vendredi 4 janvier 2013

Welcome on Mars 208

This blog is about a fictionnal video-game..on Mars.. in 2085!


It is set during the early years of Mars terraformation. The game-world is the size of a small country, and is organized as concentric rings with each featuring a climat type inspired of earth environements.

The game mecanisms and gameplay is inspired by ideas picked-here and there from various famous games already published like Skyrim, Deux-Ex HR, Far-cry 3, Hawken, Zelda, BadPiggies,Battlefield BC2 and 3, SplinterCell,Mercenaries,etc.

It's a diversified interactive living open-world with weather change and effects, night and days. FPS, Adventure, Infiltration, hunting, exploration, vehicules, creatures and giants robots.

For the game world to feel "realistic" in-game depicted technologies are based on possible evolutions of today already existing technologies.

all images used belongs to their owners, this blog involve no money nor any profts or commercial promotions. If anyone want a picture to be removed, just say it :)

for now as the project evolved a bit, i preffered to write it in french (then i will translate it later, or not.)

so for more details on the project feel free to visit : http://mars2085.blogspot.fr/

Game story plot


" My story start in 2075, I won at a lotery celebrating the 100th flight to Mars.
The prize was a ticket for a an all-inclusive year trip at the best hotel of the red planet.

 Mars terraformation has been started in 2030.
Mars terraformation in 2030
For now only a very small portion of the planet is breathable but it already feature a few luxury hotels.

the trip to Mars was supposed to take 1 year. 6 months after the launch we loosed contact with Earth and  Mars, the programmed auto-pilot was still functionnal and we reached Mars in time.

but we did not found what we where expecting."


Mars was also left alone by the earth and no transmissions has been received since 6 month.

The population on Mars is composed by millionaires tourists hotels staffs, scentists, workers and military forces where employed to secure and manage the terraformation process and devellopement.



Human military units are assisted by robotic defense units wich also on mars for testing



 Scentists and biologists introduced on the planet a very divesified environement wich include many wild animals, plants and tree species of all kind imported from earth to sustain and recreate a balanced  ecosystem.



As the money stopped from incoming from earth many where forced to left their jobs
and start a new career to survive the crisis or make extra cash. The army wich was set there to maintain the order and manage the terraformation operations went bad, some mens decided to run their own rebellion to take over Mars, they stole weapons wich they use or sell them to the blackmarket or to the pirates.


Their goal is simple, domination by fear and violence. Some of the soldiers in hotels are good guys and decided to protect the civilians but since most of the military bases and outpost has been captured, it's getting harder to fight against their old brothers.

Hotels are turned into small fortified villages
some rooms are now used as shops, swimming-pools are used to store living fishs as food is getting rare and expensive, souvenirs shops now sells improvised weapons for defense, medical supplies, canned food, and sometimes (used) real weapons that some soldiers traded for food.

Some improvised themselves as "pirates" stealing and sometimes murdering, they live in caves or in raided hotels and outpost.


some decided to live deep in the forests, preffering to deal with wild animals than with gun wielding-money-starving humans, they are called the "hippie tribe" or "The Zonians 2.0"

in this place everything and everybody has a price! and well i had no money at this time. wich was a kind of gift, as i wasn't worthing much, i was totally ignored by everyone, contrary to the other passengers who where captured for ransom as they were rich millionaires.

the only thing I remember of my "arrival" was a voice i heard :

- "throw this one out, the record said he's not worthing much"

a moment later woke up in large field of grass in a pretty bad shape i was comtemplating the magnificience of the environement. Then a car hitted me by the left.

my eyes are closing again but i can hear a voice :

- "OMG what was he doing here?? did i just killed someone?? OMG mister, do you hear me??"

