Shadow Corps

[TimeLord28]

Now, I'm still in high school, so I obviously don't have the time or resources to make a blockbuster game. However, when I'm eventually a creative director at who knows what gaming company (Insomniac and Naughty Dog are at the top of my list), I have an idea for a game that, hopefully, would be innovative. This topic is simply to let loose my ideas for everyone to toss around.

Shadow Corps is the result of ideas floating around my head since 7th grade. It is a sci-fi shooter, which basically is like Resistance in that Earth is under siege, but has many other elements thrown in. The enemy is a variety of human and alien combatants, and vehicles play a large part in some sections. You are a part of a six-man squad of super-soldiers with more down-to-earth attributes. You eventually become squad-leader, but the emphasis is always on action, not tactics. After a while, the only thing that matters is stopping the world's destruction. Yes, it does sound very cliche. Except for one thing. The world is destroyed. Yes, I gave it up, but I want people to get that I want to change things where my little idea is involved. I don't want a happy, "yay, we saved everyone" attitude. Not even in the final installment (I'm thinking of it in three parts). Anyway, here's the first part of my thoughts.

The gameplay is described by one word: visceral. Not gory or scary, but action-packed. It is a 3rd-person shooter, but I want it to have the action of Modern Warfare, while having the melee combat abilities of Uncharted. For example, let's say you need to go stealthily through a region. You can line up a shot to the knee with a silenced weapon, go up and knife the man to instantly dispatch him, or drag him somewhere else to hide the body or question the sentry.

The story? Epic. Not all of the game is huge battles, but there are quite a few. Other missions are stealth-centered, while others are just you and your squad making a whole lot of noise. But, all the while, I want this foreboding hanging over the player's head. They know that they're outnumbered, and after a while, that they're running out of time. The characters should also reflect this. I want these characters to be humanized. Unlike in most shooters, I want the story to be interesting and long. I want people to be intrigued by the things that go on between squad-mates (perhaps even a little romance between the protagonist and the squad's quiet sniper?).

Interested? I'll give another update on my control-scheme ideas and finer gameplay mechanics next.

[Long Legs]

Sounds good.
As long as it's set apart from other Sci-Fi shooters well enough, it could do well. Even if it doesn't, I'd still likely play so long as it was good enough.

The melee...I think I'd need to see in action first. It sounds ok, but why kneecap them when you could kill them with the same bullet in a well-placed headshot? 

[TimeLord28]

Yeah, the kneecap thing was really more for your 'take them alive' needs. It would be better to give a headshot, or if you're that close, just knife them. Especially since Shadows- what Shadow Corps members are called- are fast and almost silent.

[Bale Fire]

It sounds interesting enough. I mean what you have told us so far is pretty standard, but I'm intrigued enough to want to hear more. I like what you've said about the war, and how humanity has already lost it. So basically the characters have already lost, whole world destroyed, and they're just fighting to take down as many of the enemy as they can?

Again I'm intrigued 

[TimeLord28]

@Bale Fire

Actually, it's more of a story of how things went to hell. As the enemy invaded (which is explained as the story goes on), I want the player to be able to tell just how badly the s**t hit the fan. Here's an example: at the beginning of the war- which you don't play through- multiple countries' space-faring vessels were spread throughout multiple worlds, not all colonies, just worlds for scientific or exploratory reasons (a future space race for colonizing planets). All of a sudden, this mixed fleet of ships shows up made up of human and alien forces. They call themselves the "Kingdom"- think "Halo" (multiple species)- and they are badasses. As soon as they show up, they drop landing forces and blow the crap out of the weak defensive line protecting Earth. OrbDef (Orbital Defense) manages to keep the fleet at bay with their KHAOS Railgun System, KHAOS standing for Kentral Hydrogen-Artillery Orbital Strike, Kentral being the name of the man who developed the system.

Now, by the time everyone's ships show up, crap-loads of "Striker" dropships have been deployed into Topeka, KS, Nova Scotia, Siberia, the Outback, the Sahara, and Nepal where they've been securing the area and construction. They are killing civilians without mercy, but evacuations, which had been going on previously, unsuccessfully, are sped up with the extra back-up provided by the other ships that have joined the  fleet. By this time, the parts of humanity that have been saved or were already on Mars, have holed up there, using uncompleted ships (Mars is a shipyard) as remote-controlled weapons platforms along with Mars' own, stronger, OrbDef network. Eventually, however, Earth's OrbDef network is forced out of commission, leaving the battered fleet no choice but to turn tail and run back to Mars, where they can lick their wounds. Out of 7.5 billion people residing on Earth, only about 3 billion are evacuated. Not to say the rest died, as many don't, but Kingdom soldiers do murder about 3 more billion.

