New Horizons

Game Design Document

Confidentiality Notice

This document contains proprietary and confidential information belonging to DevRight Studios. It is intended solely for the informational use of the recipient. Unauthorized copying, distribution, or disclosure of the contents of this document is strictly prohibited.

1. Vision Statement & Introduction

New Horizons is a next-generation, online co-op survival RPG set in a persistent sci-fi universe. It merges the high-stakes, objective-driven combat of a tactical shooter with the deep progression, resource management, and world-building of a survival MMO. Players, as elite "Prospectors," will choose a starting faction, establish a foothold on their unique home world, and then venture out to explore a vast, seamless star system where every asteroid, moon, and planet is a potential destination. The game world is designed to feel both beautiful and brutally indifferent—a frontier of breathtaking alien vistas and lethal, unforgiving ecosystems.

Our vision is to create a game where every mission, every resource gathered, and every choice made contributes to a larger, player-driven saga. We will blend the intense, objective-driven co-op action of a tactical shooter with the large-scale environmental threats and political intrigue of an epic space opera. Players will experience a truly immersive universe, with the ability to fly from deep space to a planet's surface with no loading screens, creating an unbroken sense of presence and exploration. This seamless transition is not just a technical feature but a core element of the player fantasy, making the journey as important as the destination. The act of manually piloting a ship through a planet's atmosphere, watching the heat shields glow as you descend into a storm, and landing in a clearing you scouted from orbit is a foundational part of the experience we aim to deliver.

2. Core Pillars & Player Fantasy

The player fantasy is to be a true pioneer on humanity's final frontier: a highly skilled operative who is part soldier, part engineer, and part explorer, shaping their destiny from the ground up. The experience is built on five core pillars:

🌎

SURVIVE

Contend with hostile fauna, dynamic weather, and colossal creatures. Knowledge and preparation are key.

🛠️

CREATE

Craft everything from tools and weapons to bases and vehicles in a deep, multi-tiered system.

💥

FIGHT

Engage in lethal, tactical, squad-based combat where coordination and loadouts determine success.

🚀

EXPLORE

Chart a massive, seamless star system with no loading screens, discovering secrets and rare resources.

🤝

CONNECT

Forge a story that matters through meaningful choices and high-stakes relationships with mortal companions.

3. The Core Gameplay Loop

The gameplay is structured around a compelling and repeatable loop designed for session-based co-op play within a persistent, player-shaped universe.

  1. THE HUB (Outpost or Command Ship): Players operate from their primary base. Here, they manage gear, research new technologies, craft equipment, and select missions from a galactic command table.
  2. MISSION BRIEFING & DEPLOYMENT: A squad forms and selects a mission. They choose loadouts and seamlessly fly their personal ship from orbit to the planet surface.
  3. EXECUTE (The Planet): The squad navigates the environment to complete objectives while dealing with emergent events like storms or creature migrations.
  4. EXTRACTION: Upon completing the main objective, the squad calls for extraction, triggering a final, intense holdout sequence.
  5. DEBRIEF & REWARD: Back at the hub, the squad is rewarded with resources, faction reputation, and experience, fueling the next cycle of crafting and upgrading.

4. Key Features

A Living, Hostile World

  • Colossal Fauna: Massive, "kaiju-class" lifeforms that act as roaming environmental events, altering terrain and creating new hazards.
  • Dynamic Weather & Hazards: Extreme weather systems like sandstorms, flash freezes, and acid rain that force tactical adaptation.
  • Resource Scarcity: Rare and valuable materials are located in dangerous, contested areas, creating high-stakes expeditions.

The Frontier War

  • Objective-Based Missions: Focused, session-based co-op missions with clear primary and secondary goals.
  • Orbital Support: Game-changing abilities called down from orbit, tied to ship upgrades and companion skills.
  • Global Campaign: A server-wide effort where player actions contribute to their faction's control over territories, unlocking new content for the community.

A Branching, Consequential Narrative

  • Player-Shaped Story: A cinematic main storyline that branches significantly based on player choices in both dialogue and action.
  • Mortal Companions: Recruitable allies with unique skills and backstories who are subject to permadeath, making their inclusion in missions a meaningful tactical risk.

5. Player Progression

Progression is multi-faceted, allowing players to define their own path through several interconnected systems.

  • Character Level & Skills: A traditional leveling system with skill trees focused on core archetypes (e.g., Assault, Engineer, Recon), encouraging squad specialization.
  • Deep Crafting & Modification: A core system where players gather raw resources to create everything from tools and weapons to fortified bases and modular vehicles.
  • Faction Allegiance & Reputation: Players choose a starting faction, which determines their home planet and initial standing with other groups. Reputation is earned by completing missions, unlocking exclusive blueprints and story content. Allegiances can be shifted, but not without significant consequences.