Why I think Auto Assault has failed and my project can succeed
This is a section inspired by a reply I got on the MMORPG.com forums. The person who gave me the idea mentioned, that since this is a car combat MMO, it will
automatically get compared with Auto Assault, if I want it or not. Just like all fantasy MMOs are compared wit WoW.
I'll start with a quote from IGN review of Auto Assault:
"For better or worse, AA isn't the "Interstate '77 Online" that many had initially envisioned -- a wasteland full of mutants, guns, and beefy cars."
There a typo in the year, it should be '76, forget that. There's also that strange note about mutants, Interstate had no mutants, so forget that too. Now, go read
the main page. Did you see I mentioned Interstate '76 there? I found many other were also hoping for Interstate style MMO when they heard about Auto Assault
(me beign one of the) and that's exactly what I'm trying to create here.
Here's another good point about Auto Assault:
Auto Assault has fairly standard formula applied to exceptional cars.
What I'm trying to accomplish here is the opposite, "Exceptional formula applied to fairly standard cars".
Here's a basic list of the differences between this game and Auto Assault:
Cars
Auto Assault: Cars didn't look like cars, they were more like some weird sci-fi toys with wheels.
This game: Cars would be based loosely on real-life cars from 70's and 80's.
Notes: While this may not seem like a big deal, I find it much harder to get myself immersed in a car game with unrelisticly designed cars.
Weapon mounting
Auto Assault: each vehicle had basically the same weapons slots, close combat, forward, turret and dropped, that's it.
This game: Every car has different amount of weapon hardpoints in different places. Same hardpoint can be used several ways: roof hardpoint may have either forward,
side or rear pointing weapon or even 360 degree turret. Hood hardpoint may either have forward or side pointing weapons. Of caurse there are other factors that affect
the mounting, not every hood hardpoint can be used for side pointing weapon.
Notes: This adds much more variety to the cars and setup, do you go for some damage to all directions or massive damage to the front.
Controls
Auto Assault: WASD and mouse, just like all the big MMOs out there.
This game: Racing game style controls. Basics like driving, shooting, targeting, etc. are done with either keyboard only or with joystic/steering wheel assisted with
keyboard. Mouse is used for menus and it can also be used to access functions in the hud (possibly even mouse driving).
Notes: While there's nothing wrong with WASD, I don't really like to drive with it. Also, with somewhat realistic physics, joystick gives you much better control.
Driving
Auto Assault: Take your car and go for a drive, then turn and head off-road, what happens? You get stuck. What happened in Auto Assault? Driving off road had less
traction, but you could still drive there.
This game: Much more realistic approach which keeps bounds you to roads, due to this roads are wider than in real life. This adds even more to the combat, when in
addition to everything else you also have to keep your car on the road. Chases get more interesting, since they are no longer question of speed, but rather of
driving skills and handling.
Notes: This is one of the biggest differences this games makes to almost all other car combat games out there.
Point-of-view
Auto Assault: 3rd person, once again seen in so many MMOs before.
This game: 1st person. 3rd person view can be activated, but only inside cities, outside them, you're forced to 1st person.
Notes: Combat in this kind of game requires good situational awareness, using only 1st person makes having that awareness much harder, but at the same time more
rewarding. It's like a flight sim, where you have to keep looking around all the time to prevent enemies sneaking up on you.
Character progression
Auto Assault: Same old classes, same old experience levels. Been there, done that, got the scars.
This game: No classes, No experience levels just the skill system.
Notes: It's always a risk to deviate from the good old tank/healer/dps trinity, but that should be no reason not to do it. I don't know if the skill system I have
designed will ever work, but I think it's worth a try.
Quests
Auto Assault: I don't like to repeat myself, but I have no choice, same old quest system seen in so many MMOs.
This game: Combination of EVE style repeating mission, with a little extra in combination with new implementation of traditional quest system.
Notes: One thing I haven't found solution yet is the repetitive missions. I need help in creating new ideas for mission objectives.
Death Penalty
Auto Assault: If you died, you got resurrected at the nearest repair station where you also got free repairs. It was more a bonus that penalty.
This game: There will be death penalty, I haven't figured out what it is just yet, but cause the surrender option, I have thought of the idea that battles end
in surrender rather than death. So in addition to death penalty there's also Damage penalty. In a nutshell it means that after you repair damagen part, it
won't be as good as it was before it got damaged. Eventually, the part will end up being in so bad shape, that you're forced to replace it.
Notes: Some people like games without death penalty, I can't understand them. Basically the way Auto Assault combat worked was that you rush into the mobs,
take out as many as you can, die, resurrect, repair, rinse and repeat. There weren't moments when you had to think about will you be able to survive your attack.
Car customization
Auto Assault: Created it's own rules, instead of adding speed, better engine gave more fuel for your abilities etc.
This game: Realistic car customization. Better engine for more speed, better suspension for more traction, different tyres work for different surfaces, to haul heavy
load you need stiffer suspension, the list goes on.
Notes: The fact that Auto Assault made it's own rules is only further proof that it's just another standard MMORPG in new clothes.
Mission objectives
Auto Assault: Very arcade, very simple approach: Huge arrow pointing straight to your next objective, what happened to the idea that players might just want to
think themselves?
This game: For some missions you get address or coordinates you can punch into your GPS, for some missions you only get driving instructions.
Notes: I don't what has caused those quest arrows to appear. Is there current gaming generation really that lazy? One thing I know, I hate them, they are as
artificial as you can get. What's next autopilot that will automatically run/drive you to the next objective while you eat, autocombat that will fight for you
while you get coffee, autoquest that will automatically return your quests and get you new ones while you sleep?
There was the comparison. As you noticed, this game is totalle different from Auto Assault, only simiarity is cars and even they are different.
Next, here's a list of features thatAuto Assault didn't have, at least I haven't heard it did, but this game has:
-PVP racing, with or without guns. Altough many suggested this feature to it.
-New armor and damage model. Too complex to explain here, go check the Damage model-section.
-Mission trees. A little new idea about the storyline missions. Go check the Missions-section for more info.
-Very unique crafting system, altough with some similarities with EVE Online, but very little.
-Fuel consumption and refuelling. Different cars and engines have different MPG and you have to refuel your car.
-Exploration. Unlike most games, if you want to go and explore the wilds you need to spend some time training the skills for it, then you can buy an off roader and
go where no one else wants to go.
In overall, it's a quite complex game, that'll take some time to learn. I can't say will this game be good or not. Some people even thought Auto Assault was
a good game. But I know this would be a game I would like very much.
To prove I don't think I'm some kind of perfect person who can desing the most perfect game ever, here are some problems this game will have:
1) Missions, altough I have though about this mission tree system, actual variety to the mission objectives is much harder to create.
Otherwise the missions will get repetitive.
2) Technical aspect. I'd like to have really technical Car customization, but that would most certainly scare away customers.
3) Lack of guidance. Games like WoW take your hand and guide you through the game, this game will just throw you there and it's up to you where you'll end up.
I'm sure there will be many more problems, but those are the ones I came up with this far. As a closing words I give an example of analogy error in Auto Assault,
this is exatcly one of those little meaningless things that pile up and break the immersion.
"You could be airlifted out of the zone where you were killing mobs for a quest, so why didn't they use planes or helicopters to take out those mobs?"
Think about that for a minute. I spent lots of time thinking about how to make that in my game, without breaking the immersion and finally I got it.
Does the fact that I think of such small details make me a better designer than people at NetDevil?