I think we're all pretty bored of the 'save the universe' schtick, and the 'you have a great destiny' schtick. What else is there that can unite many character types? And can it be made to suit the dark alien universe?

 

One thing that occurred to me (although it's only a fragment) is the potential in having a lead character who is terminally ill. This was a component in one of the graphic novels. A dying character with a rare ailment could well prove a useful plot device, since they can be sent looking for a cure, in much the same way as teh Vault Dweller was sent after that pesky chip.

For the life of me, I can't think of any terminal illnesses in the Alien universe. Not at all. There must be none. No siree.

 

In short, I see this as wholly impossible.

Edited November 20, 200718 yr by Tale

Now Now....why not just starting with a breeding Alien in the stomach? :D

 

About the comrades.... I liked the mixed bunch from Alien Resurrections. A few were forced to play henchmen, other's did it out of a bit loyalty. But then again, I doubt a party-based RPG could work well in the Aliens universe on the long run. I mean, convincing Canderos from Kotor to come along with you by drumming some battle stories about honor into him won't work quite as well as with a dirty space-bastard.

Edited November 20, 200718 yr by Morgoth

Now Now....why not just starting with a breeding Alien in the stomach? :D

 

About the comrades.... I liked the mixed bunch from Alien Resurrections. A few were forced to play henchmen, other's did it out of a bit loyalty. But then again, I doubt a party-based RPG could work well in the Aliens universe on the long run. I mean, convincing Canderos from Kotor to come along with you by drumming some battle stories about honor into him won't work quite as well as with a dirty space-bastard.

 

I think the argument "if you don't come with me, you can stay here alone and be killed by the aliens" is a very convincing one.

Actually, I was thinking today of ways in which an Aliens RPG plot might work, while leaving the whole saving the world schitck alone. And I actually came up with something, so here's my idea:

 

Setting:

 

Some far away, relatively densely colonized planet that is, at the start of the game, in the beginning of the process of being invaded by aliens.

 

Lead character and main quest:

 

Some average bloke/gal with a family that is trying to save said family from the aliens by getting the family out of the planet. However, this goal is made much, much harder by Weyland-Yutani who for some reason are keeping people from escaping the planet.

 

Side quests:

 

Most should be about helping get people or stuff off the planet. Other possibilities are finding out what's the deal with W-Y, or helping someone face the aliens

 

People:

 

Organized crime members, random blokes, close friends, total bastards, people that might (or not) help you get your family off the planet.

 

Stuff:

 

Drugs, research data, natural resources, some love letter, or whatever.

 

Narrative progression:

 

In the beginning, it might not be immediately clear that the aliens are around. However as they start killing people, and gaining ground, it should be clear that they will win the war. So, the amount of stuff to do and places to visit should decrease as time passes. Also, of course, the opportunities to get your family off the planet should be less and less as time goes by. It should have multiple endings, like getting the family off the planet but not yourself; saving your children but not your wife; you and your wife being the only ones left on the planet and die together under the onslaught of aliens; screwing your family, and leaving the planet alone, you being the only human left alive on the planet and nuking the planet into oblivion. Also, ala Fallout, there should be a final sequence detailing the consequences of your actions during the game.

 

 

There was some other stuff I thought off, but I can't remember it anymore. What do you peeps think?

Better yet, the family should get separated at the beginning. This gives the PC a bit more motivation to mow through the sub-quests.

I thought of that, but I think it closes out some interesting options, like for example, having your wife in you party(assuming you have a party). I think it would be better if it was a possible consequence from an early side quest.

Edited November 20, 200718 yr by Pidesco

I'd really like to see the game stick to the basic arching goal of the first two movies. In Alien the goal, by the end, was simply get the hell away from the alien. Aliens, it was about getting the hell off the planet.

 

Survival may seem like too simple of a main goal, but look what it encompassed in those movies. Alien: Ash's betrayal on company orders, the fatal air duct hunt by Dallas, Ripley's mad dash through the ship to trigger the self destruct, and the final face-off with the alien on the escape shuttle.

 

Aliens: The tragic crash of spunkmeyer and Ferro, the long trek by bishop to the relay tower, The last stand in ops, Burke's betrayal, the desperate flight through the ducts, Ripley's rescue mission for newt, and the final showdown with the queen.

 

All of these things happened as obstacles to survival and made for highly enjoyable entertainment. Why not follow suit in a game? Forget saving the universe, save yourself (at least in the first installment).

I think my idea fits the theme of survival pretty well.

Having the wife in the party?

 

HELL NO!!!!

Why not? Perhaps, the reason their married is that they were both mercenaries on the same team, and know each other as fighting buddies and lovers for the longest time. Or perhaps they just have a kid together who they love, but hate each other's guts. And so they decide to team up to get the kid off the planet. It could be awesome.

I'm with Tentamus.

 

I also dislike the notion of having a family because I want the character to be more open than that. Nobody's going to get attached to a family that is handed to you, which is why so many games kill that family straight off the bat to relieve the player's character of the obligation.

 

I'm a big fan of making the player character a marine. Gives the option for open ended character backstory, classes/starting skills, and motivation.

I'm more for the Shodan style approach. A sexy female voice I could get attached to is imo more motivation to advance than saving a silly brat, or a super badass mercenary wife. Meh.

