New NESes, ideas, development, etc

[das]

I liked the Sekai model of having players on different scales. That said, I can certainly understand wanting to keep it simple.

 

[kkmo]

Thanks guys. I am trying to avoid as much relation to Star Wars- I want everyone here to know that the Federation in essence was not evil, but rather the Agency was. No humanoid aliens here, but there will be alien fauna (wildlife) and flora (plants). I am more going for... well something new altogether. No lightsabers or ridiculously advanced technology. It is basically the wild west of space. Think Cowboy Bebop or even Firefly.

das, I am thinking that I can still keep it simple even if I include different player types. So for now, I am thinking:

Spoiler :

Star System: You will play as one of the star-systems, a remnant of humanity. Remember that your system has had hundreds of years to develop. It took Earth/the Federation hundreds of years to reach the systems without hypergates, then it took decades to construct the hypergates, and now it has been hundreds of years since the fall of the Federation and the destruction of the hypergates. Each star system has its own unique government and society.
Character: You will play as a single character. This character will have a starship of some kind, and that starship can include a crew as well (the crew members will be insignificant and not have any bearing on gameplay). As a character, you can explore new areas of space or travel around to different systems, looking for work or getting involved in quests and wars.
Guild: You will play as an organization or space guild. This space guild can be an economic corporation or a mercenary organization. Guilds will base themselves within star systems (typically on a moon or an area of a planet).

The single character option can become an entire party/small fleet that roams around space, but you have to build up to that (if you choose the character option, you literally begin with just yourself- though I will do random die rolls like in Sekai to determine how many "points" or "credits" you have to allocate to your starting ship/basic crew). Like in Sekai, there will be certain missions and things, and I will give a fair amount of pushes, but it will be a lot more stream-lined and the story-telling will be more about interaction between players.

Star systems will be able to envelop other star systems over time, but all players will only begin with one. Economies for each one will not all be even (as per random starting die rolls). The amount of stellar bodies within your system is completely up to you, but it will not effect game mechanics one way or another. You could have one planet or ten planets- your economy will be what it is and grow at the pace it will grow at.

 

[das]

Heh. How about starting out alone, then working your way up to build an empire? Obviously it'd take a whole lot of time, effort and luck, but still, might be worthwhile.

 

[Kozmos]

I'm always adverse to these kinds of things, because they offer you creativity with future technology but you can't use it to full potential because it would be OP and you'd be stabbing everyone else with your nano-augmented e-rect e-penis and smiling devilishly while they were horribly bleeding to death from penal stab wounds.

 

[Adrogans]

If you want to go that route I am still keen on the character role, and intruiged by the building up of a group.

 

[Lord of Elves]

Considering the necessary time and distance between star systems, over what course of time would turns take/long lifespans explained away by cryogenic freezing?

 

[Adrogans]

He said that faster than light travel has been introduced. I imagine travel time will be limited.

until... faster-than-light-speed travel was discovered (not only discovered, but perfected- it had been discovered to an extent earlier, but it was not very effective). Ships could now move faster and go between systems again, though not nearly as quickly as the now-impossible hypergate system (therefore making it impossible for one single power to rule the galaxy again).

 

[LittleBoots]

Hmmm... Firefly? .... Cowboy Bebop?! .... I'm in if this starts up.

 

[Gelion]

Cowboy Bebop?!

How about a Trigun themed NES? Survival on a desert planet with super-cool but fast ageing technology...

 

[kkmo]

Actually, I won't give players much creativity with technology at all. Things will be done very statistically tight and stream-lined, so players will not be able to invent techs that won't be in a pre-created, specific tree.

And, this galaxy is a grim outlook on humanity's capability to exist intergalactically. What I mean is that things will be dirty, grimy, and "old-school" style. No "human disintegrating" laser beams or particle rays, etc. Things will be clearly written out, to that effect.

And it will take time to get from system to system. Just like in Sekai, units/characters will have movement speeds, adjustable depending on what equipment you get for your ship.

I am going to leave it simple. By this I mean I might give players descriptive freedom, but these freedoms would not alter their hard, cold stats. Therefore, even if a player says his/her ship has weird, too-out-there technology, they still have to abide by the cold hard facts of their stats when it comes to combat and movement (though, nonetheless, I will give guidelines as to what exists in this universe).

And the game is not based on Firefly or Cowboy Bebop, I just gave those two as examples for you all to think about the kind of galaxy we would be living in. Grimy, dirty, and just coming out of a Dark Ages. You get the idea.

I will also probably have a Wordpress blog that will contain a "Galactic Bar" of sorts, which will feature missions found within various systems, to streamline the process of finishing turns. Just like in Sekai though, in between turns players can interact and story-post, and their stories may provide advantages for their character or faction.

And as for a character reaching higher to get to become the ruler of a whole star-system or even a small empire, and then later a larger empire: I like to think anything is possible given enough time and patience, but who knows if we'll even be around.

Anyway these are my ideas thus far.

 

[mgsmuhammad]

Cowboy Bebop?!

Spoiler :

Soul Eater is better.

 

[Kozmos]

Dark, gritty and all tech creativity nixed. Sounds like today's game design.

