Basic Idea: Objective, Team and Class based mod mixing sword fighting, magic casting, and assassination with a number RPG elements thrown in.

This document will make my idea extremely complex at first glance, but a basic game rundown will go something like this: Player chooses class. Player spawns. Runs out, kills, or attempts to kill other players and helps his teammates. When he gets enough money, he goes and buys better items which will put him on pace of the game in motion (there will be measures taken to ensure that a player who enters 20 minutes into a match will have a fighting chance against players who have been in the server since the beginning). When Player gets enough combat money, he returns to upgrade even more. By this time, the end of a usual server is approaching (About an hour I'd guess) and player helps a final attack which wins the game.

It will be simple in the game, and there are some things to consider and take into account to play the best you can, and it will also seem overwhelming at first, but so is most any RPG that isn't just hack and slash :)

In case your wondering: Melee will use the stances and attacks in Jedi Outcast, but you just wont have a saber and any one class will never have all 3 stances. Some warrior classes may have the normal stance, and the heavy stance, and some assassin classes will have the normal stance and the light stance.

Classes will encompass 'tanks', hybrid fighters, light fighters (assassins).

Class examples:
- Tanks will be the hardhitting, damage soaking melee classes. They will be moderately fast, limited by their armor type. They can use any standard armor and weapon type. These classes usually wear plate and can wear Heavy plate.

- Hybrids will use a combination of melee and ranged weaponry. This could either be a form of magic or bows and crossbows. Their main weapon will be melee, with their ranged weaponry aiding their combat skills. If the Hybrid uses magic, he will need a pair of magic bracers to cast spells. You can wield a weapon with these bracers on. These classes usually wear chain.

- Light fighters will either use stealth and illusionism, or magery and sorcery. There is no mana cost for spells, since they are your main weapon, and you will have a wide selection starting out, but your 'weapon' will be magical bracers will focus your magical energies. Magic using Light fighters cannot use melee weapons. They are pure magic casters. These classes use Leather armor as their protection.

Objective examples:
- Objective destruction. Straight forward objective in which teams attempt to destroy each others' objective. Winner of the round is the team who destroys this objective.

- Attack/Defense. One team will defend, and the other will attack. The teams alternate roles every one, two, or three rounds. The objective is to bring your banner to the enemy's banner. After being flown over the enemy team's flag for 15 seconds, the team's flag over the other team's wins. The opposing team can take the flag down by releasing the rope that holds the enemy flag over theirs. It takes 1 second to perform this.

- Assassination will incorporate a small team of Light classes and another team of tank classes. The assassins must kill a designated target whom the tanks are defending. Hybrid classes are not availabe in this mode. The round is won when the designated target is dead. The designated target is a beefed up light class, able to wear chain and use magic if he wishes. He cannot use a weapon and magic at the same time.

- Strategic Battle will be a match that will have the two teams fighting for ground to conquer the other team. There are no rounds, but you must conquer various areas and control them. The team that conquers all areas first for 30 seconds is the winner of the game, and the map will rotate once this occurs. Control of points means more places in which weapons and armor can be acquired. It takes 5 seconds to capture one point and this is done by bringing your banner to the designated spot and leaving it there for five seconds.

- All out battle will be a frag fest between teams. There are no special conditions to be met except get the highest score before the time runs out.

Note: These are early examples and wouldn't be a final list.

Note part 2: Servers will be able to set map filters that add or leave out maps and map types in the server rotation.

RPG Elements:
- As players progress in skill and score, they will gain currency. This can be used to buy upgraded weapons, jewelry, arrows or bolts, and magical powerups for players, which include RAGE powerups, that have a timelimit, and killing keeps this time limit alive, standard timed powerups (examples are speed, health regeneration and stamina powerups), and powerups that drop when you die, and expensive powerups that affect the player's soul, which translated means it doesn't go away (very expensive).

