The Night Angel Trilogy (as a legitimate videogame)

[Victor Johnson]

I wasn't surprised to find this topic here. While I think that its a great idea to not only promote the books, but also add to the user-created content for Morrowind, I have a slightly different agenda.

When I got into the second book, I saw great potential for a console (possibly a PC too) game. Upon reading the third book, I saw it as a challenge and (with the proper amount of work done) a successful franchise.

I have a rather light (in my opinion) background in game design. I can easily come up with gameplay mechanics and concepts for just about every aspect of the story, which would likely follow Kylar from Azoth/Kylar from beginning to end.

I have prior work experience in the games industry. I was a tester, but I worked with the designers and learned quite a bit from them, though not as much as I would've liked. Getting back on topic, I still have a few of those contacts, so issues and questions can get some kind of response. While I can't guarantee professional development, I think it would be a fun endeavor.

Who knows, once the design doc is complete, Mr. Weeks may just find a publisher/developer to pick it up and finish it.

So, I guess what I'm looking for now is an artist and or 3D renderer to help bring some of this to life. Publishers love content after all. I can't say that anyone who's involved would ever see a dime for the work, personally I just want to flex my design muscles and see if I can hack it.

Anyone interested in helping out with Project Night Angel?

Mr. Weeks, what do you think? If some of your fans presented you with a (near)complete design document in a few months would you be interested in trying to find someone to create a game out of it?

This would strictly be a "whenever you have the spare time" kinda project. More for fun, less for profit, but if there's a payment at the end I doubt anyone would decline it haha.

Alright, I'm done babbling. Discuss!

[Victor Johnson]

P.S. Told you guys I'd get back to you :D

[Aidan West]

the kakari seems to have two main forms, the claws that kylar used for climbing and the punchdagger that comes up frequently. are both going to be involved in the game and if so is that going to be the extent of forms that the kakari can make or are u going to extend it beyond just the forms mentioned throughout the storyline? also kylar disguises himself a few times is that going to be involved in a way similar to hitman where u can steal clothes or are u not going to involve the disguises in the game? What u said about the safehouses being possible to become destroyed sounds really cool because it sounds like that could drastically change gameplay, and it would be cool to have the landscape change over time as the story progresses (lots of khalidorians after they invade, possibly they could be similar to the guards from assasins creed in gameplay, guild rats in the warrens would be an interesting aspect as well).

If you are having a minigame for poisons will that include healing herbs as well? and otherwise what will the system to regain health be?

and thinking visually a really interesting place will be the wolf's antechamber. Visually this is going to be creative brilliant stunning. I kinda think of it as a long narrow hallway, kings throne at the end with the wolf in it, high castle walls but colored like they could be made of flesh and masks on all the walls that are screaming or mimicking or mocking kylars emotions or the wolfs.

[Victor Johnson]

Aye, as the story progresses the landscape should definitely change to reflect the damage done to Cenaria from the Khalidorian occupation. As for the ka'kari's "minor" uses (wall climbing, augements in strength and agility, etc.) those powers will likely have no real drawback. Something you purchase once and don't have to upgrade (claws) or two or three upgrades before max level (jumping height for example)

Health regain would be what's standard in games today, which is the gradual recovery of health through time. Since the ka'kari heals Kylar at a rapid rate, that could easily fit in the game without a problem.


The Antechamber reminds me moreso of the Architect's room from the third Matrix movie. Only in a more "ye olden times" kind of way. Its just an idea, it would definitely have to be one of the more interesting places for the Player to end up because you only see it so many times in the story.

[Alex Wyatt]

When it comes to main Gameplay, I can see where you're at when you talk about the DMC3 styles system. It was an innovative way to let the player play the way they wanted. With the stealth aspect pretty much for a theif/splintercell fusion (as far as I can tell), I think that when it comes to big time combat with hundreds of bodies to fight, Ninja gaiden 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJOUyHM3gik) is probably the most adaptable building block. Slowed down and ad...

