Pre Production Help Needed

[LooseEnds]

Concept:

Themes: The oblivious themes are segregation and choice, but (depending on your story arc) loss and regret are huge factors in the anti-hero's quest.
The character chooses his name based on the players chose of story arc. An example is when Ivan/Beowulf has to choose between declaring war on the UN or waiting, the choses are murky but one sets him down a questionable story arc.

History:

Spoiler

First to note, this is a divergent universe that splits from realities timelines in the year 2000.
In the year 2000 American scientists discovered that with new memristor technology coupled with the theory of using radio waves as a bus insted of cables that they could create an effective AI, using the memristor as a central brain that sent said radio waves to each unit of the body. The issue with it was, however that a central computer was needed to store the data this unit was putting out. This technology advanced in 2005 to allow the storing of past experiences within a central ram segment (coined the Medula Superior) so the AI could learn without the help of a central computer station. In 2008 the first combat ready model was created. It was called simply "Android". In 2010 it was realesed to the public (the same public who knew nothing about its existance or creation until that point.) The unveiling of "Android" caused the japanese military to seek it own way to create a simular device. It, over the coarse of three years, failed and the Japanese military started seeking an alternitive. Meanwhile the Amercan military actively started wartime consrtuction of the "Android" causing many other countries (China, Great Britton, and Japan just a few.) to stockpile nucular weapons. In 2013 Japanese scientists using advanced cloning technology, took the genes of themselves and combined it with those of frogs. Within two years of this testing they created the first true "anthropomorphic animal", (a frog) calling him Hehkek (pronouced hEE-kEEck) after the egyptian frog gods. Although not an exceptional fighter Hehkek proved to be slightly more inteligent that the scientist who created him. Hehkek soon joined the team to create more battle worthy anthros. In 2014 Japan rounded up what they belived to be the best of their gene pool and started testing these genes with more viscous animals. Although the scientists had issues keeping more viscous animals instincts in check in the year 2016 the scientist created the first battle worthy anthro, Fenrir, his animal counterpart, a wolf. Fenrir proved a perfect warrior, both strong and inteligent. The japanese scientist started mass creating the anthros in evey type of animal they could get their hands on. In 2029 (I know its a big skip in timeline but until then the cold war is just increasing in intensity and the anthros a being created and bred.) the cold part of the war desolves as America sends the Androids into China. China, almost helpless to the android advance seek out help from Japan's anthro army. In that skirmish, and the many that followed the anthros dominated the Androids. Unfortunatly, although china was rebuking the assualt they made the desicion to use nucular weapons. America was decimated with the exception of three cities. New York, D.C., and Los Angeles. (Be aware that all of these were ground blasts so there was little to no fallout.) Amerca, in responce unleashed their full nucular payloud onto China. (also ground blasts.)These blasts destoyed almost the entire Android army (only ten survived) and wiped out the anthro army that was stationed there (about 1/3 of the total anthro population.), it also killed almost every human in China, the remaining people fled to Japan.
Seeing their brothers killed for China caused the remaining anthros to revolt and kill the scientists that created them. The anthros then scatered to the far corners of the world and bred.( At that time the anthro population was about a million. )

Current World Powers and Who Is Were:

Spoiler

America: Decimated with the exception of the cities of New York, Los Angeles, and D.C. Anthro Population: 2000 apox. Android Population: 3

- New York: The only population center to allow antros, it uses them for a cheap labor to remove ruble from around the city so it can expand to encompas its ever growing population. This is were most of the American populace have gone. (Think the cities of "1984") Physical Description: The city of New York, once called the city that never sleeps, has recently been called the city that can't sleep because of its huge crime rate. There are as many as 3 murders every day. Garbage lines the streets along side the cities homeless. It is almost constantly dark on the streets due to the size of the surrounding buildings.

- D.C: The polical center of America still, but much less the glamour. Not a playable area.

