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I've got an idea running around in my head. It's an idea for a video game. Let me lay it out for you:

What I'm thinking here is some kind of multiplayer, cover based, tactical, first or third person crossover shooter. The characters would all be taken from fiction, and all would be given certain specific abilities that they have been shown to have in the games from which they originated. The characters would be separated by era and type of setting, so sadly, you won't be able to see how well Captain Price would fare against a Nanosuit soldier (though I figure he'd hold his own; after all, he is John god damn Price).

It would be kinda like Deadliest Warrior in a way. However, much like the DW game, there would be character classes that would determine what kind of abilities they would be granted:

• One Man Army: The typical video game action hero from your typical shooter. Relies solely on raw physical strength and extreme firepower to succeed. They tend to be either laden down with heavy armor or weapons, or are otherwise able to maneuver at extremely high speed. They tend to carry heavier weapons, but this sometimes costs them mobility. They tend to be less effective at using cover, because they usually don't use it in their own games. Some may be completely incapable of using cover at all. However, to compensate, they tend to suffer less recoil from fully automatic fire, have more health, and usually lose less speed when wielding large weapons.
  • Examples: Ratchet, Jak, etc. etc.
• Leader: Whether they're Special Ops or just a regular Sarge, if they fight by leading a squad into battle, this is what they're classified as. They aren't nearly as well armed, armored or mobile as OMAs, but their squad gives them greater flexibility in combat. They tend to be experts in the use of cover to aid them in battle, with special maneuvers to get them into cover, move them from cover to cover, and get them out of cover more efficiently. While the OMA is most effective with heavy weapons like rocket launchers and belt fed machine guns, the Leader is at his best when wielding a medium sized weapon, like an assault rifle. However, their squad mates are never as tough as their Leader is, and if one goes down, there is only a small window during which they can be gotten back on their feet. Otherwise, you have to wait the same amount of time you yourself would to respawn. The Leader is highly adaptable, but will usually lose to an OMA in a straight up fight.
  • Examples: Scott Mitchell, John Price, John 'Soap' MacTavish, RC-01/138 'Boss', etc. etc.
• Assassin: Light, highly mobile, and masters of stealth combat. While the OMA charges headlong into the fray, and the Leader sends his squad one way to flank from the other, the Assassin sneaks around behind them and kills without making a sound. Very low health means that an Assassin usually dies first in a head on attack, but their unique stealth qualities allow them to attack from any angle without warning. They usually have unique mobility skills that allow them to evade attacks and escape the enemy, while moving to a better position to be able to kill without being seen. They're at their best with light weapons like sub machine guns and pistols, but are more capable with sniper rifles than any other class.
  • Examples: Sam Fisher, Agent 47, etc. etc.
• Forward Observer: While the other classes deal with their enemies directly, the FO calls down artillery or airstrikes to obliterate their targets. They usually have similar capabilities to the Leader in terms of overall health, weapon loadout and mobility, but instead of a squad of fellow soldiers to order around, the FO gets to summon long range fire support. The tradeoff is that while a Leader's troops are always on the field, the FO has to wait between strikes. But when used for hit and run attacks supported by artillery and airpower, they can dominate any battlefield. Interior spaces heavily reduce their abilities, however, so caution must be used if you're trying to attack into a structure, because sometimes bringing the whole building down is not an option.
  • Examples: Jennifer Mui, Chris Jacobs, Mattias Nilsson, etc. etc.

The overall gameplay would be either team based or free for all, focusing on the completion of objectives rather than simply killing your enemies.

Thoughts? Criticisms? Ideas? Would it even work?

So you're saying we crossover every shooter game in existence into one game.

If this game were made I would play it.

Just one nitpick; why is there not a class dedicated to piloting vehicles? I can see how the current ecology works, but why not a fifth class that sucks at shooting but is expert at driving tanks and piloting helicopters/jet fighters? I can understand if that's too complex, but a vehicle class would be cool to have.

