Ghosthunter Chronicles

[daangelo29 5]

My mod project's going well, but I'm still far away from releasing a public beta. Aside from the code work, I'm also running out of ideas concerning the game mechanics and the storyline, so I'll need help on this.

Overview/Intro:

Ghosthunter Chronicles will be a Half-Life modification which will serve as a prequel mod to the original PlayStation 2 game Ghosthunter. I admire (most of) the originality of the Ghosthunter, being that different to Ghostbusters. Aside from being a tribute to the game, making this mod is for me to experiment with other applicable genres and elements for such type of game, and know what Ghosthunter will be like with these elements implemented.

The mod's plot, which takes place 2 years prior to the events of Ghosthunter, revolves around Daniel Anderson Ravens, a Detriot detective and an undercover CIA agent who was just sent for an undercover mission to Montsaye High School to spy on Professor Kenneth Brooke, who was suspected to be behind the recent murders of the students where not a single evidence is left behind for the police to find. Everything goes well during the mission, until one night the very murderer he was looking for attempted to kill him, and he was knocked-out and killed before his identity was even exposed.

Days later, after waking up from a canister in a strange-looking laboratory, he found out that Professor Kenneth Brooke is actually a member of a 12-year old secret research group (or cult due to its great secrecy) called "Ghosthunters" who are dedicated to paranormal research, the development of "ghost technology" and, as what the name suggests, the hunt for ghosts. He also finds out that the professor, the leader of the Ghosthunters, already knows that the CIA is after him and tries to take down the real murderer, who what the members of the group described as a "hostile ghost on the loose", before it is too late.

Resurrected from the dead and given ghost powers thanks to "ghost technology" but now presumed dead by the CIA who then sends another agent to take his place, Daniel Ravens has no choice but to join the Ghosthunters, hoping to find Professor Kenneth Brooke and solve this case before the other agent does, otherwise the Ghosthunters will be completely discovered and exposed.

Features in Ghosthunter Chronicles:

- 1st-person shooting gameplay (of course)

- Various artillery = includes new ones and old ones, ranging from small handguns to rocket launchers and grenades, and from guns we know and have today to ghost-technological guns

- Ghost abilities = new ones and old ones; can be used directly by the character itself unlike in Ghosthunter

- Dynamic environments / New physics = other than realistic environments with realistically-movable doors, cabinets, windows, books and office stuff, the entire environments themselves will be mostly movable and dynamic, which will help stir up the plot and the gameplay. If I'm successful at all of these physics code, it will be almost like experiencing Half-Life 2 in Half-Life 1.

- Darker and logic-driven gameplay (this idea is inspired by the HL mod Afraid of Monsters: DC) = Unlike Ghosthunter, the horror genre of the mod will be completely Resident Evil and Silent Hill-based, so surprise attacks, lights turning off and on by themselves and other unexpected and scary stuff are very likely to occur in the game. Also, the mod will be an equivalent to the game Portal -- you'll need to solve mind puzzles in order to continue. In short, the gameplay will be a blend of horror and puzzle-solving. Also, this allows me to have "multiple endings" for the mod, while still making each ending canonical or completely connected to the original game.

- "Ghost State" (a la Super Saiyan, Danny Phantom & Soul Reaver lol) = a sub-mode with its own artillery, game mechanics and an entirely-different gameplay that is triggered while playing which allows more twists to the game; it will be more like playing an entirely-different mod, without leaving the GC mod, straying off from the storyline and having to difficulty switch back

If my mod becomes a success, I'll be willing to make another mod, this time it'll be for Half-Life 2 and it will be a sequel to both the game and the mod. Already have plans for it, too.

Any good ideas you want to suggest? If necessarily, I'll provide more info about the mod for you guys to give more help (with the exception of the mod's source code, even a bit of info about it). The one who will give the most help, with or without coding/scripting knowledge, will be entitled the mod's co-creator.

Info about the original game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosthunter

[♠Grim♂ Reaper 1666◙ 17]

have a ghost realm

[daangelo29 5]

have a ghost realm

A ghost realm is already planned. It's a part of the "Ghost State" mode -- once this mode is triggered, the main character (Daniel Ravens) becomes a Super Saiyan-like person with white upright glowing hair, glowing eyes, a white aura, enhanced ghost powers (a la Danny Phantom, excluding flight abilities) and superhuman capabilities. The characters in the game call him a "superpsychic" during this state. During the transformation from normal Ravens to Ghost State Ravens, the character slowly enters the ghost realm, where the environment is twisted beyond recognition, just like in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.

