Game engine idea: innovative or burdensome?

For the game I'm making, "Aelon," I have what I thought at first was an innovative concept in gameplay, but as I thought about it, it may become more of a burden than something truly innovative. No, I haven't made the engine yet, so I don't need to go back and re-code anything, just, I want your thoughts to help refine the concept before start coding it.

Anyway, my original idea for the 3.5ection engine is as follows:

The game is divided into 3 (with a 4th rare one, lending the name 3.5) sections: the main universe, adventure fields, and action stages (yes, I know. I pilfered the terms of the latter two from Sonic Adventure...it's not the final term.) Each game section is in a heiarchy of sorts.

-The main universe is the broadest and highest level. It consists of your player (or player 2) in your ship(s), flying over a mode-7 scaled and rotated plane representing the ground. You can fly anywhere, and the view resembles a scrolling shooter, when enemies engage you, you take them down dogfight-style. You can land in certain areas.

-The areas where you land are the adventure fields. They can be towns, cities, large ship interiors, forests, etc. You can talk to people, buy items, basically like any RPG. You'll do most of your exploring in these areas. In certain areas, there are doors where you go into the action stages.

- Before you enter an action stage, you can equip armor and weapon items for use inside (you can't change it while in the stage.) Action stages feature intense, side-scrolling action involving jumping, dodging, shooting in 8 directions (as in run and gun games like Contra,) and slashing with your sword or knife. At the end of each action stage there's a boss.

-the fourth, and most optional section is accessible when in your ship. It's the in-flight equivilent of an action stage, playing like a standard shmup. When you reach a certain area your character may jump out of his ship and the gameplay switches to action stage mode.

-You can equip several configurations for your character in an action stage, centered around either ranged or melee combat. You have both hitpoints and armor points (HP and AP.) The amount of damage done to yourself or enemies is randomized based on based on your attack's power, like in RPGs, and conditions can affect you and enemies. You can also level up.


Anyway, I'd like input on what you think, how I can make the 3-4 modes transition seamlessly, what I can take out, or add to make it better. Cheers.

@D2 : Will this be a 3D Game Engine? What you desire can be done, but, how you handle the transition is where the trick will be.

Below is how I'm handling area transitions in my FPSRPG. First, I'ved divided the 3D Maps into three types: World, Area, and Stage. World Maps represent Realms and Cities. Area Maps represent Shops, Inns, Dungeons, Arenas, etc. Stage maps are 3D GUIs used to communicate with NPCs.

To visualize how a World Map will work, imagine a relatively small 3D terrain with some hills and valleys. Small 3D Castles (Icons) are placed in locations on the terrain. These icons represent a Cities.

You navigate the terrain in first person, when you collide with Icon a City World map is loaded that presents with you a World map with icons that represent Shops/Inns/Dugeons in the City. Note: Realm and City World maps can also have special Icons that teleport you to secret area maps.

When you enter a Shop/Inn/Dungeon a smaller more Detailed Area Map is loaded. Area Maps are more like your traditional Deathmatch FPS level maps. These maps can be populated NPCs, Enemies, Doors, Lifts, Teleporters, Traps, and Powerups. You navigate these maps in first person.

When you come in contact with NPCs in a area map, a stage map is loaded. A stage map is special 3D GUI map in which you can navigate FP and click on items via mouse to select. All GUIs in the game are a Stage maps.

I have sacraficed a seamless transition in favor of a Loading Screen the provides NEWS, Hints, and Ads during loading.

It's 2D. If you notice I used the term mode-7. That's a way for 2D games to give a 3D-style effect and gameplay without making it fully 3D. The SNES pioneered mode-7.

And if it was fully 3D, I wouldn't use specialized views such as side-scrolling: I'd simply use a basic 3rd-person camera common to platformers. I will use that if I ever make a full 3D sequel :)

So what do you think of the engine? Pros? Cons?

Conceptually, it sounds good, however, after reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_7 I'm not sure where the innovation is.

IMHO, writing this in a 2D engine may require two separate 2D engines. It would be easier to transition between the perspectives in 3D.