Four character suggestions;
One Man Army – Axton
Leader – Commander Shepard
Assassin – Old Snake
Driver/Pilot – Mobius One (Ace Combat, picture unavailable)

I don't think fixed wing fighters would exactly work in this game unless we made really large maps just for them.

But a character that specializes in the use of helicopters and ground vehicles may be worthwhile. I just can't think of any ideas off the top of my head.

Also, the FO is supposed to be sort of like the self propelled guns of World of Tanks: they wield greater firepower than any other class, but are comparatively less capable in a straight up fight. That isn't necessarily a direct comparison, though, as the FO still has the ability to fight well on their own if they have to.

EDIT: Also, I don't really think Axton would really be a good idea for the OMA class. A Soldier Shepard would make a decent Leader, but Mass Effect has six playable classes and over a dozen unique squad members, so I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to balance Shepard right.

EDIT2: But yeah, this would be the ultimate shooter crossover.

What type of shooter would the supposed game be like? First Person Shooter or Third Person Shooter?

I, personally, would go with Third Person Shooter but add some FPS elements into it. Like they did in MGS4.

The player gets to choose whether they want first person or third person perspective. However, when in cover, the game always switches you to third person mode.

The overall gameplay would be closer to a tactical shooter than a classic one, though.

Perhaps allow both FP and TP views? I mean, Killzone is an example of an FPS where cover is usable in first-person.

Actually, now that I think of it, Crysis 2 also has that. So I guess you could still use cover while in first person.

I have an idea for upgrades. How about we make the upgrade there skills like they do they do Borderlands

Just make the character like you want him to be.

No, that wouldn't work I'm afraid. Way too many balance issues involved.

I think that the player should have a linear upgrade path for each character, with them gaining better weapons from the game they starred in. FO class characters would also gain superior airstrike options, while Leaders get better equipped squad mates.

Hrm…
I imagine character upgrades would mostly be to stats, and that each one would have a special ability, active or passive, they can use, which is also upgradeable.

i.e. Mordecai can use his hunting bird Bloodwing to attack enemies, Max Payne can shootdodge, Kozak (Ghost Recon: Future Soldier) can use optical camouflage despite not being an Assassin, the Pathfinder (Tribes: Ascend) can GOFAST, etc.

So upgrades would be along the lines of making those characters better at their job, increasing the targets Bloodwing can attack, the time Max can shootdodge for, the speed Kozak can move without breaking camo, how many sanics the Pathfinder can go at max…

I say this because the Borderlands system does work well, but when there's so many different characters as part of subclasses, you just need to find the one that suits your playstyle. That simple.

I'm going to get the obvious one man army out of the way and suggest that berserker packing MAN AND A HALF.

So basically, for One man army, I suggest Doomguy

Maybe you have something…

Also, I can't come up with any ideas for specific characters, but I do believe that I would add a class dedicated to the use of ground vehicles and helicopters. Don't know what to name it, either.

I'm not sold on the idea of including fixed wing aircraft, I think they would upset the balance of the game and require maps tailored to them, but I think a dedicated vehicle class is a good idea.

I can understand. Just give me a bit and I'll try to come up with a good playable character list.

Also, you do have a valid point; the usual Battlefield jet balance is that they're OP as fuck but they're difficult to learn how to fly. So I can see fixed-wing aircraft being used for Forwards Observer airstrikes.

The thing is, I'd use the model of Blazing Angels for how they fly, so on top of being overpowered as all hell, they'd be easy to fly. Not exactly good for balance. Besides, with their speed, you have to have enormous maps just to make them somewhat useful.

Remember the Plains level on Naboo and the Platforms level on Bespin from the first Star Wars Battlefront? That's what I'm talking about. The fighters dominated those maps.

…now THERE'S an idea.

Have seperate maps taking place on flying aircraft carriers for jets. Two classes, a la Battlefront II: a pilot class that can't fight worth shit but flies excellently enough to autorepair vehicles, and a marine class that doesn't get any of the pilot's flight bonuses but can attack/defend ships on foot well.

