JAM DEETS

CONCEPT

aight, so I made this design document to explain a game idea that I came up with. It's basically a plan for treating skill trees as culture-based rather than weapon-based. There are also some souls-like elements tacked on. The full idea is quite expansive, and probably beyond the scope of solo indie devs. You are encouraged to make a janky rendition of the concept, to only make part of the concept, and/or to develop the most bare-bones implementation imaginable. Yes, I am basically just trying to get someone to make my idea become a thing, but I am also looking for people to collaborate with in the future.

RULES 

You are not required to make a finished or playable game. You could make tables of item descriptions, skills, culture trees, or cultural descriptions. The idea is to play around with the concept of integrating cultural complexity into game systems. TTRPG systems are also permissible.  Participating devs retain all rights to their work, obviously. I retain the rights to my ideas, but grant you the right to use those ideas and profit from them. Paid games are allowed, but a free version must be available.

RESTRICTIONS 

No racism, queerphobia, hate speech, discrimination, etc. No nazi shit. No GenAI. Be chill.

PRIZE 

There is no prize, but participating devs may hopefully end up collaborating in the future.

OKAY HERE ARE MY IDEAS

GAME LOOP / STRUCTURE / ADVENTURE / DEATH

- The basic loop is just camp-rest-explore-camp.

- While camping, you can talk with NPCs and ask them to perform various projects like gathering resources, mining, crafting, or construction. They can fortify the camp against attack, or unlock new exploration routes by repairing damaged paths, building bridges, digging tunnels, etc. They can also provide a reliable source of consumable items. For example, if the player's healing flask has 3 charges, an NPC apothecary could provide +2 charges and +20% healing per charge on the next run, at the cost of 10 Healing Herbs and 2 Alchemical Catalyst.

- Each NPC has multiple skills, so players must choose how to allocate their time. For example, the apothecary is also a cook who can provide temporary stat buffs by consuming food items.

- In Training, players prepare their build for the next run. They also incrementally gain Skill XP in the meters of their choosing.

- The overall goal of adventure is to reach new checkpoints. Let's be honest, soulsy bonfires. Not all checkpoints are camp sites. After camping, you can choose your embark point.

- When you Train, you can change your equipped Weapons, Items, Spells, and Major Stars. This is the only time you can change Armor, Spells, and Stars. This encourages players to focus on adventure while exploring. Inventory management is neither required nor allowed.

- Choosing where to camp is important, even though you can embark far from where you camped. NPCs can only perform tasks in the region near their camp site. This affects what resources they can gather, and what paths they can unlock.

- When camping, players fill out a schedule, allocating their own time, and the time of their NPCs.

- After finishing the schedule, players Rest to advance time.

- Sometimes, after resting, the camp will be attacked. Instead of embarking, you must defend your camp. Safer locations (especially regions with defeated bosses) are attacked less often. If the camp is destroyed, you will lose resources, fortifications, and NPC endurance. However, invading enemies usually drop good loot.

- Dropped items magically return to camp inventory. Nothing is permanently lost. Destroyed or broken items are repaired at camp for free. That means you can drop a broken item of high quality, replacing it with a scavenged item of poor quality. This encourages players to try new items, and gives long runs a sense of desperation.

- In Dire Mode, the world grows more challenging over time. Each time you rest, time advances. As time advances, some enemies aquire a Dire Aura, increasing their stats and adding new damage types. The larger the aura, the bigger the increase. New enemies also spawn.

- Wandering groups of enemies may hunt or ambush players.

- 4-player co-op.

- The world map is build around roads and wilderness. The farther you get from the road, the more dangerous areas become. Players can explore the map in any order.

- Average stat difference between a low-level character and a high level one is roughly 100-to-200. Even basic enemies can still pose a threat to high-level characters. Players can never become immune to any type of damage. All challenges must be beaten with skill and practice.

STATS

- The stats are vague concepts which encompass both the mind and body. For example: Force, Flexibility, Balance, Impulse, Gravity... Each stat plays a role in both attack and defense, and different kinds of magic.

- Stats are not finalized, I don't have a perfect idea. But the spread of stats should encompass the whole mind and the whole body.

- For example, Balance is used in Water magic. It affects the duration and cost-per-second of water spells, allowing the player to use Wave Ride longer. It improves the speed and accuracy of precision-based attacks like bows, knives, light swords, and spears. It gives resistance to stagger, stun, and mental attacks. It improves Max MP and MP Regen. But it's not the only stat that affects any of these things.

LEVELING

- When you level up, you can choose a stat to improve.

- Your performance is recorded, granting free bonuses to some stats. For example, an aggressive playstyle gives free points to Force and Impulse. That total number of bonus points per level is capped. Changing your playstyle will change the bonus point spread, but not increase the total number of bonus points.

ITEMS

- Each item has tags according to its type and culture.

- Items have a blueprint, material, and multiple customizations.

- For example: [Blueprint: Katana: 80 Edge / 20 Impact, 115 Durability, 10 Weight | Material: Steel: +5 Edge, +20 Durability | Customization: Blue Tassel: +1 Balance, adds Cliff Knight Culture Tag] This Blue Tassel Steel Katana has the Sword and Cliff Knight tags, so using it provides XP in both meters.

