Original Post
Team Name: Wendigo Design (this is a temporary name that is likely to change in the future). Project Name: Wendigo (this is a codename; there are no wendigos in the game). Brief Description: Wendigo's an independent role-playing game (or indie RPG) that brings the player into a fantasy world in the middle of a war that threatens to destroy civilization. Characters may have different backgrounds (with three different starting locations for the game), and will be faced with choices that will influence the places the player visits, the people he knows, what he can and cannot do, and, most importantly, what he knows about the war. Through those choices, the player will be able to change the life of those he meets, for the good AND for the bad, and even affect, if he plays his cards right, the outcome of the war. The game has multiple endings, but, more than that, it has multiple paths that are available through dialog choices, combat choices and also depending on how the player chooses to approach each level, promising drastically different playthroughs (the game is supposed to be no more than 10 hours long, possibly much more if the player chooses combat heavy paths). For more, see "Additional Info". Target aim: Retail. Choosing distribution methods is not a priority at the moment. With time, as as soon as we something to show people, we'll worry about them. Compensation: None for now. Depending on how things go, the game will be as much my creation as it will be the Lead Programmer's and possibly of other members of the team, and the profits will be shared accordingly (something to discuss in time). Of course, the game will only be completed in a matter of years. If you live in northern Portugal, then all the better, I can find us an office and computers (probably), otherwise all the work will have to be done via the internet (something that's definitely not new). Technology: This is a computer game, made with the mouse in mind as the primary input source. There will be a Windows release, but a Linux and/or Mac OS release is also a possibility, depending on the engine. No engine has been built or chosen, but I'm considering Ogre 3D as a serious contender. Talent needed: Lead Programmer: - Good programming skills, probably C++ (engine is meant to be chosen in concert with the LP), and the ability to create (not likely) or edit a game engine (to fit the mechanics of Wendigo; - A passion for old-school RPGs, enough to dedicate himself to the project and contribute, if he/she wants, to the design; - Knowledge about level design, art and sound engineering a plus, but not needed. Team structure: We have found two people to work in Wendigo. Starting with myself: - Tiago "Morbus" Sá, an aspiring Game and Content Designer. I have been designing Wendigo in a design document since March this year. - Bartek "spectre" Kurkiewicz, responsible for basic 3D stuff and helping out with the design. - Anton Rizaev, C++ programmer trying to get into the game industry after 4 years outside it doing desktop stuff. We are still looking for someone with more experience to work in the team. Website: wendigodesign.wordpress.com – a temporary blog to spread the word. A dedicated site will be built in time. Contacts: My email is tiago.morbus.sa@gmail.com Previous Work by Team: None whatsoever. Additional Info: Regarding the plot - the war sprouted for political reasons, but nobody really knows what it's actually about. There are different and conflicting opinions, even inside the high ranking officials of the army, and that ambiguity will be the driving point of the plot, and will make each decision the player has to make regarding the war a lot harder. In any case, there is a big twist towards the end of the game. But the aim of the plot are the characters and how the player chooses to deal with them, in each particular playthrough. Regarding the setting - generally, it's a fantasy setting because it has magic and made up creatures, but magic is very rare and special, and there are no elves or dwarfs like we usually see. More than that, there are drastically different societies inside Wendigo's world. Some will have near-futuristic technology, others will live in huts in the forest, but something will be common: weapons. In essence, it's similar to a medieval world with guns, only they are designed to be part of the setting, rather than an alien element (there will be absolutely no real modern weapons, despite frequent similarities). These differences will help give an individual charm to each location, and provide something unique to offer the player. Regarding the character system - Wendigo's character system is designed from scratch for the game. Somewhere between Vampire Bloodlines, Arcanum and Fallout, it is a skill centric system that will be both easy to understand and deep. Depending on the skills the character possesses, the plot of the game will unfold differently, because the choices available will be influenced by that. Regarding the combat system - the combat system for this game will be the first real hybridization of turn based and real time combat the industry has seen. Thanks to the implementation of two very innovative features, I managed to preserve all the tactical depth of turn based combat (and that also means the game doesn't play by itself, like in, say, Neverwinter Nights) while benefiting from the apparent realism and intuitiveness of real time fights. It is point and click (there will be a description box, like Fallout's), and doesn't rely at all on the player's physical dexterity: it's all about the strategy. Character positioning will play a big role, as well as combat preparation. It is not party based, but the player may be accompanied by allied NPCs (Fallout-like). Fights against large numbers of similarly equipped/skilled humans will be very hard, and will only be possible with strategic thought. But don't worry: you won't have to fight anyone if you don't want to, since there will be as many (if not more) diplomatic paths as violent ones. The mechanics will have to be tweaked, obviously, but the basic design is done and we definitely have something to work upon. Regarding the use of skills - dialog choices will be largely influenced by character skills/stats and previous choices, possibly more than we've ever seen (we'll see how that unfolds) and will be a big part of the game for most playthroughs. There are, however, no dice rolls, inside or outside dialogs (including in combat). Instead of dice rolls, there will be relatively complex equations to determine the time required to perform a certain action (or even if the character is able to perform it at all). Time will play a significant role in some levels, specially in stealth operations (being caught while picking a lock isn't so good, is it?). Check the website for more relevant information. Feedback: Any. Feel free to comment on what I said about the game, as well as the position. [Edited by - Tiago Sa on November 4, 2009 9:38:39 AM]