I began my first attempt at game design over 4 months ago. Since then according to Steam,I've logged over 1600 hours in Construct 2. At first, I needed to teach myself to use the tools in front of me to produce what I could picture in my head. That effort led me in creating a side-scrolling platformer engine that ended up being better than I expected. I could probably build a full game off of it just by creating content, building levels and adding traps and enemies. But I strive to do something different. I want to create something elaborate and engaging. I want to tell a story and keep people playing it right up to the conclusion.
The current engine is inflexible. The events haven't been set up to be easily replaced or replicated so I'm in the middle of a redesign.
I'm creating a space epic adventure rpg. I want to take elements from some of my favorite games and combine them in new and interesting ways. It's like Zelda 3 in space, with some Blaster Master, Metroid, Paper Mario, and Smash Brothers thrown in. All wrapped in my own original story with its own feel. From a developer standpoint it sounds like a bad idea to mix too many genres together. First, you have to work in 1000 different directions creating 1000 different features and getting them all to work together. This is where working by yourself is a real pain. I'd much rather have someone else designing the enemy AI while I put together a solid and adaptable engine. As it is, The enemies will have to be developed after I create the engine, putting completion MONTHS further down the road.
Regardless, I work towards progressing the state of the game engine every day. The new engine will allow me to seamlessly transition between a "walking map" which will be a non scale representation of our solar system, overhead levels, and side scrolling levels. I'll be able to implement single screen multiplayer, better lighting and a host of other features I want to include. Progress ticks forward at a steady pace.
The story overview: The year is 2149.
The setting: Earth's Solar System.
The Terran System is memorializing the 100 year anniversary of the the first launch of the Enhanced Nuclear Pulse Drive(ENP). It's development by the Pard Corporation was a revolution in space travel. After several years of refinements, it was commercialized. The drive allowed humans to travel 5% of the Speed of Light. In real terms, that is VERY VERY VERY fast. Intra-stellar trips that would take months or years could be made in hours. When Mars is close to Earth, the trip there and back could be made in a day. The technology created a space travel era greatly eclipsing the rocket age and making burnt fuel propulsion completely obsolete. It also led to human exploration and colonization of objects in our solar system. Some colonies found existence to be extremely difficult. Others found limitless resources and grew and flourished under the population influx of the 22nd century "gold rush." New life was discovered. Inter-stellar contact and trade was made with alien races. The nature of human existence changed very quickly. Over the decades, the most successful colonies weened from their dependence on Earth for their existence. Their cultures and economies developed independently of the home planet. They wanted self rule and determination. They organized and collectively declared their independence from the rule of the distant government of Earth. Earth refused to acknowledge their independence and war began. The war has been dragging on for a decade. You are a Marine commissioned under the Earth Alliance. You've been stationed on Mars performing routine duties, training, awaiting deployment orders. A diplomat from Earth was traveling to Titan station to participate in peace negotiations with the colonies. His mission was to negotiate a city state relationship with the Earth Alliance. The colonies were to be given broad autonomy, but not complete independence from Earth. Somebody did not want that to happen. His ship disappeared, and he never completed his mission. Nobody knows where he is now. You must find him and if he is alive, help him complete his mission. Those are your orders.