Apokalypsos: A Post-Apocalyptic MMO Project

S

Sigoya

First time out of the vault
Greetings NMA!

Stopping by to make the first announcement on your forum in particular, about a new post-apocalyptic project! (bet you've heard that before :wink: )

Following the recent shutdown of Auto Assault, a group of dedicated and talented players decided to work on a new MMO inspired by AA, but with a fresh and realistic vision.

We aim to create an FPS/Vehicular hybrid with a far more involved "RPG" content than what gets usually branded these days, with realistic choices and consequences within the game world (and lots of Fallout series influence).

We've been working for the last 2 months on the storyline, concept art and all the usual conceptual elements. We have also assembled a solid crew of writers, artists, modelers and a sound engineer, but we are always looking for a few more talented volunteers. A special call goes to any programmers who can handle C++ and scripting using Torque Game Engine Advanced and more.

If any of you are interested please feel free to visit us at the official site and register at our forums: http://apokalypsos.com or contact me directly at sigoya(at]gmai[dot].com

<blockquote>Apokalypsos is a Role Playing Game set in a massively multiplayer online world. This title sends the player into a devastated North America as a surviving refugee, escaping the brutal winters of the north. Seeking a new shelter and a better future, the player is forced to take a side in the ongoing battle between the surviving factions that control the few remaining resources.

The player is free to explore entire zones and areas on foot, in 1st or 3rd person view, scavenging resources, fighting enemies & creatures and building a legacy.

The game systems will allow the player to acquire vehicles in which they can use to travel into far and forgotten zones, through a highway system, full of missions and challenges.

Faction Control Zones:

-Refugees: The survivors of the devastated American continent gathered under the protection of the SOS forces in Camp Zero, South Dakota.

-Rebels: Situated far west of the SOS refugee camps, covering the area surrounding mount St. Helens and parts of what formerly was known as Canada.

-Protectors: Located in the lower eastern shore zones, away from the northern ice-engulfed borders, yet close to the old centers of power in Maryland and D.C.

-Reformers: Escaping the growing persecution and cleansing efforts, the Reformers gathered their remnants in the central areas of the Midwest and southwest, where the deserts and difficult terrain kept them safe & hidden.


Welcome to Apokalypsos stranger!</blockquote>Regards,

Sigoya - Project Lead
Apokalypsos.com
 
GO OREGON TERRITORY! Go kick some eastern ass! :P

Cool project, good luck with it. You might poke around the modding forums.
 
Moving this to Gaming forum.

EDIT: Better yet, I added some formatting and it's now in News.
 
SGTcane said:
This looks very interestering, even though there´s a long way to go :)
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Frackin eh! Sounds better than AA to me. I'll be watching over this one.
 
ROFL another developer who thinks that he can transfer the feeling of single player games into massive world, you know what, you really cant.

Its quite simple actually, quests that involves "realistic choices and consequences within the game world" usually are one time quests, not repeatable. So when a group of players solves the quest, there is no quest for other 10000 players in the gameworld. And those players are bored to death :)

Thats why in games like WoW there are only repeatable quests, like: kill 10 battle boars. Or the "epic battles" take places in repeatable instances, but than again the whole concept of "consequences within the game world" is gone.
 
Why are there so many post-apo FPS games in developement? I want post-apo crpg dammit! Or even any crpg.

:sob:
 
Futurity said:
...So when a group of players solves the quest, there is no quest for other 10000 players in the gameworld. And those players are bored to death :)...
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Yeah, we all realize that there are game elements which are hard to mimic in a MMO setting. Thus our storyline and choice tree will focus on personal character development and advancement.

For instance, each player will start the game as a Refugee, with nothing more than few rags to his/her name, the game mechanics should allow each player to fully explore and realize their choices within the game world, and eventually choose a faction to join. And within each faction that you can join, you'll discover several routes and critical choices to make as well, if you decide to. These choices will affect how the rest of the world will treat you, in terms of access, hostility, trade, missions and so on.

The trick here is to create a true single player experience within an online setting with friends and foes running around you. These players should not be a distraction but an integral part of the game world. It's something that all the big development houses are too afraid to do "because WOW doesn't do it that way."

