IDEA (not a project yet) for a game.
Ok basic Idea for a game I could make (im not stating this as a project yet though). Recently I have been playing on the Simon the Sorcerer games. They're ace! So I was thinking a similar character to Simon in a similar world but not a similar storyline. Story Idea (Rough): Jake is a bit of a geek at Wizardry school. He only has 3 friends. He lives with his best friend, Andy, who has been mysteriously kidnapped. Use Jakes novice powers to find Andy and defeat whom ever is behind this madness. Thanks, ToddWaugh

I'm going to hold back on casting a vote. While I don't think it's a horrible idea, I think it sounds (in it's current form) a little too much like a Harry Potter knock-off. The best concepts are unique ideas, and right now you're treading in dangerously similar territory to established and well-known plot lines. I'd say to take this concept and find some angles to spin it into something that is uniquely yours. Also, you'll notice that I've updated your account information. While I welcome all game enthusiasts onto our forums, I would ask that – given your status as a minor – you use some discretion in what personal information you include in your user name, signature, and post contents. Thanks, and of course – welcome back :)

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Thanks for the tips Greg, the story at the moment may sound like harry potter but in my head it doesn't. at Wizardry school. I should have said Wizards University. He lives in sort of an urban city which is partially magic.

I guess its gonna be hard to come up with any young wizard story thats not going to echo HP.. or any other for that matter Why not go into the future with the location, old skool wizardy against cyber based black witchcraft second what Greg said.. watch what info you give out, giving a full name isn't good, its suprising easy to narrowing down a place and location, specially with a fairly unique name

I say yes, it has the potential to be a good game, but it depends on how you do it. I don't know if its terribly necessary to be original (tho I like Nige's suggestion) with your story idea... I reckon its how it's told that counts. Monkey Island used every pirate cliche in the book, but did it well, and did it in a kind of parody manner that made it work. Simon the sorceror kind of does that too I think, in fact isnt one of the games called the Lion, the Wizard and the Wardrobe? Its not an original story really, its making fun of C. S. Lewis' Chronicals of Narnia, and because it's done well (characters and world are fleshed out and feel 'alive' and its funny) it works. So it doesnt matter if it IS a Harry Potter lookalike, if you just make it a PARODY of Harry Potter. Maybe Jake's school/uni is just another of many schools of wizardry, which you get to by walking through the wall in a toilet cubicle in Central Station? You can take Harry Potter's world as a starting point, and then without ever directly referencing or copying it, start to turn it on its head. Thats just one idea of how your game idea could be made to work, Nige's is another and i'm sure you have many yourself. I really believe its not what you do, its the way you do it.

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fatbuoy: using your advice i have thought of a name for the idea. "Jake Jones and the Prisoner of Sekerash" (Sekerash being the baddie the Prisoner being Jake's mate)

Have you thought about making life really simple and doing it as an escape the room type thing? I bet Matt, Tucker, John and everyone else thought.. "right i'm gonna make this epic game" I't have a Zombie eating brains, or whatever.. but very soon you think "OH MY GOD what am i doing!!" its so much work, there's guys on AGS still making the same game after 7 or 8 years! If i remember right John has 3 years invested into ND.. Honestly focus on small and simple thats easy-ish to achieve, its very hard to get help on a long term project, and you will get let down.. If you want I'll set you a challenge based on your idea

I agree with Nige, I've got big plans for my game, but realistically if I ever do make them happen, it won't be before I make some smaller, simpler games... They may have something to do with my big game idea, they may not, but either way I know that if I try from the off to make a massive, epic game by myself and with little or no experience then its doomed to fail, which will be a waste of the story I want to tell! :) Maybe you could make a one-room, one-puzzle game involving Jake and his friend... and use it as a 'proof of concept', -*test*-('") yourself to see how much you can develop the characters and world within those restrictions? Then, when it comes to making your bigger idea you can build on what you created in the mini game? Oh and you can call me Chris :) And the name sounds good, where did you come up with Sekerash?

What would be quite interesting is to have a silly little con-*test*-('") where we use the backgrounds from the AS demo, Patrick and or a character of your own, you have to draw at least one new room and come up with a couple of puzzles to escape or rescue someone Maybe get a Lassie teeshirt printed up for the winner :idea:

You know.... Nige's first idea (not to say the con-*test*-('") isn't... that's cool too) is a great idea. If you think about it, Tucker started out with an escape the room and look at what Somethings Amis has turned out to be. One of my favorite adventure games, had an escape the room as the demo for the game (CMI). I think that the "escape the room" is the perfect place to start.

Yeah, the CMI demo was great, when you think of how much humour and character they still managed to pack into that one room with two characters! Or 3, if you count Murray (and you should). I had an idea a couple of weks ago of trying to do a game set entirely in a lift (elevator)... couldn't think of a good reason for it though!

That would be cool.... but yeah, if you go with the typical stuck in the elevator.... there isn't much to do. CMI was great because there was a lot of environment in those 3 rooms.

Hey! Actually WMYT was supposed to be only a small Demo for Lassie ... and it still is :) but you can get lost in details and story and suddenly it's 2.5 years later. If you concentrate on just 3 rooms or even two, you can still have a lot of fun making the game without having to invest insane amounts of time... and the game can still be great! A con-*test*-('") would be a great idea Nige!

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Alright then I will try and make a one or two room game. Also Nige that con-*test*-('") is a good idea. Post a topic on it.

I'll see what Greg says first, I think it will be a nice little challenge for members to take on that are maybe struggling with ideas or just want to get something out there to show