The Ultimate Game?

Rootsie · #1 (**permalink**) September 13th, 2007, 05:21 PM

What would the ultimate game be? In my opinion it would be set up as follows:

Step 1 – Choose time of play (ranging from early 1600 BC to ‘Modern’. ‘Modern’ could be updated by a patch, for this explanation lets say modern ends at 2010) You can choose any time within the range (for this example 1600BC – 2010 AD)

Step 2 – Choose location (in later ages then choose country). In the earlier years you can only choose from Europe, North Africa, Middle east and South East Asia (Japan, China etc).

Step 3 – Choose character age. Anything from 10 – 65 (some ages you are unable to choose in different ages. E.g. 45+ for modern).

Step 3.5 – Choose character class (only available at certain times).

Step 4 – Choose Army/Navy/Air Force

Step 4.2 – Choose Division/Ship/Squadron

Step 4.4 – Choose Regiment/Division (ship's division)

Step 4.6 – Choose Rank

Step 4.8 – Choose sub-unit (e.g. Squad)

Step 5 – Create Character. Hair, eye’s skin etc.

The list of possibilities is endless. You could be an Egyptian Archer fighting the Hyksos people. A Roman Legionnaire in Gaul, A French Man-at-arms at Agincourt, A British sailor at Trafalger, A German Artilleryman in 1917, A Brazilian Private in Italy in 1943, A Argentine Captain on the Falkland Islands or a Modern General controlling operations in Iraq.

There is no saving or fast restart. You can play online with other players. Would a game like this ever be possible?

Mussolini · #2 (**permalink**) September 13th, 2007, 05:33 PM

Simple answer to that: NO

While I have a different view of 'the ultimate game' I dont think yours is possible, at this time. Such a game would be extremely large and complicated to run. World War II Online is the only game i can think of similar to that. You pick country (England, France, Germany) then either Army, Airforce, or Navy. Then you pick a unit based on ones that are currently active. The Game World stretches from the border of Germany all the way to England and it is very possible to walk from Germany to the coast of France (though not very feasible and would take a long time). Even so, certain areas and times lack enough people to make it realistic. However, when a large attack is happening, the game is pretty fun!

What you describe would have to exist in several games. The amount of research and design would be astronomical if it were to cover every conflict and region from 1600+

My idea would build off of the Total War series, starting with Rome: Total War, but on a much larger map, and with much harder AI. I am not sure how it would work, but various factions would rise and fall over the course of history (from RTW and MTW to the new one they are developing etc). How to script events and balance the game play is beyond me,but it would be fun seeing how your empire survives through the ages.

Rootsie · #3 (**permalink**) September 13th, 2007, 05:36 PM

I can see your points about it being too complicated, but hey it's and ideal!

Your idea looks cool too, more stratagy based than mine though.

T. A. Gardner · #4 (**permalink**) September 13th, 2007, 09:29 PM

I would say that it would be one (maybe several period variations on the theme) that ran on-line where you would start off with say, a platoon sized unit and move up in size of command as you were successful or down when repeatedly unsuccessful. The game itself would be geared heavily towards human factors and would literally force you to use highly realistic tactics as well as invest alot of time in leadership, communications, orgainzation and, other non-direct combat activities in order to get your units to fight.
As an example let's say you are a company commander. You get orders from battalion on what your unit is to do. This may be anything from an immediate mission to an immediate objective along with additional objectives after that. You give orders to your subordinate platoon leaders (other players) who also order their units to do things.
The orders are input in such a way that scoring is predicated on your successfully carrying them out. Ignoring orders or doing things incompetently (say like getting heavy casualties without accomplishing anything) subtract from your score. Everyone would have to also worry about things like communications (ordering units is not instantaneous), unit boundries, formations, what equipment and ammunition you load and, how much load you can haul, etc.
That is, the game would provide a very realistic tactical and, if high enough, strategic military operation that you were participating in. You could come and go in the game with your 'unit' being on AI when not there or handed off to another 'qualified' player. After all, once you input everything for many players you would become more of a spectator than active participant much of the time. That is, say you are a battalion commander. Once you put your companies in motion there is no easy way to quickly change what they have been directed to do. It would take alot of effort, thus you must trust your company CO's to get it right to a great degree just as the regiment commander must trust you to get it done.

Herr Oberst · #5 (**permalink**) September 14th, 2007, 02:16 AM

It is called Blitzkrieg for the PC

Joe · #6 (**permalink**) September 14th, 2007, 08:55 PM

Mine would be like BF1942, but third person. Also there are are three 'servers', France, North Africa, and Russia.

On the 'France' server, Alleid players start in either landing ships at sea, fighters over water, or C-47's over the english channel. To spruce things up a bit, the Luftwaffe are in force over here, so fighter pilots have to dogfight, and flak gunners on ships fight also. Infantrymen on ships can fire their rifles at planes or run around the ship. Paratroopers start very close to france, to avoid long waiting times. Paras drop into LZs, but have to find each other and stumble around for their objectives. Later in the game, the seaborne units come ashore at all the real beaches of normandy (pilots of ships can control their vessels and go to the wrong beach if they want to!). Germans start either in towns near the LZs, or near the beaches.

you get the picture.