I woke up this time in a confortable hotel room, i was thinking everything was just a dream..
then the doors openend and i saw a young women, she said :

Your alive! good.. well let me explain...

then she told me everything she knowed, and a bit about her she's a famous field reporter sent there to investigate and report about "the backstage of Marsian tourisms" she told me she was on something "bigger". But she can't told me about yet, as we barely know each others i could be a spy or stuff like that.. (years on the field turned her a bit paranoid)



during a week she showed me how the system work, how to hunt to earn money, where i can find better equipement, wich creature i should avoid, wich i should hunt she wrote me a quick"survival guide to Mars under crisis" and sent me as a spy in  a near captured outpost

when in the place only a few guards where still there and I discovered that the others wen to the hotel Capturing my friend!

i have to save her! damm she's the hottest girl i know on this crazy planet! And she's kinda smart! lol

end of basic tutorial - main quest is starting

1 - find or steal a weapon,

2 - hunt and make little cash

3 - buy training lessons for some basic stealth moves / hand to hand fighting skills at the dojo or some aiming skills with a guard

4 - investigate and explore Mars

5 - get better skills, items and armors, discover many cool place

6 - meet and help peoples, free outposts prisonners to earn quick cash, get hidden treasure locations, safer the area, capturing enemies alive will grant the nearest hotel better quality items, faster recover, and discount prices. As the hotel will employ your prisonners to the good cause.

7 - survive in harsh environement

8 - use the environement and weather as a strategic advantage

9 - getting respect and support from the people, and be a major enemy for the "baddies"

10 - defeat or capture all the pirates leaders

11 - defeat or capture all the army renegades leaders

12 - defeat or capture the evil mind behind the evil project

11 - save the girl

12 - free Mars from the embargo

Life on Mars

Mars terraformation has started since 50 years now, the planet has been left on her own since. 
for now only a portion of the planet is breathable, this unique ecosystem has his start point on the top of a cold and icy mountain as the athmosphere slowly propagate thru the environement several marqued steps has appeard like "rings" arround the terraformation start point .


Center - Tundra

the first step (the start point) is covered by ice, cold rivers and dark forests with a chalet style small lodges 













First loop - Tempered

The first loop is tempered and florished forest and plains)  it's where the main spaceport is and a few residentials hotels and shopping centers.







Second loop - Equatorial

the second ring is covered with swamps and mangrove and has no hotel installations. However some said this place has an oasis somewhere with the purest water of the galaxy





Third loop - Tropical

the third ring feature a dense jungle with an hotel hanging in the trees and end with a tropical coastline and feature of course an hotel on the beach





Fourth loop - Acid valley

the fourth ring is a desolated acid swamp area
full of giant squeletons and strangely quiet by day.
If you dare to pass here by night you will find lethal monsters. They fear light and can be defeated only by using fire, so don't forget to bring a lamp and your favorite flamethrower. Or you can go stealth and use distractions to keep their attention away..





 Fifth loop - Desert

the fifth ring is the original planet form, a red desert
it's for now the farther place the oxygen has reach.

Environements gameplay : Desert



So about the desert part :

well it's a rocky desert with sand storms, sometimes acid rains, caves, abandonned village underground river and survivors camps.

 Fauna : 

hostile day :
desert snakes, wild dingos packs, rolling stones scorpions, vultures, sand worms.

Hostile night :
Giant sand worms, sand sharks packs, bats clouds

Hostile in caves : desert snakes, bats, spiders, blind crocodiles

Hunt loot :

Dingo skin : craft lightweight bags and pouch
Sand worms hearths : restore health and stamina
Scorpions and snakes : poisons : paralysis / death
Spiders : poison : sleep, blinding
Bats : night vision potion
Shark skin : craft medium bags
Giant sand worms : craft large  carrying bags

Friendly : mounts

Wild desert horse:
Pro : extra carry weight , Fast , Feed automatically , low distant noise, small animals flee onsight
Cons : difficult to catch alive ( trap with spider sleep poison ) flee/panic in battle, had to be trained first (skillbook required) 
favorite meal of giant sand worms.

Wild camel:
Slower than the wild horse but with twice stamina regen and increased carry capacity
Favorite meal of desert sharks.


Mechs /vehicules :

Sand reaver: a solar powered hover board!
The best way to cover medium distance in no-time!
Pro: Very low noise emition, fast as a horse, some said it can go over the acid river
Cons : can't be used and charged in the same time, no carry weight possibilities, can be damaged/ disabled/repaired.

Stormrider : (explaination coming soon..)