MAGIC

- Magic is associated with certain cultures. Each form of magic has unique mechanics. Each form of magic is practiced by different cultures, who use it in different ways, with different spells.

- Reason Magic: it's used through items like wands, staves, scrolls, tomes, etc.  Some items have limited charges, others consume the player's MP. Reason also uses many consumable items. Reason magic typically produces elemental effects like fire, lightning, magnetism, rock, water, wind, etc. It has good protection magic, but it cannot heal or transform living things.

- Most factions that use Reason Magic focus on certain elements. For example, Cliff Knights prefer Rock and Wind. Their spells are designed to synergize with heavy armor and melee weapons, so they like spells like Ride Stone, Giant Rock Sword, Flying Gust, and Stone Armor.

- Faith Magic: it doesn't require items, but can be boosted by holy symbols. Some Faith spells consume MP, but others have limited fee charges per rest. Faith magic can only attack with Fire, Lightning, and Psy, but it has many options for healing and protection.

- Faith spells are different according to the god worshipped. Players can worship multiple gods to gain more spells. The Cliff Knights use Faith for protection and healing alone, since they have Reason to attack with. The Golden Church uses Faith for attack and defense, so they have spells like Plasma Blade and Heretic's Pyre.

- Arcane Magic: It arises from a mysterious source, following myriad different rules. Animals and spirits normally use Arcane Magic. Some spells cost HP instead of MP, some can only be used in certain places, some require certain consumable items. Arcane Magic typically affects living things and natural elements. 

- Badlands Bandits use Arcane Fire and Healing. Their Arcane spells require no items, only MP, and can be cast with HP if the player doesn't have enough MP. They require a dance-like body motion, but this spellcasting motion can be combined with weapon attacks. This makes their magic style very safe and flexible.

SKILL / CULTURE XP

- Each weapon, armor, and consumable type has its own skill meter. Using that item fills the meter. When the meter is full, the player gains 1 Skill Point in that skill. XP gains diminish only very slowly. For example 1st Point = 100 XP, 2nd Point = 101 XP. This is because Paths consume many Skill Points.

- Cultures also have their own skill meters. Using items from a culture provides skill XP for that culture. For example, every attack with a Badlands Axe (or any weapon with the Badlands tag) provides 1 or more XP for Badlands Bandit culture.

- Cultural discoveries provide large amounts of skill XP. For example, discovering locations, meeting people, learning information, reading books, and completing quests can each provide up to 500 XP.

- Equippable Stars can provide XP bonuses. For example: [Minor Star: Outlander: +1 Badlands XP gained from using Badlands weapons in Desert or Rocky terrain.]

PATHS / NODES / STARS

- A Path is like a skill tree. Paths are composed of Nodes and Links. Mastering a Node unlocks the Nodes it Links to. Mastering a Node also gives the player a Star.

- Major Stars are powerful equipable abilities. Players have limited Major Star slots. Major Stars can be harder to unlock and equip, so you should choose ones that function with your build. They represent the depth of your character. Equipping different Major Stars during Training can change let you adapt your build to particular situations.

- Minor Stars are weak and situational abilities, but any number can be enabled at once. Minor Stars have no opportunity cost, so you can use them with any build. They represent the breadth of your character. Acquiring many Minor Stars can make your build more flexible in unexpected situations.

- Unlocking a Node normally requires certain types of Skill XP. For example, [[Path: Badlands Bandits | Node: Barbarian Axe Flurry | Requires: 1 Axe Skill Point, 1 Attack Skill Point, 1 Speed Skill Point, 1 Badlands Bandits Skill Point | Unlocks: Minor Star: Axe Flurry: +1 Attack Speed when wielding Badlands Axes ]]

- Paths are based on Cultures, not specific types of Weapons, Armor, or Magic. Exploring a Path means learning a particular Culture.

- Some Nodes in a Path are locked until the total Path level is high enough. For example, Tier 2 Nodes cannot be unlocked unless the player has 10 or more Skill Points in that Path.

- Some Nodes in a Path are locked until certain requirements are fulfilled. For example in the Cliff Knights Path, all nodes above Tier 5 are locked unless the player has been knighted by a Cliff Knights Order.

CULTURES

- Each culture has a Path, characters, items, sites, and quests.

- Each item and character has at least one Culture tag. For example, the Cliff Brand [Sword, Cliff Knights] and the Jagged Sword [Sword, Badlands Culture] have slightly different stats.

- Progressing a culture's XP meter will also provide a reputation bonus with NPCs from that culture.

- Player characters may choose a starting culture, which lets them start with some Path Nodes unlocked.

- Some Path nodes can only be unlocked if the player originates from that culture.

- NPCs are normally recruited through quests, but some will join if the player has enough reputation with their Culture.

- Cultures may have sub-factions. These factions might oppose each other at various points. Parts of the Culture Paths can be locked behind these sub-faction struggles. For example, choosing to support the Heretics of the Cliff Knights may unlock some Nodes, while permanently locking others.

PLOT

- I don't actually have any ideas for the plot, sorry.

- The cultures, stats, and magic types mentioned here are just examples. I know we can do better.