Second game in SIGNALIS universe.

[Vλgaβoηđ]

Overarching theme - Sacrifice.
General Plot - Father went out to find his Wife and Child. His search starts from the last know message location.
Gameplay - Survival horror, metroidvania or preferably immersive sim (e.g. System Shock 2/Prey). With very minor RPG mechanics.

I really hope that rose-engine got enough funding for making a second game. The effort is visible, the content and basis is there. Even if they start doing another completely different game altogether, that's fine. But for now, i'm just throwing out into the wind what I'd like to see in a sequel. However, I won't mind seeing other people's version of a sequel too, making this thread a sort of collection of ideas.

For one, since I saw the Teaser trailer, despite the noticeable improvements, some parts were cut out and I wouldn't mind having them returned. Also, in the release game, I had this constant feeling of: "Damn, I wish there was more." More in the sense of interactivity.

Now im going more into what my idea of a sequel is. During the 3D sequences, which are just *chef's kiss*, I always had this urge of wanting more. To be able to click every button, touch every object and interact with all the knobs and dials on the radios, to type on the computers. While I don't want a full blown FPS using the stylized pixelated graphics, I wouldn't mind the devs using the hybrid we see in SIGNALIS to it's full power, as a matter of fact I'd highly encourage it. The fact these 3D sequences are given at specific locations and time, makes them that more special after playing a fixed top down view.

But the reason I started from this, is because any game is held up by what defines it - the gameplay. And since I do prefer immersive sims, this hybrid between 3D and TDV(top-down view) can fit really well imo. I'll give an example, while also talking about the plot in vague terms.

Father arrives at location X - *insert whatever place you'd like*, armed with nothing more than a standard issue Self-Defense 4-Shot Pistol, multitool of sorts, and a "PDA". Throughout location X, sneaking, scavanging for resources, making safe spots, he has to use everything at his disposal to survive against immeasurable odds, literally, even on normal.

In this main gameplay loop, the theme of sacrifice is woven into. Woven into pretty much everything, from the start, your actions, to gameplay, to how you interact with other characters. The last part is where the very minor RPG mechanics come into play. While Father has a set goal, the theme of Sacrifice is what gives you, the player the ability to decide how he reaches it. Obviously, your choices matter, in immersive sims it's more prominent than ever.

While in TDV the main action is done, in 3D it's the interactive world that gives the Location X it's depth. This is where imo, and for the benefit of development, a smaller setting would be better off and not a huge sprawling map, which metroidvania usually have. The 3D interactions with very detailed and complex mechanisms, would allow players to make a choice - learn to use them or have a harder time later. Like coming up to a mainframe computer and either only use it to open a plot specific "door" or, figuring out the full thing and enabling far more options. Or using a fully functional radio as a means of recon, or like in SIGNALIS, plot/lore important information, which you would've otherwise missed entirely, and no, not like the Artifact/Lily Ending, more like gathering snippets of chatter to be used in crucial dialog between characters.

Which btw is what I also want to see more. The anime design is also amazing. I am very picky about what anime-style content to watch as I discard about 90% of it and the remaining 10% I carefully probe. This is where SIGNALIS lured me over as I never once found it repulsive and instead, the anime design supported the setting in a intriguing way, which the 90% fail at. This includes the dialogs we see in SIGNALIS.

Adding to what more I wanted, I almost thought there would be a choice of two options to pick during their talk, but that's beside the point. The point is having these dialogs, seeing up close the lovely designs of Replikas in detailed pixel art. Add to this that different Replikas have different attitudes, while Gestalts are more natural. Who wouldn't want to see how different they would react in the situation Father is? And no, nothing deep is needed, 4 meaningful choices and 1 filler dialog option for small talk is all that is needed, if not less.

