Element: Tabletop Strategy Game - by GamerZack

From the mind that brought you Power Rangers: Mushroom Force...

Fire. Earth. Water. To some, they are mundane, nothing but mere building blocks of something far greater. To others, they are essential, without which sentience could not flourish. The truth, however, is far beyond the scope of those without the sensivity. Amongst the endless societies of Homonids and Furiyans, Repetths and Gahmalotls, and all the other sentient species of the Web of Telea, a few lucky individuals come across the means to discover their own inner element, at which time a whole new existence is realised as they gain incredible gifts the likes of which they have never imagined.

But there is a dark presence which threatens their very being, a force of an indescribable morality who seeks to expand their race and influence across all worlds, and everybody is in danger, even those lucky few individuals...no, especially those lucky few individuals! In a far-off part of the Web of Telea long since lost to legend, a few Homonids have accidentally discovered their own inner elements, unknowingly entering themselves into an eternity of wonder...whilst attracting the attention of the mysterious race who seeks to convert all sentient beings into them...

This is a project of mine which has been in the works for a number of years. In fact, I started to work out ideas as far back as 2005! I've been working out ways in which to proceed with my setting, and I decided to make it into a new game coupled with an ongoing story. Due to the success of Power Rangers: Mushroom Force, I have chosen to involve the WiiWareWave community as contributors to my work. You guys are the best! Would anybody be willing to join in as I strive to finish my project? More info coming soon!

Eureka wrote:The story seems strangely familiar lol.

Well, I made an effort to make it entirely unique. I'll add elements of the story to this thread as people show interest. The concept is all but done, I just need help with fleshing out some things. The type of game I envision is a tabletop game that plays like and resembles a strategy video game, with a variety of different playable character types. I'd also like the rules to be simple enough for most people to play, yet with enough variety and fun to keep them playing.

That's the plan, Rukiafan!

Thanks, KingreX.

Update time! The main characters of [Project: Element] are Telekinetics, individuals who have found their inner element and gained incredible talents unlike any other. In the setting of [Project: Element], Telekinesis translates as "Elemental Sensivity", which is a fancy way of saying "tapping into one's inner element". This allows a Telekinetic to use an array of abilities. Each Telekinetic specialises in one of fifteen elements:

PYROKINESIS
Element: Fire
Colour: Red

GEOKINESIS
Element: Earth
Colour: Green

HYDROKINESIS
Element: Water
Colour: Blue

ELECTROKINESIS
Element: Electricity (sometimes shortened to Storm)
Colour: Yellow

CRYOKINESIS
Element: Ice
Colour: Cyan

ZEPHYROKINESIS
Element: Wind
Colour: Pink (males often wear indigo)

SODIOKINESIS
Element: Sand (also known as Desert)
Colour: Orange

MARINOKINESIS
Element: Brine (also known as Ocean)
Colour: Aquamarine

AEROKINESIS
Element: Air (also known as Sky)
Colour: Purple

FAUNOKINESIS
Element: Animal
Colour: Magenta (some Faunokinetics wear brown)

ARBOROKINESIS
Element: Wood (also known as Forest)
Colour: Lime (some Arborokinetics wear forest green)

TECTOKINESIS
Element: Stone (also known as Rock)
Colour: Azure (some Tectokinetics wear grey)

PHOTOKINESIS
Element: Light (also known as Sun)
Colour: White (some Photokinetics wear gold)

NOCTOKINESIS
Element: Shadow (also known as Moon or Night)
Colour: Black

METALLOKINESIS
Element: Metal
Colour: Silver

More info to come!

Wii I Am wrote:There should be a VOIDOKINESIS with the element of space (also known as vacuum)

Well, Moon was originally called Shadow and used abilities such as that, but it became too similar to the "bad" guys of the setting, and I wanted to make the good guys' version of that element (a counterpart to Light and Metal) into a less-bad version. I might switch back to it if there's demand for it - and if it ends up being the best fit.

EDIT: I switched back to Shadow because Moon kinda disrupted the rock-paper-scissors system I worked out.

