I've been working on and off on this mod for several weeks now, and working with (GZ)Doom, there are several limitations in the game-engine that I have to take in consideration and / or work around so its nice to make a short list of what I would like to implement:
- A subtle storyline
I want to implement a subtle storyline, without shoving it into the player's face. The story has to be subtle, and told in a way that feels organic and leaves alot to the player's imagination (show, don't tell). The reason I want this is because I find that the greatest horror story's are often the most simple in nature.
- Apperations (enemies)
I have the idea of the player facing monsters every now and then, but I think that it is best to stick to ghosts for now because they are easier to make (given the nature of the game engine), and if used well they can add tension as well as add to the atmosphere of the level they are in. I'm still learning DECORATE (Doom's script format for making objects and monsters), and the design that I have in mind is something simular to the ghosts in FEAR 2. If you're not familiar with the ghosts in FEAR 2, you should look up some gameplay footage by searching for "FEAR 2 Elementary School" on YouTube. :)
- A convincing 3D envirement
This is a tricky one, since the GZDoom engine isn't exactly the most advanced engine out there. Heck, I was even considering switching to EDuke3D at some point. But nevertheless, GZDoom does provide some unique openGL features that can make the world more 3D and dare I say, 'realistic'. I'm going to focus alot on making sure that the maps have a nice '3D' atmosphere to them, and not that typical 'boxed' atmosphere that you get from a typical Doom level. I expect to use 3D floors and slopes to good effect in that regard.
- Interactive light system (optional)
For the full game that we're going to base on this, we want a light system where you can pick up torches from the wall and carry them around untill they're burned out. I know that this system sounds very complex and implausible for a 2.5 engine, but I've seen alot of people make good use of DECORATE and ACS scripts to make advanced features, so who knows. Regardless, I'm still a newb when it comes to ACS (the level based script editor, simular to C) so this is all stuff for when I'm a more experienced scripter, or when I find somebody who can make them for me, and I reckon that both options are not likely to happen very soon.
This is all the global information I can gather from the top of my head. This should give people a bit of 'guideline' as to how this mod is going to work and what I have planned for it. Ofcourse, since I'm also brainstorming pretty much all the time, I could always come back and change or add things, which is the beauty of being your own boss with these kinds of projects I suppose. :)
Alright, feel free to let me know what you think!
Toodles!
