Technology:
After giving it some thought, I prefer low res graphics to high res. High res graphics are harder to animate, and what typically happens is that the sprites have to lose quite a bit of detail that is oftentimes "suggested" by low res sprites. Therefore, a high res game would most likely have a cartoony look if it is done without pre-rendered sprites. Quite like KQ7 and Space Quest 6. Low res graphics OTOH have a more nostalgic feel to them (take a look at Mega Man 9 for the Wii), and they can be used to convey a sort of realism with less effort than the high res counterparts.
I quite prefer the classic VGA Sierra interface for adventure games; it's fairly intuitive. I say if small children can figure out Mixed-Up Mother Goose, then it's fine.
Simplified interfaces like Myst don't really feel intuitive. Instead, it feels like I'm just walking around looking for buttons to constantly push. Not much thought in that.
Setting:
Westerns just aren't interesting anymore. Kids don't want to grow up to be cowboys.
An oriental theme would be interesting, but please don't make it like Heart of China (overabundance of stereotypes). Stick only to what you KNOW, or at least are willing to go the extra mile to research.
Fantasy/Scifi/Mystery/Horror all sound great. There are two settings I would personally love to see a game in; a Blade Runner like contemporary scifi setting and a surrealist Roger Dean painting influenced setting (can be fantasy, scifi, horror, whatever!).
And the GAME itself:
I understand if you want to take a break from QfG like games after spending so much time with the remake. However, with today's GameFAQs loving generation of gamers, the QfG blueprint is the most likely to rope them in. KQ requires almost no need for good reflexes and offers no character customization. Not so with the QfG formula, but that's why the QfG games were so much more difficult to make. I believe it's worth the extra effort.
Good discussion about following the Hero Formula. It would be good to make the player feel "empowered" from the very beginning. Let him be able to easily take down a few dumb Saurus-ish monsters that yield only small rewards before feeding him to the big game, after reaching a certain milestone. Then escalate the difficulty/rewards of the monster encounters again after another milestone. Almost every popular game does this in some way.
I really like JonWW's idea of branching superclasses. A few "dark" (not necessarily evil) classes would be interesting to offset the "light" ones. Warlock for Magic User, Barbarian for Fighter and - since Rogue already has the Assassin - a Robin Hood like Ranger class. The next best thing to a Conquests of the Longbow sequel!
After giving it some thought, I prefer low res graphics to high res. High res graphics are harder to animate, and what typically happens is that the sprites have to lose quite a bit of detail that is oftentimes "suggested" by low res sprites. Therefore, a high res game would most likely have a cartoony look if it is done without pre-rendered sprites. Quite like KQ7 and Space Quest 6. Low res graphics OTOH have a more nostalgic feel to them (take a look at Mega Man 9 for the Wii), and they can be used to convey a sort of realism with less effort than the high res counterparts.
I quite prefer the classic VGA Sierra interface for adventure games; it's fairly intuitive. I say if small children can figure out Mixed-Up Mother Goose, then it's fine.
Simplified interfaces like Myst don't really feel intuitive. Instead, it feels like I'm just walking around looking for buttons to constantly push. Not much thought in that.
Setting:
Westerns just aren't interesting anymore. Kids don't want to grow up to be cowboys.
An oriental theme would be interesting, but please don't make it like Heart of China (overabundance of stereotypes). Stick only to what you KNOW, or at least are willing to go the extra mile to research.
Fantasy/Scifi/Mystery/Horror all sound great. There are two settings I would personally love to see a game in; a Blade Runner like contemporary scifi setting and a surrealist Roger Dean painting influenced setting (can be fantasy, scifi, horror, whatever!).
And the GAME itself:
I understand if you want to take a break from QfG like games after spending so much time with the remake. However, with today's GameFAQs loving generation of gamers, the QfG blueprint is the most likely to rope them in. KQ requires almost no need for good reflexes and offers no character customization. Not so with the QfG formula, but that's why the QfG games were so much more difficult to make. I believe it's worth the extra effort.
Good discussion about following the Hero Formula. It would be good to make the player feel "empowered" from the very beginning. Let him be able to easily take down a few dumb Saurus-ish monsters that yield only small rewards before feeding him to the big game, after reaching a certain milestone. Then escalate the difficulty/rewards of the monster encounters again after another milestone. Almost every popular game does this in some way.
I really like JonWW's idea of branching superclasses. A few "dark" (not necessarily evil) classes would be interesting to offset the "light" ones. Warlock for Magic User, Barbarian for Fighter and - since Rogue already has the Assassin - a Robin Hood like Ranger class. The next best thing to a Conquests of the Longbow sequel!