- Los Angeles: The industrial capitol, it now houses all of the factories used to keep the population alive. Physical Description: a huge factory discrict dominates the once beautiful city. Most of the original building were taken down to make way for advanced factories that make everything from food to bathtubs. The streets are almost completely dark around the clock due to the huge amounts of polution put off by the factories.


Japan: Aside from Russia, the most like it was before the turn of the century. Anthro Population: 1,643,146,000 aprox.
The main population center for anthros, though they are forceds to make there homes on the outskirting islands and are not allowed on the mainland.

China: Completely decimated in the war. Not a shed of life remains. Not a playable area.

Russia: The most un-touched country in the world, it is almost the same as it was at the turn of the century. Anthro Population: 4500 apox. Although a small population in comparison to Japan, Russia's anthros live fairly harmonously with the humans.

Story: (This is were I'm going to need the most help. I have pieces and parts of the story figured out but the grand tapestry has yet to be woven. I'm going to seperate what I have into two parts, one for Ivan, one for Beowulf.)

Spoiler

Basicly Beowulf/Ivan is born in New York, a slave to the current mayor. (This area can serve as sort of a turtorial) Him and his mother are removing rubble when his mother is killed. This is when Beowulf/Ivan makes his first story arc decision. If he decides to avenge his mother, he will start down the path of Beowulf, the questionable tyrant and receive a ticket to japan and become a boxer. If he chooses to run and avoid revenge he starts down the path of Ivan, the General of many merits and he becomes a fisherman. The main point I want to emphasize is a more concrete destiny system. I don't wan't it to be abstact like karma or the darkside, I want something in the story to effect the character so he looks more tyranical or more angelic. An example would be if he chooses to kill the mayor, the enemy would cut him over the eye, changing the sprite to a more demonic visage. As he continues on this path he gets more gruesome. On the other hand if he chooses to escape, he would get a nice tan (I have not thought the good arc characteristics out all the way). What ever path the player chooses however, they end up in the same place. Thats destiny.

I also, at some point what the player to have to hunt down the ten remaining Androids, either because they are killing anthros or they are after Ivan/Beowulf specificly.

Characters:

Beowulf Keyes / Ivan Sterling:

Spoiler

The name is split like this because the character (though the main anti-hero regardless) will use one name or the other depending on your choices. At the start of the game, he is a wolf anthro with jet-black fur. He stands about 5'8 and has a swagger about him. He was born in New York, but does most of his adventuring in Japan. His weapon of choice is a wicked looking combat knife. He uses this or his claws in a fight.

(I don't have any other characters as of yet....)




I've hit a brain block on how the rest of the story should progress and what to add. Hopefully feedback will break this block.....
Also suggestions for a title would be awsome.
Lastly if anyone would like to help with the following that would be fabulous:

Artist (Mostly the sprite and tileset type)
Writers

 

[LooseEnds]

Also PM me if there are any scripters or event writers that would be willing to help.

 

[oboys]

Well, the storyline is the main point of the game, not the backstory. I think you should work on this more before posting a thread or, alternatively, tell us a bit more what you would want the story to involve and the kind of comments you're looking for. For instance, what's the morale of the story, what's the theme, what should be accomplished?

I like the idea of changing the character's looks depending on your choices. I didn't get the par that if you wanted to avenge your mother, then you get a ticket to Japan and become a boxer. What's the connection here? Beowulf takes this much time to prepare the avenge or is he deported for avenging her? When I first read it, it seemed like the idea was that you would make a choice and, depending on that choice, you would either grow up to become Beowulf, the questionable tyrant, or Ivan, the general of many merits, and that someone else would take the other role. This seemed interesting and would be worth the extra trouble that it demands of you to create the two separate plots. If it's just for variation or choices, I don't know if it's worth the extra work and it may be more suitable as two separate games in the same world. You may want to both reduce work and to make the game more interesting by keeping large parts of it intact but but rich in variations. For instance, if you befriended that mechanic instead of the assassin, you'll have to devise a different plan for breaking into the We'll Sell Your Mom Inc. in preparation of the ANDROID purification operation.