Also, Ultrashooter Character List v1.

One Man Army – Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank), Jak (Jak), Doomguy (Doom), Juggernaut (Modern Warfare), Max Payne (Max Payne), Pathfinder (Tribes), Brick (Borderlands), Salvador (Borderlands), Raiden (Metal Gear Solid), Niko Bellic (Grand Theft Auto), Rico (Killzone), Ray McCall (Call of Juarez), Nathan Drake (Uncharted), Master Chief (Halo), Urdnot Wrex (Mass Effect), Urdnot Grunt (Mass Effect)

Leader – Captain Mitchell (Ghost Recon), Captain Price (Modern Warfare), Soap MacTavish (Modern Warfare), Boss (Republic Commando), Commander Shepard (Mass Effect), Axton (Borderlands), Roland (Borderlands), Bishop (Rainbow Six), Kozak (Ghost Recon), Sergeant Sevchenko (Killzone), Noble Six (Halo)

Assassin – Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell), Agent 47 (Hitman), Old Snake (Metal Gear Solid), Mordecai (Borderlands), Zer0 (Borderlands), Thane Krios (Mass Effect), Legion (Mass Effect), Kasumi Goto (Mass Effect)

Forwards Observer – Jennifer Mui (Mercenaries), Chris Jacobs (Mercenaries), Matthias Nilsson (Mercenaries), Big Boss (Metal Gear Solid)

Yet To Be Classified: Lilith (Borderlands), Maya (Borderlands), The Boss (Saints Row)

I'm having trouble thinking of Forwards Observers, but that's because not many games besides the Airstrikes series feature playable characters who can call in multiple varieties of tactical support at will.

Sounds pretty cool. I'd play it.

I don't know if it's a good idea to have characters that are usually a member of another character's squad as separate playable characters. I like your idea for the separated maps for aircraft, but I don't think it fits with my vision for the game. I also don't like the idea of having unnamed generic characters as playables (I.E. MW Juggernauts).

Also, part of me believes that Nathan Drake may be better classified under Assassins, not OMAs, because to me, while he does exhibit exceptional mobility, he doesn't seem to show exceptional durability.

And I do agree that the Forward Observer is a tough class to name characters for. It's not often that games give you free reign to summon death from the skies almost at will.

Also, I know I'll catch some flak for this, but what would Alcatraz fall under? Assassin or OMA?

@Nair: Well, it's always there. Besides, chances are you have Shepard facing off against himself, so that would probably be more of an issue.
The jet mode was an errant idea.
As for the Juggernaut, he can be pulled, but it is arguable that the Juggernaut, being a much different enemy than normal, is a character in and of itself.
Drake as an assassin? Hrm… Yeah, as a mid-range Assasin, that could work.
Alcatraz definitely falls under OMA. Sure, he can sneak around and use optics camo but in the end it's usually a good idea to assault enemy positions head-on.

@ Shepard: Yeah, you're right.
@ Jets: It just doesn't mesh with the rest of the game. Maybe as a separate game we could do the same kind of thing for air combat games as we're doing here, with the Ghosts of Razgriz battling the High Altitude Warfare – Experimental Squadron, or Rogue Squadron taking on any number of squadrons from sci-fi space fighter sims, or the Blazing Angels fighting the Fortune Hunters?
@ Juggernaut: It's still a generic title, not a character unto itself. Any character can be a Juggernaut just by putting on the armor. Maybe we could have the armor as a temporary special ability for characters from the Modern Warfare games that temporarily makes them OMAs, but I can't support the idea of a Juggernaut in itself as a playable character.
@ Drake: Yeah, he fits better under Assassin than OMA. He's more the "agile warrior" type.
@ Alcatraz: Maybe in Armor Mode, but that only lasts a short time. Granted, the suit's power reserves do regenerate fairly quickly, but still… I think that because of the mobility under Power Mode (which is the Nanosuit 2's default mode) and the relative fragility outside of Armor Mode, Alcatraz may fit better under Assassin.