- Armor, weapons, and items can be upgraded. No inventory system is needed. The best armor will automatically be equipped, and the used armor dropped to the ground and remain for a little while, before fading into the ethereal. Players can carry an extra weapon on their back, and in their belt. Players can switch between these weapons at will, but you can only have one weapon that goes on your back, and two weapons that go on your belt. Most weapons, armor, and items drop when you die. Some remain, that affect your soul instead of your physical body (the items are placed on your soul, much like powerups are). There will be keys to drop pieces of armor, weapons, and jewelry. A readout will be available on the character screen, but you will not be able to drag and drop. Slots that are used: Left belt, Right belt, Armor, Back sheath, Right ring, Left ring, Greater amulet, and lesser amulet.

- Stats will improve as you fight. You lose any stat advancement when you die. Stats include Dexterity, which improves your attack speed and backstab damage and casting speed and crossbow damage, Stamina, which improved your jump height and length and running speed, Strength, which affects your melee and bow (not crossbow) weapon damage, and Vitality, which improves your overall health. Everytime you slay a warrior, all of these stats go up. Some classes start with more in one stat than other classes, and only the specialized stats will get full stat bonuses. Smaller stats will recieve half the bonus normally given in a fight. As you become more powerful, the bonuses you get from fights ramps down at a point, eventually capping off at 50% of what you would get if you were unchanged stat wise and you will recieve no more stat bonuses from combat. The 'max' kill count for stat advancement would stop at around 20 kills. At zero kills, you will gain +2 to main stats for every kill. It goes down to +1.75 per kill at 5 kills. +1.5 at 10 kills, and +1 at 15 kills and caps at +0 at 20 kills. Stats are traced up to hundrenths of whole numbers so that players can see stat advancement up to when they no longer recieve stats.

- Armor class, which will reduce damage by a set number.

- Different damage types: Physical, Elemental, and Magical. Elemental damage types are Fire, Ice, and Wind. Magical damage types are Soul, Temporal, and Mana damage.

Note: Your damage will not fluctuate. It will always damage for the amount shown against an unarmored target. It can be lowered by resists, but you will never do 0 physical damage, even if the target is 'immune' to physical damage. The amount done will be at least 10 points of damage, but will only degrade armor by 0.25 durability per hit.




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- Durability: As you fight, your weapons and armor will degrade when they come into contact with high velocity blows. This is how its handled: Metallic Armor will have stronger durability than weapons (all weapons are metallic, which includes arrow and bolt heads. Elemental and magical damage are treated just as if a sword hit your armor), since they have more surface area, and are stronger physically. So, if a weapon were to attack an armor of equal level (explained in a minute), the weapon will break first, but the armor would have 25% of the weapons durability. A weapon or even armor will break rarely, as you will die faster than your armor or weapons can degrade enough to break. Why put this in you ask? So you dont have an uber item floating around in the round or map forever. If it is a soul item (one that stays with you, even when you die) it will eventually break (and you wont exaclly be buying two or three of these in a row, as Soul items are rather expensive. On top of that, as a result of all the transisting between being physical and ethereal, it has a lower durability of a physical item of equal strength) so durability is a way to even things out. even bows degrade (the draw string will eventually snap). Durability never affects a weapon or armor's performance. It is just a meter of how long the item will be usable as a weapon or piece of armor. When you start out, you will have basic armor (75 durability) and a basic weapon (50 durability). 1 point of durability is taken whenever either armor or a weapon takes an impact. If a weapon doubles the AC of armor, 2 points of durability will be taken away. For every 10 points after that, it will add +0.10 to the durability subtracted. Durability is also shown to the hundredths, as most values will be. If you clang your weapon against a stone wall, it will eventually break (1 point of durability for clanging your weapon on a stone wall. Different surface types will ramp this to as low as 0.50 per hit, to as much as 1.25 a hit.) Obviously you wont be bashing your armor against the wall though. The max durability of weapons is 250. The max for armor is 300. Those durability measures are the most powerful provided without modification. Durability is affected by resists! If you are immune to fire for example, and you are hit by a fire bolt, no damage will be done, but you will still take some durability loss. As for magical bracers: 0.75 durability is deducted when you fire a spell, no matter what spell, and no matter what the target of the spell is. 0.25 is also deducted from your armor, since magical energy resonantes from your entire body, your armor will eventually break from continous spell casting.