Now comes the difficulty. A bold move for this sequel would be to pose actually immeasurable odds from the get go. Meaning you can't win the game or at least have any proper progress just by running past enemies. You'd either get swarmed, or there will be an endless amount approaching you. So you'd have to adapt, use the environment, crates, cover, temporary hiding spots, anything to get an advantage. This all is obviously dictated by the difficulty, but what I also want to see, which isn't done too much overall in gamedev, is having plot/story be tied to higher difficulty levels, or to be more precise the highest difficulty.

The last game that comes to mind that gives us the best ending for going through a figurative gameplay nightmare is the Total Chaos mod for Doom 2. Pyrocynical made a lengthy review for it, and it's totally worth the watch.

Getting the best ending tied to finishing the hardest difficulty is really the best reward in a survival horror game imo. This is pretty much a gold standard for gameplay tied to storytelling, since the highest difficulty puts you into a peak stress situation, conveying the emotions of the PC(player character) onto you. This can be further enhanced if the choices you make are even more important.

The last thing is just minor stuff in SIGNALIS that I wish had more to it.

The Diagnostics System, and to a certain extent, the whole inventory, seems like that. The way you have a mental hexagon chart and a condition page, it looks like there was suppose to be different damage zones/types, from mental conditions that might have gave you debuffs, to bleeding, to worse aim or the like, if it were physical attacks. If this were to be improved/expanded in the sequel, that would be great. Prey proved that these additional survival mechanics add more to the gameplay.

And the second one is Helping Replikas. I think this is a severely missed opportunity if we take SIGNALIS alone. In the mine location, we could've helped at least two Replikas with medication. This is something that could've had story/ending effects, if not gameplay. Sacrificing (intended choice of wording) medical resources for no benefit other than what ending you'd get.

Which is a segway into adding such a thing into a sequel. The most obvious example is finding several wounded characters, escorting them into a safe zone and healing up, at your own expense. Only difference is that this may later noticeably affect a key moment.

That's pretty much it, all in all a small breakdown of a basic gameplay concept with minor critique. Not enough to give away the interesting parts, but enough to have a more or less clear vision.

[Nuggmet]

I do agree that i would love to see more games or stories based in the SIGNALIS universe, but however for SIGNALIS itself, i think that story is done, i personally see no reason to expand on Ariane and elsters story as that would at least for me, ruin the mystery and questions behind the game, am i saying there cant be refrences or little nods to them in maybe say another game in the same universe? No of course not, i would love to see maybe a little note or picture of them as a nod to the game if they do ever make a second game in said universe. Of course this could just be a one time deal and the devs could be done with that univerese forever, am i saying they are? Nope, im not them so we'll just have to wait and see

[goka9696]

Not another father plot, please

[Vλgaβoηđ]

Originally posted by goka9696:

Not another father plot, please

No

[Muscarine]

The idea guy

[Deepeye]

It's general inspiration and just sharing of ideas. Why not? This shows what kind of impact the game and it's potential continuation could have.

Can they do it - the same level of detail, quality, immersion and depth without it feeling like an old shoe within the reasonable timeframe? I truly wish.

[Raeven]

If this universe gets more content Im sure they can do it on their own. They made this game without anyone making "what if" posts. If it makes sense to them to make more, they could do it again.

[potatobun]

Originally posted by Milky:

I do agree that i would love to see more games or stories based in the SIGNALIS universe, but however for SIGNALIS itself, i think that story is done, i personally see no reason to expand on Ariane and elsters story as that would at least for me, ruin the mystery and questions behind the game, am i saying there cant be refrences or little nods to them in maybe say another game in the same universe? No of course not, i would love to see maybe a little note or picture of them as a nod to the game if they do ever make a second game in said universe. Of course this could just be a one time deal and the devs could be done with that univerese forever, am i saying they are? Nope, im not them so we'll just have to wait and see

Can't SAME this hard enough. Part of what makes you want to go back to this story in this universe is the way there is no narrative explanation that 100% fits everything we saw. Dipping back into that same pot will fill in too many gaps.

