Apologies for this huge post. Just for fun I'm penning a game outline for a WWII Open-World video game. I think I have some really cool ideas. If you guys can think of any ideas you think would be awesome I'd love to hear! Never hurts trying to collaborate. I'm not a WWII expert by any means so it's helpful getting insight from more knowledgeable people. Some things I especially need help with are types of missions a small squad would go on, what cities/battles should I feature in the map and what do you think of what I have so far? Here's my full notes. It's long but I think it's a fun read if you enjoy video games... ------------------------------- Open War: The Western Front An open-world WWII game inspired by Band of Brothers (HBO), Far Cry 4 (Ubisoft) and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (Konami). Other inspirations include Grand Theft Auto and Inglorious Basterds. Prologue 1942 - You play as James Sharper, from (Enter Your State). You come from a powerful American family. Attending Harvard, you also play baseball. When Pearl Harbor drags the United States into World War II, you go against the wishes of your parents and enroll in West Point Military Academy. 1944 - The allies are six weeks into their Invasion of France. You enter your final week at West Point. Here you will undergo your final tests before graduating Officer’s School. This will serve as the game tutorial. You will be tested in a variety of fields (Marksmanship, Battle Tactics, Demolition, Close-Quarter-Combat ect..) You have many friends at The Academy, as well as some enemies. Many of these characters will make officer and you will encounter them on the front lines. You will also encounter some instructors. When you graduate you are ranked in your class. Chapter One: Total War Weeks later you board a plane in England and are dropped into Northern France with a few other personnel. It’s nearly morning and the city of Caen is lit up with explosions and anti-aircraft fire. Music intensifies as opening credits roll. When you land just outside of Caen, you approach a city still engulfed in battle. Soon the city is liberated. You meet up with other officers at HQ. You are put in charge of a small platoon of soldiers who have been fighting since Normandy. They recently lost their leader. At first the men hate you. Some know your family history, some just hate “Replacements.” You’ll have to gain their respect and learn how to best utilize them for special missions. Game Structure Liberated Cities serve as hubs. There you will find an HQ marked by a flagpole and other paraphernalia. Here you will find high-ranking officers mulling over tactics for capturing the next Objective City. An Objective City is the next city the allies plan on liberating. Story Missions or Main Missions will be available at HQ, handed down straight from the top brass. Most story missions will revolve around crippling German forces in Objective City. This could include assassinating SS Officers, sabotaging heavy weapons and vehicles, rescuing POW’s etc… After enough story missions are completed, the enemy will be weakened. An attempt to liberate the city will commence. These are large scale conflicts where you will be fighting with entire battalions to capture city. Civilians living in cities will rejoice if you prove victorious. Each city you attempt to liberate is a chapter in the game. Liberate 7 cities in your quest to topple the Third Reich. (Caen, Reims, Lille, Eindhoven, Arnhem, Bastogne, Berlin) The HQ also houses your weapon and item locker as well as your Mail Box. [SIZE=13.333333333333332px]Points of Interest in Liberated Cities include Headquarters which houses War Room and your Officers Quarters, Sick Bay, Detention Area which includes integration room, store, bar, shooting range etc…[/SIZE] When you go on story missions you generally bring a squad comprised of four soldiers from your company. Yourself and three others. Each soldier has different attributes. Some are medics, heavy-weapon, demolition, light-infantry, Radio Expert, Long Range Specialists, Scout Dogs ect… Bring soldiers that compliment each other. Also be aware of using soldiers too often or not enough. Some story missions are solo. The Colonel is the CO of your special missions. You were not close with your father but you look up to the Colonel. He always stresses how one soldier can turn the tide of the war. Immediately after a mission you will be shown in your officer’s quarters typing report. You can observe report which provides stats and info, as well as a Grade for performance. At HQ, many times you will stumble into officers arguing over tactics. You can voice your opinion if given permission. Depending on your answer, your advice may or may not be taken. This has ramifications for all officers involved. They may be demoted or promoted based on outcome of mission. Same goes for you so make the right call. In your Officer’s Quarter you can manage the roster of soldiers in your company. Setting roster and loading up for mission menu displayed by papers on your desk. In countryside, you can pull out your map and place markers on it. Normally after you return from a story mission and view report, a cutscene will play dealing with war updates or James’ personnel affairs. [SIZE=13.333333333333332px]Ally War Propaganda is put up in cities and regions captured. At first it’s German propaganda.