EPTAnd thinking about the FrostGiant annoucement and generally having a vivid fantasy, i theory crafted a RTS of my own during it.
This is just brainstorming, but i hope it contains some cool ideas.
Maybe i'll post this in their reddit subforum to for everyone to read!
So here it goes:
Goals in chronological order
- Believable lore setting, creating a new complex world
- Appeal to both, „normal“ Fantasy driven fans as well as Sci-Fi fans.
- Take fun Gameplay Elements away from other RTS that allow DLC transaction in the future without changing the game too much.
- Balance. Balance comes last. First, create a cool world and game that is fun to play and smooth, that makes you wanna forget everything else. It'd rather have a great and fun game that isn't esport compatible than a game that was made for competition but is mediocre or nobody is really interested in. I'm convinced that even „bad“ competetive games can turn out to improve in that aspect if just enough players play and love the game initially. competition will come naturally.
1. Races.
3 Races. 4 would be the maximum for a competetive game, but I feel like with what i have in mind, that would be too complicated. So I stick with 3.
They should be very different from each other and – as i said, have different backgrounds.
Race 1: The „Human“ Race. A human civilization in medieval times enhanced with myths, magic and legends.
Race 2: The „Animalic“ Race. A beast like race bond to earth and nature with ancient ancestors. Noble, holy and beastly.
Race 3: The „Space“ Race. A race of technologically advanced, galactic race that feels „godlike“ and superior.
2. Lore.
How put these 3 together lore wise? Here is my try.
human-human conflict, with an evil leader coming out on top. With a plan to erase the animalic race (who has been living in harmony with the humans for the most part in history).
→ animal / human conflict
with a group of good humans and beasts that want peace and try to convince both partys to stop.
Not really succeeding, BAM the aliens land with advanced technology and declaring the planet theirs. Either be their vassal and be slaves for them or get killed (aliens would rather have the other 2 races mine resources for them, instead of having to it themselves). X amount of time to decide.
Group of heroes from both partys are now even more tempted to have peace between animals and humans and to stand against the „superior“ invader together.
→ kill evil human leader, human hero = new human leader. Peace with the ancient beasts.
→ animal + human vs alien conflict.
Planning their resistance, mobilizing every ancient weapon and ancient legendary beast known to them for alien re-arrival.
Aliens land. Aliens are too strong even for both of their powers combined. But the heroes won't give up, discover an old fairytale from the eldest beast. A legend of how to awaken to true gods of the planet, far superior in power to anything in time of need. Requirement: bring 3 pure hearted indiviuals for different species together and have them say ancient text at a specific holy shrine, praised by both species (not knowing why) and unharmed in any conflict.
→ Interlude: 100 years ago: inner Alien mini-conflict
While the alien race is trained to be and genetically enhanced to be cold hearted and rational (almost Borg-like), two brothers from the royal bloodline were different. Never held on to conventions, despised the decisions and doings of their own race, always being in an inner conflict what to do and how to change things.
Ultimately deciding that it's best to kill the leaders to save other life and bring change, after failing to bring change in any other way. They use their royal status to build their own small army, trying to overthrow the leaders and bring revolution. They fail miserably. The elder brother, of whom they thought was the leader of the revolutionists, was executed in front of the little brother, who was banned and exiled to a lonely planet.
→ back to our timeline
Exiled Royal Alien, full of desperation and hate for his own race, was always looking for an opporutnity to flee his exiled planet and somehow make his and his brothers dream come true one day. Stuff happens, he hears some rumours and manages to escape to our human-beast planet.
He manages to save beasts and humans in their fight vs aliens somewhere, convincing their heroes that he is different.
→ Humans+Beasts+Exile Alien vs Alien Invasion
Being reminded of the fairytale, they go to the shrine, say the text, and fail. Exiled alien has too much hate in his heart, too much revenge. He goes through some spiritual episode with help of elder beasts, they try again, boom it works.
Ancient Gods, older than the planet, older than the galaxy, get convinced the aliens are bad and they need help to save their planet and existance. Gods agree, give unlimited power to the hero group and they wipe the floor with the alien invadors and their leaders. Remaining aliens flee, report to overall alien leader. Our hero group goes back to normal losing their god-given unlimited powers. Exile alien stays on the planet, everyone lives in harmony again.
But some of the heroes are worried even in the moment of success, expecting the aliens to come back in the future. Stronger than ever...
→ end.
3. Gameplay
As i said. Gameplay has to be fun. DLC's are neccessary for success imo. But how to implement it and make them interesting in an RPG, beyond just skins, while not ruining balance completly?
Well, how about ignore balance for now and come up with ideas.
I really liked Age of Mythology's god system that gave certain mythological units and heroes. I liked heroes in wc3, but thought they were too dominant. I liked starcraft 2 and its units and balance the most, but i really wished there were some kind of hero or xp system within it sometimes. Something that's less stagnant and repetetive.
So i would think a system like this would be cool:
As always, start with a mainbase and workers. Have basic, core units that dictate earlygame. 2 rescources, more is too complicated.
Have a tech-option like zerg does or wc3 races do. you reach T2, you get to choose a „god“ you worship this game. This decision does 2 things: give you a different „Herounit“ that has certain abiltys and gets stronger with XP, and give you a set of 2-3, god specific „Legendary units“, maybe only available on T3, that are expensive and strong, but won't dictate the whole game.
They should simply have supportive roles and add to the general core of the race. Same with the Hero. The hero should be a little addition to the army, be rebuildable like in wc3, but he shouldn't be the FOCUS of the game. No creeps. No items. Units and macro are important, xp is just a nice add and reward for winning fights and just improves stats slightly.
I wouldn't want „Mass X legendary units with X hero haha imba“. I would want „1-2 of these and this hero would be cool for this timing, in addition to my core army“
How to add DLC with this system:
Easy: Outside of new skins, new gods can be added to worship. This is why they shouldn't play a core role in the gameplay and just be a small addition. Maybe different heroes for the same „god“ you can choose from ingame. Maybe different legendary unit that replaces another within a „god“.
Stuff like that.
Again: This was just brainstorming. Hope you enjoyed the read regardless!