KingreX32 wrote:this sounds like a treatment for a new super hero tv show.

Who knows? It could end up spawning a TV series somewhere down the line.

Update time! With fifteen elements, it's easy to understand that there must be certain advantages and disadvantages to each one. In addition to each element having its own themes, such as Fire abilities focusing on direct damage, Geokinetics being able to use the surrounding terrain and Hydrokinetics utilising more healing than other elements, each one has a weakness and a strength against other elements, splitting them into five categories:

CORE ELEMENTS
Fire scorches Earth; Earth soaks up Water; Water douses Fire

CLIMATE ELEMENTS
Electricity shatters Ice; Ice freezes Wind; Wind blows away Electricity

TERRAIN ELEMENTS
Sand dries out Brine; Brine fills up Air; Air rises above Sand

NATURE ELEMENTS
Animal chomps Wood; Wood crushes Stone; Stone is resistant to Animal

ASPECT ELEMENTS
Light penetrates Shadow; Shadow hides Metal; Metal reflects Light

More info to come!

And now, a bit of Telean lore...

In an era long since lost to the annals of legend, there were three worlds within this Web of Telea rich in elemental energy. Those worlds were named Aphos, Batos and Gamos, and they were three of the few realms who exclusively bore Homonids as a native race. The elemental nature of those realms attracted Telekinetics from every corner of the Web of Telea, and they, too, spawned their fair share of those who found their inner element. This rich bounty unparalleled by any other world was to spell their ultimate downfall.

Telekinetics soon learned that they could absorb a decade's worth of elemental energy directly from those worlds without the need of a gem. Very soon, people began to harvest more energy than was needed, and soon the worlds began to wither. Long before the skies turned grey, and the ecosystems began to wane, it was too late to repair the damage inflicted. Once all the energy was gone, the Telekinetics abandoned those realms, leaving them mere husks of their former selves. It was then declared by Telea herself that no Telekinetic is allowed to harvest elemental energy directly from a realm, lest a similar situation happen once again.

Those realms of Aphos, Batos and Gamos have long since been forgotten, their locations known only to a select few of the oldest Telekinetics who chose to remember. The rest opted to forget the atrocity that took place, but always remembering to preserve each realm as it is.

I can tell you one thing about those realms: they did recover, albeit not entirely, and it took a very long time to do so! And, in the context of the story, one of them...is our world, Earth!

More info to come!

Update time! In the storyline of [Project: Element], the three worlds which were thought lost had eventually healed. However, they remained isolated from the rest of the Web of Telea. To the Telekinetics, those worlds became extinct, with no reason for them to return. To the inhabitants of those worlds, they came to think that their reality was the only one. Each of the three worlds is virtually identical in terms of geography and technological level, but each one has its own distinct differences too.

The world of Aphos (known to its inhabitants as Fire) features a mixture of cultures, with a technological level similar to ours, though in the style of a steampunk-meets-cybernetic society. The sky is yellow, and the classical elements are generally considered to be fire, earth, water and ice, though some cultures supplement ice with one or more other elements. Geography and climate are virtually identical to our world.

The world of Batos (known to its inhabitants as Earth) features a mixture of cultures, with most technology powered by energy generated from numerous sources. The sky is cyan, and the classical elements are generally considered to be fire, earth, water and wind, though some cultures supplement wind with one or more other elements.

The world of Gamos (known to its inhabitants as Water) features a mixture of cultures, with a technological level similar to ours, though in the form of a technologically-advanced medieval-style society. The sky is pink, and the classical elements are generally considered to be fire, earth, water and electricity, though some cultures supplement electricity with one or more other elements. Geography and climate are virtually identical to our world.

At the start of the story, four inhabitants from each world accidentally find their inner elements, becoming those worlds' first new Telekinetics in millennia. The story focuses on those twelve Homonids as they embrace their new lives. More info to come!

