indy rpg preference

[Mastermind]

So, I decided to go back to school in September due to shitty job prospects. At best I'll manage to grab a part time job until then which means I have quite a bit of time on my hands. Which also means I'd like to get back into game development (by which I mean actually finish a game ).

I've thought about making a roguelike but I think I can get a little more meat out of a more static world RPG, if only to have some prospect of getting into the game development industry, even if it's just as a level designer. Anyway, since my resources are rather limited the options available are as follows:

1) Real time single player dungeon crawler hack and slash (like TES Arena). The character system would be a little more complex and better balanced, and I'd like to use pre-set monsters and a pre-made (much smaller) world, but the basic gameplay would be similar. This would probably be the easiest for me to make.

2a) turn-based isometric. party based. Like fallout only with party control.
2b) turn-based isometric. also party based. The difference is that I will be using a combat screen instead of having the combat take place on the adventure screen. I've always wanted a RPG with combat similar to HOMM IV so I'd be aiming for something like that.

3) rtwp isometric party based. like baldur's gate or torment.

4) first person party based M&M clone (thinking M&M6-9 here). This could be either the second easiest or the hardest to make. primarily turn based, though i liked the RT option for quickly getting through thrash mobs so I'll likely offer both.

I haven't decided on the setting yet. I've been designing a huge RPG for a while now but I wouldn't try to tackle that without a full development team, though I could make a small game to introduce the setting. At the same time high magic fantasy has been done to death and low magic fantasy pisses me off, so I might try something completely different. Either way, the actual gameplay mechanics are my main concern now, so I'll wait and see what input I get first.

 

[Mastermind]

I've decided on a sci fi setting (which I've also been working on, though not nearly as much as the fantasy one). Though the setting itself is fairly high in both technology and mysticism, the game will take place on an isolated planet with low tech (think Alien rather than Star Trek) and very limited magic (as in you could go through the entire game and not run into it at all). The poll options remain the same. 1 and 4 might actually be more interesting and certainly pretty original in a non-fantasy setting actually.

 

[Charles-cgr]

Don't use stock art :D

 

[Zed]

I want someone to make an icewind dale-style game.

 

[Johannes]

Any of these except 1 pretty much, as long as the mechanics are well implemented.

 

[mondblut]

First person party based with separate TB isometric combat screen sounds like a good compromise.

Both topdown/iso and Wizardry 1 clones are being done to death already. A time is due for a new generation of Goldbox/Realms of Arkania lookalikes.

 

[Jaesun]

First person party based with separate TB isometric combat screen sounds like a good compromise.

Both topdown/iso and Wizardry 1 clones are being done to death already. A time is due for a new generation of Goldbox/Realms of Arkania lookalikes.

This. a million times this.

 

[Surf Solar]

Sounds neato. Was missing the option of "only controllable PC" - TB Isometric.

 

[Mastermind]

Sounds neato. Was missing the option of "only controllable PC" - TB Isometric.

The fewer AIs I have to script the better.