Forum

Ok this is not complete yet but it is a good start in my opinion. Feel free to suggest new things, suggest deletion of others, etc.  I will still be working on this and updating this post as I finish more of the design doc

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

New Game Idea Design Doc.

Document Layout

Initial Game Idea/Concept
Single Player
   Timeframe
      Background
      World Events
      Enemy movements
      Ally movements
   Characters
      Character Background
      Character growth
      Personality
   Campaign
      Enemies
         Enemy Characters
            Character Background
            Character Growth
            Personality
      Weapons
         Ally Weapons
         Enemy Weapons
      Plot
         Overall Plot
         Cut scenes
         Key events
   AI
      How to make an AI
      AI difficulty levels
      AI actions
         Triggers
            When to fire weapon
         Movement Patterns
Multiplayer
   Levels
      Level Design Concepts
      Key areas
      â€œTunnels”
   Multiplayer weapons
      Power
      Ammo
   Player Stats

Initial Game Concept
   This game is a massively multiplayer online first person shooter, MMOFPS.  The basic concept is that you play the role of a soldier who can rise to any rank he wants and can do almost anything in battle, from flying planes, piloting submarines, being an infantry man, navy seal, special ops, etc.  In multiplayer the player’s goal is to rank up and then eventually be able to command units, both human and AI.  The battles take place over huge distances.  For example, a battle could be fought on the island of Madagascar, with the entire island open for battle.  In this game there is no such thing as friendly fire turned off.  This game is a war simulator.  You will be able to purchase upgrades for your character such as more ammo etc.  In the game there are Leaders/Emperors.  These people control the battles.  They monitor the battlefield and tell people where to attack and how to attack.  These commands are pasted down to other players who then control another set of players and manage them.  Then those players tell the squad leaders what to do and the squad leaders lead their squad to doing that.  The players do not have to follow their squad leaders though; neither does anyone in the game.  The emperor can send his troops to do anything.  This game is about skill AND trust.  When you gain skill you can rank up but only if you earn the trust of your superiors.  At the start AI’s control the battles and are emperors but the AI’s and the eventual human can overthrow eventually human emperors too.  Human players can actually become spies too and attack and kill their own teammates.  This game is supposed to simulate mass combat with AI and humans.  You can also unlock tech upgrades as emperor and go to other planets and dominate the universe.  You can also have battles in space as well.  The same rules apply.  The battles also contain hundreds upon hundreds of players.  This is really supposed to be a war simulator.
Timeframe

Background
   The date is December 31st, 2010; two factions are formed in hope of destroying each other.  These factions are made up of many nations but the two leaders are the USA and The Republic of China.  The USA’s Faction is made up of USA, Canada, Britain, Poland, Spain, France, and Russia.  The other faction is made up of China, Japan, all of Asia Minor, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and India.  The USA’s faction is called The United Countries of Freedom.  China’s is called The Republic of the World.  On January 1st 2013, TRW invades Hawaii akin to Pearl Harbor.

