Mod Ideas/Cyberwars

Description

Ok, the concept may sound a bit shallow, but a complex mod could be built around the core concept. The main idea, however, is simple: Cyborgs with many different enhancements and weapons fight and find out who has the best setup.

I was thinking of an enhancement system where every player has a basic body with many 'slots' which can be filled with equipment. Some of this would be obligatory, like a power source, motors to move the limbs etc. but many would be optional, like you could trade a hand for a big implemented gun, use free slots to increase stability or stoe ammo... the possibilities are endless.

Notes

The idea is inspired by Battle Angel Alita and ONI. I liked the game pretty much despite some flaws. I especially liked the combination of ranged and close combat. I liked the aiming system and the decidedly non-spammy weapons too.

I immediately thought how I'd love a mp game like this where I can shoot my opponents or kick their butt on close range.

I kinda thought of a combination of ONI and DeusEx.

Features

The Feature Categories

• The Chassis:
  Every Cyborg needs a basic chassis to attach the individual components. There are chassis of different stability and size. The chassis can have various properties such as size and possibly affect strength and agility of the Cyborg.
• Cyber Enhancements:
  What the mod is all about. The Enhancements can be anything that you can imagine. Weapons, tools, modifications of attributes like strenght, speed and jumping height.
• Armour:
  The idea to regard armour as its own category may be fancy, but I figured it IS pretty relevant, and armour can do so much more than just absorb some damage. Special armour types can protect against special damage or do something entirely different. I also had the idea to allow 3 (a number I found convenient) armour layers.
• Skills:
  The mark of the RPG. How good a player can do what. A skill can give a player a unique ability, or just make something easier or faster.
• Martial Arts:
  Technically skills, I found these worth of a special category, as they could be equal to weapons.
• Weapons:
  I'd almost forget. Not everyone prefers killing with bare hands.

The Basic Setups

I thought it would be a good idea to give players a kind of basic selection, kinda like the classes in most RPGs. But these aren't strictly seperate classes, only different basic setups. Also, these basics setups aren't weak like in many RPGs, they are perfectly capable to put up a good fight with more advanced opponents. Which isn't saying they'd win.

• The Fighter:
  The fighter is the strongest starting configuarion, a heavy chassis with 2 medium layers of armour, armed with an automatic weapon.
  His fighting style is direct assault.
• The Ranger:
  The lightest of the standard setups has only a thin armour layer, but is equipped with a cyperoptic implant with integrated zoom. The Ranger's weapon is a rifle.
  The Ranger is a sharpshooter and relies on tactics to win. He will try to evade a direct confrontation, and ambush his opponent.
• The Scout:
  The Scout works as spy or assassin. His light chassis is protected by a medum armour, his strong motors allow not only fast movement but also hard attacks in close combat. His only weapon is a stunner, but he can easily kill with his hands of steel. The light absorbant layer over his armour allows the Scout to hide in shadowy corners.

Feature List

• Enhancements:
  – Artificial Muscles: to increase the strength of arms or legs
  – Cyber Optic: basic system for using optical implants
  – Auto Lock: locks in on enemies providing tergeting info, and can in combination with a smart gun make aiming a piece of cake
  – Nightvision
  – IR sight
  – Radar
  – Weapon Implant: a weapon can be implanted into the arm, making handling easier and with an automatical reload mechanism that can increase reload speed drastically
  – Ammo Depot: ammo storage in the body
  – Cloaking Device: a bulky attachment that consumes energy, more effective than camo skin
  – Chassis Reinforcement: increases stability of the chassis
  – Melee Weapon Implant: a special implant that adds effect to close combat, e.g. an inbuilt stunner that auto-activates when punching an opponent, or maybe just spiked knuckles.
  – Hacking Tool
• Armour:
  – Ballistic: Light, medium and heavy BA reduce most kinds of damage. BA is less effective against concussion damage, and in close combat.
  – FlexPlast: This light armour is ineffective against bullets and other point attacks, but is absorbs concussion damage effectively and envelopes the chassis completly, protecting joints better which are weak spots in standard armour.
  – EM Absorbant: This special armour absorbs EM radiation, protecting against microwave damage and making the cyborg invisible to radar. It's a favourite among Scouts and Rangers.
  – HEAT: This insulating armour protects against heat damage from outside, but it also absorbs IR radiation, making the user practically invisible to IR sensors.
  – Dynamic Camouflage Skin: A polymer layer with an integrated electronic network. The "armour" has sensors which can optically scan the surroundings and the polymer can change its colour to match this image. It's not perfect, but good enough on a distance, and the user is very hard to spot when the cyborg doesn't move. (Now you know why I wanted 3 layers. Enough for nearly perfect stealth, but not perfect stealth AND damage protection)
• Skills:
  – Sharpshooter: This would increase weapon accuracy. W00t.
  – Wired: You know how to break codes, hack into computer systems, open electronic locks. Of course you may need tools, but even more importantly, you know how to use them.
  – Weapon Handling: You have years of experience using guns of all kinds. You can draw and reload faster than most. You are much less handicapped when using a gun you haven't specifically trained with than people who barely manage to use a single gun.
  – Weapon Skills: Special training with a weapon. Most surprisingly, you cannot just pick up a weapon and use it like a pro. D'oh. Seriously, if you do not kno w a weapon, you may be able to handle it, but you will be slower and less accurate than someone who know how to use it.
  – Stealth: The ability to move silently, appear unsuspicios, what you like.
• Martial Arts:
  I liked the special moves in ONI. I would like to see more of these, which can be done by introducing different combat styles. A base Brawling skill which affects damage and speed a little, and the arts for style.
  I am fascinated by the idea of an all-defensive style which relies on counter-attacks. It could be very powerful, but it would be rather ineffective against enemies uing ranged weapons.
  Like in ONI, martial arts techniques could include strikes, kicks, grips and throws. Different styles can specialize more or less.
• GameTypes:
  – Mission: One or more cyborgs sent on a dangerous mission... kinda like in Syndicate maybe
  – Deathmatch

Interested Scriptors

Discussion

Claw: This is not a complete list of course, just some starting ideas. This wasn't originally intended as a mod concept, just the sort of game I'l love to play.

ZxAnPhOrIaN: Uhh... You were talking about the skill sharpshooter, in the military, isn't Expert Marksman a higher rank than Sharpsooter??

Claw: Uhh... how do I know or care? You know what it is supposed to mean, that's all that matters.

Foxpaw: This is a neat idea - I'd be interested to see how it turns out.