I realize this is a bold statement to make for a bunch of startups, but what we have is unique: we are independent, indie and got talents. We only answer to ourselves and our (future) players.

So where are those programmers hiding :twisted: ?

 
Sigoya said:
So where are those programmers hiding :twisted: ?
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Give me a couple of years will you! I'm still working on the command-line chess-project, trying to figure out wtf I need pointers for, and wether or not I should have a class called "Game" initialising "Material", "Board", and "Rules", or if I should just leave it to the main()-function, and, wether or not "Rules" should be intrinsic to the "Material"-class, or a seperate class in itself :roll:

Having a lot of fun with this, but sorrily, I don't think I can help you (unless you're taking interns [for under-the-good game mechanics] :wink:)
 
programmers doesn't come in batches like writers and artists, they are a rare breed and you're lucky if you find a guy who is willing to dedicate most of his sparetime to your project.

that's the horrible truth.
 
Writer, potential

If you are looking for a VOLUNTEER dialogue writer, then consider this my application. If you guys need me to write some stuff before your final decision, I can.

Akula
 
...that's the horrible truth.
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Ain't that true :evil: but I'm sure there are few lurking out there, especially considering this a great opportunity to build a resume and/or break into the gaming industry.


Torque Game Engine programmers eh? You might want to search here: http://www.irontowerstudio.com/index.htm
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I keep a close eye on all the indie & post-apoc projects out there. Iron Tower Studios opted to go with Torque Game Engine, while we are stepping it up with the Advanced iteration. TGEA delivers advanced graphic options and a beefed up terrain and network code. A much needed feature especially if we are to deliver this title in 3-4 years from now.


If you are looking for a VOLUNTEER dialogue writer, then consider this my application.
Click to expand...

We are always looking for volunteers for all kind of game elements. And you are always welcome to register and participate with ideas and suggestions on our forums. We are still in preliminary conceptual stages and anything goes!

Just a final note here, we are a bunch of (mostly) mature gamers with jobs and families, and we are doing this because we love it and have the perseverance and support to continue this on a long timeline. (If you're married you'll know what perseverance is :lol: )

Thanks for all your comments!

Cheers,
Sig
 
I WOULD love to do some writing. And maybe step into the last stages of development if I get my programming in order. I'll write something. Something specific if you know what you're looking for.

Plausibly at your service :salute:

EDIT: I have experience working with mod-teams from Source. Did modelling then, but atrociously horrible tools broke my spirit.
 
Unfortunately my code-fu is still weak in that area, and I have too little time to spare with university and all that stuff already.

Still, I wish you guys good luck. Sounds like an interesting (and ambitious) project.
 
A pity you have no use for a web designer, however I could throw some game play ideas your way, if you want them mind you, however their validity is still questionable.

First off you can still have the individual player affect the world in an MMO, it's just that nobody who's got any money thinks that it's worthwhile to program such a system.

Instead of 4 fixed factions, allow the players to create their own factions, yes the 4 can still stand as mediators so to speak, kinda like how the Hub operates in FO1, however their role is simply as spokes to their diverse counterparts.

For example, if Band of vagabonds 1 aligns themselves with the reformers as their supply, support, protectorate, etc. gets attacked by Band of vagabonds 2, Band of vagabonds 2 immediately looses some respect / honor / whatever with the hub city.

If it's an independent or a group from a larger Band only the group involved gets the hit unless over 60% of them were involved in the raid, therein the entire band gets a black mark from the reformers. Too many black marks and if they enter the Reformer controlled supply cities they are likely to be shot on sight.

Each faction head (the big 4 so to speak) could supply different types of necessities, for example refugees could supply cheap manpower to it's protectorate groups ('pet' npcs to fire alongside the player charactor, people to work an agri-farm, manual laborers, etc.)

Rebels would have access to some scavenged tech, some strange and obviously random concoctions to give you that added boost in a firefight, as well as other dubious serums designed to make the fellow potentially mutate in an EVO or SPORE kind of way, while giving the player minor control over what part of the body he injects the serum into himself as being the afflicted portion.

Protectors would have better training and equipment on their side, while lacking severely in manpower, yes the player could travel to the refugee section and try to hire them, but the refugees would likely jack up the price for someone who doesn't share the same mindset so to speak.

