Grate Expectations - a free form HL2 mod

[ComradeBadger]

Well this is going to be Narcissitic Gaming's post-Operation Everlasting Shadow project if I have my way...

Well enough waffle, here's the concept

You are a Victorian gentleman, thrown out by his family onto the streets of a mean London. He becomes a hobo, living from day to day around the 'living' city. You can wander around a huge city doing as you wish, but all you do will have bearing on future events (partial credit for this goes to Farrow, it was his Real-Life thread that made me think of this). Based in a constantly updating city model (like GTA III, but with even LESS structure!) you can chose your own way in life. This is where you guys come in. I want the forumites to have a say in this from the start!

Im sure you can think of even more than these (please note that if i take your suggestions you will be included in the credits, and this IS NOT a serious mod)

Demon hunter (BATTLE EVIL DEMONIC INCURSIONS!)
Time traveller (HOOK UP WITH MAD SCIENTISTS AND TRAVEL TO THE FUTURE!)
Alien hunter (YES, ALIENS IN VICTORIAN LONDON!)
People's hero (FREE THE COTTON WORKERS!)
Criminal (STEAL, KILL, WHATEVER!)
Vigilante (KILL, BUT KILL LAW-BREAKERS!)
Tramp (THROW UP ON PASSERS-BY!)

well got anything to add?

 

[The Mullinator]

You should be able to beat up other Bums on the street. I don't know why but beating hobos sounds kind of fun. You could also have other NPC's walking on the street join in on the beating if they see you start. :cheese:

 

[FireBall]

Is the title meant to say grate and not great?

 

[synth]

THE DUELER (fights random people in the street)
THE PYRO (burning down the house!)
THE DEALER (black market supplies)
THE BOSS (organizes "gangs" or groups of people)
THE HOBO (beg for stuff!)
THE SIDEWALK (have people walk all over you!)
THE CABBIE (drive people around)

 

[Hoju]

Gigolo Joe - Try and pick up women
Pimp - Manage and army of whores, hunt down guys that don't pay up

 

[ComradeBadger]

The title is meant to say grate, it's a hilarious pun on the fact that you would be a hobo, and yes, massive street fights are planned

(Synth, there were no cabs in victorian times, of course you could becom a cabbie in the modern world, if you sign up with a Mad Scientist, or whatever cos it all starts off in Victorian london!)

the idea is that you could combine all of these things, creating a never-ending play experience in not one, not two, not three but FOUR (!) persistent worlds, each with it's own paths and so forth

worlds planned so far:
1850's
2000's
3000's
Hell!

can you give ideas for these worlds too, would be greatly appriciated, glad you guys like the idea

 

[ron]

Originally posted by mrBadger
(please note that if i take your suggestions you will be included in the credits, and this IS NOT a serious mod)
[/B]

Do you mean you aren't really planning to create this mod?
If yes this is too shame.. it does sound like an atraective mod
Just don't forget Counter-Strike wasn't planned to be a serious mod too

 

[Stone]

No, We will probably make the mod:

1. because it sounds cool and fun
2. because Badger would probably chase me around alot and hit me with a big stick if I said no

Anywho, what he means is that the game will be humourus (hopefully), and will not take it'self fully seriously...

And I geuss on fanatical Fans (yes I no fan stand for Fanatic, soo shhh) of monty python should recognise the name

"....How about Grate Expectations, that G R A T E expectations also by Edmond Wells..."

 

[Murray_H]

Well if there is gonna be hell, i think a homosexual devil would be good, that always wears a nice neckerchief

 

[ComradeBadger]

I love neckerchiefs.....sorry but there soooo cool, nearly as cool as spats.....yeh thats a well cool idea actually. And yes Stone, point two is correct.

 

[EVIL]

I have no idea what this mod is supposed to become

 

[Fisheye]

I think you guys are a bit to ambitious. Start small.

