#idealgame

I dream about unmade games all time time-- on long runs, in the car, when playing other games-- and asymmetry is one of the things that pops up disproportionally often. 

I’ve always the social aspect of gaming (though not exclusively) and many of my most-played games are multiplayer in general and esports in specific. Looking at the multiplayers games I have loved and loved-less, I’ve noticed that the ones with staying power have at least some component of asymmetry.

To give a converse example, Rocket League is a very popular, highly competitive multiplayer game based on the simple goal of “get ball in opponent’s goal”. It’s a fantastic example of how a game with simple rules and few mechanics can be hugely difficult to master (irl Rocker League, soccer, is popular largely for this reason). It’s fast paced without feeling light and every goal is satisfying. 

But I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe I’m just bad at it and haven’t put in enough time to change that. Or maybe it’s just too symmetric.

Now looking at some of the esports I have known at love-- Counter-strike, Starcraft-- they have strong asymmetry, which I think gives them a level of depth, engagement, and replayability that symmetric games can’t match. Every round in CS:GO feels exciting and unique, since the terrorists (Ts) have to anticipate how the counter-terrorists (CTs) are going to approach to plant the bomb, while the CTs have to stay unpredictable in order to compensate for the Ts’ defender’s advantage. Even in a direct shootout, the weapons available to each side are different, meaning they have to employ different attack/defend strategies. Then at halftime, the teams switch and it basically becomes a new game with new rules, goals and strategies for each team.

Starcraft 2 is played entirely differently depending on which races are playing against each other. A high-level Protoss playing against Zerg looks little like the same player playing against Terran. As each player learns more about what the other is doing, they adapt their approach, keeping the game dynamic (to watch and play). Mirror matches (e.g. PvP) are pretty boring in comparison, since it either becomes a rock-paper-scissors of who chose which tech path best, or a race to do the same thing better/faster than the opponent.

Asymmetry can turn non-competetive games into something innovative and exciting. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is the first VR party game that I’ve played that’s actually designed to be a party game (tilt brush is actually really cool to play in big groups).

Let's hope Rogue makes  beeing a templar a more enjoyable experience. but still this is what i imagined a templar gameplay could be (in the same way i imagined my ideal ac gameplay (check my ac confession) ) In the Ideal game i pictured you could choose either assassin male, or female, as well a templar male or female. their stories preset by the game, but the character it's fully customizable to your desire. i imagine this. Templar gameplay differs from assassin in several ways.  All your main missions are given to you by your superior. and they start at a local stronghold.  in a meeting room, (remember the trailer for ac one where the templars gather at a table and you could see altair in a cup's reflection?) well. just like that. but first you stumble to the templar cause, you gain missions via contracts,  and work up the ranks untill you become a full fledge templar with upgrades and benefits.

so lets begin.

you choose your character Either a married woman (late 20's) who's husband is always abusing her in the most horrible ways or brash young man who's fed up with the laws of his hometown (late teens)  eventually theese two will cross paths in the templar gameplay. let's start with the woman.

Your expirence starts at home, you must cook dinner and set the table for your husband and friends who will arrive any second from their jobs, once the evening begings your husband shouts and demands more wine, when your characther (i imagine a red hed, (not cuz of elise or anne, just because)  suggest to take it easy, your husbands doesnt like this one bit and strikes you leaving you bleeding on the floor, when all of their friends laughs, except for one, who sees you and just stays silent. the game would let you wonder on your home wich is a poor one, with wooden floors all wrecked and filled with mold, the game would also insist that the first hours you could explore the town just breathe in the city, go to the market, and experience the life of a citizen woman who's abused, robbed in the streets and beeing treated of bad housewife by her fellow neighbours.  untill one night when the "happy" couple are sleeping, the sound of your front door breaking it's heard, your husband runs downstairs to comfront the intruder, and an exchange of words is heard, then a scream. you start to descend the stairs to find your husband bleeding on the floor and the friend who never laughed at his actions standing beside him. the game prompts different answers you can say (rpg gamers would love this feat)  the friend introduces himself as part of an elite group of gentleman, that your husband tried to be a part of but failed misserably to join, and now he'd present the chance to you, because of your obedience and dedication to what you feel it's right. he then gives you an option  Let your husband bleed out or do the deed yourself.   after that you start working for the templars. you immediately get a new house, not a fancy one, but still enough so you can live (you can upgrade this) and the missions are recived by letters sent to this adress, they start as a recon missions and intel gathering, when you are sent o mission and are ambushed by a novice assassin you must flee, the chase ends up in a fight which ultimatetly you prevail. and then demand answers for this event. then you are officialy inducted to the templars. 

When you'r a templar you have the story missions according to the GAME STORY and Your Charachter Story. and also a set of side missions and collectables.

you would need to train and. gain skills to become a master in ONE class either Ranged combat, Melee, Stealth,Navigation.   Beeing a templar grants you access to special mounts. faster horses, armored horses, wagons, and such. as special weapons and armour. you would be able to have like a "brotherhood system" when you achieve a high rank you would be able to have up to 12 men or women working for you, and a maximum of 5 to activly assist you in missions. each one of theese are cuztomizable to your appeal AND IT WOULD BE GREAT to have a friend beeing able to "connect" to that character and help you as human and not AI.