New Matrix-based Games

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Rakeesh
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New Matrix-based Games

Post by Rakeesh »

A lot of folks here know that I've had an interest in finding a way to take the matrix dueling style here and adapting it in new ways over the past couple of years. I've always loved to create games, and I love the mechanics of Matrix Dueling.

There's Champions in Chains (old, out-dated thread), a gladiatorial card game that I've created, that uses a matrix very close to the Duel of Swords matrix as the core mechanic around which the card game is built upon. My hope for that has always been that should I be able to sell the game, to provide a historical link-back to anyone who buys it that introduces them to ROH as its inspiration; this is something that I've always tried to do, when taking Matrix dueling to new groups of players -- that's how I created the original Champions of Mythos team. I've been working on Champions in Chains for a couple of years, now, with a lot of progress. I'll share some of that with you folks in another post, though.

There's Duel of Guns, which is a ROH-focused seasonal experiment in both storytelling and more complex/strategic matrix and event gameplay. The second season will start in just a couple of days now.

More recently, I've been hired to design a pseudo-graphical text-based MMO, somewhere between an oldschool "MUD" and a tabletop game. The idea is to create a persistent sci-fi universe where players can log in to play at any time, and our Game Masters will interact with them by developing plots and activities beyond the automated systems. As a table-top inspired game, it's permanent death, with a very involved and dynamic character creation system. I wanted to share a bit of that with you folks today, because I'll be officially announcing it and launching its design blog starting in May, and I thought you should have the first look.

Below are early very early screenshots (we are still pre-ALPHA in development) of three different combat systems, the first system of which will look the most familiar to you.

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Virtual Reality "Bloodsport" Combat Simulation Screenshot

In the game's universe (which centers around a giant, traveling space station exploring new regions of outer space), its civilians have a favorite past-time which is directly inspired by Duel of Swords on my side. They sit in a chair wired with Virtual Reality plug-in technology, and "duel" against other opponents, while the masses watch at the local spacepub (and place bets, etc on the outcome). This combat system will be very popular with non-combat oriented player characters, as there is no risk of death, and it relies solely on the player's OOC skill level, rather than the character's IC skills. Basically, any character can step into this Virtual Sport in the game and be on even par.

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Virtual Reality "Bloodsport" Combat Simulation Screenshot 2

As you can see in the VR Combat system, with only a few minor changes (Stophit's been renamed to Riposte, Lateral Parry to High Parry, Circular Parry to Low Parry, SlashvsSlash is a trade), the core mechanic is Duel of Swords. Additionally, when your character plugs into the dueling system, they select a weapon. Each weapon has its own base damage dice and set of "special" techniques to give it its own style. You spend positioning to use those techniques, and gain positioning by winning rounds; in short, larger (and slower), more damaging weapons gain positioning at a much slower rate than faster dueling styles (dual-wielding daggers, for instance) to keep the various styles balanced against one another. And that is, as briefly as I can describe it, the system that I'm hoping I will be able to use to create more interest in dueling and ROH with a new group of roleplayers through this game.

There are two other combat systems as well. These aren't inspired by ROH, but I'll share them with you anyways.



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Ground Combat System Screenshot

The graphical GUI is pretty infantile still, at the moment, but this is what ground combat currently looks like. It's fairly simple; you click on a square, and select any number of ways that you can interact with that square. You can target an area to throw a grenade (there are 24 different types of grenades that you can choose to use with your build), aim at a target, move, duck behind cover (if cover objects exist), etc, etc. Then, you have a shortcut key bar that allows you to take actions like firing a weapon, switching weapons (there are 60 different guns that you can choose from in your build), use bolstering chemical injections on yourself (of which there are 20 different compounds to research/discover/build into your exo-suit), target a specific body part of your enemy to try to deal status effects, and a ton of other things. The system's rather complex, and the goal is to make it feel like you are playing a live-action tabletop sci-fi game.



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Space Combat, Weapons Officer POV Screenshot


Finally, there is space combat. Ships exist as multi-room locations that can explore a really rather vast number of systems and planets with automated means for exploration, combat, adventure, crafting and story. Should a fire-fight break out between two ships in space, every PC member of a ship's crew has a job. Those in Engineering are focused on repairs and maintaining efficient power supply to key systems (like shields, weapons, life support, short-range thrusters, FTL engines, etc); they also are the ones that generally have to (literally) put out fires when damage compounds during a fight. Medical officers do what they do best, dealing with injuries that crop up due to explosive space combat. Weapons officers (like those shown above) are focused on determining strategy and weak points in their enemy's defenses, and then using various weapons to most effectively blast them.

And then, on the bridge, the Captain dishes out the orders for the rest of the ship, while the pilot navigates in another grid-based system, as seen below.



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Space Combat, Pilot POV Screenshot

So, the concept behind ship combat is that a crew has to work very well together, each member set on their specific job. A space fire-fight will look different, depending on the point of view, as you can see with the same fire-fight shown from both gunmen and pilot perspectives in the two screens above.

Anyways, that's a lot of information. But, I thought that I'd share what I've been up to. It's exciting to me, at least. :p
When I am silent, I have thunder hidden inside.

[OOC: Twitter is the best way to stay in touch. <3]
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Kalamere
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Post by Kalamere »

I was never a MUD player myself, though have the obvious interest in matrix combat and RP in general, plus a number of various MMO's. Anyway though, it all looks pretty cool. A lot of your included pics don't appear to have worked, but I'll be curious to see more and check out the site once you're further along.

~Kal
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DemiBob
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Post by DemiBob »

Clicking on the pictures loads them fine. Rehosting them to imgur would probably make them work imbedded.
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