EDIT: Also, I was just thinking about this. Why not add an "Engineer" class, and have them be the ground vehicle/helicopter specialist class, as well as being able to repair things? Roland and Axton don't really fit the mold of the Leader archetype. We could also add Tali'Zorah under that class, just for good measure.

Alright. But that would require a redefinition of Assassin, to "a (health-wise) unimposing class whose strength lies in attacking first and attacking best". That is easily done though.

None of the archetypes are hard, fast declarations of what a character is. Special Forces characters (Price, Soap, Mitchell, Kozak) would be hybrid Leader/Assassin characters with both a squad and stealth. The characters from Mercenaries would be OMA/FO hybrids with exceptional overall combat capabilities, with Mattias being more mobile, Jen being somewhat stealthy (and therefore and FO/OMA/Assassin hybrid) and Chris would be tougher than the other two, being closer to a straight OMA with airstrikes that he can summon. Alcatraz would largely switch classes almost on the fly, switching between an OMA while on Armor Mode and an Assassin otherwise, with the ability to use heavy weapons at the expense of losing a large amount of mobility.

Rarely would you see a character that fits solely one archetype, but they would exist. Sam Fisher can't get out into the firefight or he'll get cut down in no time flat. Likewise for Agent 47. Ratchet, Jak and Doomguy would all be variations on a straight OMA class, with each one having their own weapons, mobility ratings and health levels.

Also, I don't believe that Legion has any real stealth capabilities. Maybe put both it and Officer Vakarian into the new "Engineer" class?

Ah. So what you're saying is that the classes are just things to expect from various characters.

Engineer works.

Yes. Simply guidelines, not a strict rule.

And I can't believe I didn't think of "Engineer" sooner… Remember, though, that this class is both a vehicle specialist and a repair unit. Actually, lemme write up a description:

• Engineer: The only class with the capacity to repair equipment in the field, the Engineer is an indispensable asset in battle. They also specialize in the use of vehicles, both helicopters and ground vehicles. While aboard any vehicle, they grant it automatic armor repair, allowing it to continue fighting despite the odds. If they're in control of the weapons, they're brought on target faster, reload and cool off quicker and are more accurate. If they're in the driver's or pilot's seat, the vehicle accelerates more quickly, handles better and drives more smoothly, allowing for better shooting on the move. If they're in a passenger's seat, they repair the vehicle as fast as they could if they were outside it. They are generally weaker than Leaders and especially OMAs, but more durable and better armed than Assassins.
  • Examples: Geth Platform 'Legion', Garrus Vakarian, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, etc. etc.

Sparty, you still there? I think we may want to come up with a character list V. 2.

We may also wish to start brainstorming titles for this hypothetical game.

Yeah. I'm still here.

ProTip: don't bump unless necessary. Class.

Frankly, I ran out of ideas for that one, but I think we could probably extrapolate a few more character depending on classes and builds. We could always add the TF2 Classes into the mix.

Saxton Hale.

That is all.

Another suggestion for one man army:
Serious Sam.

I went to get a bite to eat, edit time ran out and I had just thought about something.

However, I just don't get the feeling that the TF2 characters would really fit in this.

As far as characters for the Engineer class go, I've already listed three. Granted, they're all from the same series, but I've got a few more I could add from there. I do feel as though Krios would be one of the few characters that would be a "pure" interpretation of their archetype as a pure Assassin. I think Garrus may be one of the crazier hybrid characters we'd have, with Leader, Assassin and Engineer traits. I also think that Kasumi, while not granting the performance buffs to a vehicle that most Engineers would, I still think she should grant any vehicle she occupies a passive repair bonus, much like a regular Engineer.

I'm almost thinking we should add characters from film and TV, just to further bolster the roster, but that might balloon the cast to an unimaginable degree. Still, how cool would it be to have Jason Bourne, James Bond and Michael Westen take each other on all at once? That said, it might be too much to ask.

