Control Mechanic

Simplified controls are usually better than massivly complex ones (depending on genre). Base a control set on WASD and a two-button mouse. Granted most mice have a scroll wheel, but that'll be ignored for now.

WASD is used because of the familiatity. Arrow keys could be used as well.

• No Buttons: Movement
• Left Button: Attack. Holding the left mouse button and press a direction key will trigger that attack. This gives 4 possible attacks that can be used.
• Right Button: Defense. Holding the right mouse button and pressing a direction key is a defensive move. Or maybe pressing right blocks, and the arrow keys are for dodging/special kinds of blocks
• Both Buttons: Special attack. Depends on genre of game. With fantasy in mind, tapping out sequences of spells would be one idea. Or have only four spells that can be 'ready' at any one time.

Refinement to Infinite Plains

Infinite Plains is the name for the immortals controlling planes idea. By the way, these initial posting are ides already written down.

Use fixed seed random sequences to generate near-infinite terrain for the planes. As long as each player has a unique seed, the basic planes will be different. Players can influence the plane to develop in certain ways, modifying the base terrain generated. Specific items can be placed at specific points, but this is time consuming or difficult to do. Have the option for hand-crafted planes developed by the admins to provide quality content for players.

Online Games

Part of the problem with Massivly Multiplayer Games (MMG) in which players share the world, is feeling signigicant. They tend to form societies, and true to real life, only a few people in a society can truely be of earth-moving importance.

One idea to solve this is giving each player control of a private domain that others can visit. The players could represent immortal beings, who control their own personal plane of reality. Certain planes could be controled by the admins, to ensure quality content, but otherwise development of the planes would be up to the players. The better a plane is developed, the more people will be attracted to play in that plane. Of course an option would be needed to ensure 'nomad' immortals, or playyers that don't want to develop a plain, wouldn't be left behind.

The First Post

Spur-of-the-moment impulse to show my students what I expect from them for there game design journals. Also gives me a single place to accumulate my ramblings on game design.