The first module will serve as demo of both art and engine so we want a physically small (relatively speaking) map where we can demonstrate typical environments that we want to have in-game. To that end we need to define a finite set of game features and art and story assets to construct.

The following items are presented as a proposal. Insert additions, comments and corrections as needed. This is a living document which belongs to the team.

It is important when looking at this that you don't go "wow, it would be cool if we did x-y-z" at this stage in the game we're looking at roughly 1000 man-hours for every single element added. Just try to work on expanding content within the framework provided, correcting errors, or expressing what you think is NEEDED in the first module.

It is also important that this is the Planning Stage. Work things out on paper, discuss ideas openly, experiment and explore possible solutions, be prepared to try things more than once if you think it can be improved. There are three guiding principles: Quality above all, exploration/learning, and have fun. If you're not enjoying your tasks you will not do good work, find someone who can help.

Logistics

Found Legal Entity for umbrella organization Universal Solvent Games Lab
Establish development license(s)
Establish a name for the Engine/Tools
Establish a server

Proposed map/environment features:

Interior: dome and underground
Suggested: small mining outpost
Exterior surface: Mimas
Rocky, cratered landscape, possibly with derelict spacecraft. Terrain + some genmeshes. Easily done. Perhaps land in a big crater, you can't get out of the crater. Would give us natural terrain boundaries.
Open space
Small, player operated spacecraft for movement between mining area and mining outpost / bar

Proposed engine features:

Narrative system: KOTOR style quest dialog (black bars at the top and bottom, options at the bottom). Camera switching to focus on the current speaker. Facial expressions on the speaker to reflect what they're saying. Body animation too if possible - might be too ambitious. All narrative voiced. On beginning a new narrative, display the name in the middle of the screen and fade out (with a cool sound too). (xordan: disagree on the black bar i always hate them useless and annoying. for the camera switching it's there but needs some fix up on the math behind it to avoid the camera going in weird positions. voicing needs npc we don't want to make talk anymore or some safe to stay remember: it's not possible to re-voice all each year)

Proposed game features:

  • PvP combat system (Mike: I would propose a separate arena of some sort.)
  • Skills system (Mike: We should keep this simple as far as what can be trained initially.)
  • Training system (Mike: Definitely required).
  • Construction system (crafting).
  • Character customization on character creation?
  • Faction system?
  • Narrative system (quests).

Proposed story assets:

Quests (Stories?): (Goal should be ~20-30 Quests)

  • How to build a raygun
  • How to fix a ship
  • Sending an S.O.S.
  • Who keeps stealing my parts?
  • Ground Control to Major Tom
  • The Snarky Computer (Under construction, Katu)
  • Where clockworks go to die
  • Techno-Canibal
  • To kill a space Zombie
  • For Victoria (for the Czar, etc one loyalty quest for empire or nation of origin)
  • Is it alive?
  • Digging ores in the Aether
  • Low gravitation games (football, soccer, hurling, etc. )

Scenarios

  • Ship Destroyed > Escape Pod > Landing Site > build or repair ship
  • Ship Destroyed > Escape Pod > Mining Outpost
  • Creating a fuse to bring energy to a two way Aether-radio
  • Mining Outpost in Trouble > Repair communications or fix life support or [insert other skill specific task]
  • Enter PVP zones
  • Enter RP-Space Canteena scene

NPCs

  • Merchant/Trader
  • Mechanic/Tink
  • Pub guest/Drunken miner on a break
  • Janitor

Mobs/Combative NPCs

  • Space zombie
  • Pirate
  • Droids

See also

  • Story for the First Module
  • Tempest in the Aether Story: The Snark virus

Proposed art assets:

  • Robot model
  • Human Male model
  • Human Female model
  • Space suit model.
  • Martian Male model
  • Martian Female model
  • Venusian Male model
  • Venusian Female model
  • Ship (small) exterior (parts and assembled)
  • Ship (small) interior (parts and assembled)
  • Personal Vehicle (Xoel: got one on the way :D)
  • Escape pod
  • Raygun (parts and assembled)
  • Set dressing (various as needed: chairs, tables, books, bottles, cans, crates, etc)
  • Computer (or is this just set dressing for now?)
  • Maps
  • Mining outpost (includes bar)
  • Rocky body (exterior of mining outpost?)
  • Empty space?
  • PvP arena(s) (up to 3)
  • Animations for humaniods
    • Run
    • Walk
    • Sit (in chair)
    • Sit on ground
    • Greet
    • Point f-b-u-d-l-r
    • Attack(s) Melee
    • Attack Raygun
    • Mount
    • Throw
    • Sleep
    • Die
    • Float?
    • Lie prone
    • Digging
    • Melting
    • Casting
    • Visual Effects
    • Ray gun burst on object
    • Sparkling, burning, glowing metal

Proposed UI & GUI:

  • Character control
  • Preference config
  • Chat control
  • Trading control
  • Training control
  • Crafting (Construction) control
  • Computer interface?
  • Book interface?
  • Character Creation (CC)
  • Loading/Exiting
  • Combat control (e.g. pointing of ray gun / selecting target area for any weapon [including fist] )

Proposed Music and Sound assets:

Music Themes

  • Mining outpost themes
  • Interior Theme
  • Exterior Theme
  • Open Space Theme
  • Mood themes
    • Friendly
    • Calm/Normal/Neutral
    • Agressive/Combat
    • Pub/Happy

Sound effects

  • Spaceship sounds
    • Take off
    • Flying
    • Landing
    • Engine fail
    • Explode/Death
  • Combat
    • Raygun Shooting
    • Raygun recharge
    • Melee, hand punch
    • Death?