Gameplay : Armors types

SGT by sttheo from CGHUB



Outfits  and armors types



Advanced Clothes and leathers


Pros :
- minimal footstep noise when walking, running, jumping.
- low stamina consumption and increased physical abilities : running / jumping / swimming
- low stamina loss in hot weather conditions

Cons :
- very low damage absorbtion
- medium stamina consumption under cold weather conditions
- alls dangerous animals, creatures and enemies won't hesitated to attack you if sighted too close
- very cold water swimming is  lethal
- not fire-firendly


Best for : Stealth gameplay / Desert, Jungles, plains


Advanced light armors






Pros :
- medium footstep noise ( moves noises detected within a 3m radius)
- medium stamina consumption and normal physical abilities
- medium stamina loss in hot weather conditions
- medium damage absorbtion
- small creatures and animals will flee on sight, or cause 0 damage
- no stamina consumption under cold weather conditions

Cons :
- medium and large creatures will still attacks you if sighted
- cold water swimming consume a lot of stamina and then health.
- not-fire friendly

Best for : balanced gameplay / Cold forest, Swamps


Advanced Heavy-armor / implants


- Pros :
- internal abilities : spotlights / thermal vision
- heavy damage absorbtion
- Oxygen reserve for space / fire / underwater / magma situations on full closed armors
- jump and reactors ( replace the run / jump)
- fast walk speed
- increased accuracy with heavy-weapons

Cons :
- make a lot of noise when you move
- each feature consume the battery (wich slowly recover, or can be refilled)
- if the battery reach 0 the armor loose all its abilities for 5 seconds and you cannot move
- if battery reach 0 underwater or in space/ fire/magma /you die
- IEM charge discharge the battery to 0


















HUD : smart contact lens


Items has to be bought, crafted with receipes or found randomly by exploring or by completing tasks and missions.

well it's 2085 so a smartlens are the new smartphones it's the base item everybody own,
as it can contain and display in glorious augmented-reality usefull Apps.
For immersive purpose most of HUD elements can be toggled in the HUD options :
AUTO-HIDE / ALWAYS ON / OFF.

Be carreful tough, an IEM charge will temporarry disable you smart lens system.

By the way on Mars you will need to get some Mars specific Apps for it to be usefull they can be purchased in stores, or stolen/hacked :

  • Exploration Apps :


    Map :
    Allow the player to see where he is in the world and set destination markers in some vehicules it will display a voiced GPS . Maps of army-bases and outposts can't be obtained to regular shops tough.

    Weather Forecast :
    The player can plan an attack with the best weather option, for example on some outpost, electrified barriers are disabled during raining storms, wich also can hide your steps noise. Exploring desert during cosmic-radiations storms is not advised without protection,etc..

    To-do:
    Displays active quests

    Calendar:
    Displayed achieved quests

    Photo:
    Zoom and take a screenshot! (can be a togglable to a UI-free freeze-freecam for cool action pics to share!) (can be used by weak players to easing spotting)
  • Combat Apps :


    Crosshair :
    usefull for ranged weapon users!

    Noise radius meter :
    Display the distance and level of noise you cast

    Light exposure meter :
    Display your visibility considering light and shadows

    Stamina and health meter :
    Displayed as % or bars
  •  Special Apps :


    Infrared-vision :
    You can sight better in dark areas! Classic!

    Thermal vision :
    you can spot any nearby heating sources, even thru thin wall! living creatures, engines, fires..

    Vector vision :
    if your eyes can't see or have to be closed (thick fog / blinding light) use the sensors-vision it's not very accurate but it's better than nothing in some case! (visually it looks like how kinect see you: monochromatic projected points in space)

Weapon : Grappling gun


Should be a portable version of this thing.

Graplling once acquired allow a new set of abilities to the player, by the way it won't lift any heavy-armored player anywhere.

Weapon type: One-handed
Projectile-drop: Very-high
Shooting mode : press fire to shot / if locked you will be propulsed to the hitted spot.
Ammo: unlimited

Within the limited range of the rope with your harpoongun you can :

1 - Reach areas the player could not climb on, natural or artificial however some surface might be too hard for the grappling to pierce or to hang to

2 - Kill a target, but if lighter than you It will then take It to you while its still alive and screaming in pain so watchout of last grenade moves. However some enemies bodies can be used as anchor if heavy enough to lift you up or down.