Update time! At the start of Element's storyline, twelve individuals from three separate worlds have very unusual dreams. Immediately, strange occurrences begin to happen around them, though they don't seem to take notice. Here is a little info about each individual:

TEAM APHOS

Teal is a young woman from New Aria, an island nation in the realm of Aphos. She is outgoing, never backing down from a challenge. She is also a little impatient, opting to do things now rather than have to wait. The other members of her team have accepted her as their leader because she looks out for each of them. As a Hydrokinetic, Teal has an advantage over the element of fire, which causes her to see Mike of Team Batos as weaker than her. This has led to the two of them, as well as their respective teams, to become rivals.

Alecsis is a young man from Equatalia, a continent in the realm of Aphos. Extremely intelligent, he was a gifted augmentist, a scientist specialising in the field of technological infusions of the human body. He is somewhat serious, with most humour going over his head, though he does appreciate the context. Alecsis is an Electrokinetic, with mastery over electricity. Despite seeing Cory as his polar opposite, he doesn't express hostility to him, with the two being friendly rivals at worst.

Luna is a young woman who grew up on a small island in Aphos' largest ocean. She is very talkative, always enjoying a conversation with just about everybody she meets. She is also fascinated by other cultures and people, especially those who are not from Aphos. Luna sees Lulu as a rival in terms of their interests, since Lulu enjoys learning about history and ancient Teléan lore. She has always been close to marine animals such as dolphins, so it is no surprise that she is a Marinokinetic, with an inner element of ocean.

[Insert name] is a [insert gender] from [insert location], who discovers that they have Faunokinesis, giving them Animal abilities. More info to come

TEAM BATOS

Mike Smith is a young man from New York, who worked in a café. His main goal was to travel the world. His favourite activities include anything that gets his adrenaline going, such as paintball, which he played almost every weekend with his fellow employees. He has an outgoing and fun-loving personality, always choosing to do fun things like nightclubbing or video game night. He is also fiercely protective of his friends, and if they run into trouble will defend them even if it gets him into trouble as well. After his dream, he began to notice little things, like how his "cold" water always seemed to be warm. After customers at the café began to complain that the drinks he made were too hot to drink, Mike was fired, leaving him without a job. A few days later, his life changed completely when he discovered what he truly was...

Coryn "Cory" Jack is a young man from Australia, who spends most of his time playing games. His personality is best described as likeable. He is very friendly, always chatting to others with a big smile on his face. He is also the poster child of "honesty is the best policy". His imagination seems to have no limit, rounding out his good points with a childlike innocence and clean sense of humour. He does, however, have a short attention span, meaning it usually doesn't take him long to get bored with an activity and move on to something else. After his dream, he began to notice little things, like his meals cooling down within the space of a few minutes, but he simply shrugged them off as a bizarre weather anomaly. One night, a mysterious visitor pulled him from the life he knew and into an exciting new life, one in which his wildest dreams came true...

Lulu Violette James is a young woman from England, a student at a prestigious university. She is very intelligent, possessing an above-average intelligence quotient. She also loves to read books, spending a few hours every night curled up in bed with the latest novel. She is very sweet and kind, always concerned about the welfare of others, especially her friends. She is also trusting, which puts her in trouble if she trusts somebody with something important, only for them to turn it back against her. After her dream, she noticed odd occurrences like being bone-dry even when rain was pouring heavily, but she just assumed it was nothing but mere luck. During a particularly intensive study session, a cloud formed inside the library she was in, causing her to realise that there was something more to her...much more...

Amber "Amy" Wood is a young woman from California, who aspired to become a famous Hollywood celebrity. Using her stage-name "Amy Seabreeze", she has appeared in a few plays and some commercials, which she saw as a step forward. She is something of a tomboy combined with an effeminate girl. She always tries to find the right outfit to wear, and she loves spending time with her BFFs, though she also enjoys "guy" activities with her brothers. She is outgoing, like Mike, meaning that they should get along just fine. However, she is also the daughter of a millionaire, meaning that her little signs of being pampered get on Mike's nerves. Likewise, she thinks of Mike as "too much like a typical guy", so they often end up bickering. After her dream, she noticed that there were more flowers in her garden, which she thought was the gardeners' doing. Soon, a small forest grew around her mansion within a week, which left her confused until she met a mysterious stranger...

