When playing videogames, players really want to edit stuff to change things up, or create new things all together. Of course extreme sports games have things like this, but don’t we want to make our own console based shooter, on an easy-to-use, almost mod like engine? In this I am using the basis of an Xbox, because of its high power and built in Hard Drive, since a game would probably be a few megs, it would take multiple PS2 Memory Cards to store it!

First, the creator would need to have basic editing software, allowing the user to customize tons and tons of settings, letting them enter values, heights, bullet strengths, this allows the game to have values just as the creator needs them. Say you want to have blue blood, multiple spawn points that have random weapons, or powerups, and a gun that regenerates ammo, at one round every 2.5 seconds, you could do it! This would be set up in easy to use menus, meaning that the creator won’t need any programming experience, just know what he wants in the game, and put it in.

Second the creator would need to model his game. The modeling software must be easy to use, and not take hours for each model. The game would need to have tons of shapes, like big arms, little arms, that would be able to be melded together into a single model. So you want a built guy for your main enemy. You select the Human, and select the character to be muscular. the character would be a bulky, powerful looking guy. You then could say, “Well, I want his to torso to be a little less built” you would click the torso region, and select a menu. then you could choose Moderate Build, and OK. Then the guy would be a heavy lifter who has a mild six-pack. then you could add things like holsters clip packs, and stuff like that. individual faces could be produced too, If you want to customize your guy to the max. You would have everything in sets. You would have at least two types of objects for a set, like Holsters, would have, Thin, standard, and you edited the model slightly and called it, Holster w/ Clip pouch this would have a basic box added on, and then you would give it a number to color, let me explain skins now.

Skins. The system seems easy enough, you basically color by number. you find an individual model, or face, and give it a number, then, like the coloring books, you assign a color pallet for that face. Say you want the pre-done skin, that has forest cammo on it. It’s number is 56. The models that you want to have the cammo pattern on you select number 56 now its in the cammo. You can select individual faces, and create custom skins and pallets in a creator. there should be a large database of textures pre-done. To make sure the skins are nice, and don’t stretch too big, squish too small, or repeat, the pre-done skins should have a form of auto adapt. If there’s a part of skin that has a special thing, like a pocket or button, while the rest looks like denim, the button won’t stretch, the denim will pattern, and repeat, but all on the same face, and in the same texture. The creator can also select static and flexible sections of their textures too, so if they want to use the same texture in different areas and with different scales, the special details can be the same size, while the bulk will remain. This would need some hardcore programming (probably) and possibly a new engine, or graphics program, but a step that must be taken.

Now, that the character models are done and textured, the weapons, items, objects must be made. the objects use the same modeling as the characters, but an almost entirely different set of pre-fabs. The weapons would be set up in the Weapons set, and make assigning ammo, and attributes easy, so you wont be programming that a couch isn’t a gun, but an MP5 is. the game should come with as many prefab items and weapons as possible, like couches, magazines, grips, barrels, scopes, seats, and such.

You could also make vehicles from this modeling area, assigning seats, weapons, weak points and such.

With the object modeler, anything that isn’t a character is possible.

AI any shooter game needs AI, and the AI is usually the hardest thing to program for beginners. this should be pre-done, allowing the creator to choose what tolerances, attributes and styles the bots have. they could be assigned to have a sight range of 25 units, and are set to a Duck and Cower status for weapons, this person would be a civilian, who, upon seeing a gun wielded by someone at no more than 25 units away, would duck down and tremble, and could be set to say lines 35, 234 and 45 in random order and timing. Line 35 being titled ‘Don’t Shoot’ which you recorded through the provided microphone. There could be all sorts of other commands and styles of AI done for you, all the programming done, all you do is pick, choose, and give values and assignments. This needs to be as user friendly as possible, someone needs to just decide what kind of people they need, and then find it, not make it. As with the other features, fully pre-done AI’s should be done, like Aggressive Soldier, Cowardly Soldier, Friendly Medic and all sorts of other common people. these could be modified, and almost limitless other possibilities, could be produced.

With this said, the last things to do are to create item’s attributes, and the levels/story goals/ objectives etc.

To make the items, you go through the menus, then you select which kinds of things they are, needless to say, lots of options must be present. Things like jetpacks, shields, health packs, disguises , laser watches, and of course weapons of all kinds. Again, no coding required, only thing to ask is that the user know how to use the menus.

To make levels, there are many options. Basically take the best Level editors out there, and import them, and simplify them, anything for Half-Life would do.

In conclusion, this is the idea of, “I have an Xbox, and I want to make a FPS, but my computer can’t hack and I can’t hack either, what in the blazes do I do?” thus, the graphics must be good, yet simple to produce, a medium must be struck. The gameplay must be editable to the person’s needs/wishes, yet require no programming knowledge. In the simplest way, give a 10 year old the ability to make the next Halo, or Timesplitters, or Goldeneye