[My Dream Game] Concepts/Ideas for my Dream RPG!

After checking some of the amazing entries to @enjar's #archdruidcontest, and since I'm not too late yet. I finally got to write about my dream game!

As a gamer, you often dream what the perfect game would be. You think of all the fun adventures to be had within that realm. All the tales you will be telling for years after playing it. Everything that you consider makes it perfect for you and what you enjoy in a game.

-- Enjar

Well, if you ask me what my dream game is, I can't choose... I have too many ideas, none of them is complete and I don't know which one I like the most.

But I know one thing for sure... I'll put my priories like this:

Characters -> World -> Story -> Gameplay -> Grahpic -> Extra

Genre: Turn-based RPG. (Those are getting rare these days!)
Semi-Open World, Adventure Story, Fantasy

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So, my dream game idea would be more vague than most other participates of the contest, because for both characters and story I want to be surprised. My dream game should be something more than I could ever imagine! But I have an idea for the world and the gameplay and which part should be linear or open in the story.

I also want to mention that most of the things I'd mention in this post are ideas I thought of making as games, but I gave up (or procrastinated as I always do) when I learned the harsh reality of game developing. I might still make those games in the future so I won't talk about them.

Some of the ideas are taken from those imaginary games,
but I won't use ideas from a specific one I have "sketches" for.

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World Setting

My dream game's world would be a fantasy world with magic & swords. Maybe there would be some modern technology but it would be either limited, impractical compared to magic or used only by a country or two. The inspiration of this world would most likely be Final Fantasy VI's Steam Punk, or less technological than FFVII's Cyber Punk.

Seriously, when they'll remake this awesome game?! (FFVI)

The difference is: Everyone is aware that their world works like RPG game!!
So my dream game would have elements lik the world of Disgaea

Unlike Disgaea however, they don't know they are in the game and don't break the fourth wall. These concepts are integrated in their world, it may be hard too imagine if you haven't study advanced physics but it's just another layer of dimension.

At least they are aware of their Status Screen!

It's just that they know about EXP, HP, Levels and many of concepts we know as RPG players. It's like being in an MMO where every player thinks that's their real world instead of a game. They knew were born there and learned these concepts just like we humans have studied physics over the ages. The closest I know is the anime DanMachi or Aincard Arc of SAO if you strip the VRMMO parts.

Their world is simpler than our real world in a way, but more complex because characters themselves are aware of how limited their options in life is. Aware of their constant fear of monsters. Aware that if your HP reaches zero you'll re-spawn but if you died in some other ways, you're lost forever.

When monster is defeated they turn into magical items, these items became like a currency in the world. This way makes "heroes" an essential type of jobs people have keeping the world safe.

It's funny to think which type of people,
a world like that can give birth to.

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Characters

I'll put characters as the most important thing to focus on!
Some games are popular only because of their characters. I play Disgaea for characters interaction just because they fit the world/story/each other in a funny/amazing way!

While I have ideas for Stories & Characters I want to make, if I'd make that dream game, I want to be surprised if I'm going to play the game as a player rather than a developer. But one thing I really want in my dream game is that all characters have multi-layered personality!!

I want every protagonist, antagonist, NPC & even that unrelated old woman that lives in the third town. To be described as a three-dimensional character. In a world built like RPG, these types of characters.

Every character main must be completely tied to the story, in a way that the game falls apart if you remove one of them, from both gameplay and story perspective. Many games already have that but I believe Chrono Trigger did it the best.

All characters (except maybe the silent hero) are at the center of story
My dream game will give him more effective role !

Also hey should have strong and weak personality points that have some impact on the gameplay, I loved how Final Fantasy IV forces the player to adopt their paying style to whoever in their party. That's something lost in many traditional RPGs even most of the games in the same series.

Maybe their will be some scientist who is still studying
how the rules of their world works... maybe.

For more specific dream, is to have the game about two parties that don't interact with each other for most of the game. AND they unknowingly work against each other, for one party to succeed the other have to fail.

