Fènghuáng (鳳凰) is a computer role-playing game set on a Chinese controlled Mars in 2075. Space debris has become a growing concern on Earth. Several ships have been destroyed by pieces of debris striking them. Because of this, some people believe that space colonization will be impossible by 2090 unless something is done about the problem. For some people, this fear led them to push for the colonization of other planets immediately, before it becomes impossible. Others counter by saying that colonies would not be able to survive without the help of Earth, and if they are cut off they won't survive. But enough people have become infatuated with the idea of colonizing other systems in our solar system that it has become a reality. Many of the colonies started off as research stations that expanded to support a growing number of people.
About this wiki
This is a public wiki for design work on the Fenghuang CRPG. Any spoiler information should be posted at http://fenghuang-spoilers.wikidot.com. That is a separate wiki specifically designed for anything that should not be seen by people not on the design team. If you'd like to join the team, you can apply here.
Title
The title, Fènghuáng, comes from the name of a Chinese bird. The Fènghuáng is often considered to be the Chinese equivalent of the phoenix. Since the game is about new colonies on Mars, as well as the rebirth of humans as posthumans, the phoenix was an appropriate symbol. Since the game also deals with a Chinese controlled colony, the Chinese version was more appropriate. In the game world, the ship that brought the first colonists to Mars was known as the Fènghuáng.
Themes
The primary question the game asks is "What is human?". Cybernetics, genetic engineering, and artificial intelligence all threaten the original idea of what it means to be human. The player will have to decide what constitutes a human being on this world with a variety of beliefs.
Goals
- Your choices have consequences, either major or minor, on the game world.
- Character creation should be very powerful. The character you create is the one you will play throughout the game, with character development basically just fine-tuning your character, instead of allowing the player to completely change their character through the course of the game.
- Character development should be mostly invisible to the player. Skills improve and degrade through use or lack thereof. New skills can be taught, but learning them should be limited by time and/or money to prevent the player from being a jack-of-all-trades.
- Combat should not be a major focus, but if the character gets into a combat situation, it should be more than just win/lose. Characters can be scarred or disabled by combat, but the combat does not have to be lethal. Few fights would be lethal, unless the player tries to escalate it to that level first. Running from combat should also be an option.
- Grinding should be eliminated. Repetitive tasks to improve your skills are not really fun, so it should be avoided. Making the player only gain skills when they achieve some important goal, like solving a quest, can help prevent grinding, but there needs to be something to keep players motivated.
Technology
Main article: Technology
- Artificial intelligence has made tremendous advances since the early 21st century. While human-level AI's do not yet exist, they are getting very close. Artificial intelligence are sentient, but not sapient. Artificial intelligence can learn new things, but they have only a little empathy and they lack creativity.
- Brain scanning is a new emerging technology that is still heavily regulated. The only way to scan a person's brain destroys the brain in the process. The brain scanning techniques have not been perfected yet, and the uploaded version of the person often seems "off". Because of this, brain scanning is only allowed in cases were the person has no chance of survival, or has already recently died. However, even these scans are controversial.
- Computers are now small enough to be built into practically anything. Only quantum computers are anywhere near the size of the computers found in the late 20th century and early 21st century. Now, most computers are either implanted into the users mind, or built into some form of eye-wear.
- Cybernetics gained a lot of popularity in the 2040's and 2050's, but they have been in decline since then. Advancements in genetics have allowed people many of the benefits that cybernetics could offer, but without the unnatural feel. However, a few people still use cybernetic limbs either because they can't afford the biological replacement, or they want the increased strength offered by newer cybernetics. These people are usually considered fairly eccentric, however.
- Genetics have made major advancements over the years. Genetic engineering now allows all major defects to be found and removed before the birth of a child, which is a fairly common practice. However, genetic engineering also allows for more drastic and controversial changes to the human, many of which make a technically new species of being. In the 2050s, it became possible to replace any organ inside of the human body, with the exception of the brain, with a biological replacement tailored for that person.
Important Differences from Earth
- The gravity of Mars is .376 times the gravity on Earth. This takes newcomers a while to get used to. However, once a character is accustomed to the new gravity, they can work extremely well in the new gravity, and are able to lift nearly 3 times as much as they could on Earth.
- The temperature of Mars is much colder than the temperature on Earth. While the facilities on Mars are temperature controlled, they are still colder than most places on Earth.
- The atmospheric pressure on Mars is much lower than on Earth. It's impossible to survive on the surface of Mars without a pressure suit. The atmosphere is also mostly carbon dioxide, so it is impossible for humans to breathe. Plant life could survive on the planet, but only if it can survive extremely cold temperatures.
- There are no standing bodies of water on Mars. The colonies must create water. Because of this, water is much more valuable than it is on Earth.
- The Martian day is approximately 24 hours and 40 minutes long. It is not far from Earth's, but it makes communication between Earth and Mars difficult at times.
Locations
The largest colony on Mars in 2075, Huǒxiá is located in Valles Marineris, the deepest crevice in the solar system. Huǒxiá grew from the original design for 30 scientists, but the research on Mars expanded and colonists started emigrating to Mars. By 2075, the population of Huǒxiá has reached around 5,000. This is where a large part of the game will take place. Since the player cannot survive for extended periods of time on the surface of Mars, he must travel to and from the colonies without wasting too much time. A large variety of people live in this colony. From scientists who study Mars, to doctors, engineers, and programmers.
The European Union also has a colony, called Zubrin, on Mars. It is a smaller colony, with only a couple hundred citizens.
Memes
Main article: Meme
Memes are cultural units that are analogous to genes. The term was originally coined by Richard Dawkins in his book, ''The Selfish Gene''. Memes and memetics play a large role in the culture of the future. Advertisement firms started putting a lot of money into memetic research in the 2020s, and the entire field received a massive boon. Advertisers learned how to make advertisements more likely to appeal to their target audience then ever before. However, other fields benefited from this research, especially education. By 2075, powerful memes are everywhere. Most people know they have been "infected" by many memes, but they often embrace them.
Gameplay
Fènghuáng tries to emulate the style of play of pen and paper role-playing games as much as possible for a computer game. Rather than forcing you to play a certain character, the game expects you to create your own character. The game is not played in a linear fashion, like most video games, but has many branching paths and open gameplay whenever possible. This means the game does not force you to follow a specific storyline; however, just because the game lacks a forced storyline doesn't mean the game lacks a story. There are certain events that occur, and the player's actions can greatly change what happens during these events. Powerful factions are battling each other for control of Mars, and more importantly, for control of the human race. The game places heavy emphasis on quests with multiple solutions, and detailed branching conversations. While the game does offer the ability to use force to solve problems, an over-reliance on combat will put the player in a situation where he has few friends and many enemies. The game will be possible to beat without ever needing to even pick up a weapon, however.
Character creation
Main article: Character creation
The character creation system will use a point buy system. The player can spend points to buy certain statistics, attributes, and skills that will define their character. The player first selects several backgrounds that define many of the character's abilities, then selects a home nation, motive for going to Mars, and a job. Then the player may spend additional points refining his character depending on the difficulty level chosen. There are also many options that do not have point values, but can have an affect on gameplay (such as gender).
Character development
Main article: Character development
Character development is mainly a "learn by doing" system. However, the player has many other opportunities to improve their character by buying biomods, using nanodrugs, or getting cybernetic implants. Probably the most important part of the character's development, however, is the change in respect and/or trust by the other characters on Mars. This will have a much larger effect on the game than simply improving your stats.
Bibliography
Main article: Bibliography
A list of influences, and works cited.
