Meerkat Manor: The Game
Introduction:
Hi, it's hazzamon here. I'm new to the game making thread although I've been a member of P.C for nearly a year now. I had an idea about one of my favourite shows, Meerkat Manor, and was wondering "Wouldn't it be cool if it was a game?" You might not like the idea but I still hope I get support for it. If you would like to know more about Meerkat Manor look at the
official website or
here.
Basic Story:
The story follows along with the TV series with a few minor changes. For example, you take the place of a pup in the latest litter of Flower and Zaphod, the dominant male and female, and after a run-in with the rival group the Lazuils, your siblings are killed and you are the remaining pup. You follow the series and can pick choices in what happens. For example, instead of Shakespeare dying in an underground battle with the Lazulis, you can help protect him.
Here is a list of episodes if you still need more information.
Features I would like to have:
* A day and night system.
* A weather system such as a dry season and a wet season.
* Mini Games for certain events.
* Similar to the Sims, you build relationships with people and have different options to how you react to events.
* More human like characteristics by being able to learn attacks and building armour and weapons.
And probably more once I think them up.
The Health System:
Health will consist of three things:
Energy: During the night you can sleep but can venture out if you're strong enough. If you sleep during the day, you'll miss valuable foraging hours. Energy is repleted by sleeping, napping or resting. Energy is lost by being attacked, foraging or using attacks.
Hunger: This will require you to eat at least once a day. certain foods will cause you to fill up, others will poison you and deplete it. Special fruits and berries can raise your stats.
Hygiene: If you spend all day walking in the mud and dirt, your family members relaitonship with you will decrease because your a bit smelly :P. Fill it back up by grooming and washing.
Stamina: An extra stat only used in battles. Powerful attacks deplete it but weaker ones don't. Special foods can make it last longer.
Relationships
Relationships are a prime factor in the game. There will be a meter displaying how much a meerkat likes or dislikes you. It'll probably go like this (from bad to good):
Hates you---> Dislikes you moderately ---> Dislikes you ---> Has no feelings for you---> Likes you---> Sees you as a friend---> Loves you.
I will probably change them if someone has better suggestions.
The Battle Factor
Throughout the story battles will occur with rivals, predators and prey. You learn techniques and attacks throughout out the games. Techniques will be forgotten and new ones learnt as you progress from a pup to an adult. There won't be elemental ones like in the Pokemon games but there will be weapon available like rocks, sticks, thorns etc. You can increase your skills by training with you're family and by building armour (okay meerkats don't do that it the wild, but still it adds concept to the game).
If you're versing potential food the EAT option will be available. If you're versing a rival you can use the CHASE OFF option to drive them away although in real life, meerkats will kill them instead.
With predators, if your health gets low enough, they will take you to their nest where you can escape before they eat you. A mini game may be added here.
Meet the meerkats:
Here are some of the meerkats I hope to include in the game. Note that there are more member than the ones I have just listed. They are the ones that apper in the series but I hope to include more.
The Whiskas
The main group of the show. Despite thier many rivals they still stand strong even when their numbers dwimble.
The Lazulis:
Made their first appearance in Series 1 where they constantly fought with the Whiskas for territory. Their number began to disappear when member died or were evicted.
The Commandoes:
Appeared in Series 2. More tougher then the Lazulis, the Whiskas were constantly on alert for these troublesome foes.
The Zappa:
After the Whiskas were forced to leave thier territory when the Commandoes took over, they met the "neighbours from hell": the Zappa. Not much of a threat due to the constant bickering they have in the group.
The Starsky:
A small group consisting of evicted members. Hardly a threat, they held little territory and eventually died out.
The Aztecs:
These rivals joined the series in the final episoide of the 3rd season. Even with a couple of members they still stand strong.
Team List:
Hazzamon: Head mapper, head scripter, head spriter, head tile maker and everything inbetween.
.Swift: Meerkat Manor helper (Just helps me get my information correct).
Needed:
Another mapper, another (better) spriter and tilemaker and someone who can help me with scripts.
Closing notes:
That's about all, I'm just posting this to get opinions and see if people like the idea. As you can see I worked hard on ideas for this and some may be out of the question. It'll probably takes me a while to learn all the techniques and stuff but I hope to complete it.