Another idea I liked from Devil Survivor is that your player characters might turn into enemies depending to your choices. When every character is fleshed out that can easily happen... The power of friendship is great and all but it feels over-saturated in the RPG world.

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Story

The story shouldn't be too long for a single playthrough, maybe less than 20 hours long or less than 6 hours while speedrunning! But that's only for one run of the game.

My dream game will have massive branching story, with each action/choose and the timing you make them changes the course of its story. Doing a quest meaning giving up on another, helping a woman meaning not knowing about the other one that needed help at the same time. Listening to one side of a conflict can result on you making the wrong decision.

Fallout New Vegas, does the faction part really well.

Every character/faction remember what you do if someone from that faction knew what did you do, that difference from many wRPGs like Fallout/Skyrim in that you can be a friend and backstab all of them if you played your strategy right, and no one knew of your evil scheme.

The story would also have a sense of urgency but allows for characters to focus into the side content without the loss of immersion. That can be achieved on two ways.

• Every side content relevant to the main quest in some way, like having that innocent old man fetch quest help the evil organisation in some way. I believe many games including Witcher 3 did that.

• The story would have a distant goal so player characters could have time for side-tracking. "The journey is more important than the destination." I don't know how many games have pulled that off, But Digimon World 1 comes to mind.

While I don't have concrete story for my dream game, the direction I want to have is one that takes advantage from the 'world rules' of RPG mechanics. A story that deconstructs these breaks from reality that we as players came to expect. Like what CHRONO TRIGGER (<- aff. link) did when used your early game mischief against you in court.

So my story will be closer to a very traditional RPG plot, with the world being in danger and such. But focusing on characters & plot points that aren't related to the danger of the world, character that aren't fit to be heroes (if a hero party was in play too as foil it'll be awesome.) But maybe they'll take part in the world saving somehow late in game. Though I'm sure many players have tired of seeing this twist.

Gameplay

The battle system should be pure turn based RPG
in style of FFVI, Chrono Trigger and Persona series.

Nothing is more stylish than Persona!!

Maybe with some additions, and innovations. A Class/Job system or somethings player can equip to change their style, but not too strong to make player characters lose their personality. With the game challenges every character should be "the most useful one" for some of them making choosing the party taking more time and thinking than using the best equipment.

The game's world navigation could either have an Overworld (most PS1/SNES RPGs) or massive areas connected to each other (PS2 era games.) What it shouldn't be is a complete seamless open world. The cities and towns should have a good number of NPCs each with their won back stories, I really REALLY loved interacting with town NPC in Final Fantasy XII and wished older games in the series had that level of detail to their side characters, because that FFXII was the least Final Fantasy world I was interested in.

Leveling system would be closer to Chrono Cross, you don't gain levels unless by beating bosses, maybe the system could be better if normal enemies give a little exp which discourages grinding but makes it worthwhile if you're doing it for other reasons than getting more powerful.

There won't be random encounters, but enemies on field can appear in a non avoidable way. The run chance from enemies is greater than other RPGs but isn't always guaranteed like with CHRONO CROSS.

My dream game must have a New Game+
Because of its short main game, a New Game+ and multiple endings
Can make the player like to (re)play it time and time again!

The options of the game should be various but never overwhelming, the main plot shouldn't focus on a huge number of characters. It's almost impossible to write a good story with more than 20 main character. But if possible, guest characters companions the player for a quest/mission are great additions, more if playable and can be leveled.

The graphic won't matter to me as much, but I rather it be stylized than realistic. Final Fantasy X or Kingdom Hearts HD Remix level of graphic are totally okay for me, as long as character designs are all unique. Actually the simpler the better because it will give developers more resources on making the story/world feel amazing & your choices matter.

Final Fantasy X Battle System - Graphic

I have more to say, but I think I already took too long.

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So, what do you think?

This was vaguely my dream game, it's not something big and most of these things have been made already. I want a new twist, but if I thought of that twist it won't be new anymore!!f Still, if I become good enough game developer I'd like to make a game using these ideas in this post.

My dream game should be a mixture of Nostaliga & Modern ideas!
Something I'll be happy to make it turn reality!