Chathaion (space trader/RPG game)

[TurkishMonky]

I'm starting to play in my free time with creating a game that blends the economy of "space trader" type of game with an RPG like battle mode and a storyline (2d, not graphically intensive). It will not be real time, but task-turn-based, and developed in my spiffy new Visal Studio 2005 in VB.net

my biggest concern is artwork for the game, a i don't have enough time to draw all the aliens, people, and ships... does anyone know where a good (also clean) resource for sci-fi ships/aliens/mechs/ or people is? since it's not going to be distribted copyrights don't really matter.

Anywho, here's the rough, rough draft and all comments and storyline ideas appreciated. Be warned though that the interface and gameplay dvelopment will take precedence for quite a while, so the storyline will probably be in last. Also, all names were generated randomly, so any likeness to any other character is pure coincidence.

Crewmembers:
1. You are a beginning trader that wants to do the best for the galaxy.
2. Mallacon - A excellent fighter pilot, this person will join your group from time to time to further his own goals in the galaxy
3. Suwel - An alien contact of yours living on earth, she is an excellent trader, but don’t expect much piloting or fighting skill on her part.
4. KR-2000 - One of the most advanced robots in the galaxy, this guy can do almost everything a human can. You found him drifting in space in the robotic wasteland, but why was he so far from his original home planet?
5. Allia - a human from the Eta tribe, she has a score to settle with some mercenary aliens, and thinks joining you will help her
6. Xuien - A member of a fierce alien world, he is an outcast from his society because of his protests against their invasion.
7. Aemant - A local kid from a few plants away from you, he was arrested for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a banking planet, but claims he's innocent. He’s a nerdy genius.

Important planets:
1. Ber’raquii Your home and starting off point. You have saved up enough money to buy you own ship, and so you are going to traverse the galaxy. But is there an ulterior motive of yours?
2. Quathemuu – A popular nearby planet in the middle sector
3. Thera - the most crowded city in the galaxy. Many cities, many people, many lowlifes.
4. Veca - Controlled by a cyborg (Ugen), the large corporation that owns this planet is only interested in financial gain. Will that change due to the robotic wastelands next door?
5. Hasathu – here you find the robotic member of your crew
6. Eta Tribe. The most powerful group of refugees, this tribe has a longstanding feud with the police state that is on a nearby planet.
7. Dabah - Gamma Tribe. The second most powerful tribe, and friends of Eta Tribe (ruled by Jaken).
8. Pelan - controlled by a domineering Police Admiral, nothing short of an alien invasion will persuade these people to accept counsel from the lowly refugees.
9. Zregant - a planet ravaged by war but unable to relocate their populace. Aside from that, they don’t really want to…
10. Azesia – A fierce alien world
11. Chathaion – what is this? No one knows….

Quests/Timeline:
1. One of your friends was accused of stealing 200,000 credits. You decide to try to break him out or find the real thief. (breaking him out requires a lot of experience)
2. If you decide to help him, ...(havent written yet)
3. A contact of yours (Suwel) introduces you to Mallacon, who offers to take you under his wing as he performs a risky diplomatic mission with an aggressive police state in the frontiers.
4. Encounter hostile police, but you are helped out by Allia, who joins you for the mission.
5. Mallacon leaves to perform his next task, but not before dropping the hint that the best place to get goods is the robotic wasteland. Traveling there, you find a lost robot that joins you. He leads you to a plant of refugees, who he was trying to aid.
6. You need to battle the mother robot in her fortress in order to reopen the trade route to that planet in the robotic wasteland. (At least open it profitably enough for you to trade with them)
7. Once you have traded with them a long time, or you have Aemant in your party your robot finds an entry code to his home planet (Veca)
8. Finding the factory, you discover it’s being taken over by a rouge mercenary group. You defeat the mercs, and then find the owner of the station. He offers to trade ultra high-priced cargo for you.
9. While selling your goods to Thera, you run into Mallacon. He senses trouble in the outer frontiers, and asks if you want to investigate with him. Going there, you discover an odd alien race has been attacking the police state, almost destroying it.
10. Allia refuses to help her former oppressors, but you decide to sneak into the alien stronghold anyway. Once there, you find plans for destruction of the universe, one fighting system at a time. Also, you meet Xuien, who joins you. Together, you detonate the core of the alien mothership.
11. Once you return with evidence, Allia joins you for good. You battle the aliens, but they are too strong. Help requests ignored on Veca, you visit the factory sector to ask for help, and an army is sent to help.
12. However, 90% of the time you are unable to rout the aliens before they reach you home planet.

comments?

[Wise Dragon]

Hmm.. It sounds ambitious. I hope this works out. Unfortunately Im pretty much usesless as far as the developement goes unless you need a game tester.

[TurkishMonky]

Hmm.. It sounds ambitious. I hope this works out.

unfortunately, that's my biggest fear, as i have a history of attempting mamoth projects... however, since this one is going to be pretty basic in the graphical division, at least to start, and the main code is pretty simple really, at least until the more intricate plotlines are done.