The Reclaimer: New Game in Making

[En1gma]

The Reclaimer: New Game in Making (Update)

We need someone fluent in Hammer Editor and
Milkshape 3D. We are making a game that we wish to propose to wideload studios to publish on teh 360. But we figured it would be better if we got it out on source first to see the reaction of the gaming community. If you would like to help, please message me at [email protected]. This is a halo inspired game that will be much more expanded than halo. It will keep the feel while giving you more of the feeling of being in an entire universe. This story will take place in the near future when we have just started to colonize planets outside the solar system. You run into two other races, one wich is weak and hepless, Arkane, and the other is bloodthirsty and bent on domination, Aboleth. You group up with the Arkanes and fight of the Aboleth hordes on many other planets. Also, there will be some side missions, but they are part of the game's story. If you get a distress call from a planet or ship and decide not to help, then there will be consequences in the game, and this also applies to the missions and how your enemies fight you. If you are really bad at completing everything in the mission and don't kill all your enemies, then the enemy will hold out on you, waiting till later to unleash better weapons, but if you complete every task, then the enemies will unleash stronger, new weapons earlier in the game. This will make the gameplay unique for everyone.

Just to clarify, we are not going to pay. But if our game goes through on the proposal, we will pay you your share and credit you for any work you did.

Here is our site *CLICK*site entry*CLICK

 

[Angry Lawyer]

*skim reads*
Arent Aboleth and Arkane creatures from Dungeons and Dragons?

Still, I really think you should learn a little more about modding before you try to produce a game to sell. And people will not work for free for a team that wants to get published.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[63]

Laugh out Loud

 

[Mantis]

2 things, first i dont know why but i really had a hard time understanding your post the first time through. it wasnt too clear. and second post something about the mod, dont just put a link.

 

[sinkoman]

We need someone fluent in Hammer Editor and
Milkshape 3D. We are making a game that we wish to propose to wideload studios to publish on teh 360. But we figured it would be better if we got it out on source first to see the reaction of the gaming community. If you would like to help, please message me at [email protected]. This is a halo inspired game that will be much more expanded than halo. It will keep the feel while givving you more of teh feeling of being in an entire universe. This story will take place in the near future when we have just started to colonize planets outside the solar system. You run into two other races, one wich is weak and hepless and the other is bloodthirsty and bent on domination. You group up with the weak race and fight of the alien hordes on many other planets. Also, there will be some side quests, but they are prt of the games story. If you get a distress call from a planet or ship and decide not to help, then there will be consequences in the game, and this also applies to the missions and how your enemies fight you. If you are really bad at completing everything in the mission and dont kill all your enemies, then the enemy will hold out on you, waiting till later to unleash better weapons, but if your complete every task, then the enemies will unleash stronger new weapons earlier in the game. This will make the gameplay unique for everyone.

Just to clarify, we are not going to pay. But if our game goes through on the proposal, we will pay you your share and credit you for any work you did.

Here is our site *CLICK*site entry*CLICK

Considering you used the word "teh" in there, your website is a badly made PHPBB skin that's being hosted by "getphpbb" (lol), and the form, template, and plan you have for this mod is the equivelant of comming out of an add campaign meeting with the words "sexy" and "cool", there is no way in hell you are going to ever get this published and sold.

I'd say, start out small. Focus mainly on a source mod at the moment, and maybe if you can get a very good mod "and I mean VERY VERY VERY good" going past beta and into release, you might be lucky to get a counter strike esque "download it for free if you have HL2 or buy it on shelves" release going.

But I have no faith that you can get this published on 360. I don't mean to be a twisted knife, but this is extremely overly ambitious for a mod which you, the mod designer, can only explain as "unique".

You really need to do something with this idea. Get it out on paper and discuss it with your team (?). Your never going to get support with you idea. At the moment, it seems half thought.

I still wish you goodluck though friend :thumbs:

 

[En1gma]

Actually, that wasnt a twisted knife at all. thank you for your support and help. We do have something here but so far we have no where to go with it. But thanks anyways. And the forum is just where we are discussing it. It is there to amke communications easier.