- Magical spells: Some rough ideas here. Basic outline of spells available when you spawn anew. Since spells are stored in memory, you will not lose all your spells. Some spells can be lost if your soul dies though.
- Fire bolt - Basic fire attack spell.
- Ice arrow - Basic ice attack spell
- Eroding Breeze - Special wind damage spell. Adds 0.50 durability deduction for whoever it hits.
- Soul drain - Specialized Soul spell which can only harm the dead. Affects only enemies.
- Temporal Hampering - Temporal damage spell. Affects only enemies.
- Mana burning - A spell that envelops the target with magical spikes that continually pierce the target for some time. Recast time of 20 seconds. Duration would be around 5 seconds. Target still takes impact damage. Only affects enemies.
- Soul smite - Spell that damages the soul of a live or dead target. If a person's soul dies, he loses any items which remain on his soul, as well as a -15 life penalty for next spawn. This spell does not damage health directly. A max of -45 life for every person is the most this spell can drain. (thats would be your soul dying three times, once when you only had -15 life, and again when you had -30). The life drained at spawn cannot be healed. Health is returned if your soul survives a trip to the ethereal. Only affects enemies.
- Ice wind - Ice + Wind spell which slows target as well as deducting an additional 0.25 durability when it hits. Recast time of 12 seconds. Lasts 4 seconds. Very little damage done to target. Target has 75% of max walking speed. Only affects enemies.
- Temporal Cascade - A spell that explodes in an area of effect when it hits. Extra damage is done if the bolt hits someone directly. 0.50 is ADDED to anyone who is hit by the area of effect spell, except if someone is hit directly. Also, the person will take the area of effect damage, as well as additional damage from the impact. Radius is rather medium, a diameter of 15 feet or so. The radius will have 50% of the total durability effect against teammates and 10% of the damage effect, so you may wish to be careful using this spell. (To prevent TK, the 50% effect against teammates will only be deducted if an enemy takes damage from that particular cast). This spell has a bonus effect to it. You can protect at least one member of your team if you hit him directly with the spell. Because of some unknown temporal effect, he will not incur any damage, and enemies will recieve 20% more damage effect from the radius.
- Fire armor - Spell that gives you immunity to fire, + to AC, and 15% damage dealt back to attackers. Does not work against the enemy or your teammates.
- Mana Disruption - Removes *all* magical effects from the target for 6 seconds. Recast time of 25 seconds. This includes items, and self buffs. Can be used on teammates or enemies. If used on teammates, only negative effects are taken off, but you will add 0.25 durability drain when your spell takes affect on a teammate.

Note: These are in no way a final guess. Each type of damage has 2 spell types starting out (with the exception of Ice Wind, which does both ice and wind and special damage). More powerful spells are to be bought. More powerful spells could also potentially have a greater durability drain.

Item types:

Note: Magical Bracers are considered normal weapons starting out, even though they are magical by nature.

- Standard weapons\armor: These are what you use when you need an upgrade, but cant afford magical items yet. Note, there is a large gap between the price of these, and the price of magical items, so if you need to stay with the battle somewhat, you may consider buying these weapons instead of upgraded weapons.

- Upgraded armor\weapons: These items are normal. They have no magical properties other than greater durability and AC. They are better than standard weapons and armor, but generally cost more, yet less than magical items.

- Magical armor\weapons: These give magical bonuses (or penalties, as more powerful items have shown) and are more expensive and look cooler.

- Banner weapons are certain weapons available to one team specifically. This is a server side variable that could be turned on and off, and would be off by default. These weapons would give each side a higher level weapon that represents the banner under which the player plays. They could not be used by the enemy and are kept on your soul when you die.