Reformers would likely not want to be bothered, they'd be better at the outdoorsy type actions with hunting, and staying hidden in the wastes, although they will likely suffer from some random mutation (for good or for bad) due to their lives being spent mostly in the desolate wastes, (one in one billion odds mind you,) without protection. Scavenging abilities would be somewhat increased as well due to their circumstances.

One thing I must stress beyond anything else for this to actually feel like a survival game, Dead = Dead, not Dead = Re spawn, or Dead = Debt, etc. To survive your wounds you have (depending on the ailment) about 10 minutes per total hit points to have a medic patch you up and stabilize you. You will also have one action per 10 minute period, that is if the guy doesn't finish you off right then and there. During that one action if you have a stim you can stabilize yourself but you will not be able to act at all until the next 10 minute session where you can stim yourself again to bring yourself back away from the chasm of death.

Now if someone walks up and puts a bullet into your head while you're on your back bleeding out like a stuck pig, sucks to be you, but that's life in the wasteland.

You can also allow perhaps a mutation which allows for the body to grow back as long as say the heart is still intact or the body is still 50% intact, however they would be just as likely to mutate further from the action and not likely in a good way, making a regeneration mutation a last ditch effort to save what you are, assuming it doesn't just take over your body completely leaving you a savage hulk of anger and slobber.

However back to how this all fits together as the players actually having an impact on the world, say for example there's a chronically breaking well in bumpkin town A, yes one fellow comes by and fixes it, so it takes some time, a little wear and tear, and BAM it's back in shambles with a crying farmer to try and coax a quest out of.

Every good deed (or evil one) that a player does towards his surroundings earns good (or bad) marks against his faction towards the people of the area, enough good (or evil) deeds in an area might make them think about joining (or leaving) the faction.

The standard weeding out quests will be replaced by 'sack X town (or save from said sacking) on either side, one faction orders the town sacked, the other opposing faction orders the town protected.

Random encounters can also play a role, saving (or obliterating) passing caravaner could very well lead to a (somewhat gradual) incline or decline in the area's feelings towards a faction.

Finally raiding other faction's vagabond camps (players attacking players facilities) can be by order if they've earned enough black marks to go up on the bounty board of said faction, or just simply bad luck got them in the arse, either way it's going to happen, and it's gonna be messy.

Once the raid is complete the area temporarily belongs to the attacking faction, if they hold their ground for X amount of time in hours (perhaps 1 hour per faction favoritism) their faction then controls that region.

After that period of time if the enemy faction shows up again to claim it, it will be under claim lock for the rest of the day (people of the area don't like to be forgotten about thus do not trust the old protectorate like they used to)

The time can be reduced by having more of your faction in the area, as only one person can convince so many people at one time, if the entire faction (which is hardly possible unless a full assault is planned) it would be a matter of minutes before the region becomes owned by that particular faction.

Two things about faction spread, one it has to be adjacent to former faction holdings, otherwise it won't stand longer than the claim lock and forfeit to the wastes (under no faction) The second being that Factions can not claim a region just after they claimed the prior one, the prior region does not consider itself part of the protectorate yet, as they are still being 'persuaded' into joining the faction.

So effectively in the best case scenario, a faction can expand one region row at a time, however they have that much more to protect from raiders, etc.

If by some fluke that one faction outright beats all other factions, the game will be re-set with all former characters that were still alive at the end of game being alive again in the beginning of the next bout everyone starting out as a refugee and picking their factions and whom they want in their scraggly band of misfits.


This is how I could see an MMO having player actions impacting in a post apoc world, however odds are we're not likely to see an MMO with this kind of depth coming out of a 'professional' design shop.


Oh by the way, Hi, I've been lurking around the forums for a few weeks now and just plucked up the muster to actually post, glad to meet'cha all!
 
This is how I could see an MMO having player actions impacting in a post apoc world, however odds are we're not likely to see an MMO with this kind of depth coming out of a 'professional' design shop.
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Now theres some great ideas! We'd love if you share more on our forum: http://apokalypsos.com/forum/

Plus we DO need help with web design, so you might be helpful with more ways to the project!

Cheers,
Sig
 
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