 

[Mantis]

forums are a good way to discuss your mod, but you should really try to proofread and take the time to make sure you spell everything right, it takes only a few seconds to hit backspace to fix mistakes, you even made a few in the last post. If you are trying to make a good impression your grammer and spelling is the first impression. It is the first thing that turns someone off from your mod.

 

[sinkoman]

forums are a good way to discuss your mod, but you should really try to proofread and take the time to make sure you spell everything right, it takes only a few seconds to hit backspace to fix mistakes, you even made a few in the last post. If you are trying to make a good impression your grammer and spelling is the first impression. It is the first thing that turns someone off from your mod.

I agree, forums are a verry good way to personally discuss anything.

And about the grammar, [Mantis'] right on about it being a first impression. That "teh" really turned me off.

But after thinking more about your idea, it seems like one of the few small mods that has the potential to succeede. Much too many mods are overly ambitious, and a good idea that could have been completed if toned down allittle dies much too early.

Yours though, seems small enough to make it past alpha, into beta, and perhaps release.

This, like most all mods, has extreme potential.

Again I say, good luck :thumbs:

 

[Angry Lawyer]

This, like most all mods, has extreme potential.

Actually, Hasbro own the rigths to the concepts of "Arkane" and "Aboleth", as they've been lifted from the Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition Monstrous manual - Hell, they're beside each other in entries in that book - therefore if it were to become popular, Hasbro could hit it with a lawyer-stick.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Nagash]

a side quest isn't a side quest if it's part of the games story. If something is part of the games story, it's part of the games story.

A side quest is literally that. It's something that isn't part of the games story and whatever you do in the course of the side quest, won't effect the game story, unless u like gain xp, or ammo or cash, or something non-story related.

as has been said before here, you need to rethink your games description if you intend on making it seriously and sell. Otherwise you might as well just put quotes in the description like...

"this game rocks" - PC Zone
"one of the best games to come out this year" - PC Gamer

To me, your description just sounds like a lot of empty promisses and to many phrases full of ideas that are just what people want to hear from a mod in order to get them to visit your website. Your games decription might as well be the usual same old FPS game description where you fight aliens with super alien created weapons that do funky things in alien environments.

Seriously now though, you can't describe your game as unique when you are using tried and tested features to describe your game. Like a Halo environment/universe, that wasn't unique when Halo tried it, and then like helping weak aliens defeat strong aliens, loadsa games done that before, Perfect Dark on the N64 comes to mind for one.

The D&D reference. Well imo thats not so bad, you'd have to get their permission obviously, if you wanted to sell, but you could use D&D names like say Stargate SG1 does with Eygptian god names, things like that. But then again, it's not to unique and coming up with more original names for races would at least make your game slightly more unique

gl with the game thou, if you pull it off, i'd be sure to download and play it

 

[En1gma]

Well, the D&D names are just so we can name our aliens and be able to point to wich one we are talking about. We will most likely change the names.

 

[Limpet]

Is this being done as a source mod?
Or a full game?

 

[En1gma]

Well, we were planning it as a full game, but we were going to release it as a mod for us to see the reaction of the gamers who played it. Then we could tweek it and finalize it for proposal to Wideload Studios.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Well, the D&D names are just so we can name our aliens and be able to point to wich one we are talking about. We will most likely change the names.

And the descriptions, because what you described as the Arkane is almost completely lifted from D&D.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[En1gma]

Well, actually, someone posted that, we have made major changes to thier appearances in other posts.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

You might want to make that clearer, like with a stickied post with the basic concept in it that gets updated regularly.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[En1gma]

That is a good idea, but how do i get it stickied?

 

[Humidor]

It's great that you're making a mod, but you've shot yourself way past ambitious and landed somewhere within the smelly innards of impossible.
Wideload cannot and will not buy it from you if it's based on halo. Halo doesn't belong to you, or them. Leave it to the people who made halo to make more halo games.

This is a guide I wrote for starting a mod, it may or may not be useful.