[Victor Johnson]

Yeah, but how many times does Kylar fight a dozen baddies at once though?
I mean, I suppose it could still work for instances where there are a bunch of potential enemies onscreen at once.

I really need to get on the engine list and start trying to narrow things down.
Although this discussion did remind me about the Tenchu design, which was genius in its simplicity, and it handled multiple enemies fairly well... ideas are bubbling in my brains...

Slightly off topic, I read the e-mail I got on my phone for one of the replies wrong this morning. I saw it as "Brent Weeks has replied to the discussion" and nearly collapsed. I read it again and was sad face'd. Just thought I'd share that laugh at my expense haha.

[Aidan West]

the only time i can think of with kylar fighting tons of people at once is when he fights the khalidorian army when hes invisible, and i wonder how u could that into gameplay without being really easy and boring, because i dont imagine it would be incredible interesting to kill 200 enemies who cant see u or fight back, unless theres some twist. Also a point that HAS to be in the game and could be more just a lot of fun than anything else is the the sword tournament that kylar gets entered to. Also something i was thinking about if its based on a contract system who can u take contracts from? if u do a contract against the khalidorians it would be interesting if that actually impacted their control over cenaria, similar to how in prototype u destroy a military base theres no military control in the surronding area, except u could be assasinating a leader. And if the contracts are from both the sa'kage and other forces, if u take a contract that the sa'kage dont agree with could they call a hit on u? it could be an interesting point to the game and maybe, in the words of durzo blint, the best way to cancel a contract is to cancel the contract sender. I think it would be interesting if u could take contracts from various people and really affect whats going on, though obviously things that happen in the storyline would still have to happen so the changes couldnt be to drastic.

I feel your pain about the brent weeks thing though, im actually suprised he hasnt commented on this, but hes probably got stuff to do. Make sure you send him demos, pics, whatevs as soon as u got it though that would be cool

[Victor Johnson]

The variations are nearly endless, and its things like this that I'd love to hear back from Brent about just for the "Ok we're on the right track" idea.
I just got word from my friend who does the majority of my artwork that he might be able to help out with this. He's going to pick up the 1st book sometime this week. He sucks at deadlines sometimes though, trying to help him get better, but his work is great.

Soon there will be content, I can't believe we already have five pages of discussion though. Madness!

[Fipe Naz-Mero, JK]

And I'm sure that there will many pages more to come...

Question... Are you thinking of using the disguise ability for Kylar to become someone else? That could be part of the process of learning.

Comment... On the dying/coming-back-to-life issue, I would suggest the following. Time. The Wolf restrained Kylar to come back, so he had to wait some time. Maybe you can use that as a base. For example, you die, you loose time form the time and things have somewhat change. Not a lot but enough to make you go hmm.... something is amiss...

Just an idea...

[Victor Johnson]

That's the only real problem I'm having is with that.
It wouldn't make sense if Kylar was only resurrected in certain circumstances, the time idea sounds great, don't get me wrong. Lets not forget, everytime Kylar dies (SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!)someone he loves dies too. If you die forty times in-game how does that rule get translated?

I'm gonna hit the drawing board tonight and make a nice little list of concepts and see what you guys think. I'm sure there's a way to make this work.

[Richard]

put meisters and vurdmesiters with the khalidorians

[Fipe Naz-Mero, JK]

If that is the case, then I would suggest the following. Try to make Kylar make friends with many people, and then be able to select who will be the one to be "sacrificied", because random might actually hurt you more. That way you will need to have friends in order to die. If you ran out of friends, then you go back to the last saved position. Where you had friends...

Just an idea...

[Aidan West]

that is a major problem i get what fipe is saying but in my opinion kylar isnt someone who would have a lot of friends and adding a ton of them could kinda ruin the storyline. But what if instead of just friends and people he personally cares about what if its people who share his ideals? how about everytime u die a cenarian officer or a guild rat die and the khalidorans press more into cenaria. Make none of these officers big characters, maybe a few could be and then the only real main characters that need to die when kylar does can be the ones that do die in the storyline... just a thought. and what is the system of death going to be BEFORE the ka'kari?