General design whitepaper: unnamed car game

Last edit: 6/23/02

Basis

Car-based first-person driving game in the post-apocalyptic present/near-future. Center game environment on small city-state unit(s). Every city-state will have one official race track and demolition derby “dueltrack”. Driving leagues will serve as “guilds”. League play may be restricted to racing, or be fully integrated in the MMORPG environment as desired. GURPS Autoduel ought to be a major resource for inspiration, if not licensing. Other resources: The Road Warrior, Mad Max (movies).

Target Market

Driving enthusiasts, particularly the online racing market. Potentially charge different usage fees for racing-competition (racing track access), demolition-competition (full track access), and full MMORPG (game and full track access).

Business notes

Consider partnering with driving-controller manufacturers Advertising from NASCAR/IMSA other stock racing organizations for sponsorship. Obtain automobile manufacturer permissions for non-infringing representation of trademarks. Consider possibility of in-game product placement advertising (e.g. billboards) and commensurate benefits.

Background

Keep it simplistic: nuclear war and/or large-scale societal collapse. Small incremental technological advances. Realistic weapons, institutions, and technology. Significant resources are food and fuel, raw materials and manufacturing centers. Note: Where is the fuel coming from? Corporate states a possibility. Martial law may exist with heavy armament in the hands of police/civic authority. Corporations that control resources will be large players in sociopolitical realm, as will various non-player and player-created guilds.

What if there are actual brushfire wars still going on in parts of the countryside? The city defenses might keep the enclaves safer. What if the wars involved Ogre Cybertanks? Might help pull the SJ license in.

Concept of Downtown Militarized Zones: non-policed hazard areas within city limits. These areas would be more challenging for newbies than veterans, yet much safer than open countryside with its lack of nearby refuges. DMZ areas in a city fulfill the need for graduated threat levels in a game.

Character

Minimize avatar profile. Players customize vehicles. No in-game “character avatar” besides car currently being driven. Minimize any skills to be used by the player in-game: emphasize driving simulation. Optimize game control set for driving enthusiasts with driving-specific game controllers. Realistic vehicle options and equipment (obtain level-of-detail guidance from automotive engineers and gearheads). Use system of licensure and permits for multidirectional enhancement of play options. AVOID LEVEL SYSTEM ENTIRELY.

Gameplay Start-Up

Equipment is RENTED to new MMORPG players – not given out or directly sold. New player receives standard street driving license (racing license?). New player goal should be to buy self out of indenture. This should NOT be a requirement for continuing gameplay – some players may remain in indenture indefinitely (racing-only players defined as “in indenture” by MMORPG side of game?). Consider: What organization would be responsible for outfitting new players? What is the role of a new player in society and economy? How does outfitting a new MMORPG player differ from outfitting a new racing-only player? Racing-only players start in “bush league” races. Wagers on races or sponsorship comes from corporate entities or wealthy MMORPG players. Winnings allow for equipping a better car for racing or demolition players. Consider: What is the effect of repeated losses that include vehicle damage for a non-MMORPG player?

Gameplay extension

Player options and capabilities should progress through system of licenses and privileges. Prestige and task resolution for a particular non-player sociopolitical entity could result in licensure for other activities. Licensure might be traded as a commodity. Guilds could obtain franchise to issue licensure for a small capability.

Several major organizations and racing leagues should exist Player–formed leagues/teams (“guilds”) should be a major feature

Open-track events should be available (scheduled times when the city track(s) are open for anyone to practice on without invitation or permit). Would there be open-track demolition/autoduel periods? Racing tracks: practice would be like open time trials Dueling tracks: practice would be like open free-for-alls

Team driving features? (“I got shotgun”)

Character Death Handling

Do not use player death as a game mechanism – the player-object is an indestructible “cockpit module” in the vehicle (reality-violation). If a car is destroyed, the player is penalized by (a) having to purchase and outfit a new vehicle and (b) the time it takes to be retrieved back to a civilized area. Return time will be short in the urban play area, longer in the hinterlands. A minimal kit will always be made available by the character’s sponsoring organization. Player waiting for pick-up should be able to link electronically to businesses and perform “online transactions” – goods for refit can be waiting when he arrives.

In-game Services

Mechanics, auto-body, tires, chatrooms, legal enforcement, infrastructure repair (buildings), infrastructure repair (roads), on-track gambling (virtual currency only), freight transport, security, armaments and ordnance, vehicle painting and detailing, track racing authority, automotive shows.

Services provided by players

Freight transport, security. Potentially: infrastructure repair, mechanical

How can the mechanical-minded, gearhead player “work in the shop”?

• building equipment from other equipment or raw materials? (artisan tree – skills?)
• Using tools or other equipment with skill to modify existing equipment (puzzle or minigame, not just a skill roll by computer – requires uniqueness) Modification of standard equipment requires a progression of diminishing returns in a value-based economy. Modification should add value to equipment.

Game Economy

Require a value-based economy. Use a market model, storing bid and ask prices on all commodities. Need to differentiate wholesale and retail prices.
What actions can players take to earn money? Create player-driven task system, use NPC-driven tasks to supplement, not as main gameplay. Restrict and limit resource access. Do not use a free-transport economy. All market transactions are order based. Freight-transport will be task-based. Mimic Earth & Beyond’s dense task system for all transport order activity.

Most businesses should be drive-in or drive-through, for simplicity of dealing with the gameplay environment. Examples: Autobody / paint / window glass Chassis repair / replacement Tires Armament and armoring

Different businesses should be sanctioned (or not) by various organizations. Obtaining sanction would be very lucrative for a player-owned business. How would player-run businesses be established?
Business Licenses must be obtained from Civic authority. Licenses business would pay routine taxes (automatic).

Salvage should be a very significant part of the economy. Truck chassis could be equipped with cargo space (open or enclosed) and some sort of gatherer-arm widget. At the scene of any vehicle destruction, remnants would be left as an object with value proportional to the value and structure of the destroyed vehicle. Salvage cargo would then be sold to scrap dealers who would own refurbishing or recycling equipment of some sort, to make raw materials to be sold to parts manufacturers.

Functional Details

Player accounts are registered with a “license number” for in-game ID functions. Perhaps each city-state is a licensing authority – choosing origin city is part of player setup.

Infrastructure: one city, one server? Plus a server to handle “countryside”? Require thorough provisions for social interaction.

Free camera feature – up to ¼ mile radius of a stopped car. But what justification?