Brief One - Palace Intrigue

Link here to the google document.

DYNASTY: RISING

 * Genre: Sci-Fi
 * Platform: PC/Console
 * Format: Singleplayer

Core Concept
This game is a futuristic sci-fi RPG action game taking place in a universe ruled by a number of powerful “Houses.”

The player’s goal will be to advance their role within their house to a leadership position by removing higher ranking npcs in their way.

The game will place a heavy focus on interaction between and within the houses. These interactions will provide the impetus for missions.

The user will be able to pick what missions they want to complete in order to gain different benefits also creating different story objectives. The user will interact with the different houses, spend resources and select missions from the hub area - “Elysium City”.

Some missions will be designed for the user to take a more pacifistic route, others may encourage action and combat in order to complete. These missions will be summarised into three categories of; Stealth, Action and Social.

As the users further their interactions with the other houses they will either create positive relationships or negative relationships.

Through positive relationships the user will create alliances with the other houses however if it is negative it will cause problems for the user and possibly create enemies. Through the alliances they create the user can unlock extra routes to complete missions.

The user will be sent to different parts of the star system in order to complete different missions. Each part of the star system will be occupied by different houses with their own culture and goals.

Art style
The art style of the game will be of a dark and gritty theme.  The colour themes will consist of washed out colours and strong blacks, creating an overall darker colour palette.  This will convey a serious and grown up feel to the user. The game will also feature sharp lens flares that contrast the darkness.

World
Each family house in the game will have their own suburb controlled exclusively by them with some operatives within being sent out to set up shop and underground markets to try take back territory once owned.

The world of Dynasty: Rising is controlled by six powerful “Houses” whose control spreads through most of the charted star systems. The centre of their power lies in the sprawling metropolis known as Elysium. Here, the most prominent members of the Houses plot and scheme against the other Houses and members of their own as they vie for power. Each House controls their own district in the city of Elysium where the player will be able to find and interact with its members.

The war for power takes its toll on the less fortunate in the universe. This is reflected in the architecture and living conditions of the masses who live in decrepit superstructures that tower into the sky contrasting with the pristine, luxurious districts controlled by the Houses.

The worlds beyond Elysium are many and varied. Entire planets dedicated to farming, mining or manufacturing. Unkempt worlds of ocean or jungle or desert sometimes home to research installations or exploratory colonies where the houses look for further means to expand their reach.

Above all the world of Dynasty: Rising is a dangerous one. One where even the closest allies may be working to betray each other. A player will need to be ahead of the competition every step of the way if they are to succeed.

The Houses
Supreme House the player tries to supplant;
 * House Apex - Political Dynasties, Administration, Law-making

The 5 main houses the player can choose to join at the start of the game;
 * House Agris - Farming, Bio-research, Chemical production
 * House Argent - Banks, Economy, Trading
 * House Legius - Military, Security, Colonisation
 * House Ferrus - Construction, Ship-building, Manufacture
 * House Siren - Media, Communication, Entertainment

Possible Lesser/Unofficial Houses;
 * House Umbra - Espionage, Assassination, Sabotage
 * House Vagrant - Organised Crime, Smuggling, General Thuggery
 * House Gladius - Weapons, R&D, Cybernetics

Core Gameplay Elements
The player assumes the role of the protagonist from an third-person perspective, and may control their movements through the gameworld.

Over the course of Dynasty: Rising, the player amasses various pieces of equipment to aid them in achieving their goals. Listed below are some of the various tools available to the player during gameplay:

Weapons Tech
 * Used during combat missions to neutralise opposing forces
 * Can be augmented and upgraded to enhance performance
 * Various weapon types
 * Melee Weapons
 * Bladed, Blunt and Improvised
 * Ranged Weapons
 * Light, Heavy and Thrown
 * Equipment that can be used across all missions with various effects
 * Nano-toxin charges
 * Placeable devices that discharge when opposing forces are in close proximity, rendering nearby NPCs unconscious
 * Portable Grav-Well
 * Device that temporarily re-aligns gravity for everything within its cone of influence
 * Can propel entrants across gaps or to high platforms
 * Can hurl entrants into surfaces at high speeds, dealing damage
 * And many more!

During Dynasty: Rising, players will also be able to engage in a stealth mechanic to avoid detection by other entities, based on the protagonist’s interaction with in-world technology such as camera drones, as well as opposing entities encountered during missions. The extent the player is successfully hidden is measured in three distinct levels, indicated to the player through the game’s user interface. The following factors will affect the stealth level of the player:
 * Visibility levels as affected by fog, smoke, mist
 * Light levels
 * Obstructions between protagonist and entities

Phases of Play
The Gameplay can be split into two distinct phases - the overworld, and mission phases - each with their own associated mechanics.

Overworld Phase
During the overworld phase the player has access a central hub location that facilitates interaction with houses, vendors and a mission map. The hub is a fully explorable urban environment set in the centre of Elysium City, as outlined in the World section. Whilst in this phase, the player experiences the world through a  third-person perspective view, but is unable to access any of the character’s abilities or weapons.

The following gameplay elements can be encountered and interacted with during the overworld phase:
 * Credits-based acquisitions and transactions
 * Buying and selling items and equipment
 * Making house-centric investments
 * Claiming mission rewards
 * Augmenting equipment
 * Assigning upgrades to equipment for use in mission phase
 * Mission browsing and selection
 * Mission browser
 * Various mission types
 * Action missions
 * Stealth mission
 * Social missions
 * House interactions
 * Reputation-based interactions
 * Forging inter-house alliances and feuds

Mission Phase
The Mission phase is a section of the game that is accessible from a city overview screen in the Overworld phase, during which the player explores and interacts in a location separate to the central hub. During this phase the player retains the third-person perspective, and has access to all their equipment and abilities.

Through interacting with the main storyline and the different NPCs in the Overworld phase, the player can gain access to ‘Missions’ - quests the player undertakes with the aim of achieving certain objectives. These Missions are split into three specific types depending on their objectives - Action, Stealth and Social missions. Whilst missions are split into the three categories, mission types can dynamically change dependent on the player’s actions. Whilst a mission’s original type provides the player rewards related to the faction that granted it, the player’s actions can change the mission type, causing them to gain reputation with other factions. During the mission phase, players may utilise the various equipment and tools acquired throughout the game.