The Ghost State Mode will be having entirely-different game mechanics. Switching to this mode is like switching from a Resident Evil game to a Dragonball Z-equivalent game, and you all know how DBZ games rock.

The problem about the Ghost State is that it ain't triggerable by free will, controllable or rather user-friendly -- the Ghost State triggers or activates by itself at an unexpected time in the game. You can expect having unlimited amount of Ghost Energy to use for your ghost powers, as well as enhanced abilities, but the type of difficulty you'll have when playing the Ghost State overall depends on your status before you "go ghost".

[♠Grim♂ Reaper 1666◙ 17]

there should also be a portal for mortals to travel to the ghost realm where (only there soul is taken to the ghost realm and there body is left in stasis untill they return.

[daangelo29 5]

there should also be a portal for mortals to travel to the ghost realm where (only there soul is taken to the ghost realm and there body is left in stasis untill they return.

I can't apply portals. It doesn't fit in with the plot of the mod and the original game as well as how the game Ghosthunter describes ghosts and ghost realms. Since this is going to be a prequel mod, I need to stay true to the original game as much as possible.

I like the idea on how the soul would only be taken to go to the ghost realm, but that'll be copying the concept in the original game Ghosthunter -- the main protagonist (Lazarus Jones, who's also a Detriot cop) depends on another spirit who possesses him named "Astral" who projects from Lazarus' body to do tasks that can only be done with ghost powers. While the player controls Astral, Lazarus is left sort of "unarmed" since he requires Astral possessing him to be able to see ghosts since he doesn't have a third eye of his own.

In Ghosthunter Chronicles, Daniel Ravens will be Lazarus Jones and Astral combined -- he can use ghost artillery, use (Astral's) ghost powers by himself, and see ghosts. He'll be like the most ultimate psychic ghost hunter (well that's what my friend said about my mod lol).

I think entering the ghost realm via Ghost State is OK. Aside from the features, can you suggest anything to the characters and the plot? I'll be posting the summary of the story as well as the list of characters soon.

[ELBdelorean 2]

I like the idea of making it a HL2 mod But...sorry...never heard of Ghosthunters

[daangelo29 5]

I like the idea of making it a HL2 mod But...sorry...never heard of Ghosthunters

Since the original game is not that well-known I am planning to feature Ghosthunter in Ghosthunter Chronicles. It will be an unlockable after finishing the single-player game. All you need is load the saved game you made during the credits then you'll end up in a menu that makes you choose between Ghosthunter Chronicles and Ghosthunter. The Ghosthunter scenario will be a bit different, since it's going to be 1st-person shooter unlike the original, and the game/plot won't be complete, though as if it's a demo.

As for the HL2 mod, this should only come after Ghosthunter Chronicles since I'll have to master C++ coding first before going to HL2. It will be named "Ghosthunter Unleashed". It's a sequel of both the game and the mod, and the plot will take place sometime in year 2007. The protagonist will still be Daniel Ravens, who's now on a case to find a missing senator, Jane Kenton, who mysteriously disappeared 5 months ago and the CIA and the government has been worried sick since she carries top-secret files that, when discovered by others, can cause a nuclear war.

In Ghosthunter Unleashed, stuff from the original game like the Dagger of Poseidon and the Alcatraz prison will make an appearance. Lazarus Jones, the protagonist of the original game, will also make a cameo.

Info about the original game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosthunter

[daangelo29 5]

Better close this then since I've got the right info I need.

But I'll be posting another Ghosthunter Chronicles topic soon, so there's still a chance one of you guys will be the one of the co-creators of the mod.

[daangelo29 5]

Open again.

I'm still looking for a font that matches the Ghosthunter text or a font similar to the text below:

Can anyone help me on this?

[crazyjointje 0]

Don't you like this one better? http://www.dafont.com/guttural.font?text=ghosthunter

[crazyjointje 0]

Or this http://www.dafont.com/el-font-gohtic.font?text=ghosthunter

[daangelo29 5]

They're nice fonts, but I'll need something as simple as the font of the text in the pic.