World Events
   January 1st, 2013: TRW invades Hawaii akin to Pearl Harbor
   January 1st, 2013, 11:50pm EST: Congress of United States declares war on TRW, 10 minutes later at 12:00am, January 2nd, 2013: All other countries in TUCF declare war.
   January 3rd, 2013: TRW takes Hawaii
   January 25th, 2013: TUCF launches joint attack on China.
   January 27th, 2013: TUCF takes Beijing.
   February 2nd, 2013: Congress of USA signs degree granting president Obama authority to launch Nukes.
   February 4th, 2013: Obama launches Nukes at Beijing, after TUCF forces pull back, from Ohio Class Submarine, USS Virginia.
   February 10th, 2013: TRW invades Russia.
   February 15th, 2013: TRW invades mainland USA.
   February 16th, 2013: TUCF Pulls back forces to Mainland USA
   February 19th, 2013: TRW Pulls back to San Francisco and burns LA to the ground
   February 20th, 2013: TUCF forces TRW out of California destroying Golden Gate Bridge.
   February 21st, 2013: NASA starts on Space Explorer 1
   February 22nd, 2013: TUCF invades Japan
   February 23rd, 2013: TUCF lays siege to Tokyo.
   February 25th, 2013: TUCF takes Tokyo
   February 27th, 2013: TUCF meets TRW’s navy in open sea battle in the Sea of Japan
   March 5th, 2013: TUCF loses 15 carriers, 7 cruisers, and 4 destroyers, in battle
   March 6th, 2013: TUCF Burns Tokyo to the ground and pulls back to Hawaii.
   March 7th, 2013: NASA Finishes Prototype Space Explorer 1
   March 8th, 2013: TRW Invests huge resources in Space Program
   March 9th, 2013: TRW announces plans to take over the moon
   March 10th, 2013: NASA, forgoing all safety pre-cautions, launches Space Explorer 1 filled with 10 soldiers, and 4 scientists, to the moon
   March 15th, 2013: NASA astronauts set up camp on Moon
             China, with the help of 20 Russian missiles, launches 5 special ops soldiers to the moon.
   March 20th, 2013: NASA astronauts and TRW soldiers face off
   March 21st, 2013: No word is heard from either side.
   March 22nd, 2013: NASA starts building 10 Space Explorers
   March 23rd, 2013: TRW invades The Kennedy Space Center taking 5 of the completed prototypes.
              Later, US submarine, USS Wisconsin, trails 5 boats carrying 5 prototype space ships.
   March 24th, 2013: USS Wisconsin launches naval special ops team to try and take boats over.  2 of the 5 squads succeed.  USS Wisconsin torpedoes other 3.
   March 30th, 2013: NASA constructs rest of Space explorer 1s and prepares to launch them.
   March 31st, 2013: Chinese special ops sabotage 2 of the 10 spaceships.
   April 1st, 2013: NASA launches spaceships with troop and supplies headed to moon to see what happened to the lost soldiers.
   April 5th, 2013: Soldiers land on moon to discover base is missing.
   April 6th, 2013: Contact with unknown Alien race
   April 7th, 2013: First pictures sent back to USA.
   April 8th, 2013: TUCF sends diplomats to TRW to end war and save human kind.
   April 9th, 2013: TRW agrees.
   April 15th, 2013: All contact is lost with soldiers on moon
   April 17th, 2013: Joint TRW and TUCF operation is announced.
   April 19th, 2013: 50 Space ships take off from earth loaded with food, supplies, ammo, and troops fro m TRW, and TUCF.
   April 24th, 2013: Spaceships arrive.
   April 25th, 2013: Massive battle occurs against alien race and Earth forces.
   April 28th, 2013: Humans drive back alien invaders.
   April 31st, 2013: Earth Space force is organized, The United Space Forces, otherwise known as the USF.
[Not sure where to go from here….]



Characters
   Sgt. Robert C. Johnson
   Lt. Sean Gates
   Admiral John F. Vojtek
   President Barrack Obama
   Emperor Mao Hakeem
   Force Colonel Robert Gates Ray
   Master Chief Johnson

   Character Background
      Sgt. Robert C. Johnson.  Member of the US Special Forces.  Born in 1990.  Joined Military when he was 18.  Father served during Vietnam, Mother was a nurse during Vietnam.  When he was 19 he was selected to join the US Special Forces on a temporary basis.  In 2012 he was sent to Beijing to help revolutionaries against TRW rebel.  Injured Left Arm in a shoot out before being pulled back.  On December 31st, 2012, he took a knife and killed Leader of China, Emperor Ming Hakeem and all his bodyguards.  When he was trying to escape he was unable to get to the helicopter in time and was captured.  On January 2nd, 2013, he escaped prison and got evaced to the USS Wisconsin.

How about we say Arnold Schwarzenegger is president then. 

Would you rather he write it from a British point of view, Dann?

Alright, so whatever idea we come up with, it needs to be feasible and compelling. First, it can't be too complex, we have limited resources so we can't go full out like EA. Second, any project I spend time on has to be enjoyable for more than 4 hours, so a decent online experience is a must for me.  

For a project like this it would be better if we didn't really make a story mode, just because of how much time it would take for level editing, scripting and whatnot. Instead, I think it should be online only, or start off that way at least. People don't need a story behind their games to play it online. Take America's Army for instance, it doesn't have any real story mode, and people love it.

Delta I think people love it cause its free  ;D

Um, torrents...

Besides, our game would be free too.

Ouch. I skimmed the post and thought it was mildy impressive. Seems a bit soon though when there's no agreement towards anything.