The initial inspiration for the design stems from my keen interest in computer games and programming. Being an interested player of Garry's Mod, and knowing the extensiveness of the modding community that work with Garry's Mod and other Source games, it occurred to me to create another gamemode for Garry's Mod. Although there exist many gamemodes for Garry's Mod, it is the diversity of content available that is the main drawcard of Garry's Mod. To be able to add further to that diversity is a positive contribution to the community in my eyes.
Along with contributing to the diversity of the game, my MDP is also an opportunity to show my ability to innovate in game design. While there are many gamemodes existing in the Garry's mod, many are variations on common themes; others fail to be original and simply bring some other universe or game to Garry's Mod. So the challenge still stands to make a gamemode that rivals the likes of DarkRP and TTT.
When I began to think about my MDP, the idea of making a new gamemode seemed to involve using the parts of other gamemodes that the developers have done well, such as elements that are key to the players' enjoyment or are an interesting idea. My MDP would also have to have a sense of true originality stemming from its own unique features.
The first developed idea that I came up with sprung from the idea of science fiction robots. The idea of a robot uprising seemed interesting to me as a setting for a round-based multiplayer game.
Expanding upon the idea, I thought of some of the specifics of the gamemode. This is a list of the features that I wanted in my game:
After noting some of the interesting ideas found in Trouble in Terrorist Town, Garry's Mod Stranded and DarkRP, I began to consider some of their ideas:
I soon realised that to achieve the goals in my feature list, I would need to consider how to implement them, and I could record the implementation of them as a measure of progress in the project. This is shown in the table below:
| Feature | Requirements | Date implemented (YYYY-MM-DD) | Files added |
| Everyone to look human, but some are robots | At the start of a round, the roles need to be chosen. | NYI | |
| Nobody to know who is a human or robot | At the start of a round, each player is sent a message to tell them their role. No information is sent about others' roles. | NYI | |
| Needs systems for humans and robots | Humans need: thirst, hunger, sleep. Robots need: oil, fragmentation, power. | NYI | |
| Outwardly peaceful | Restrictions on the number of weapons available. A weapon should be treated as valuable and suspicious. | NYI | |
| Time-based rounds | Several sequences of timers: Map start, pre-round, round, post-round. The pre-round timer should only expire when there are enough players to start the round. | NYI | |
There exist some gamemodes that contain elements that I will be including in my own MDP. This is due to the fact that I have chosen to re-use these elements in my own, as inevitably happens with systems of game mechanics. Since these are the most similar to my MDP, they will be the ones that I will explore.
Trouble in Terrorist Town (TTT) is the largest source of inspiration for the MDP. Its round-based nature, defaulting to ten minutes, is a good fit for the fast-paced action that an online gaming community may expect from Garry's Mod. The idea of detective work and the social construct of mistrust are key elements of TTT which provide interesting gameplay.
Garry's Mod Stranded (GMS) is the most similar example of a gamemode with needs and crafting systems.
The degree of difference from other gamemodes in my MDP stems from the unique blend of game mechanics that are found in many other games and mods. Moreover, the idea of a robot uprising is one that I have yet to see in any game that I personally have played. Gamers should find it interesting and hopefully not cliché, at least not as a game.
What makes my gamemode different from the others?