- Different weapon types:
- 1Handed, and 2Handed obviously.
- Dagger types, which are generally weak, but extremely fast, and capable of backstabbing. They are backup weapons, incase your primary weapon is broken.
- Sword types, which can range to the smallest short sword to the massive two handed swords.
- Assassin weaponry, which only assassins are skilled in using. They are generally fast and always have backstab properties. Their backstabbing bonuses are higher than daggers.
- Bows and crossbows. Bows are faster, and do medium damage. Crossbows are slow, but do massive damage. Basically opposites of each other except crossbows are one handed firing. Note: Arrows and bolts take time to arrive at a destination. They move fast, but can be dodged quite easily if you see it coming.
- Magic bracers: These are used by mages, and only mages, to focus magical energy. Magical versions can add spell damage bonuses and even entire spells.

- Different Armor types:
- Leather: Used by the assassin classes. Assassins can wear no higher than leather armor.
- Chain: Used by classes which are not assassins, but not true warriors. Classes who can use chain can wear leather as well, and will increase their maximum running speed
- Plate: This is the heaviest armor type, and provides the most defense. Classes who wear plate can wear chain or leather, and both of these armor types increase the running speed of the plate class.
- Heavy Plate: Classes who can wear plate can wear heavy plate, but will incur running speed penalties. They provide the most defense of all the armor types, and have the most durability, and usually dont cost much more than regular plate.

- Rings and Amulets. These are magical items which are normally soul items, but some powerful versions can occasionally be cursed to not be soul items. You can wear 2 rings and 2 amulets. The bonuses these give are usually AC bonuses and magical resist bonuses, but some have been known to give increases to attack speed and damage, and even some to augment the wearer's armor. The weaker types are as expensive as standard weapons, but normally arn't incredibly powerful. The most powerful types are more expensive than some magical heavy plate items. They have durability, but they only take a fraction ( 1/8th ) of the durability taken by either your weapon (rings) or armor (amulets).


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- Resistances and what the Character sheet would display.

- Resistence measures from -20 to 80. Certain spells or items can lower your resists to -20. Certain spells and items can also increase your resistences, up to 80, but in only one damage type. Being immune to a damage type means your resistences in other damage types are lowered (a cap is placed on max resistences). And example, you are 100% resisted to cold. Other elemental resistences are lowered to a max of 65. Magical damage types are lowered to 40. The physical resist cap is lowered to 25. How are these values determined? Well think of a triangle, going clockwise and Physical resist being at the top. Traveling along the triangle, you'd reach Elemental resists (Fire, Ice, Wind). Continuing on, you'd reach Magic Resists (Soul, Temporal, Mana), and finally ending up at physical. Since Physical is the farthest distance from Elemental damage, it is given the lowest cap when you max a resistence. Since Magic Resist is right near, it is given the second lowest cap. Because Fire and Wind are in the same category, it is given the least lowest. When you are completely immune to a resistence (except physical, which will be explained) you take no damage or effects from an attack of that type. (In the hybrid spell Ice Wind, Ice causes the slowing effect, so the slowing effect would be negated from your immunity). Physical immunity is a special case in that you will always damage an enemy, even if he is immune, (I guess immune would be a good term, but you will not take falling damage if you are immune to physical) he will still take damage. You will do 10% of the damage the player recieves if he had a resistence of 0. That way, AC is already taken out, and it is easier to understand. (Quick example. Also imaginary numbers: A plate wearing warrior has 50 AC. You have a sword that does 100 damage. The enemy is also immune to physical. Since he has 50 AC, you only do 50 damage in the first place, if he was not immune, But since he is, you only do 5 damage to him. Because sword fighting would be such a large part, negating the damage done by it would seem counter-intuitive.

- Character sheet. It is on this sheet you can find your current stats, amount of money you have, what items you are using, your current resistences, and the game status. The bonuses items given are shown in a small window, and bonuses are listed under the respective item (I play to implement this screen like it is in Wolfenstein where you select your team and class including the mouse availability).