[/SIZE] Mailbox at HQ will keep you abreast and what is happening in your hometown. You sister keeps you informed about your family as well as press related to you joining military. Characters you meet in each city will write you. Some with pictures of themselves (sweethearts). Your legend grows amongst the ranks. You are given a nickname that is celebrated by allies and feared by Germans. Your unit’s morale is important to keep track off. Failed missions and KIA’s will bring it down but successful missions, cigarettes and hunting for food ect... will increase it. Each city is in distinct region of Europe. You can leave a liberated city to explore the region and even cross into unclaimed regions, at your own risk.. Regions allow you to take on Side Objectives. These optional missions range from helping civilians, hunting for game, escorting supply vehicles, helping a war photographer, searching for edelveis plants, engaging with German soldiers ect... Outposts can be captured from German Soldiers, thus populating your map with valuable intel. The entire map is open but traveling to regions with no ally presence is suicide. German supply runs can be captured or destroyed. This weakens the fighting force of the Objective City in the region. Destroying anti-aircraft installations will allow you to radio in airstrikes given you have a Radio Expert on your squad. You never know what you will see out in the countryside. It’s possible to encounter German platoons, tank convoys, attack dogs, a lone German Soldier escorting a POW, a plane crash ect... You can comendeer jeeps, trucks, tanks, motorcycles or horses. Collect German Dog Tags from dead bodies. If you chose to help escort the War Photographer, he will mail you pictures he takes of you along your journey. He may also send you photos of outposts, boosting your intel. [SIZE=13.333333333333332px]When out in the countryside, you will come across ally soldiers on patrol by foot or vehicle. If your rank supersedes them you can order them to accompany you. If they are driving a vehicle you can hop in and point on map where you want to go. [/SIZE] [SIZE=13.333333333333332px]German’s you encounter in the field may surrender to you. You will have to chose whether to execute them or take them prisoner. Your choice will reflect how others see you. The Nickname you are given depends on how ruthless or merciful you are as a soldier. [/SIZE] [SIZE=13.333333333333332px]If a German(s) surrenders to you, it is your job to escort them back to the detention center in the nearest Liberated City. There are many benefits to bringing back POW’s. [/SIZE] [SIZE=13.333333333333332px]German’s are experts at infiltrating ally companies. Their English is impeccable. It is possible that one of your fellow soldiers is a spy. Did it seem odd when a certain soldier traded you a Ted Williams card for a Wally Pip? Or when he referred to the Chicago Cardinals? Or when he admitted to not seeing Casablanca? If you suspect a soldier is a spy, you can send them to be interrogated from your Officer’s Quarters. [/SIZE] [SIZE=13.333333333333332px]At a certain point in the game you will inevitably fail missions because of apparent bad intel. Perhaps there is a soldier on your unit who is leaking info to the Germans? If you notice a certain soldier is always on missions that fail, pay attention to them. [/SIZE] You meet many interesting characters such as civilians in France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, captured Nazi Soldiers, Jewish Prisoners, Legendary Soldiers, War Historians and anybody affected by the war. British Commandos make fun of you at first. Famous WWII figures will make cameos, from Patton to Eisenhower to Churchill. You will get paid by the US military but you can also earn more money from side-objectives as well as poker games. Money can be used to acquire new weapons and items. Current events of military and nonmilitary nature will be heard in the streets and read in the press. Hunting, artifact collecting, baseball card trading, poker games will be available throughout game. Famous battles in the Eastern Front will be in game such as The Battle of The Bulge and The Crossing of the Rhine, among others. . You rank up in US Military and acquire credits. You also receive medals of honor, purple hearts ect… The game world will be filled with details accurate to WWII: Stacking dead German’s in carts after battle, soldiers playing catch in streets, showering with dozens of naked men ect… If offered a smoke you can chose to accept it, or not. Final mission you are recruited to kill Hitler. I attached rough game map. Anybody have anything to add? I'd love to hear. Thanks!
Some of the above makes me giggle. I'd suggest doing much more research, take it back to the drawing board and go from there.
I'm doing a lot of research on the side but it always helps to collaborate with people more knowledgable then myself. I'm basically on the drawing board right now. It's an Open-World WWII game where you travel from city to city on the road to Germany. Centering around a soldier who leads a small special mission squad. What about my ideas are making you giggle? I can address them. Thanks
