Work document, preproject planning #1

Published January 28, 2020
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Name

Not yet chosen. Suggestions include:

. Project Leapfrog

. The Road to Pangea

. Agents of Time

. Timeliner

Concept

The game is a first person perspective of conventional 4X games. Features include, but are not limited to:

. Character creation (w. skill tree, a la Dark Souls, WoW, GTA, etc.)

. Terrain manipulation (smooth voxel alternate of Minecraftian basics)

. Component-based crafting (a la Kerbal, including vehicles)

.

Narrative

The Embassy of Time is expanding! Agents are being sent back in time to build branches of The Embassy, with the ultimate goal of assembling a functional time machine and pave the way for missions farther back in time.

Basic Game Experience (BGE)

Default view is first person (camera can be altered for alt POVs). PC starts at existing, post-2020 Embassy. PC gets sent back to generated world. Objective is to first survive (reg survival game), then build compounds for housing a work force to improve the compound (reg RTS) until a time machine can be built. First trip back has a set time limit. Once a time machine (TM) is built, PC can start a new mission. Next trip back will have a time limit defined by the level of TM built. If the TM is built before the time limit expires, PC can return to the previous base ('snap back') and draw on expertise from compound when building the next. Snapping back also allows PC to let time pass before returning to mission, allowing fast forwarding. PC death means instant snap back to be healed (details depend on the base snapped back to, possibly requiring snapping back to even earlier bases before continuing). Greater accomplishments and fewer snap backs increase Embassy standing, attracting more and better specialists in different times. Farther back in time, NPCs have fewer tech skills and fewer tech components exist, adding demands on the mission.

Challenge

. Ticking clock from time limit (agents cannot stay when a base approaches the date of the previous base).

. Detection or local influence that threatens to alter the timeline significantly (crudely based on GTA wanted rating)

. Hostile time travelers (TTs) with opposing missions

Development structure

. Play From Zero. Every iteration of the game must be a playable game, although not necessarily reflecting the final game completely. INDIVIDUAL ITERATION PLANNING TBA

. Modding script language for any common content (NPCs, items, materials, terrain formula, etc.)

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