Game Design: Tree

Set myself a challenge while daydreaming; design a game real quick, basic concept.

Thought of Gormenghast, thought of Divine Divinity, the book and game respectively that I've been dipping into for the last few days - thought of their environments, envisioned their trees.

Tree.

Game set entirely in tree.

Race of small creatures set up bases, ideally 2-3+ in various areas of the 3d, randomly generated and rather fractal environment of an isolated tree's canopy.

Round 1 and 2 alternate; round 1 is summer, the tree is rich in fruit, with great animals, hungry birds and insidious insects everywhere - harvest the fruit, defend the nest, build the stocks, upgrade the defenses. Expand your village in the trees, barricading branches and creating nest-like firing positions made of twigs. The environment is rich with resources, thick with concealment and camouflage in the form of leaves and creepers, and populated with dangerous AI creatures.

Round 2; Winter. Survive on the stocks as long as you can, raid opposing villages to increase your stocks while decreasing their chances of survival. Few creatures, no leaf-cover, a stark, slippery, frozen deadland of an arena, in inclement weather such as snow, rain and fog.

Food counts down steadily, faster in winter, respawns increase consumption rate.

Last surviving team is the winner, after however many years.

Precise design of creatures not explored yet - waste of time for the moment, unless others show interest in fleshing it out with me for the fun of it. I think of them as hive-like, serving a central queen entity or energy source.

Spring and Autumn rounds optional. Spring would bring the rain and an influx of birds returning from migration - Autumn would bring the insects and the spiders. Oh god, not the spiders.

Share your thoughts if you've got them.

- Jack

Meandering nostalgia for the past, and hopes for the future...

Gaming related blather. Unread, unedited nonsense spewed straight into Notepad then copypasted here.

"A EuroGamer article on SOE's upcoming 'The Agency' sparks intense feelings, nostalgic urges, and deep thought on the subject of environmental familiarity in a persistent world.

An area you've come to know and love socially becomes a thrilling location to engage in combat. Witnessing it with new eyes, combat eyes, the emotional impact is significant, the contrast with the emotions you usually feel here.. Intense.

Tactically, you have the home field advantage against any player from another place, who lacks familiarity with the terrain.

In capturing the location, he would find himself at the mercy of guerilla resistance with an intimate knowledge of all the location's secrets - or might hire a local without principles to show them all of those secrets. Who may in turn simply lead the occupying forces into a pre-planned ambush.

The imagination boggles. Wiggles. Sings.

We need more open, free combat, socially rich MMORPGs."

- Jack

P.S. I miss Neocron.