some_kind_of_game

So, I had yet another idea for a computer game on the way to work this yesterday morning. Here are some random notes about it. Maybe I’ll make it one day. It doesn’t have a name yet.

Something a bit like Wurm. But done in 2D, so the problems Wurm had are avoided and development is easier. Also a bit like Dwarf Fortress, but multiplayer.

Top-down or isometric viewpoint, square or hex grid.

Online, probably around 200 players or so per server. Maybe massively multiplayer.

Each player controls multiple characters as a “family”, starting off with a man and a woman.

The world starts covered wilderness.

No really defined aim, but there is conflict between players and the world to survive and conflict between players for resources. There will be an emergent economy, with no set currency at the start of the game. The technology level should gradually increase over time. There should be interactions between objects that are constantly being discovered.

~1 second tick based. Players submit actions, actions take at least one tick. Results are returned each tick, along with anything else in the world that has changed. All actions consist of applying one object to another object (other players and your current location are also objects) and then selecting what interaction you wish between these objects.

The game will be harsh. It will be very possible to be killed horribly. Groups of players will have the main advantage that they will be able to more effectively manage more characters between them.

There will be no XP. You may do whatever you (the player) know how to do.

There will be ownership. There will be theft. There will be defenses against theft.

If your family is defeated but still has some property, you may specify who that property is given to, including to your new family.

The client will be open source. The server probably less so. Automation of characters by players will be encouraged, people would just write bots anyway. The client will support some kind of scripting language.

Families will have to interbreed. Maybe through an oldschool marriage system, with dowries. Inbreeding probably won’t be allowed, but would be amusing if you could generate crazed mutants.

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