Rifts: Coalition of Dead-Boys Game Doc.

Kill, without hesitation or remorse.

Rift’s Coalition Dead-Boys is a third person CRPG action adventure for the PC that places the player in the human supremacist Coalition army as a weapon specialist. The player’s job is to ensure the safety of the human population from the dimensional beings that have emerged from the rifts and have settled in North America.

The game appeals to a diverse target demographic because of its uniquely obscure yet renowned history as a tabletop RPG. Rifts: Coalition of Dead Boys (RCDB) will involve several battlefield scenarios, vehicles, power amour, and other possibilities from every battle field perspective. The game engine used will be the Unreal engine that was used to bring players the non-stop action of

“Gears of War”. There will be a non-linear story depending on the interests of the player. Want some down and dirty action? Raise rank as a foot soldier and gain the praise of the Emperor. Foot soldier, Pilot, Commanding General, do all three and gain complete mastery of every battlefield strategy. If the player wants to take all his training and defect to a mercenary status or pursuit the magic abilities of a Ley Line walker, that is the world of possibilities that the world of Rifts presents. Game Mods will be made available so players can all be apart of building the endless world of rifts. Coalition training is just the beginning of the Rifts adventures because of the massive world that is waiting

in and around North America.

Written by Jeff Carnal

All concept art created by Jeff Carnal

The Marketing History

Rifts was originally a Table top RPG licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books, first copy written in 1990. Since its creation, over 250,000 copies of t

he original Rifts rule book have been sold and over 60 books have been created. Palladium estimates that “1.5+ million gamers have played Rifts and many times that number has heard of it. A licensed Rifts video game (Rifts Promise of Power), was released in November 2005 for the Nokia N-Gage, due to the failure of the N-Gage platform in the North American market,. Writer, creator, and license holder Kevin Siembieda has stated that he would, “like to

see Rifts games developed for other consoles”. However, he has stated this game is very difficult to find that, “the niche nature of the role-playing game industry means it is hard to attract prospective developers to the property”. It is hard to imagine this much property ramains unmarketted in a successful CRPG. Of the 60 books, some are World books, locations on Earth and what is going on with them, politically, philosophically, and demographically. There are also demension books, introductions to demensions that lie through the rifts. All 60 of these books are packed with relavent game information depending on which way the story and future products are headed. The world of Rifts is an endless gold mine of intellectual property that will be realized with advent of this first game centered on the Coalition and other minor powers of North America. Kevin Siembieda has meticulously documented every state and province of North America that the game can explore. The market has been segmented into 3 demographic groups, gamers rated teen and up, old

school fans who used to play the actual Rift Table top game, and players who like to play similar action adventure CRPGs. The target market is computer gamers ages 15 to 45, who enjoy action, adventure CRPGs and may already be familiar with the Rifts back ground story. Also very interesting prospect could be to actually sell/give land away in the game online as a type of purchase/reward in an MMO setting. A player could actually purchase land in North America that was Modded by the player with the “RCDB Property Mod Tool Kit”, or receive it for free for beating the game and all players would recognize their kingdom. This game writer has never played the N-GAGE version, but I have been game master of Rifts table top RPG since 1991. These game ideas will be so in-line with Keven Siembieda’s original RPG that after one conversation he will sell the licensing rights for this development.

Having Kevin Seibieda’s blessing is an unbelievable source of intellectual property. It would be like having J.R. Tolkeen write another 50 books for a D&D expansion. He also brings universal rules to developing characters in other RPG games that would convert easily to any platform like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Robotech, Heroes, and Superspies; which all tie back into the universe of Rifts. Making characters is the funniest thing about a universal RPG. With the wealth of ideas from Siebieda’s legacy there is sure to be multiple investment opportunities.

STORY

The year is 103 PA, it has been over 100 years since the rifts have opened.  Earth is a savage realm caught between thousands of dimensions. When asked why the rifts opened to begin with, all that is known is that the world enjoyed a long era of piece and prosperity, called the Global Golden Age, where humans enjoyed unprecedented advancements in technology and science. The human population soared with science as the wilderness of the world shrank; giving way to skyscrapers that filled the landscapes. Ultimately a disagreement between old empires turned these advancements into a long cold war that ended with an attack from all sides that annihilated hundreds of millions of people. The attack started a chain reaction of death that kept on going even after the fighting stopped. Every living thing has a quantifiable amount of Potential Psychic Energy (PPE). All the PPE that was released in the attack caused a title wave of energy, like a giant Doppler Effect. The points where the ripples of energy crossed around the world tore the fabric of space and time causing thousands of rifts to open from other dimensions. The continent called Atlantis rose from its watery grave and submerged coast lines, killing millions more people releasing more PPE of the dying to feed the ever growing rifts. The lines that cross the globe in every direction are the reminents of the energy released. Energy is not destroyed in only changes form. Some Ley Lines are a half mile wide and can be seen in broad daylight. When ever two Ley Lines cross, it is called a nexus; this is where rifts to other dimensions can open. The Ley Lines seem to have a profound effect on the vegetation of Earth as well, it has been approximated that vegetation growth is some 70-90% faster than that of pre-rifts plant life; some plants right next to Ley Lines grow so fast that it is visable with out a time-lapse camera.  The world has been claimed by dense wilderness and the wildlife has adapted well. Europe is said to have trees that are as large as mountains.