 

[ComradeBadger]

[EVIL] -read the bit at the top then, unless you have and are still confused....? Well if thats the case then its this:

persistant world (s), but in single player....it's a mmo term.
every action has an equal and opposite reaction...etc

[Fisheye] - this is supposed to be ambitious, it's going to utilise all the skills that I will (hopefully) learnt from Operation Everlasting Shadow (PLUG!). I believe that we can pull this off, but you won't see it for a long time....It is doable

 

[Fat Tony!]

A first person version of GTA sounds good but u know wot its misssing? To go into buildings not just shops like GTA vice city rather a bit like Deus ex actually apart from less of the guns maybe. U should be able to pick up anything like a bin and use it as a weapon or a crisp packet which u recycle for money. Also u should have christmas where that christmas bloke comes down and u get to shoot him and take all of the "presents" ie money drugs weapsons etc... But of course u cant have all of that in the mod cos that would take way too long but whatever there are a few ideas.

 

[SidewinderX]

actually, I htink there should be a series of monty python mods. Hloy grail, featureing an epic battle between you and a killer rabbit, Life of Brian, feature ing epic preaching, etc.

*EDIT*Strider!*EDIT*

 

[Stone]

well, we could add them in later as add-ons etc

And Sidewinder, shhh, stop spoiling my up-coming ideas

"Well If She Weighs The Same As A Duck She Must Therfore Be...."

"A WITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

[ComradeBadger]

Fat Tony, you have a good point.....taht is a great idea, im sure to implement that and you WILL have your name on the credits....it's not just a first person GTA, it's more of a super expanded Deus Ex and GTA3 combined..... with all aspects of mission-driven linearity removed....

 

[SidewinderX]

sorry stone

 

[h00dlum]

LOL

 

[h00dlum]

 

[ComradeBadger]

wha???? way to make a useless post.....ahh Monty Python.....happy memories...well thanks for your help so far everyone......keep it up please!

 

[Draklyne]

What about a thief who walks the rooftops at night?
Or a guard who patrols the night?
Or a ballroom/Court dandy who has to gain/impress a circle of admirers? (Kind of like feeding tomagotchi, except they like you for wearing/doing/saying outrageous things)

 

[ComradeBadger]

hmmmm yeh! Well I have had an idea for hell, however the implementation of this would mean that the RAM required by this mod would be frickin huge!

Every bad guy you kill goes to hell
Every good guy you kill goes to heaven

and when you go to Heaven or Hell, through whatever means....you will face irate hordes of former baddies! (Please note people who say this is too ambitious a project....I already know how to do this [the bit above, it's easy enough, all it takes is lateral thinking] )

 

[Fat Tony!]

Not bad idea badger but wots the point its ok to do but is it worth it?

 

[ComradeBadger]

Yeah, i reckon it is, cos it means that if you go to hell, after being a good person i.e. not killing... then you will face less irate people and therefore that section of the game will be different to play through.... every action has an equal and opposite reaction...

 

[Fat Tony!]

I dont care about that crap i just wanna mow down civillians lol. then wot would happen a crowded heaven? Then i kill more then heaven has too many ppl so it overflows and people have to go to hell instead hmm i depends how big hell and heaven is but i can imagine that some sad ppl might wanna c wot happens when u fill up hell/heaven.

 

[ComradeBadger]

When Heaven gets full......god gets angry.....and much smiting takes place.....when Hell gets full....the devil just throws some more people on the fire . if you mow down Civilians then u'll be faced with a hell of a lot more enemies in Heaven than you normally would...also Angels with Rocket Launchers

 

[ron]

Talking about Deus Ex.. I really want to see stats and abillities earned by experience / money, this will be pretty neat. Also what happens when you kill the Devil? will you become one?
I like your idea, keep it up

 

[ComradeBadger]

Thanks well.....since it is designed to be several persistant worlds the RAM of the computer will already be pretty clogged, especially if I use the method I thought of for the death of enemies going to hell etc., abilities shouldn't take up too much space....I have a feeling that this will run at about 128mb over what the minimum system specs as a baseline, and I don't want it to be too elitist.....but yeah, they were planned, like say you became a time-traveller, the more you do it, the better at it you get, enemies will give you exp points, but once you have killed them once...and if you choose to go to hell..you won't get any experience etc from killing people you have already killed before (and as with most things I've said so far, I believe I kno how to do this )

 

[Stone]

I like ron's Idea, kind of like a LADY DEATH scenario, kind of thing...