Now, only a handful of powerful installations are left on Earth where humans remain. These include D.C., Houston, TX, Cuba, Beijing, London, Dover, Normandy (ironically), Cairo, Montreal, Newfoundland, Riyadh- Saudi Arabia-, and Sydney. Soldiers unite under one flag and the Terran Military and Terran Space Authority (TSA) is born.

This is all before control is handed to the player, but one cutscene doesn't explain all of it. Rather, as you progress through the first level, they are revealed as flashbacks from the game's main character, Chris Lombargo, an American Shadow Corps operative. The game's first level is about the invasion of Canada from Newfoundland. I'll explain who the Shadows are another day, but basically, they are the Spec Ops you might think of being in the future, only better. Not invincible, but close. Anyway, the rest of the fleet finally shows up and pulls together for a desperate assault on Kingdom forces over Earth, while other ships "punch in" right inside of Earth's atmosphere long enough to unload a massive amount of troops into Newfoundland. The fleet nearly gets decimated, but months of planning makes sure that the unload is as quick as possible and Mars' OrbDef manages to hit the Kingdom too. Then the fight starts to take back Earth, eventually turning into a fight against time when they find out what the Kingdom plans to do (ignite a supernova that will wipe out the solar system).

All of the above takes place over a year. Hopefully, I'd want my characters to relay a sense of hopelessness, fear, and underlying anger towards their situation. All in all, that's the set-up for my game.

[Imperial_Tuba]

Now that DOES sound kickass   

[Bale Fire]

It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this. The whole hopeless feeling would have to be handled delicately though (aka well) I mean I don't want to sound negative but lots of games have had billions killed in the background, Halo, Resistance, it kinda becomes just a statistic. I guess that's where your flashbacks come in though, to keep the player in touch with the horror/shock.

What about enemy types? The species for this kingdom? What have you thought up for them?

[Long Legs]

While I'll admit the universal appearance looks badass, but personally I get turned away every time something turns to Battle-star Galactica, if you know what I mean.
With bazillions of spaceships and orbital blast cannons and etc.

Whilst there have been exceptions (like Dead Space) I generally prefer grittier, darker, less fantasy, less overly-flashy "Star ship Enterprise" combat like R:FoM's to Halo's or anything like that.

But that's just my thoughts on the matter.

[Imperial_Tuba]

1)  'two cents'.  And you call yourself British 


and 2)  DON'T DIS THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE!

Could whoop Hale and his crew into subMISSION.

[Long Legs]

I know, I know, it's about the most American thing you can say since "right off the bat", but I was too lazy to put anything else at the time. 
EDITED : Anyway. 

And i wasn't really dissing it, just using it a an example. 

[TimeLord28]

I based these controls of a PS3 controller. This was the best way, I believe, to implement both a cover system and acrobatics, but I'm worried the two may get in the way of each other. If anyone has suggestions, feel free to post.

Default Control Scheme (Infantry):

Left Stick- Movement
Right Stick- Aim
L3- Sprint
R3- Change Stance (Standing, Crouching, Prone)
L1- Zoom
R1- Fire
L2- Grenade
R2- Reload
Triangle- Change Weapons
Square- Melee
Circle- Cover/Acrobatics
X- Jump

Notes:

Tap "circle" to enter cover. Double-tap "circle" to dive-roll. Hold "circle" to slide.

Melee system similar to Uncharted 2's- the camera moves from usual POV/ counters to enemy melee attacks; melee system is more brutal, using butt of gun/combat knife/bare hands.

[TimeLord28]

This is the logo I designed in NeoOffice. It's also the basis for the main menu.

[TimeLord28]

This little excerpt is from part of the game with working title– Operation Saber: A Drop Into Hell. It takes place about one-third of the way through the campaign. Your squad has worked through Canada, and is now joining the siege of New York, attempting to pry it out of enemy hands as Operation Saber commences.

Side note- the game is split into Operations and then missions within these Ops. Think the mission structure of Resistance: Retribution. It works like that for the intel too. Intel, which can be audio files, pictures, journal entries, or other stuff, is themed with each Operation, so that it makes sense to find it there (e.g. finding a document regarding the Nova Scotian base during the invasion of Canada). Also, the view-point is third person, but tighter over the shoulder than, say, Uncharted.

Here's the link:
http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2847659/1/Shadow_Corps_Operation_Saber

[TimeLord28]

Ideations on the helmet, main menu, and multiplayer menu.

http://thesuburbanhero.deviantart.com/art/Shadow-Corps-Helmet-Idea-179291641

http://TheSuburbanHero.deviantart.com/art/Shadow-Corps-Helmet-Idea-179291641#/d2yqusv

http://TheSuburbanHero.deviantart.com/art/Shadow-Corps-Helmet-Idea-179291641#/d2yqupy

[CamKrist]

I decided to give a hand and sent a post into social bookmarks. I hope the popularity will rise in.