When we're just at System Shock: I hope research skill also plays an important role in the game. I kinda like to collect stuff, and research, and modify gear and weapons with it.

The advantage of having a family is that it gives moral weight to the choices you make. You should think twice before sending them away on freighter ship with a bunch of criminals or before deciding to get off the planet without them.

 

Also, a cool thing about the married couple idea, is that it might be an excellent way of getting coop in the game. It could be a whole different take on coop gaming.

 

 

Anyway, the core of my idea isn't the family but rather being on an essentially doomed planet and trying to survive its demise.

The advantage of having a family is that it gives moral weight to the choices you make. You should think twice before sending them away on freighter ship with a bunch of criminals or before deciding to get off the planet without them.

 

And this is where I disagree.

1) Nobody is going to be attached to a family thrust upon them.

2) A ship full of criminals is better than a planet full of aliens.

 

There's no question or second thought to be given here. You put them on that freighter and you go with them. Families are in the way in RPGs/adventures/action games in general. And unless the wife is a crack shot with a pulse rifle and the children can pick locks, they'll only be baggage.

Edited November 20, 200718 yr by Tale

I think my idea fits the theme of survival pretty well.

I like your idea, but from a design standpoint i wouldn't go with it. Folks don't, even if they won't admit it, seem to enjoy the romantic elements in RPGs but as a choice. Having a preset relationship that is beyond the player's choice would just be a turn off for most players.

 

Now, if you took your idea and twisted a bit, made the protagonist an ex-husband and the ex-wife has moved on and has a new family, now the story is more player friendly. Plus, think of the dramatic aspect of it - the ex-husband who has the means to get them off planet, the ex-wife with her child in tow, the new husband missing among the aliens.

I'm not saying to carry the whole family around. The idea is that you are an average Joe/Jane who lives on the planet with his/her family in a house. And while your out trying to find a way to get off the planet, the family usually should stay at home.

 

As for the family being thrusted upon the player, well of course the idea of a family requires some proper writing and a proper introduction to the family before the player gets into character, so to speak.

A family could work better for a NPC, as a sidequest. Maybe they're locked in some other section, and the NPC always whines that he wants them back. A skillful writer could turn this into some emotional climax.

 

Of course they'll then have to die shortly at arrival so that the NPC may whine for full drama experience.

I think my idea fits the theme of survival pretty well.

I like your idea, but from a design standpoint i wouldn't go with it. Folks don't, even if they won't admit it, seem to enjoy the romantic elements in RPGs but as a choice. Having a preset relationship that is beyond the player's choice would just be a turn off for most players.

 

Now, if you took your idea and twisted a bit, made the protagonist an ex-husband and the ex-wife has moved on and has a new family, now the story is more player friendly. Plus, think of the dramatic aspect of it - the ex-husband who has the means to get them off planet, the ex-wife with her child in tow, the new husband missing among the aliens.

 

That's a great idea!

I really like Pidesco's ideas. In fact I like them so much I intend to sit here now beaming cheerfully.

i think the trick of emotional connections like family or romances is the fact that players choose them. If they're just written-in as a given, like having the player start off with an already established emotional connection like a wife and kids, then the player feels not only less vested in them, but mildly resentful because it was forced on them.

 

You could write the entire thing the same way, but give the player the sense that it's something they chose in the beginning, and suddenly it's something the player can feel vested in, feel honestly emotionally tied to.

 

The base interaction is there. A Protagonist, a former love interest who's moved on, and her family who she is driven to protect. The player can approach that interaction as a knight in shining armor, a heartless mercenary, or something in between and it's completely the player's choice, giving them the role-playing options to progress in a manner that they believe fits their character.

 

 

Hell, even add in a potential new flame for the protagonist so there is a romantic options and you could still have all of the above interactions in place for the story line.

How about the opposite?

 

You have to kill the people and sabotage all means off the in order to prevent the spread of alien infestation?

 

Poison the shuttle pilots, electrocute the techs, sabotage the machinery, start the doomsday device etc.

 

I.e. do a lot of "evil" things for the greater good.

If this is going to be a cool RPG that is going to make me want to play it. There should be no forced character history. I want to create and customise my very own unique character from the get go. No forced background material, at least no more than what Commander Shepard has in Mass Effect.

 

The family idea seems to steer towards the set character approach. I like the idea of being able to choose my own history. I loved it in SS2 how you could choose your training at the beginning of the game. Maybe a simple life with family background could be chosen at this stage and choices made at the beginning of the game could have an impact once the game starts proper.

 

For me I would choose something like Dallas

I agree for myself about the family thing. Neither Gorion nor that eedjit in NWN2 provoked anything other than loathing.

I think we're all pretty bored of the 'save the universe' schtick, and the 'you have a great destiny' schtick. What else is there that can unite many character types? And can it be made to suit the dark alien universe?

 

One thing that occurred to me (although it's only a fragment) is the potential in having a lead character who is terminally ill. This was a component in one of the graphic novels. A dying character with a rare ailment could well prove a useful plot device, since they can be sent looking for a cure, in much the same way as teh Vault Dweller was sent after that pesky chip.

 

I think that's a good plot device - at least to start with. Then you might figure out that the disease isn't as natural as it would appear. OH NOES! SOMEBODY PLAYED YOU FOR THEIR OWN AGENDA!!!11