1. Re-design your game. Make something unique, don't copy another game's gameplay or story. Make a design document, and leave absolutely no piece of the game un-documented. You can always tweak it later.
2.Once you do that, dedicate yourself (the leader) to learning one aspect of modding. It doesn't need to look great, but get something done.
3. Look for help. "Recruitment" spam posts aren't very useful. Seek people out, be personal and proffessional. Only associate with the necessary modders, you need not one 'tester', 'PR' guy, or 'ideas' guy. Also remember to be friendly with other mod leaders, most are knowledgable and will help you if you email them. Research and learn about everything.
4. Start modding. I must re-iterate, get things done. Search the internet (it's a great resource) to find out what you need to be doing. If you are completely lost email someone that knows what they're doing, or as a last resort post on a message board (though you are likely to be insulted or ignored).
5. Manage your team. Make sure there is no conflict, make sure everyone is working in a timely fashion.
TIP: You don't need to release any media to the public. They never did anything for you. If you do choose this road, only release your finest screenshots, never your unskinned weapon reneders.
6. Now you've gotten somewhere, time to ensure quality. Don't release alpha 0.03. Only release what you are proud of. Play test with your team, make sure it is fun. Be patient. Finish your game.
7. Release. Contact some HL2 news sites (such as halflife2.net) and tell them you are going to release your mod very soon. Send them screenshots, be polite. Finally you can put your installer or archive (test it thoroughly before you let it go) on game file hosting sites, your own website as well.
8. You've done it. If you were patient, you don't have to worry about people disliking it. Your effort will show through. Now, be content. If it's good, people will notice it. If it's inexplicably good, valve will notice it. Go from there.

 

[En1gma]

The thing is is we know people like halo, but they dont like halo 2. We are Halo CE fans and want to keep that essence. But it will be a completely different game. It is like having two horror games, they are different stories but both have the same suspensful, scary feel.

 

[Humidor]

Recreating a feeling of horror is very different than recreating the feeling of an entire video game. I might be biased because I think Halo's story and gameplay are very contrived, but the feeling is different. Making a mod with another game in mind is a very bad method. Everyone is going to say that it's not really different than Halo, because it won't be.
You can reproduce an aspect of a game, like counter-strike's addictive qualities, but there is nothing unique about Halo as a whole that you can reproduce except a clone of Halo.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Ben, considering you've got under 50 posts, I'm really impressed by your posts. You really do know your stuff.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Ennui]

I agree. It's nice to see a new member that knows his stuff.

 

[Humidor]

Thanks to you both, that really means a lot to me. From trolling around here I've picked up a lot from the senior members like Angry lawyer, I'm glad my opinions have some merit.

 

[En1gma]

Well, we are trying to take the ideas of how they did the music and placement of enemies and try to use that. Just so people get the same feeling and amount of fun they had when they played halo. This game will be much faster though.

 

[En1gma]

ok, i just got 2 story writers to help with the story. so there will be updates on this. i will also try to post some concept art for viewing. the names have also been changed to this

Arkane - Alketh

Aboleth - Terrant

And yes, these are thought up by us and not taken from somewhere. We had a huge list of names and these are the ones we chose.

 

[Afterburn3r]

well, good luck...

especially with trying to get wideload studios to make a game on the 360... but who knows, wideload studios is new, and haven't released there first game yet, but there game is looking promising

(for those of you who don't know the lead designer of halo quit from bungie and started wideload studios)

 

[En1gma]

Halo: CE ring a bell?

Halo: CE was made by Wideload studios.

 

[63]

I wouldn't know, Halo sucked

 

[En1gma]

Give me 10 reasons why halo sucked and i will agree with it being a bad game. Now these need to be legitamate, because Halo was considered one of the most groundbreaking FPS in game history.

 

[Ennui]

because Halo was considered the most groundbreaking FPS in game history.

Actually, you're thinking of Half-Life. Halo was not groundbreaking or revolutionary in ANY sense of the word. It was a decently designed game that caught on big, but there's nothing special about it.

 

[63]

Actually, you're thinking of Half-Life. Halo was not groundbreaking or revolutionary in ANY sense of the word. It was a decently designed game that caught on big, but there's nothing special about it.