 

[kkmo]

Dark, gritty and all tech creativity nixed. Sounds like today's game design.

Not sure what you mean by that. But basically, like Sekai, this will have heavy focus on story-telling. I feel that by allowing too crazy of techs to go out of control, the story-telling would be inconsistent. Imagine the creation of a whole unique human galaxy. I want everyone to be involved in this.

I've been getting some messages regarding if players can be Devans (telepaths). The answer is: definitely. But, to become more powerful and hone your skills, there will be certain tasks you must perform. And I am not afraid to bring the radiation-destruction-covered Devan planet with its moons into the equation in terms of places you must go to become a better telepath.

And don't consider this NES idea to be completely space and tech. There is going to be an extremely heavy emphasis on telepathy/sorcery, mind-ships (the star ships made from outward mind manifestations), and the mysteries of the galaxy. Ancient ruins will be discovered in strange places, and plots revealed. This is a space opera NES filled with intrigue.

So far my list of character classes includes the following:

Spoiler :

Devan/Telepath: You are one of the mysterious Devan. Your mind is powerful, but you need to make it more powerful to accomplish your ultimate goal, which is revealing the mysteries of the cosmos and the reason for your existence. (bonuses will be related to your telepathic ability and intelligence)

Fighter Pilot: This is the basic fighter class of the galaxy. You almost always belong to a power above yourself, such as a star system or a guild. However, you can be solo, but unlike a bounty hunter, you focus on combat and defense, as opposed to speed. You can take a wider range of missions than the bounty hunter. (bonuses will be related to combat ability, weaponry, and armor)

Bounty Hunter: Sometimes cruel, sometimes honorable, your disposition allows for certain...flexibility...in the way you handle things. You care a lot about money and your newest weaponry. And you will need it. Your missions are usually dangerous and involve killing someone. (bonuses will be related to your combat ability, speed, and weaponry)

Merchant: Whether you studied economics at a planetary university, or you are a freighter pilot, you are nonetheless a merchant. You can find the best deals across the galaxy and you live to freight goods from one place to another, selling your own products in-between. But be careful: sometimes, a shipment isn't what it seems. A merchant can also be an asteroid miner or shop keeper. This class is for those who want to enjoy a good story without too much combat, though this NES will be very flexible so if you want to end up in combat, it is definitely possible. (bonuses will be related to your income, available ship space, and speed)

Smuggler: Like the merchant, you are adept at freight operations. The difference is that what you are shipping is completely illegal. Being a smuggler gives you fewer chances to earn money, but when you do earn money, you earn it big. In addition, you make up for the lack of mission availability with your maneuverability and cunning. The danger here is that you will often have to get illegal goods past official stellar fleets. (bonuses will be related to your intelligence, available ship space, and speed)

That's what I have thus far in terms of classes.

 

[germanicus12]

I would join that as a Merchant. Maybe a Bounty Hunter... when you start this I will have decided.

 

[kkmo]

Great! Because, I actually want to put a good deal of effort into the "peaceful" aspect of the NES. The galaxy doesn't have to be all combat and war. This NES is definitely for those who just want to build or be peaceful, as well. And, of course merchants can get caught up in combat- but in the same way, a bounty hunter might have a really average non-threatening job one day. I am flexible in terms of what players want to do.

 

[Kozmos]

So wizards? Space elementals and like? Meh...I have read through enough Kevin J. Anderson.

 

[kkmo]

So wizards? Space elementals and like? Meh...I have read through enough Kevin J. Anderson.

Actually, as mentioned before, elemental magic is not present at all. It is more telepathy-based, or moving things with the mind / creating a space ship out of thin air with the mind (a manifested mind-ship). Mind-ships will require a great deal of effort, but will be totally worth it.

They aren't wizards, though sometimes in a galactic pub you might hear someone call them a sorcerer. That is more of a derogatory term for them, though. They are simply humans with higher brain power and interesting abilities. Though there is an unrevealed mystical aspect to this, it definitely has nothing to do with the elements and typical wizardry. Imagine really advanced Buddhist monks or Hindu telepaths.

Not quite sure who Kevin J. Anderson is- but really, I'm only asking for constructive additions to this NES idea please.

 

[Adrogans]

So could you be a multi class type?

Merchant/Bounty Hunter to use Germanicus as an example.

 

[kkmo]

Yes, that's what I'm thinking. I am thinking of using classes purely as templates. In many ways, they might be thrown out altogether to give players more flexibility in crafting their own type of character.

But if we stick to hard class ideals, then a bounty hunter could definitely ship some things, and a merchant could definitely go head-hunting. They just wouldn't have the respective bonuses, unless you dropped a bonus stat and picked something else up. So we'll see how I end up crafting that side of the rules. I want to give as much freedom, but I also want to keep it relatively simple.

I might not even include classes at all, and instead allow for a flexibility of stats. And instead of classes, you could optionally choose an occupation, which would boost certain stats and provide a string of missions/quests to get money.

But I'd love to see, for example, some Devan merchants. It just makes sense. So for now, those class ideas are just that: ideas. I will build upon them and make them more flexible.

 

[Thlayli]

Spoiler :

Soul Eater is better.

Get out.