Also, can't we find some characters from stuff that takes place during the 1930s-1940s? Indiana Jones, perhaps? What would he be classified as?

I think he'll do good as an OMA or Assassin.

I think Indiana Jones would be classified as an Assassin since his only real "gun" is a revolver, and his main weapon is his whip and close-quarters fighting skills.

@sting_auer: Idunno if that would work…

@Captain Falcon: Serious Sam added.

Turok could work as an OMA. The Turok series is known for its heavy weapons.

Jones as an Assassin? Sounds good.

Any title ideas?

EDIT: WWII era One Man Army: Lieutenant James 'Jimmy' Patterson. Let's see if we can find other characters from that time period for the other classes.

Just thought of another character for this hypothetical game.

Private Preston Marlowe, B Company. I'd see him being an Engineer/FO hybrid. After all, in the first Bad Company, he gets assigned as the pilot of an Mi-24 Hind gunship, as well as being given a set of binoculars to call down airstrikes and a radio to summon mortar fire. He also has frequent access to a drill of some sort that he uses to repair vehicles.

Maybe we could also include Sergeant Redford under the Leader class, as well. I just think it would be a bad idea to have a crossover shooter and not have anything from the Battlefield franchise.

What about this?

Its Noble Six from Halo Reach with a target locater, a weapon that allows you to target a area for orbital bombardment. Would that count for Forwards Observer?

Yeah.

There will be an upper limit on how destructive an FO's strikes can be. So, for instance, no nuclear bunker busters for the characters from Mercenaries. Fuel air bombs, MOABs and Daisy Cutters would pretty much be the biggest single boom they could call in, and I might be willing to allow them to call down B-2 Spirit stealth bombers for a carpet bombing strike.

However, if I'm not mistaken, I think Sparty already listed Noble Six under Leader. Not like we can't hybridize, of course, but I think Six is already accounted for.

Noble six is not a fucking leader.
In Noble team, noble ONE is the leader.

Copyright Infringement.

Copyright Infringement everywhere.

Don't blame me, I'm not the one who listed Six under that designation. Sparty did. Besides, I wouldn't have listed any Halo characters beyond Master Chief and the Arbiter, both under One Man Army, due to the fact that I haven't played any of them that much; and aside from the first two in the main series, haven't played any at all, Reach included.

@ Kasrkai: This is strictly hypothetical. I just want to know what kinds of characters would fit under which classes.

Why did I list Six as Leader? Because Six was working with a team. He/she wasn't the leader of Noble Team, and I am well aware of that fact, but Six wasn't doing everything in Halo: Reach alone; Six had Noble Team behind him/her, unlike Master Chief, who did almost everything in the original Halo trilogy singlehandedly.
@Kasrkai: Yeah, everywhere. The chances of this game getting made are slim. If they did make it, though… it would be amazing.

Oh well. With the shift to Forwards Observer I can rehybridize.

CHARACTER LIST V2 (as requested by Nair):

Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank, OMA) | Jak (Jak, OMA) | Doomguy (Doom, OMA) | Max Payne (Max Payne, OMA/Leader) | Pathfinder (Tribes, OMA) | Brick (Borderlands, OMA) | Salvador (Borderlands, OMA) | Raiden (Metal Gear Solid, OMA) | Niko Bellic (Grand Theft Auto, OMA/Leader) | Rico Velasquez (Killzone, OMA) | Ray McCall (Call of Juarez, OMA) | Nathan Drake (Uncharted, Assassin) | John-117 (Halo, OMA) | Urdnot Wrex (Mass Effect, OMA) | Urdnot Grunt (Mass Effect, OMA) | The Boss (Saints Row, OMA/Leader) | Serious Sam (Serious Sam, OMA) | Colonel Turok (Turok, OMA) | Lieutenant Patterson (Medal of Honor, OMA) | The Arbiter (Halo, OMA) | Gordon Freeman (Half-Life, OMA) | Lilith (Borderlands, OMA) | Maya (Borderlands, OMA)

