoD (you'll see shortly, we are preparing an update).

What's that? You do realize that the near future means "untill AoD is finished" right? Right. Start fleshing out those sandbox features. Chop, chop.
I meant not before I make 3 non-sandbox games. Assuming that AoD doesn't suck, of course.

SLDeviant said:
What kind of SF game setting would you consider? Cyberpunk, Space Opera?
When I was a kid, which was many moons ago, I was fascinated with those old sci-fi stories about big-ass colony ships flying toward some distant planet for hundreds of years and many generations of colonists. Then something goes wrong (mutiny, natural disaster, etc) and a generation later the purpose is forgotten, the technology is either worshipped or completely forgotten, while the ship's maintenance systems take care of the basic needs. So, you have radiation leaks, mutations, gangs controlling different decks and areas, priests performing miracles via memorized spells - ancient commands, recognized by the central computer, etc. I absolutely fucking love this genre, and would love to make such a game.
 
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
1,585
Location
Galway
Technology being ruled by priests, learning how to operate it through entirely empirical means without understanding the underlying science is a very cool concept. I've come across it in the Foundation books, or even Dune for the Ixians and the Navigators Guild, but its still not something you see too often.

You could use pretty much any SF dynamic in that setting.

Some ideas:

An A.I. system, after a century dormant due to the disaster, installs itself as head of the human religion as it recognises this as the best way to control and safeguard the population until it could get them to the destination.

I know its kind of cliche but a great way to introduce the protagonist to this setting would be the ole just woke up from stasis and doesn't know what the fuck is going on. That way you'd have carte blanche on his past , his skills and his development. He could be seen by the ruling religion as either a messiah or a heretic who denounces their god as a mere machine. He could be an official that was supposed to oversee the creation of the colony, or a colonist who flipped and needed to be restrained in stasis.

You could even throw in an eloi/morlock thing where the colonists in "coach" turn into mutants , and the first classers live in luxury in the ships upper decks becoming the ruling nobility.

There was a 2000ad strip called Leviathan, which wasn't technically SF unless you count steampunk, but had a similar concept on a massive cruise liner that was lost at sea and cursed to wander on an eternal ocean with 30,000 people aboard. It had a dark 20's horror/detective theme that was very cool.

There's definitely a lot of room for some interesting storytelling in there.
 

Ivy Mike

Scholar
Joined
Jun 28, 2005
Messages
495
Location
Ground Zero
Vault Dweller said:
I meant not before I make 3 non-sandbox games. Assuming that AoD doesn't suck, of course.

[Jedi mind trick] Your next project WILL be a sandbox game [/Jedi mind trick]

I'd settle with sandbox "features" a lá Darklands or Realms of Arkania. But hey, I'm only a mere customer... :D

Vault Dweller said:
When I was a kid, which was many moons ago, I was fascinated with those old sci-fi stories about big-ass colony ships flying toward some distant planet for hundreds of years and many generations of colonists. Then something goes wrong (mutiny, natural disaster, etc) and a generation later the purpose is forgotten, the technology is either worshipped or completely forgotten, while the ship's maintenance systems take care of the basic needs. So, you have radiation leaks, mutations, gangs controlling different decks and areas, priests performing miracles via memorized spells - ancient commands, recognized by the central computer, etc. I absolutely fucking love this genre, and would love to make such a game.

Yes please. Reminds me a bit about the back story for Seed (no, I've never played it - but I thought the premise of the game was pretty decent). And for the love of God, no Cyberpunk. That stuff was the shit back in the 80's/90's, but it's time to let it go.
 

EEVIAC

Erudite
Joined
Mar 30, 2003
Messages
1,186
Location
Bumfuck, Nowhere
I've said this before but I'd love to see someone mercilessly rip-off Pirates! but in another setting, with a party and character system. Pulp sci-fi (like Countdown to Doomsday,) post-apoc, even a fantasy-tech hybrid. Just think of all the dialogue you wouldn't have to write, VD...
 
Self-Ejected

aweigh

Self-Ejected
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
17,978
Location
Florida
VD, that sounds quite close to the Rama books. You read those, right? One of my favorite sci-fi series, and STILL has the best alien life forms for me.
 
Joined
Feb 19, 2005
Messages
4,566
Strap Yourselves In Codex+ Now Streaming!
@Topic:

Wouldn't it be good to wait until AoD is released to check whether it is a good game or complete and utter bullshit before asking for VDs next games?

Just a thought.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
TalesfromtheCrypt said:
@Topic:

Wouldn't it be good to wait until AoD is released to check whether it is a good game or complete and utter bullshit before asking for VDs next games?

Just a thought.
Oh well... Ok, guys, preorders for my second and third game are cancelled.
 
Self-Ejected

aweigh

Self-Ejected
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
17,978
Location
Florida
Yeah, SLD provided the links. The books are basically about a large group humans on a huge alien vessel on their way to meet up with a far-flung alien culture, a trip that'll take a few lifetimes worth, while their microcosm of civilization inside the alien vessel runs the gamut of pretty much everything VD outlined in his earlier post.

A lot of sci-fi fans hate the books 2-4 because the first one was straight sci-fi with an almost archeological bent, but books 2-4 are total human relations books with large doses of space-flight sci-fi.
 

spacemoose

Erudite
Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Messages
9,632
Location
california
aweigh said:
Yeah, SLD provided the links. The books are basically about a large group humans on a huge alien vessel on their way to meet up with a far-flung alien culture, a trip that'll take a few lifetimes worth, while their microcosm of civilization inside the alien vessel runs the gamut of pretty much everything VD outlined in his earlier post.

I will respectfully disagree and say that while there was interesting exploration of human nature with respect to other species, those books were also boring as fuck with no faction conflict or politics at all.

Read Heinlein's Orphans of the Sky instead. Ignore the space opera cover, it matches what you described ( lower class mutants, conflict between factions, uncovering lost technology, knifefighting ) to a point
 

luckyb0y

Scholar
Joined
Apr 25, 2005
Messages
355
When I was a kid, which was many moons ago, I was fascinated with those old sci-fi stories about big-ass colony ships flying toward some distant planet for hundreds of years and many generations of colonists. Then something goes wrong (mutiny, natural disaster, etc) and a generation later the purpose is forgotten, the technology is either worshipped or completely forgotten, while the ship's maintenance systems take care of the basic needs. So, you have radiation leaks, mutations, gangs controlling different decks and areas, priests performing miracles via memorized spells - ancient commands, recognized by the central computer, etc. I absolutely fucking love this genre, and would love to make such a game.


Awesome!!!
Had the same idea some time ago. Not enough skill and will to pursue it though. Glad someone will do it for me :)
 

sheek

Arbiter
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
Messages
8,659
Location
Cydonia
Vault Dweller said:
When I was a kid, which was many moons ago, I was fascinated with those old sci-fi stories about big-ass colony ships flying toward some distant planet for hundreds of years and many generations of colonists. Then something goes wrong (mutiny, natural disaster, etc) and a generation later the purpose is forgotten, the technology is either worshipped or completely forgotten, while the ship's maintenance systems take care of the basic needs. So, you have radiation leaks, mutations, gangs controlling different decks and areas, priests performing miracles via memorized spells - ancient commands, recognized by the central computer, etc. I absolutely fucking love this genre, and would love to make such a game.

VD, have you read "Non-stop" by Brian Aldiss?

One of my favorite books ever.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
Always happy to help, RP.
 

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