Here are some designs I put together for a game idea I had way back in 1997 I think it was. At the time, graphically sophisticated MOORPGHSSS or whatever the awfull acronym is were just becoming feasible. By that I mean that 3d graphics on the average gamers pc had advanced enough to handle basic 3d environments and internet connections were just able (just...) to handle passing the data back and forth.

The idea behind my design was that games of this ilk that I had played at that time simply lacked any real on-going motivation. To a large extent this is still the case today in most game designs. They nearly all follow the same basic pattern, i.e. create a character, fit him/her out with whatever kit you need, go into the game and and then try and have an adventure. But then you'd find your character starts of as simply too poo to do almost anything. So you'd find a fast and easy way to gain experience i.e. killing rats (or whatever passes for rats in that game) and after a while you'g gain a level. But, you'd still be pretty poor, so you'd move on to killing goats, and after a while you get some basic missions, usually to deliver a letter, or.........


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ITS SOOOOO BLOOOOODY DULL!!!!

Don't you agree? These games are MEANT to be adventures, like Lord of The Rings, or Blade Runner. A storyline in which you do amazing things, see amzsing sights and move and shake, not spend three days as some kind of Rent'O'Kill rat serial killer....

So, in my games design, I followed the premise of Escape From New York, where an entire city is given over to criminals due to the huge numbers. In my scenario, I changed to an alien planet, set the game into a post war cityscape that was in an area of heavy fighting and which is contaminated with radiation in many parts, both from nearby nuke strikes and also use of DEP ammunition and so on. As I said, this city now has a second use as a prison, and the original inhabitants are not allowed to leave as they are prone to mutation and they are treated as DNA scrap. There civilians work in the city in administration posts for the goverment and also working in general stores and so on.

Into this city are ejected the prisoners from across the nation, and each is initially given a city block and apartment in which to live (mostly near derelict war damaged buidlings). And thats it, they are left to their owen devices, sink or swim.

To keep control in the city there are a number of police forces, both general prison security, which are mostly staffed by indiginous city dwellers and also bounty hunters. The bounty hunters are assigned the task of brining in any criminals within the city that have commited further crimes. Each bounty is based on a specific goal, i.e. bring in the prisoner dead, or bring them in alive etc, and if the Bounty hunter meets the designation, they get the full bounty. Bring the prisoner in dead, when they should be alive and they get much less.

To complicate matters to a huge degree, after the city became a prison, precious metals were found in areas of the city damaged by tactical nukes. These areas are now no go areas, both because of the mutants that roam that area (both human and animal) and also because the mining facilities are heavily guarded by the mining corps.

The idea with this scenario was to create a tension in the games plot that would pit player vs player and also player vs game. If you play a criminal you have to survive, and work out a new career for yourself in the city. You could be a bounty hunter of mutants, or maybe prospect for metals in the mine zone an so on. Just because you came in a criminal, does not mean you remain so, you can even claim the bounty of others who have carried out criminal actions in the city and now have a price on their head.

You could play a police bounty hunter and seek out rewards for bringing in, or killing the worst of the city criminals. Of course as a police bounty hunter you'd also have price on your head from the city crime kings....

Or maybe you would play a city citizen and carve your own carrer path. And finally, for those who like a challenge, maybe play a human mutant, who are outcast by all sectors of society and who also have a mandatory price on their head.

Anyway, here are the designs for the game. Enjoy!!


All images and Designs Copyright 2006 Chris Thomas