What was the reason America choose to invade China regardless of the possible consequences? Why did the two countries also choose to wipe out the entire population rather than, say, warning strikes or targeting military bases? What do you mean by that ground strikes produce no fallout? It will certainly render the major effects only local but fallout should after such a disaster cover most of the country and be carried by the wind in masses. Although, by 2049, they may very well have some new bombs without these side effects.

As much as the military loves acronyms, ANDROID is a rather likely name. Although, it seems more likely that Japan would develop the droids and the US the anthromorphs/humanoids. It might also explain why there's a fair number of them in these already overpopulated cities.

Do you mean that the three mentioned surviving U.S. cities are the only three major ones? That everything else besides these three survived seems somewhat unlikely.

Note: "nucular" should be "nuclear".

 

[LooseEnds]

I is kind of difficult to read through, sorry.

Okay the idea is that when the player is given a choice that effects the plot, it has one of two outcomes. The tyranical choice would lead to a disfigurement (scar or some such) and the benevolent choice would lead to something that effects the character in a possitive way. If the character is tyranical he calls himself Beowulf and if he is benevolent he calls himself Ivan. The mother thing was a bad analogy. Then whichever role the player does not pick up, a side character would be the player's anti-thesis and pick up the opposite plot.

Due to increasing overpopulation and trade blockades on both ends, America with superior ground forces decided to attack to liberate the goods that had stoped flowing.

The choice to make America the attacker and the creator of the Androids was to make them the antagonist country. This is also why post-nucular (thanks) America is so dark in feel.

These are the three main population centers. While they are not the only cities to be spared they are the biggest and after the war people saw them as safe Havens. Because they were the largest cities, most of the survivers outside of these zones were attracted to them.

As far as the story, I'm working on it but my brain is overloaded with finals coming up and I'm having a hard time visualizing....

 

[oboys]

I is kind of difficult to read through, sorry.

Are you asking that I should try to express myself clearer or apologizing for not expressing yourself clear enough?

Okay the idea is that when the player is given a choice that effects the plot, it has one of two outcomes. The tyranical choice would lead to a disfigurement (scar or some such) and the benevolent choice would lead to something that effects the character in a possitive way. If the character is tyranical he calls himself Beowulf and if he is benevolent he calls himself Ivan. The mother thing was a bad analogy. Then whichever role the player does not pick up, a side character would be the player's anti-thesis and pick up the opposite plot.

Okay, that's interesting. I do believe that some of these choices should also be made for you depending on the circumstances, e.g. that it is the one (you or one of the antitheses) who ended up with the detonator who gets to make the choice of whether to sacrifice the tower and everyone in it or to let the android escape from it.

To what extent will the combination of the storylines itself be the fun of the game and to what extent will they overlap? For instance, it might be that you want to save people but if you both make the choice to [save the kid from the wreck] instead of [contacting the professor] and to [choose the uzi] over [a broken circuit board], then your antithesis got his hands on a killer droid and you lose. If, on the other hand, you choose to contact the professor, then your antithesis gets to pick the useless circuit board from the kid, leaving you to pick up the uzi. In other words, that your choices leads you to make the/an antithesis powerful does not mean that there is a set of choices that makes you powerful and the balance of the game is not in danger.

I don't buy the idea of people who are simply "evil". In reality, people believe what they do is justified and we get our monsters when they are misinformed or their morals differ greatly from the general population whose morale is fairly undeveloped and ignorant. To make the game more believable, you may therefore not wish to make choices that are immoral to every common belief system. For instance, those believing in consequentialism can be persuaded to perform any unspeakable act, as long as the alternative is considered worse. Deontologies on the other hand will be unable to act in a situation where either choice will result in the death of someone, regardless of how bad the alternative is. In the harsh post-war situation you can certainly produce many such choices. To make it work, you may want to have the player devise or work towards a grander plan though. People fighting over food and shelter, high crime, human rights worth as much as mislabeled rubik's cube, and members of society that are not even human.

