Video Games and Paintball...Opinions needed

[gibby]

Alright...I just wanted to get a few opinions on this subject matter. First of all, I am a game designer who was assigned to work on a super hero game(details I cannot give out). I wasn't a part of the initial game design discussions and I wanted to see if I can get input from you all.

Basically, we've been given a title to work on that's supposed to cater to all ages, especially kids. So one of the issues we have is conveying danger or dangerous situations in a non-lethal fashion. As we all know, violence in video games have long been debated and whether it's the developer's responsibility or the parents. I personally believe that developers are responsible to a certain degree, but that parents should always monitor what their child plays and that they understand the difference between real life and make believe.

So where does paintball fit in? Well, as in any super hero type game, you will encounter different types of violent sitations. One scenerio is a group of gang members shooting in the city with....drum roll please...PAINTBALL GUNS!! This was the first choice because paintball guns are generally considered non-lethal.

My question to all of you is, what are some ways we can use this scenerio, and avoid the negative image that it brings if we use paintball guns to portray a non-lethal...but violent situation? Any suggestions for other "weapon" type items the gang members can use? Would you even care or be concerned if "paintball guns" were used in a video game in this manner?

[FordPrefect]

You could use pepperball guns (not sure of name). I don't think that it'd be good for paintball for use in such a game, but, what can you do.

[Curly]

Well you need to be sure to reiterate the positive sides of paintball. Also safety is a big issue. If some gang is shooting up a city with paintball guns this is negative as there is no safety. Maybe if they were to battle out differences on the paintball field with proper safety equipment. But this sounds really cheesy. Although it would be great to get paintball into the mainstream like this, this situation in the game may not be the best way to go about this promotion of paintball. If there were some way that you could work paintball into a more positive aspect it would probably be better for the sport.

[yeahthatsme]

have the mission be something like taking the gang members to an organized field and having them play the right way

[RoadDawg]

give the gang bangers water pistols or super soakers. That would be funny.

[Python14]

Originally posted by RoadDawg
give the gang bangers water pistols or super soakers.

filled with Acid and liquid knives.

Actually, I have no valuable input to this thread other than that. I am sorry.

[-=Squid=-]

Wifflebats. Seriously.

[gibby]

Some very interesting suggestions...the peperball one comes to mind as a viable replacement. Bats and the like are already being used for other encounters. Basically, we are trying to create a city that's alive. The player must interact with the city which includes civilians, traffic, thugs, and other things and basically role play the hero they're supposed to be.

I don't think a mission objective of bringing the gang members to a proper field would be a solution to the mission.

Think of a super hero game meets GTA:Vice City. We need to create dangerous, or threatening situations but no one can actually "die." How about if we had gang members who are properly equiped with safety gear shooting at each other, rather than shooting at civilians. However, there have been ideas of drive by shootings with paintball guns. I will probably have to bring up that issue with the other designers at work.

This paintball mission is but one of the many "shenanegans" that can happen in the city. I'll definitely make a note or give creative input to our lead game designer and hopefully we can solve this issue. But please, keep the suggestions coming! Much thanks!

[alkafluence]

For weapons, you could have considered "Nerf" style type guns.

[vdo_game_junkie]

simple idea

As a game idea, instead of fashioning it as GTA:Vice City knockoff, go the route of a strictly paintball idea. Make it more of a sporting game instead of a violent game. If someone wanted total carnage, incorporate a huge scenario game with missions. For a fast game, speedball. They are sooo many options. Online tourneys, and you can even incorporate upgrading you marker after winnning tourneys, etc. heck even target shooting is an option.

Also just go back to when we used to call them paintball "markers" instead of "guns". Since i have both, I try to make a distinction between the two whenever talking to anyone. Also to most people, guns are lethal. They are just semantics yes, but if you owned a gun during the time they wanted to ban assault weapons, you'd know what i mean.

[RoadDawg]

Or give them Spray paint cans and they could be vanalizing the city when the hero must stop them. That's all my ideas for now.

[gibby]

Originally posted by RoadDawg
Or give them Spray paint cans and they could be vanalizing the city when the hero must stop them. That's all my ideas for now.

Hehe...that's already being done too!

As for a purely paintball game...um...I guess I should have pointed out that it isn't totally a game based on paintball. It's a super hero game and there will be other things the player needs to do than stop gang bangers with paintball guns.

Hrm...I guess this sort of thing is kind of a difficult situation. We don't want to tarnish the image of paintball, yet we want to create a dangerous situation worthy of a super hero's effort to stop it...lol!

I think for now...the pepperball gun is a good substitution. I'll have to see if I can convince the other designers about substituting the two.

[Kevmag]

have the bad guys shoot 'cockers...

[gibby]

Originally posted by Kevmag
have the bad guys shoot 'cockers...

LOL!! Actually, I was thinking more like Automags. An idea popped up in my head...if we could use the likeness of the automag in the game, I could probably work something out where we see AGD billboards in some of the city streets! Good way to get AGD seen eh?

[RetroEclipseMan]

I'm not sure if the best way to get more good advertising for AGD is to use their markers as tools of vandalism but who knows in this day and age.

On a side not who do you work for? I'm actually in the animation program at the Art Institute of Seattle and looking to get into game design.