Captain Mitchell (Ghost Recon, Leader) | Captain Price (Modern Warfare, Leader/OMA) | Soap MacTavish (Modern Warfare, Leader/OMA) | "Boss" (Republic Commando, Leader/OMA) | Commander Shepard (Mass Effect, Leader) | Axton (Borderlands, Leader/OMA) | Roland (Borderlands, Leader/OMA) | Bishop (Rainbow Six, Leader) | Kozak (Ghost Recon, Leader) | Sergeant Sevchenko (Killzone, Leader) | Captain Templar (Killzone, Leader) | Sergeant Redford (Battlefield, Leader)

Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell, Assassin) | Agent 47 (Hitman, Assassin) | Old Snake (Metal Gear Solid, Assassin) | Mordecai (Borderlands, Assassin/OMA) | Zer0 (Borderlands, Assassin/OMA) | Kasumi Goto (Mass Effect, Assassin) | Thane Krios (Mass Effect, Assassin) | Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones, Assassin)

Jennifer Mui (Mercenaries, FO) | Chris Jacobs (Mercenaries, FO) | Matthias Nilsson (Mercenaries, FO) | Noble Six (Halo, FO/OMA) | Private Marlowe (Battlefield, FO/Engineer)

Garrus Vakarian (Mass Effect, Engineer/Leader) | Legion (Mass Effect, Engineer/Assassin) | Tali'Zorah vas Normandy/Rayya (Mass Effect, Engineer)

As for hybridization intentions;

OMA/Leader – A tradeoff for the Leader class; they get more firepower, but have the health of Leaders, meaning they need to carefully and tactically shred their enemies apart.
OMA/Assassin – Assassins who trade a bit of their deadly first strike power for some extra health, which is about the only justification I can see for snipers like Mordecai who can still single-handedly find the Vault.
FO/OMA – A Forwards Observer that gets a bit of an open combat boost.
Engineer/Assassin – A fragile and speedy Engineer who is just at home backstabbing/sniping people as he is driving vehicles.
Engineer/Leader – An Engineer that still works well fighting on the field.
FO/Engineer – You're all smart people, you should be able to figure this one out.

There we are.

The reason I think of the characters from Mercenaries as FO/OMA hybrids is because, well, they usually don't need airstrikes to accomplish most of what they do. They could just run around with an RPG on their shoulder, an AK-47 in hand and a satchel full of C-4 charges, and destroy just about anything in their path. The reason I had Jen as an Assassin hybrid is because she's noted to be stealthier than either Chris or Mattias, having gone through both the Special Air Service (which is why I thought of Price and Soap as Leader/Assassin hybrids) and MI6.

Marlowe as Engineer/FO is good, but why you didn't include a description of that hybridization, unlike the others, is beyond me. Also, instead of Leader, I'd put both Axton and Roland under Engineer, because best I can tell, there are no real Leaders in the teams of Borderlands. Maybe we can add a bit about more futuristic Engineer characters being able to deploy turrets on the field.

Wrex as a straight OMA might work if we're going with his ME1 incarnation, but if he survives Virmire, he definitely becomes a Leader to the krogan people, and I think that should be reflected in his class designation.

Of course these are just my ideas, I'm not saying that you must follow what I'm posting. But I think I might have some insights on some from having played them or the games they starred in.

Ah. Gonna go edit the post now.

Do note that Mitchell and Kozak, as Green Berets, would also likely classify as Leader/Assassin hybrids. After all, a large part of the Ghost Recon games, especially the older ones, is sneaking around the enemy without alerting them in order to get a better tactical advantage.

I can see Mitch because of the earlier games, but Kozak is pure Leader. While he isn't a one-man army, Future Soldier makes you much more capable of taking down sixteen or eighteen mooks in a minute without dying.

I can indeed see Mitch being Leader/Assassin because of the earlier games, but I think Kozak should stay Leader.

Ah, I see. Haven't played FS yet, you see. I was just going off prior GR experience.