a medieval city (in 1733)

Come on, don’t do this.

I think a simple arena shooter is great. I’d love to see it Rogue-like in that there’s a simple goal, perhaps battling your way into the core of a city to shut off the zombie maker. Discover the cure. Set off the bomb. Whatever.

So like FTL, I see this as a series of levels, increasing in difficulty. At each level you have to complete a series of encounters that are somewhat randomly generated or pulled from user-submitted maps. Say there’s 6 levels:
1. Rural
2. Rural small town
3. Suburbs
4. Metro
5. Low-rise city
6. High-rise city (Goal)

The building kits for each level are pre-defined. A user map requires a certain level of density and goal-types (caches, weapon stores, supply stores, hideouts).

As I take my team (starts with 1) through the encounters, text-based setup and resolution screens, like FTL, I make choices and build my team.

FTL with real time iso shooter resolutions.

What would make this idea Kickstartable is adding a Network option. Your server is hosting the game I set up, and it will run for an hour, even if my goals only take 15 minutes. If I get a new encounter in Level 3 I can choose from a variety of running instances. When I come in (servers only accept new players while the server has enough time left for them on that level…say 10 minutes) there may already be 3 other player teams on there, and it’s utter chaos.

To make it super cool, other players could find hideouts and trade equipment and/or recruit new bots for your team, but only get to stay in the hideout for 3 minutes.

Once you accomplish your level goals you’re done with that encounter. If your team died and can’t make the requirements for the next level, you start over.

If your team makes it to the next level you are competing at a higher level. Once you get into Level 3 you have team friendly fire. At 4 you have player friendly fire. At 5 you have full PVP (with one team kill being a requirement). At level 6 you have to have at least 3 human teams. They have to work together to beat the boss, but the real winner is the surviving team after PVP. That’s how you win.

I wouldn’t call something like that an MMO. It’s more like an arcade multi-player.

That’s what I was daydreaming. With motorcycles.

Regarding phones as controllers, I think the way to do this is to let phones drop in but pair them to a computer on the same LAN. So the computer acts as their proxy for communicating with the online server. It will be up to the player on the computer and the player on the phone to keep their characters close enough together that scrolling isn’t a problem.

I see you’re pushing in the direction of making this into a deeper, MMO-like experience. That’s the opposite to opinions I have gotten from other people! LOL, that’s always the way..
I’m kinda leaning towards a simpler, arena-combat type experience. It’s a much smaller undertaking from a development point of view.. only a madman would attempt to make an MMO on their own, right?

Long time fan, first time commenter. I like what you have going on here. I really liked the idea of using a PC as the server and phones as controllers. The innovation in that regard could really get a lot of attention. But you have to balance technical, and the map limitations sound too limiting.

I’ve been playing a lot of FTL. A LOT of FTL. I don’t think I’ve ever once wished it had multiplayer. So when I played this I flashed on a lot of favorite games. Darkwind, of course, Left4Dead, Red Dead Revolver (zombie), Syndicate (LOVE), and FTL. It got me thinking, what would my perfect version be? The world needs more Roguelikes.

I love the ISO retro and the simple approach to running and shooting. I love the idea of other people appearing to defend against the horde. I love the map as a starting place, and that other people could design and submit their own.

So what would I add or change? I’m intrigued by the idea of a persistent world here. By starting solo and alone and building a team of people. Each time I log on our goal is to move the team deeper toward the core of a city. You can “save” by reaching a safe-house, where you might recruit and equip for the next attempt further in.

At higher levels I’d love some AI companions on my team. We could join other Human teams and fight to clear a town. When I level up my team and management abilities we gain access to tougher places, where we can find better hardware. At some point, those environments become PVP-light, allowing teams to declare war on each other and chase each other’s loot (and the only place you could see perma-death for a team?). It’s the end-game, fight back the horde, rule the remaining populace.

Those elements together give you a potential Roguelike path that is intermingled with other players to trade and partner with, resulting in an endgame that’s PVPVPVPVC. Winning is statistically unlikely, but always possible.

Networked FTL. Procedural levels and submitted levels. It would be so tasty.

I’d also consider the usual assortment of races and classes. Mutant, sentient insectoid, android, and so on. Again, make them available as you progress. Forming the perfect team of 4 is the constant design goal.

Lastly, I think you need to have motorcycles in the first build. Right up front. Just to piss off your Darkwind crowd.

Keep going, Sam, I think you have the core of something great.

Brian