I'd love to see another Rose Engine game, but setting it in this universe would require looking possibly hundreds of years into the future. A prequel would fill in too many gaps too.

[Nuggmet]

Originally posted by potatobun:

Originally posted by Milky:

I do agree that i would love to see more games or stories based in the SIGNALIS universe, but however for SIGNALIS itself, i think that story is done, i personally see no reason to expand on Ariane and elsters story as that would at least for me, ruin the mystery and questions behind the game, am i saying there cant be refrences or little nods to them in maybe say another game in the same universe? No of course not, i would love to see maybe a little note or picture of them as a nod to the game if they do ever make a second game in said universe. Of course this could just be a one time deal and the devs could be done with that univerese forever, am i saying they are? Nope, im not them so we'll just have to wait and see

Can't SAME this hard enough. Part of what makes you want to go back to this story in this universe is the way there is no narrative explanation that 100% fits everything we saw. Dipping back into that same pot will fill in too many gaps.

I'd love to see another Rose Engine game, but setting it in this universe would require looking possibly hundreds of years into the future. A prequel would fill in too many gaps too.

Im not too sure about going that far into the future but i get what your saying and from SIGNALIS alone im sure the devs could make a game in the same universe without expanding on this one, however as for how long that would take is another story, signalis itself took eight years and thats what im assuming is mainly beacuse it was only two people working on the game, plus they took their time with it, making it a master piece.

[hellstorm]

Что за фантазии, а полы в огср мыть будет? Марш на работу!

[hellstorm]

А сюжетка с отцом ищущим своих жену и детей уже заезженна до дыр так, что дальше некуда уже

[tintilicmaliq]

Dude, I don't think that families work like that in Signalis universe. There aren't many males around and I doubt that our own understanding of fatherhood and family survives in any way.

[Vλgaβoηđ]

Originally posted by Raeven:

If this universe gets more content Im sure they can do it on their own. They made this game without anyone making "what if" posts. If it makes sense to them to make more, they could do it again.

Careful people, we have an expert here. Raeven is the only one that knows what devs should or shouldn't do, and your opinion or interest in that matter doesn't count, especially if you liked the game.

Originally posted by Hellstorm:

Что за фантазии, а полы в огср мыть будет? Марш на работу!

Originally posted by Hellstorm:

А сюжетка с отцом ищущим своих жену и детей уже заезженна до дыр так, что дальше некуда уже

Перечисли игры где именно отец ищет свою жену и/или детей. Если скажаешь например God of War или TLOU, то можешь сразу не отвечать, по твоему первому коменту видно что что-то внятное от тебя не услышать.

Originally posted by tintilicmaliq:

Dude, I don't think that families work like that in Signalis universe. There aren't many males around and I doubt that our own understanding of fatherhood and family survives in any way.

What you think is your own opinion, but there are facts.

One of them being that there is a mother existing. Where there is a mother, there is a father. It's a simple constant. Do as much mental gymnastics you want to make that untrue, but that fact won't go away. Unless you present irrefutable proof that says otherwise, your attempt to make your assumption a fact, makes your overall statement invalid.

[there is no band]

Matriarchal societies of the past would have seen mother as life giving and wouldn't recognize male's role in conception. It's hard to wrap one's head around but that's what many scholars think nowadays.
Signalis' society seems to be matriarchal and, for one reason or another, males appear to be very rare.

[Vλgaβoηđ]

Originally posted by child of the old leech:

Signalis' society seems to be matriarchal and, for one reason or another, males appear to be very rare.

I know this isn't a lore thread, but, just want to address a very likely reason for male rarity.

There was/is a war going on. Who goes into a war first? Males. Even if the society is ruled by a female, be it an empress, queen, president or dictator, it won't matter, males go first. In time the numbers dwindle and in their place females come.

[there is no band]

Except that military replikas are depicted as female too, so it isn't that.