MotoQuest (working title)

MMORG Outline

Notes

Production Status: Concept

Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

Everything written here is pretty standard fare. It might even be akin to Auto Assault; I would not know having not played it. But even so, rather than steal ideas for your own mediocrity, why not collaborate and share in the wealth of ensuing talent to produce something truly spectacular? Or start a parallel project and inform me so that we can confer on different game aspects.

There are a lot of ideas here, and it is doubtful that they all will be implemented should it be decided to develop the product. If it does not prove commercially viable, I'll see that it goes open source, and that means mods, more user-created content, and most importantly, FREE!

Inspiration

I like games that go fast. I'll just admit it right now, I am a sucker for Sonic the Hedgehog, even in its corrupted 3d form. Another aspect of Sonic that I find appealing is his blatant defiance of gravity. This fascination of mine was ressurected later when I fell in love with SSX. I, however, would rather go a step further and allow free-range flying. (Never mind the massive weight that is a motorcycle.) The racing genre has not broken out into the MMO category as of yet, and combining it with a free-for-all slashfest excites the hell out of me. Am I sounding too teenage? Damn, blew my cover.

Overview

Features

Drive a motorcycle and fight simultaneously
Holding a weapon in one hand, most likely a light sword, you engage your enemies from the comfort of your cycle.
Dismount to engage in ground combat. Hopefully your cycle won't be hijacked!
Fly a motorcycle, Get wet
Upgrades are available for deep sea diving and full blown flying, but it is not for the faint of heart.
Race Anywhere, Win Money
Readily challenge passersby with self-defined races using a map to plot your own checkpoints, with optional order.
No Leveling
Your only variable statistics: strength, weight, and monetary worth; Your power is based on your natural player skills and what you can afford to buy.
Optional Sidecars
Give people rides and bring pets with you on your journey.
Enemies
In addition to your peers, there are NPCs, including demonic cyclists and unmanned cycles, monsters, bosses (huge monsters).

The 'Cycle' of Play

Things Not in This Game

There is no leveling per se, but your character will have two stats: Weight and Strength.

I don't really care at this point what kind of characters are available or how they can be created.

There is not currently any focus on quests other than the normal objectives. This can easily change.

Mechanics

Driving

[Research into motorcycles in games is needed.]
Well, this is intended to be a PC title, but driving is usually best with wheel or joypad, not keyboard and mouse. If no one can think of anything better, then it is going to be WASD/Mouse, that is unless the player owns a wheel. The controls should be customizable anyway, so this is just a question of the defaults.

Flying (on your cycle of course)

Think more like a fairy than an airplane. It is important that turning be quick. But, physics do differ according to method of flight purchased. Flying will be made possible through these upgrades:

Dragonfly Wings
Only works well on light cycles (and avatars)
Eagle Wings
These are the top candidate for the alternative flying control scheme (see below)
Scramjets
So fast, you'll crash!
Anti-grav Pixie Dust
Very expensive, but provides perfect in-air control.

To be revolutionary (assumedly), flying could actually closely resemble flat-land driving. The player could mostly drive in 2d as usual, but along a mesh wind current, and given the chance to lean into (switch to) different air-current planes represented by dashed nets. Although difficult to explain and implement, it considerably reduces the complexity of steering and could make for more varied gameplay. Just think: random wind algorithms and a new game each time.

Mobile Combat

Wielding a katana, spear, or other one-handed weapon, players get to hack and slash without leaving their vehicle.

Flying/Diving Combat

I want to keep shooting out of the game for the most part (another executive decision), but shooting is quite convinient (and harder) while flying or diving. But, there is no reason you can't catch things in butterfly or fishing nets.

Normal Combat

The coliseums holds tournaments between players.

Bosses

You team up with people to fight bosses. The health (maybe size too) of a boss is indirectly proportional to how many people are against it. It will be stronger against 2 than against 1, but less than twice as strong. Therefore it is advantageous to assemble teams to fight bosses. Money is rewarded for victory.

Items

Types of items available to be found, stolen, or purchased in the marketplace.

Buying Items

The marketplace will be a menu-operated auctioning system (like eBay) accessible from anywhere. The item is zapped to the highest bidder. Some essential items have fixed prices.

Finding Items

Items will pop up from time to time in the event of exploring secluded areas or defeating certain enemies, especially considering the absence of experience points.

Customizing Items

You can paint your cycle and your character. Also, the external shell of the motorcycle can be molded to your liking, however extra material will add extra weight if it is too heavy, or just chip off if it is too light.

The World

The world is to be as large as possible and contain a wide variety of areas to explore.

The terrain is optimized for vehicle use, smooth, but increasingly difficult as one progresses. The volcano sits in the middle of a generally circular map (and therefore a cylindrical atmosphere) and players will work their way around it as they visit each other area.

Each area is home to unique versions of most or all of the following:

Area Type Enemies Course Boss Dealerships Description
Fijon Island Crabs Scenic Route: Around the main island twice, tunnels cutting through palm trees, and down the main drag, through The Great Gift Shop. The Toll Booth Operator Pebble's Cyclota A beginner's paradise. Get a cheap bike, hone your driving skills, and get the hell out.
I-0 Freeway Commuters, Drone Cycles Rush Hour Weave: One end to the other. Be careful, as everyone slows down on the slight curves. Highway Patrol . A quick change of pace for our young riders, the 2-to-64-lane Freeway introduces such concepts as horrible accidents, gridlock, and engine overheating.
The Jaggy Rainforest Jungle Robotic Monkeys Shaky Camera Blitz: This way! No, that! Get lost in the indistinguishable dark jungle terrain as the shadows chase you. The Flytrap Riverside Cyclota More secluded, with many animals to tangle with. The jungle cats prowl after you, and the robotic monkeys laugh monotonously, swinging from branches and leaking battery acid. And if those weren't enough, there are 3 to 8ft versions of all your favorite insects.
Koi Pond Ocean, with Coral Reef Huge Koi
Sandland Desert
Ozona Glass Towers in the Clouds
Train City City Gangs, Pickpockets, Trains Motaciclizzmo
Canyon Motociclismo de Pepe
Mt. Santo Fuego Volcano Pterodactyls Looping, winding track within volcano. Lava King Brimstone's Cyclota Located at the center, a sprawling volcano with sometimes strange-colored lava and abrupt earthquakes. Beware the rich soil, as it does not take kindly to trespassers.