Exactly. Halo was cliched, repetitive (read: boring), and brought nothing new to the FPS scene.

Halo was considered the most groundbreaking FPS in game history.

Considered by who? Sales figures don't equal groundbreaking in the least.

 

[En1gma]

Halo wasn't even advertised exept at some backround, in the corner E3 booth with one screen and a controller to test the game.

It was so addicting that the booth was overwhelmed, it had 50 or 60 people waiting in line to play at any given moment. And why was it so addicting? Becuase the gameplay was unique, new and fun. The AI actually challenged you, unlike in Half life, where they just charge and hit. And why does a crowbar do so much to something? I mean i cant kill things with 10 shots from a gun but with 4 hits from a crowbar? I think that the cinematics were half lifes best quality. And the ability to mold the programming into watever you wanted.

 

[63]

Halo wasn't even advertised exept at some backround, in the corner E3 booth with one screen and a controller to test the game.

It was so addicting that the booth was overwhelmed, it had 50 or 60 people waiting in line to play at any given moment. And why was it so addicting? Becuase the gameplay was unique, new and fun. The AI actually challenged you, unlike in Half life, where they just charge and hit. And why does a crowbar do so much to something? I mean i cant kill things with 10 shots from a gun but with 4 hits from a crowbar? I think that the cinematics were half lifes best quality. And the ability to mold the programming into watever you wanted.

HL1 AI was FAR more challenging than Halo... the little crab guys would always run away, and the elites would just get mad and charge. It was the same everytime.

And why does a crowbar do so much to something? I mean i cant kill things with 10 shots from a gun but with 4 hits from a crowbar?

Err... cause it's a game? Melee weapons are always more powerful than their firearm counterparts... Why does the Elite's plasma sword or whatever kill instantly (lunge, not swing) when it takes half a SMG clip to kill a midget hermit crab? By the way, that's a rhetorical question.

The best part of Halo imo is the multiplayer. Hooking up 2 Xbox's and having a tourney is a hell of alot of fun

 

[En1gma]

well, plasma is basically a physical form of heat, like fire (which is plasma). So if a sword at 100,000 degrees touched you skin, let alone cut you, you would basically be cut like butter and pass out the moment it your skin because of the pain, thst is why the plasms sword kills so easily.

and dont ask about plasma weapons and why they dont do the same, i can answer that too.

 

[En1gma]

sorry for answering, didnt see retorical until after

And can we get off this subject and leave my post be. I dont even know how we got to this anywhay. I will have to read all our pointless posts and what you guys complained about for no reason.

 

[En1gma]

Ok, here is an update

We now have storywriters, so this will go smoother. We have some concept art (my poorly drawn pictures becuase i lack the skills taught to you, but i have the talent) on the iste also. This is a free roam site. If you would lke to help at all, in any area you can. This is a job offer, but also a little announcement.

Story (so far):
Year of Story: 2108


you awake

You slowly comes around in a cryogenic case. Looking over you is your commanding officer: Sergeant Major Kennedy of the Marines, Sergeant Valance and Sergeant David’s.

Sergeant Major Kennedy of the marines first greats you with a sarcastic sentence; Followed by Technical Sergeant Valance reassuring you everything is fine and welcomes you back to earth.

You are a little dazed and confused, and can’t move at first when the cryogen is opened. Sergeant Major David’s tells you where you are and what you are to be doing.

A Scientist with a drill inserts a pack into your backpack which then enables you to move as well as give you the HUD. Here then Sergeant Major Kennedy tells the scientist to show you the ropes on your new body and get you outside to the training ground.

The scientist (with his own personality) tells you how to use your body suit by looking around, strafing etc, how the life bar operates, special energy packs available for the suit and a demonstration on each etc.

he then escorts you to the training grounds where an officer is waiting for you. This is a large building with a 3D holographic training ground. The gun you are given is a laser equipped gun that can send a signal to where it hits on the hologram showing a bullet mark or effect on for example an enemy soldier. You are constantly being monitored by cameras placed around the building, but at the same time the 3 officers are watching you through a mirrored window.