What servers can do in terms of items and other things.
- I plan to allow servers to create/erase/modify items that are stored server side. You can set cost, durability (max of 300 for armor and 250 for weapons), and bonuses. Custom name as well. Set whether a certain weapon is a Banner weapon or not.
- Servers can use custom banners and team names.
- Will have a variety of weapon effects

A rough draft of classes. There will be 11 classes in all. A default character in which stats are based off of has 30 in every stat.

- Tank Classes
- Swordsman - This is the standard footman of any army. Can use any armor and any weapon in the dagger and sword category. Can use any armor. Strength: 40 Dexterity: 30 Stamina: 40 Vitality: 35.

- Dueler - This soldier believes in honor and a fair fight. Can only use chain and only 1Handed weapons from the swords and assassin category. Strength: 30 Dexterity: 45 Stamina: 40 Vitality: 30.

- Stoneman - Slow, powerful, and fortified. Can use any armor as well as any weapon from the swords and dagger category, though they prefer 2Handed swords. Strength: 50 Dexterity: 20 Stamina: 30 Vitality: 30


- Hybrid Classes
- Paladin - A man of God. They are the bane to Dark Knights. They gain 10% to Fire and Soul damage against Dark knights. He can use plate and only 2Handed weapons from the sword category. He also can use Fire and Soul spells. Strength: 40 Dexterity: 35 Stamina: 35 Vitality: 30

- Arctic Dweller - These people live in the icy climate of the snow. They are limited to chain and they can use any type of dagger, any 1Handed weapons from the sword category, and any type of crossbow. They command the powers of Ice and Mana. Stength: 30 Dexterity: 40 Stamina: 40 Vitality: 35

- Dreamwalker - Ancient scribes of an earlier time who have mastered assassin weapons and temporal physics and magics. They can wear chain and use only weapons from the Assassin category and any type of bow. They command the powers of the Temporal and Wind. Their training in Wind grants them +15% arrow speed when they have bracers equipped while using the bow. Strength: 30 Dexterity: 40 Stamina: 25 Vitality: 40

- Dark Knight - Evil soldiers who corrupt and plague good. They are the opposite of the paladin, and gain 10% to Physical damage against paladins. Strength: 40 Dexterity: 35 Stamina: 35 Vitality: 30

- Light Fighters
- Wizard - Practitioners of the elemental magics. They can wear only leather and can only use magic bracers. They command the powers of Fire, Ice, and Wind. Strength: 20 Dexterity: 50 Stamina: 30 Vitality: 20

- Sorcerer - The commit themselves to the pure magical energies. They can only wear leather and can only use magic bracers. They command the powers of Soul, Temporal, and Mana. Strength: 20 Dexterity: 45 Stamina: 35 Vitality: 25

- Ninja - The most lethal assassins known. They follow a code of deception of lethality. Their armor is leather and they can use any type of dagger or assassin weapon. They gain +15% damage against Wizards and Sorcerers, but their max elemental and magical resists are lowered by 10. Strength: 25 Dexterity: 45 Stamina: 45 Vitality: 30

- Archer - The standard ranged fighter of any army. They can only use Leather armor. Any dagger, bow, or crossbow is useable by them. They gain +15% physical damage against plate wearers and chain wearers and have the highest Dexterity rating of any class. They have command over the Soul powers (They cannot use bracers with a bow equipped, but can use a bow with bracers equipped). Strength: 30 Dexterity: 60 Stamina: 25 Vitality: 25


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Well, done for now. I haven't worked out a list of items, powerups, and the rest of the magical spells (basically the fun stuff :) ) but I'd like to hear some feedback on this. If I do actually carry this design out, I'll be working with the levels and content and public relations (which includes interviews, beta tests, stuff like that).

I haven't really decided on a title either, so just call it some action mod.. Heh

Feedback.. PLEASE! At least out of sympathy for my sore fingers :)

Looks like you are almost ready for the Design Doc... keep at it, get it fleshed out. Practice using the tools.. ; )

Kinda old, but *bump* anyway since the game out and more people visit the forums and such :)