What rights do andromorphes have and how are they treated?

You liked New York with the cities of "1984" but the descriptions you have given so far seems darker, unhappier(?), more chaotic and more dangerous, but with more freedom. How will it be presented to the player?

Again, what is the morale and theme of the game? What keeps the character going and what is his goal? In general, what kind of feelings do you wish to capitalize on to make the game "fun"?

Can you give us an idea what the general storyline is (if any) besides choices?

Due to increasing overpopulation and trade blockades on both ends, America with superior ground forces decided to attack to liberate the goods that had stoped flowing.

And they considered this to be worth the risk of having the country annihilated?

The choice to make America the attacker and the creator of the Androids was to make them the antagonist country. This is also why post-nucular (thanks) America is so dark in feel.

Alright, that makes sense. Why do you still spell it "nucular"?


What kind of writing inspiration are you looking for?

 

[LooseEnds]

Firstly sorry for spelling nuclear incorrectly. Thank you for the correction.
I'm also apologizing because I seem to be having a difficult time expressing my ideas.

I thought a bit about the story arc and the main themes. I want the ultimate goal to be to liberate the anthro population either through a tyranical or benevolent means. As i've stated the anthro population (especially in America) are treated as much less than human. This leads to segregation and, in the case of America, the anthros use as a free labor force.

As you gather more followers to your cause (some of which will aid you in battle) you will need to find a locations to house your people. This will start as a simple camp but as your following grows you will need to liberate your own chunk of land. A specific example of this (were the two arcs can really split)(mabye your opposite can be a good friend who disagrees with your choices whatever path you take and splits from you at this point.) is late game you go to the splintered UN and ask for a section of land for your people to live on. The UN denies your plee. You can declare full war on a state and wrestle control of it from their hands or you can accept the decision and the Russian Prime Minister approaches you after the meeting and offers you a chunk of land, but only if you can remove the rebels that currently inhabit it. Whichever you choose your enemy chooses the opposite and you have a force of anthros against you.


When I said "1984" I was refering to the Proles. I want it to be run down and nasty, but people still get by. I want the general feel to be post-apocalyptic and grunge with a hit of ever present hope (cliche, I know).
I also want it to be a bit techno-medieval. Although guns still exist, bladed weapons are cheaper to maintain and easier to use.

As for the risk of war with China, America thought they had a superior force (which they did) and never imagined that weapons of mass destuction would be used.

 

[LooseEnds]

I now have a name!

Dark City: A Wulf's Tale

If a moderator could change the thread name to that, it would be great...

 

[Ryanide]

Well this has my attention since I'm a fan of anthros myself, but I'm not so fond of fitting them into a human world.

You seem to have thought the story out quite nicely. I like the choice idea. It also adds replay value for people who want to experience the story from a different angle on the next playthrough.

It's important to work the anthropomorphics into the story and make it work. Focus mostly on the kind of situations that would arise from having both a racial and species difference between the characters. Curiosity/sympathy and prejudice would be some valid reasons for aquiring allies or enemies.

You should also focus on using the protagonist's animal traits to your advantage. Let him use his developed sense of smell to solve puzzles, and perhaps allow some kind of battle system that revolves around the position and shape of the moon (think Magical Starsign but with only one planet).

Those would be my ideas as of now.

 

[LooseEnds]

Awesome ideas. I was thinking instead of a magic system I would use abilities inherent to the animal, but the uses in puzzle solving would be great. Thanks for the input.

 

[LooseEnds]

If anyone would be willing to help with spriting that would be awesome. I'm really hurting for one.

 

[LooseEnds]

I've changed this concept into an MMO and am currently working on it via XtreameWorlds. If anyone wants to help with Mapping or the like it would be much appreciated...