Human purist gathered under the protection of the Coalition States (CS) in North America, the Lone Star, pre-rifts Texas, Chi-Town, pre-rifts northern Illinois and Iowa, Iron Heart, eastern half of pre-rifts Ontario province, and Free Quebec in pre-rifts eastern Canada. The Coalition are for the most part human Purist that hate magic and hope to restore Earth to its pre-rifts glory. Its population enjoys protection, food, and a purist culture that involves intense scientific research and technological development. The CS purist culture is a perfect mix of pre-rifts Sparta with the propaganda of the WWII German Nazi party. Every citizen is educated to the fullest extent in math and science, and are proudly fascist. Their solders have been conditioned warriors trained and selected to serve, they are called Dead-Boys because their helmets are fashioned after the human skull to cause psychological distress to the enemy. There is no greater social recognition than to survive your 10 year required enlistment and receive your Onyx Skull, only then or through death in combat can your family be prosperous voting citizens. The Coalition will not tolerate any non-human sympathy in its culture, music, books, or entertainment; second offense in Chi-Town is death. The CS guards its agriculture fields in Iowa, which produce abundant harvests multiple times a year, as a number one priority that violators are delt with extreme prejudice. The CS in general does participate in human augmentation, but fully converted cyborgs are not completely accepted in upper social circles.

Kingdoms outlaying the CS borders feel extreme pressure from the Coalition regarding the human purist ideology. Some of the kingdoms depend on the CS from time to time for protection and food stocks. The CS has a use for these kingdoms because they act as buffers to help keep human threats at a distance. The kingdoms behave like feudal warlords and constantly quarrel and fight for the CS scraps left on the battlefield. Augmented humans best be alert when traveling through these kingdoms less they become victims of the Body Chop Shops. A bionic arm can sell on the black market and fetch enough money to feed a family for years, so keep implants clothed. Cyber Knights are the closest thing to law officers and gangs run under the protection of corrupt leaders and do what ever they please. CS assassination is a very useful political tool when determining who should rule these kingdoms.

The CS is actively putting together a northern front strategy to protect their prospects from an insectiod race that emerged from the rifts 20 years ago. These humanoid insects are known as the Xiticix and they behave like bees, they built a hive near the pr-rifts northern Minnesota, but have smaller hives stretching all the way to Winnipeg. Xiticix scouting parties have been spotted as far south as Iowa. They attack all humanoid beings that they encounter, these bugs are no joke. These super strong four armed creatures are 7ft tall and wieigh 500 lbs. They hunt by smell and are armed with weapons that can puncture CS Armor at 4000ft. They don’t seem to be concerned with CS boundaries and many feel a war is inevitable.

Not all humans share the CS views on human supremacy. Some see magic as something that has always co-existed with humanity. Large cities like Lazlo found in pre-rifts Toronto, and Tolkeen located in pre-rifts Minneapolis, don’t discriminate between humans and dimensional beings (D-bees), and they embrace magic. They oppose the CS every chance they get and live knowing that the CS will slaughter everyone in their town at their very first opportunity.

The entire world has changed and all though the CS is a very powerful force with a tremendous amount of resources, it knows that it is a small time player in the world that is still settling down around it. The world is now full of dimensional beings from the rifts that conquer and enslave worlds. Every thing south of the Rio Grande has been claimed by vampire kingdoms that deal with humans like cattle traders except they trade for blood. Atlantis rose from the ocean and is inhabited by the Atleaniean race who has an entirely deferent type of technology that is a cross with magic. Atlantis is also the home of the inter-dimensional slave trader Sploogorth, who will send barges along the south eastern coast of North America to gather humanoid slaves.

THE BASICS

Now that you have some idea about the genre and story behind RCDB, let’s take a look at how the game is set up and how the player interacts with it. RCDB is meant to be a single player game with possibilities of being much more. There will be Modding software tool sets available so that players can design kingdoms and campaigns on their own, as well as Battlefield simulations for instant action. The common problem in the market today with having modding software is that players make dumb-ass mods. There is some crazy powerful artifact, or amateur objective that lacks content and upsets the chemistry on the game.  Before any mod is accepted it will be rated on the companion website by registered players. Campaigns will follow a narrative through battle and individual combat upon successful completion of objectives the player finishes the level and returns HQ and selects from the job board their next mission.  Missions range in scope as the player gains experience, skill, and rank. When the player infiltrates other cities as a spy the player has multiple opportunities to defect and separate from the CS, or continue their agenda to save the human race.  During combat the player interacts with the game from a third person perspective, when commanding the player moves troops in a map type view to strategic positions and commands targets for the troops.

The GUI for RCDB is a floating armor damage bar and active weapon inventory list with ammunition.