TEAM GAMOS

Richmond "Ricky" Duke is a young man from Westrealm, a continent in the realm of Gamos. He is very easygoing, getting along with just about everybody he meets. In fact, he and Mike have become firm allies, always staying in touch with one another. He served his community as a firefighter, always striving to save everybody from danger. When he began to display Geokinetic tendencies, he realised that he now had a weakness to the very thing he battled on a regular basis. Now, Ricky is dedicated to finding a way to overcome his disadvantage.

Laura Galen is a young woman originally from Equatalia, a continent of Gamos. When she was a little girl, her parents mysteriously disappeared, leaving her in an orphanage. A mysterious entity saw potential in her, causing her to unleash her inner element and begin the process of becoming a Zephokinetic, with the element of wind. The young Laura somehow ended up in Batos, on the continent of Australia. Over time she forgot about where she came from. Laura made friends with a young boy named Cory, and the two of them were practically inseparable. After a mysterious dream, she was approached by the same entity who had caused her to gain her Teletic properties, and it was then she remembered her past, and also learned one fact: a small group of people from each of three worlds would become Telekinetics as well. Laura was asked to choose one of the Batosian Telekinetics, and she knew just who to choose...

Maxwell Sanford "Sandy" Duke is a young man from Westrealm who happens to be Ricky's twin brother. He worked in a hospital as a doctor, one of the most skilled in the entire region. He is level-headed, always keeping calm in the face of adversity. He also has a strong bond with Ricky, with the two of them aware of each other even when separated. When Ricky was discovered to be one of the Gamosian Telekinetics, Sandy immediately began to exhibit unusual properties of his own, which indicated that he, too, was a Telekinetic. He and his brother's nicknames were given to them by Mike, and since Gamosians have no concept of nicknames, they saw them as a refreshing, if not unusual, gesture on Mike's part. Sandy is shown to be smitten with Lulu. Could romance be in the air?

[Insert name] is a [insert gender] from [insert location], who discovers that they have Tectokinesis, giving them Stone abilities. More info to come

More info to come!

Okay, it's time for you, the members of WiiWareWave, to help me fine-tune the gameplay of [Project: Element]!

Each of the elements in the game has its own attributes which set it apart from the other elements, offering a unique experience with each kind of Telekinetic you play. Here is a basic rundown of the basic concept I have for each of the core elements:

Pyrokinesis (Fire Sensivity) has abilities which directly deal damage to foes, often without added effects. Some abilities deal damage to multiple adjacent foes, such as Flame Javelin (damages up to two foes in a straight line) or Fire Whip (damages up to three foes standing next to each other). Even defensive abilities damage foes, such as Radiant Barrier (any foe who ends its turn next to you takes damage). Pyrokinetics are weak to Water and strong against Earth.

Geokinesis (Earth Sensivity) has abilities which utilise or create terrain. Some abilities create hazardous terrain, such as Sticky Bog (creates a pool of gooey mud which traps foes on the turn it is created and slows down anybody who crosses it). Some can reshape terrain to a certain extent, such as Earth Sculpt (creates a temporary mountain to impede or escape the reach of foes). Geokinetics are weak to Fire and strong against Water.

Hydrokinesis (Water Sensivity) has abilities which utilise healing and water-shaping. Some healing abilities restore health, such as Pure Hydration (restores a quarter of your health), while some remove certain effects, such as Foot Soak (removes movement reduction). Some abilities even manipulate water itself, such as Bubbling Brook (creates a river of water across flat terrain). Hydrokinetics are weak to Earth and strong against Fire.

Does anybody have any ideas for tweaking these core elements? Any ideas for abilities that relate to them? Be sure to post your thoughts below.

And now it's time for an epic revival of this thread as I once again attempt to make this game! Now for some terminology related to the game, along with handy pronunciations. Here, for your perusal, is the Lexicon of Teléocora, Vol. I!

