Sierra Kilo

Overview:

I would like to create a virtual world that functions on its own, allow players to interact with this world, and offer many ways for them to do so. A player who joins the world on opening day will have his work cut out for him. Everything will be fresh, unnamed, undiscovered, and unexplored. As new players join, the world they step into will have been established by those who joined before them. Much like the children in The Lord of the Flies, the players will carve out their own existence in a new place.

Setting:

Sometime in the future, mankind set out into the vastness of space to colonize new planets. Certain planets were selected as the best match for human survival. While none were exactly like our Earth, all of them were habitable with a little work. Teams were sent out with equipment to terraform the planets and increase livable conditions. Soon after, the first settlers arrived to stake their claim. You are one of the first.

Much like early settlers on Earth, you have little more than what you have brought with you for survival: clothes on your back and a few basic tools. With the exception of the atmospheric processing stations that are scattered around the planet and the debarkation zone for new arrivals, the colony planets are wild and untamed. It is up to you and your fellow settlers to carve an existence from this clean slate.

You will need to make use of the natural materials found on your new home planet. You will need to rely on your basic skills, hone them, and learn new skills to survive. Hunt indigenous wildlife for food, clothing, and whatever else you can fashion together. Survey the land for resources such as water, metal, and other minerals. Experiment with those minerals to find the best area for farming. Defend your new home from claim jumpers, or become a bandit, yourself. Find strength in numbers by joining a community or form your own. Could you live in the confines of that community’s self-sustained government, or will you strike out on your own?

Life on the fringe is not completely unforgiving, however. Periodic visits from traveling merchants can save you from starvation and keep you up-to-date with the latest technologies, provided you have something valuable to trade. Corporate sponsors are also happy to keep your belly full in exchange for mining or other rights.

Features:

• PvE and PvP conflict
• Sentient creatures are governed by A.I. rules that allow them to react organically, protecting their young, their lair, and their territory.
• Creatures also have to survive. They will hunt for food sources, possibly affecting crops or attacking players and other creatures.
• PvP is only governed by in-game means. There are no artificial restrictions such as flags or levels, however, corporate-sponsored non-player law officials are very efficient.
• Players can post in-game or RMT bounties on PKers, thieves, and other unsavory characters.
• Non-player law officials are efficient, but also governed by A.I. rules that allow them to react organically, so it is possible to fight (or out-smart) the law.
• Player-created communities, cities, and governments
• Limited resources for community organization exist in-game
• Most interaction is handled through roleplay and external sources such as fansites
• An API is provided to allow interaction between in-game and external sources
• RSS feeds from external sites can be displayed in-game with special objects
• User data such as avatar appearance and other public information can be integrated into external sources.
• Sandbox-style gameplay as well as developer- and player-created content
• A system-driven “Help Wanted” feature allows players to contract-out for different tasks
• Pick up/Drop off (i.e. Fed Ex) tasks
• Apprehension/Assassination (i.e. Bounty) tasks
• Collection (i.e. “I need 5 units of metal”) tasks
• Guard duty (i.e. “Watch my crops”) tasks
• The same system gives players access to tasks from non-player characters
• Scheduled and random live developer-driven events
• Random bandit or creature raids on groups of players offer a nice surprise
• Scheduled server-wide events help establish an on-going story arc
• Real money trading (RMT) and tiered subscription plans provide in-game perks without spoiling the experience
• Players can use real money to subscribe to a higher tier game service. This service gives the player free or discounted goods and services in-game.
• Players who use this service must also trade some in-game rights (such as land and mining rights) for use by their “corporate sponsor”, or perform various tasks before they can make use of these perks.
• Hiring a bounty hunter to apprehend a thief costs real money, but you will also need to perform some of the legwork to track the felon down.
• A living virtual world where climate and environment can affect gameplay
  • Crops, creatures, and resources are affected by climate and the environment
  • Deforestation could cause creatures to venture into player farms for food, strip-mining could cause soil to be less effective and crops to fail, over-hunting one creature could cause an overpopulation of another
  • Players must eat, drink, take shelter, and clothe themselves properly to survive. Hunger, thirst, and exposure are dangers that each settler must face. Draught, famine, and disease can affect the players significantly.
  • New, wild creatures and vegetation are abundant on these new planets, but there is only one way to determine how safe they are to consume: players will need to explore and experiment to determine the effects of the resources.
• Easily access parts of the game without the main client
  • The game API allows players to create their own external interface to the game
  • Create a web-based interface for access from any browser
  • Create a mobile interface for phones or PDAs
  • Create your own mini-client software or widget
  • Once a partnership is created through the main client using a special key, external sources can manipulate different aspects of the game through the API
  • Chat with other players (requires an in-game communicator device)
  • Adjust or display the rate of various automated in-game equipment (requires compatible in-game equipment)
  • Access the “Help Wanted” or auction system
  • Receive SMS text messages about the progress of long-running automated in-game tasks
  • Subscribe to public RSS feeds relating to story arcs, weather forecasts, and other in-game news
  • Search a wiki for information about the world and contribute your own information