FPS + Emotion

ClubCLD should be heading out the door this weekend to all that subscribed for the first issue.  I'm thinking about starting a separate blog for it, but that also might kinda defeat the whole purpose of a mailed publication.  We'll see on that, it's on the backburner at the moment.  I do have stuff in mind for the next issue and it will be going out next month for sure, so be sure to register if you haven't already.

On the ride into work today I started brainstorming some ideas for a game.  One of the things that I think is missing from lots of first-person games is a sense of emotion; actually, my biggest beef with FPS is they're almost all just run and guns.  Sure, there might be a hint of a story or some complex gameplay to them, but for the most part they're shallow entertainment with little meant to cook your noodle.  The only exception to this I can really think of is the Half-Life series, and Valve is (naturally) taking so damn long to release another one it almost doesn't count.

Why aren't there any first-person games out there that have solid story and emotion?  That got me thinking bigger picture, and I started writing out a story in my head that could work as a first-person ADVENTURE; a game that would drop the inherent violence from the genre and instead focus on developing character.  Part of what I love about Half-Life is that though there is plenty of action, blood, and guts, it still has involving characters and story, and it makes you really feel immersed in this world.  It also doesn't spell everything out for the player either, forcing them to think about the events occurring and the story you find yourself wrapped up in.

Essentially what I want to do is create a sort of play/film in which the player is the protagonist, and you find things out for yourself and actually develop as a person.  I want to make a game where the player finishes the game and feels moved, changed; they can walk away having learned something.  And after it all it leaves them with things to think about, philosophical thoughts that apply to everyday life for everyone.  As opposed to just escaping the boundaries of reality, I want a game that actually applies to real life without actually being real.

I've got what I think is a really good start to a concept for this, and I'm going to start writing soon.  I might throw an excerpt or two in the next ClubCLD, but that all depends on how much I pump out and how I feel about it.