Homonid (HOM-uh-nid): The most common sapient race, homonids are found in many different realms. They are a versatile breed, able to have any of the fifteen elements. On some worlds they call themselves "humans".

Repetsh (re-PETSH): Native to realms rich in the elements of fire, electricity, desert, animal and metal, repetsh are humanoids with a reptilian appearance: scaly skin, jagged teeth and a short, flexible tail. Repetsh are surprisingly hardy, having adapted to the sometimes harsh conditions of their home realms.

Y'tien (EE-tee-en): Native to realms rich in the elements of earth, ice, ocean, wood and light, y'tiens are humanoids with a simian appearance: short hair covering their bodies except their face, hands, feet and the front of their torso, as well as a squashed nose with large nostrils. True to their form, y'tiens are exceptional climbers, with many living on higher ground.

Gherolotl (GEH-roh-LOT-ul): Natives to realms rich in the elements of water, wind, sky, stone and moon, gherolotls are humanoids with an amphibian appearance: cold, damp skin and brightly coloured eyes and markings on their bodies. Gherolotls are more in-tune with the elements than most other sapient beings, making gherolotl telekinetics quite exceptional.

For information on furiyans, sceratians, pichtians, fleurani and krikketh, please see Lexicon of Teléocora, Vol. II.

Teléa (realm) [teh-LAY-ah]: Teléa is a world rich in elemental energy, completely in balance. Inhabited primarily by homonids, its sixteen continents are each richer in one element than the others. Due to its elemental nature, more telekinetics reside on Teléa than any other individual realm.

Aphos [AH-fohss]: Aphos is one of three worlds once rich in elemental energy, but abandoned due to that energy being depleted by foolish Telekinetics taking more than they needed. It has recovered, in part, and once again flourishes with life. Its inhabitants refer to it as "Fire", though fire is not Aphos' primary element.

Batos [BAH-tohss]: Batos is one of three worlds once rich in elemental energy, but abandoned due to that energy being depleted by foolish Telekinetics taking more than they needed. It has recovered, in part, and once again flourishes with life. Its inhabitants refer to it as "Earth", though earth is not Batos' primary element.

Gamos [GAH-mohss]: Gamos is one of three worlds once rich in elemental energy, but abandoned due to that energy being depleted by foolish Telekinetics taking more than they needed. It has recovered, in part, and once again flourishes with life. Its inhabitants refer to it as "Water", though water is not Gamos' primary element.

For more information on the individual known as Teléa, as well as other realms, please see subsequent volumes of the Lexicon of Teléocora.

And now it's time for the Lexicon of Teléocora, Vol. II!

Furiyan (FOO-ree-yen): Native to realms rich in the elements of fire, earth and water, furiyans are humanoids with a mammalian appearance: furry skin, large, rounded ears and a small, black nose. Furiyans are quite agile, able to traverse great distances relatively quickly.

Scerati (seh-RAH-tee): Native to realms rich in the elements of electricity, ice and wind, scerati are humanoids with an avian appearance: beak-like noses, scaly skin on the forearms and lower legs and soft, downy feathers in place of hair. Scerati are skilled in combat, with multiple styles developed over the centuries, though most are purely ceremonial.

Pichtian (PIK-tee-yen): Native to realms rich in the elements of desert, ocean and sky, pichtians are humanoids with a piscine appearance: fish-like scales on the legs and forearms and fins on different parts of the body: elbows for females and cheeks for males. Pichtians have amazing accuracy, able to spot finer details from very far away.

Fleurani (flur-RAH-nee): Native to realms rich in the elements of animal, wood and stone, fleurani are humanoids with an arboreal appearance: smooth, bark-like skin and hair resembling leaves or vines. Fleurani are surprisingly strong, able to use blunt instruments with ease.

Krikketh (KRIK-eth): Native to realms rich in the elements of metal, light and dark, krikketh are humanoids with an insectile appearance: chitinous coverings on some extremities, brightly-coloured eyes with a pupil in each core and antennae in place of eyebrows. Krikketh are quite dexterous, able to carry more than the average sapient being.

Stay tuned for part three!