 

[ComradeBadger]

hmmmmm why not....it's supposed to be multiple path, hell you could even set yourself up as god....

 

[Bad^Hat]

There should be an option in the beginning to chose your religion! Each choice will have different advantages/consequences. A few examples -

Athiest - No advantages in life, no consequences in the afterlife... or no afterlife at all.

Believer - You believe in heaven and hell, but you have no bearing to either. You will experience minimal advantages for your good/bad deeds in life, likewise the consequences in the afterlife will be minimal.

Devout Follower - Praise the lord! You follow the golden path to heaven, any good deeds will be rewarded greatly, however bad deeds will earn you riteous punishments in heaven, perhaps even a trip down below.

God's Right Hand - There's no way but up. You have a direct line to the man himself, through prayer you can gain missions from God, completing them will reap fantastic rewards. Stuff up, and expect the worse. You have a guaranteed spot in heaven, great achievements will earn you a place among the angels (yes, with rocketlaunchers).

Satanist - You're well aquainted with the man downstairs. Lie, cheat, steal and kill, do really bad stuff! The dark lord will grant you with evil powers to carry out your hellish tasks, but he will show no mercy for those not willing to follow his every command.

Satan Jr - Like God's Right Hand only evil.

 

[Murray_H]

Originally posted by Bad^Hat
There should be an option in the beginning to chose your religion! Each choice will have different advantages/consequences. A few examples -

Athiest - No advantages in life, no consequences in the afterlife... or no afterlife at all.

Believer - You believe in heaven and hell, but you have no bearing to either. You............etc.

Please dont tell me you spent 4 months thinking about that

 

[MultiVaC]

You should be able to be a Jackass street performer; see how much crazy stuff you can do without killing yourself and people will put money in a little jar that you have. And with with Havok physics you could have realistic "wearing a chimp costume and riding a shopping cart down a hill crashing through someone's window, then stealing their car to drive it off the docks" scenes.

 

[phantomdesign]

Holly crap. I'm not coding this project.

"but all you do will have bearing on future events"

Unless your looking at a standard RPG like setup where you gain or loose points for each action....this project will be impossible.

 

[babywax]

Cab driver: Drive a horse drawn buggy :afro:

 

[ComradeBadger]

Originally posted by phantomdesign
Holly crap. I'm not coding this project.

"but all you do will have bearing on future events"

Unless your looking at a standard RPG like setup where you gain or loose points for each action....this project will be impossible.

Yeah, it will be hard....I am actually still working on how this would be possible, I think it is, it's possible

 

[The Dark Elf]

Originally posted by mrBadger
Yeah, it will be hard....I am actually still working on how this would be possible, I think it is, it's possible

So do you reckon its gonna be possible in HL2 to pick different characters to play.. eg: maybe each map have a different character. In effect allowing one map to be played as say a Barbarian, then on the next map your a Dragon or something, then the next one your a rat in the sewers. Reckon that would be possible?



Edit: there that makes more sense heh

 

[Hazza]

I have two ideas (for the moment):
Evening Standard Seller - Stand on street corners shouting "Standard, Evenin' Standard" and, well, sell newpapers.
Detective - Solve crimes, try to work out whether it was the "Rippa". Maybe take small cash presents in order to slightly influence the direction of the investigation.

 

[ComradeBadger]

Well, it wouldn't work like that, your character and all that has happened to him will be stored on your HD, and therefore he won't change with the level, he changes due to events