I feel a little odd about just posting the entire document here, but I’ll give you a sample. If you want the whole thing, contact me via MSN or something.
anyway, here’s the current list of playable races in the game:
Playable Races - Not in any way finalized -
NOTE: enami’s “Kappa” image is being used without his permission, simply because I have not been able to contact him yet. It’s just to give you an idea, anyway.
HUMAN: They are one of the more well-rounded species, with decent mobility and some degree of resiliance in combat. They are particularly fond of and well-suited to the use of many different technologies, to augment their above-average intelligence and high level of tactical cunning.
TROYA: The short-statured people of Troi tend to be reminiscent of Earth’s amphibians, but with some obviously contradictory features such as antennae and a bipedal structure. They are exceptionally nimble and fast, as well as presenting small targets, making them ideal scouts. They can maneuver even more quickly by curling up into a ball, enabling them to tumble, roll and bounce across terrain and through small spaces.
Concept Image: http://www.subshape.com/dw2/leon08.jpg
This is pretty close to what we want for this character, but it needs revision ( this image is not my property but is being used with permission as a concept piece)
GRUBBS: Standing slightly shorter than a human, but with a much wider and more solid build, the Grubbs also possess a tough exoskeleton that offers much protection from many attacks. While relatively slow normally, Grubbs can curl up and fold their shell around them, enabling them to roll around like a ball. Gaining enough speed in this form can cause a decent amount of damage, killing minor enemies and providing a good opening attack against stronger enemies and rival tribes. The Grubb’s most noteworthy ability, however, is to give birth to its ravenous offspring on the battlefield.
Concept Image: http://stengner.deviantart.com/art/GRUBB-80888425
KAPPA: These are the heaviest and strongest of the Federation races, many times the mass of a human. They have a high damage threshold and have a shell on their back that is nearly indestructable. In addition they can simply retreat into their shell and have a good chance of surviving until reinforcements arrive.
Concept Images: end product should look like something in between this :
http://green-mamba.deviantart.com/art/Mons…-Kappa-34404606
and this: http://www.gameartisans.org/contests/event…nals_1_510.html
Specifically, I prefer the general shape and color of the first, while I prefer the head, hands and feet as well as the bulkier build of the second.
MANTA: The Manta are a species of light winged exoskeletal creatures. slightly shorter than a human but also wider, they can fly for limited periods of time and land on any surface, regardless of the direction of gravity, where they can rest until ready to fly again.
Concept Image: I still need to get one.
XHYD: The Xhyd’k were at war with the Manta, long ago before the Federation was formed. Their truce was one of the symbols of the Federation’s acheivements in creating a utopian society free of war. Walking on 8 legs, the Xhyd are excellent climbers, able to quickly scramble up any surface, even running along cielings. They are also significantly tougher than the manta, able to absorb more damage.
Concept Image http://sesakaheart.deviantart.com/art/The-…k-Race-62474998
(the description of the Xhyd given here has nothing to do with the version that will exist in the game)
DARKMAKERS: Their world was once known as a breeding ground for sociopathic space pirates, before they finally joined the ranks of the Federation near the end of its lifetime. They stand about the same height as a Kappa, but with less heavy armor to allow more freedom of movement, making them better in offensive positions.
Concept Image: http://sesakaheart.deviantart.com/art/The-…-Maker-69494036
(the description of the DarkMaker given here has nothing to do with the version that will exist in the game)
ACIDITES: The Acidites are a race of symbiotes, consisting of two seperate species existing codependantly. This relationship has existed for at least as long as their history records, and was presumably vital to their survival in the harsh climate on their homeworld of Sulfuria. An acidite simply treats this relationship as being two halves of its whole “self”; The one carrying the other is simply called the “body” in their language, while the organism riding on it’s back is the “eyes”. The original basis for this relationship was presumably poor senses of the former, and the relatively weak physical characteristics of the latter. These attributes have become even more stongly defined over time, as the “eyes”’ limbs have completely atrophied and now lie hidden under its flabby body, and the “body” is nearly blind. Some beleive they communicate through telepathy, while others suggest it is simply a strong and deeply-rooted empathy.
The “eyes” of an Acidite innately give it all the abilities of both “sensor” items available to the other classes. Acidites are also resistant to corrosive substances. Their weaknesses are a vulnerability to kinetic attacks and a generally poor armor rating.
Concept Image and original idea by Oleg “Legich” Shubin
http://www.gameartisans.org/contests/event…als_1_3707.html
A Big Thanks to Legich, enami, Stengner, Green Mamba and Sesaka for their contributions to our concept art collection.
As I said, Super Metriod is the chief inspiration here. I played Metroid back in the day, and it was good and all, but Metroid 3 was the one that really made a lasting impression on me, and to this day is one of my all time favorite games. Huns of the Hunted will retain that appeal by paying homage to SMetroids’s emphasis on rich, colorful visuals and atmosphere. As described in my original post, the game is designed to force exploration and mission based gameplay- if someone wants to kill you, it will require significant effort for them to track & chase you down, assuming you are avoiding a fight. Fighting will mostly occur over the objectives. So in other words, we are also retaining the emphasis on exploration, with your mission being the motivation for all this running around. Needless to say, the level design will retain a very “metroid” feel as well, with many paths to your (potentially multiple) goals and with some pathways only accessible or even visible without the aid of special items or weapons.
Ah yes, the equipment… It will be very similar to the kinds of devices we saw in Metroid, but the way it is obtained will be different. Players get a certain number of points to spend at the beginning of each spawn, and every weapon, armor, tool, etc has a point value, based on how powerful it is. Players will need to make a choice between say, loading up with lots of weapons, or using items that give them lots of mobility, or combinations of that and more. Every player’s primary weapon will be a beam weapon that comes in several flavors, with these “modules” able to be combined dynamically, much like games such as Gunstar Heroes and…I’m sure there have been others but I forget. Unlike GH, however, these modules will combine dynamically, meaning we should not have to animate each combination manually, but rather come up with a system that can combine the various pyrotechnic effects on the fly.
I am working on getting a web page up - It’s not my specialty, personally. I have a friend here in Chicago who makes them for a living, and he may be willing to make up a little one for us.
This project is still in its infancy - we will not have started in earnest until we have found the right guy to be our lead programmer.
oh well, but i believe my point still stands