MODES OF PLAY

Starting the game the player will have three modes to choose from, Campaign, Champion, and Battle Simulation.

Campaign

This mode of play takes the player through a pre-scripted set of scenarios designed for developing the plot and story lines.  Players will be introduced to new characters and races over the first 20 missions.  Each mission becomes progressively more complex introducing the player to the

• Campaign mode compromises 45 non-linear missions.

Champion Simulation

Champion hand to hand competition is how battles between kingdoms are settled. Compete with other online players to improve your skill

Battle Simulation

Puts the player into instant action in the Coalition battlefield simulator, the player has a choice of the type of action to play, this is a great way to develop gaming skills in a wide verity specifications. Choosing from grunt, pilot, or commander, the player can train in the simulator which gives the player the same experience as campaign battle.

Inside the Action of the first campaign

The heavy artillery shells are getting louder, your Platoon Leader instructs your platoon as the armored transport bounces head ward into the field of battle, “Do not give pause in your beliefs. Unnatural invaders have the power both psychic and magical, to cloud your mind. To listen to their words is to open oneself to evil. Stay clean. Stay pure. Kill them with out hesitation or remorse, knowing that your actions save the human race”. The transport is slowing and taking direct hits from the enemy’s fire power and spells. The transport comes to a stop as your Platoon Leader’s voice rings comforting through your environmentally protected helmet, “This is our drop point, when the door drops, scatter and follow your radar to the scout group that is pinned down, the enemy has the higher ground, so be careful. This is what you have trained for, we are the last defense for humanity, for you family. The Coalition Spider Walkers are closing in on our radar, they will draw the enemy’s fire and we will storm up the hill, engage the enemy and kill them. “No remorse! No hesitation! Dead-Boy’s kill”, another solder yells and the platoon lets out a healthy, “WHO HAH” in unison. The transport door lowers as the carnage on the battle field is glowing with magical malevolence. “Move!, Move and scatter!”, the platoon leader yells. You run with the rest of your platoon through the battle field scattering on your radar. The enemy is close enough for a long range shot but your armor began taking hits as soon as you ran off the transport. Your radar shows the spider walkers entering the battle field quickly. There are explosions of magic fire and lighting everywhere with solders flying through the air, a transport dropping solders is vaporized by a huge red magic blast in front of you. Your Platoon Leader says “Re-group with the Scout Recon at the base of the hill, follow your radar!”, you see them on your radar and head that direction as you fire your laser rifle at the enemy. The left side of your armor has taken a lot of damage. Coalition fire power increases ten fold as the Spider Walkers twin cannons come within range of the enemy’s position. You notice solders following the Spider Walkers for cover and you do the same. The walkers take huge blasts as you close in on your fist objective; regroup with the survivors of your platoon and the Scout Recon platoon at the base of the hill.

The Coalition States is the perfect place to introduce the world of Rifts to players because of how unbeleavably larg the world is. Earth has become a place of opposition and has infinite potential for gaming environments. Alien and supernatural beings wander the planet and some have settled, claiming their own part of Rifts real-estate. Ancient gods, vampires, faeries, dragons, and alien monstrosities co-exist with human and humanoid cyborgs, androids, giant robots, high-tech mercenaries and dimensional raiders. Creatures of myth and legend, demons and aliens visit regularly to thicken any plot. Some use magic to bolster their already formidable powers, while humans augment themselves with nano-implants, bionics, power armor, and chemical enhancement, magic and alien technologies in an ongoing battle of survival. The Coalition perspective will give players a great introduction to human Coalition training technology to take with them in their adventures of roaming North America. Many game docs say that anything can happen, so this writer will reframe from saying it and quickly run over some common things that happen in the world of Rifts. It is a pretty regular occurrence maybe even once a day a Coalition troop will shoot a missile launcher at a dragon. Dwarves with cybernetic implants double clutch a vibro battle axe and a plasma cannon while fighting a lesser demons that emerge from a new Rifts. Vampires raid the night south of the Rio Grand. Atlantis sends raids the south-eastern continent enslaving intelligent life. Dinosaurs usually stay in the swamps of Florida. The West is wilder than ever, six gun shooting, rooting tooting, vampire stakin’ cowboys any world has ever known.

• The ultimate cross between Post Apocalypse and Dungeons and Dragons.
• Third person shooter that involves greater strategy as you gain in Rank of the Coalition Army.
• Human Dead-Boy Solders crash against Dimensional Beings from the Rifts to restore Earth and humanity to a Pre-Rifts age.
• Travel on missions to the other Coalition cities and encounter the domains of beings that inhabit the North American continent.
• You will see and fight unconventional enemies, Dwarves with cybernetic implants, hunt dragons with missile launchers, and enter combat with an entire race of alien insects that have infested Canada.
• Play the world of Rifts from a Coalition soldier’s perspective then make your own decisions and affiliations without the Coalition Propaganda.
• Enjoy as new modules are released for more adventures and locations deeper in the world of Rifts.