Once you complete the multiple tasks in the training, the system is turned off and they tell you to go to the exit where they meet you.

They then escort you outside and you then see the size of the barracks (HUGE) with soldiers training, and marching around. you are taken to a landing pad where a carrier ship is waiting for you. you and Kennedy take the ship out to the sky where your ship (and 13 others land on a cruiser which is flying high above from he ground. The ship takes off into space and the intro is set.

As you are debriefed on the ship, you are also informed for the purpose of all this. You are told that aliens found the planet in a plea for help, in exchange for some of their technology. This gave us the cruisers and some of their weapons.

Their home planet is under attack from an even more superior race - The Aboleth. This race from what is known excels in telekinetic abilities in the forms of creating a false sensor input, mind link and mass domination. Their bodies are of a tall structure but relatively slender. Their race differs from their age, where an Aboleth evolves into the next stage of being by cocooning itself for a period of time before extending it to the next level. Each level has a telekinetic ability but the more elder the Aboleth the more it prowess’s in its telekinetic abilities.

The reason the Aboleths are attacking the Arcane's is little known, some say it is for the planet, others because they are war mongers, but some say the Aboleths want to adapt the Arcane's ability to open dimension doors and cloak. The Aboleth's ships are not very technologically advanced, attacking and defence it is second to non. But for speed it lacks heavily in all areas.

At the end of the debriefing 1 of the Arcane councillors is introduced by Kennedy and thanks you joining them in battle. He then shows you a demonstration of their weapons.

The first ship to reach the Arcane planet took 6 days to get there and when it does, the planet is lit up like a ball of fire. There is no time to wait for the other ships as the ships from the Aboleth's are docked on the other side of the planet and out of detection. This gives the fleet the opportunity to send out its troops while more ships from earth make their way to the planet. You are on the first ship to reach the planet.

Gameplay:
You know how traditional games let you choos the difficulty, well, in this game the game will. When you play the game, it determines your level of skill and sets the AI and everything for the next level based on your performance in the previous one. IF you dont complete all the missions in the level, have poor hit percent and amount of kills, the AI will not improve or even decrease. But if you get everything done and have good aim and a high kill count, then the game will increase in difficulty and give your enemy more deadly weapons(Being discussed). Also, there is though of little choosable missions that can change the events of the game. If you are asked escort someone somewhere, tehy may just give you something for your help, but say you choos not to, then you could never see them again, or have a harder time where they would have halped you in return (this might not make it into the game because it is so sketchy)

What we need:

another artist

level designers

modellers

mappers

character designers

vehicle designers

weapon designers/modellers

And feedback from the community of gamers and gameplayers (even the occasional gamer) so we can make the game you want to play, not the game we want you to play.

If you are interested, the link is on the first post, or you can mail me at [email protected]

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Not wishing to rain on your parade or anything, but developers don't buy game concepts or ideas. Game studios are typically awash with more game concepts than they can actually develop.
Similarly, publishers don't pick up game concepts either. If you want your game published, a publisher will look at your track record and experience just as much (if not more) as your game idea.

What you're doing sounds good as a mod - you should definitely try and make it because it'd be the first step on the ladder. However, no-one goes from industry unknown to published game with nothing inbetween.

 

[En1gma]

That is our plan exactly, we need something for them to use, not just an idea. So we are going to use the mod to fine tun it and make it the best we can by feedback, then propose the game for make on the 360

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Regardless, a studio won't be interested. At best, you'll get a nice letter saying that they don't take game submissions. Because they don't. At any given point, a game studio is working on their main game (or two, depending on size), while thinking about the expansion pack/sequel. Also, you'll find that programmers and artists work on their own little ideas/concepts.
At no point are people sat round wondering what game they can do next. Unless your game proposal is so new. so exciting, so earth-shatteringly fantastic that they are unable to resist it (in which case they'd probably just steal the idea. Seriously), then they'll stick by their "no external game submissions" policy. And frankly, your game idea isn't that.

 

[En1gma]

well, thanks for the support.