If Sega only cared about pandering to YOU, what kind of Sonic game would they make?

This seems like a contradictory statement. What I find silly is the categorical insistence on said basis. And yea, I find that silly and no I do not see it as disrespectful, moreso honest.
Because one doesn't need an excuse or approval of others to enjoy something, yes?
It is possible to have a curiosity or appreciation of an aspect of a game and even stress ones personal valuing of said element without proclaiming it, in a quite frankly dishonest manner, to be a fundamental element of its actual design, and that the people that did design the game effectively lied to people about the game and/or don't know or ever knew what they are talking about. And I don't see sense in doing so out of fear of it being accused of being "shallow", because ultimately the nature of the game itself isn't what is changed.

If I am, I would like to know how I am presenting such a thing and be given an example where I have. I genuinely do not see how I have. I think I have made myself adequately clear on this so I would genuinely like to know as it is not my intent. With that said, If there is concern with derailing, I would be more than happy to continue the conversation privately if you wish.

 

If they made a game for me exclusively, it would be a 2D game with hand-drawn art. It wouldn't be a mainline title, but a spinoff.

Title: Amy & Ristar's Entheogen-Fueled Quest for the Mythical Prismatic Chelsea Boots in the Realms of the Unreal, of the Abezethibou-Dargerian Meth Storm, Caused by the Chimney Sweeps' Apprentices Rebellion

The game would begin with a beautifully illustrated cinematic about Amy Rose unwittingly eating a bowl of Time-Travelling Spaghetti™. This, as it is eventually revealed, is a cruel scheme by a sinister A.I. to lure Sonic into trap. Sonic doesn't take the bait however and fucks right off enjoying the solitude and catches up on the latest episodes of Big Cat, Little Planet on Hulu.

Meanwhile, Amy is thrust between worlds and into different time periods and in an alternate timeline of Sonic CD, while captive in Stardust Speedway Zone without the aid of Sonic, she is rescued by Ristar. Ristar informs her of the fabled Chelsea Boots and the power they possess. Together, they travel to 18th-century Westminster.

 

-Gameplay akin to a tuned up version of Sonic GT's gameplay, with similar level design (but much more fine-tuned and less messy)

-Aesthetically, like Sonic Mania/CD but in 3D. Surreal bright geometric environments with tons of detail, and much less emphasis on realism (outside of rendering tech which would be very high quality, probably with optional ray-tracing)

-A plotline akin to SA2 or Unleashed, though with polished up writing akin to the IDW comics. Basically, just have a plot that takes itself seriously enough to be compelling. Think like a good cartoon, especially a more modern plot-focused one like Steven Universe. Not asking for some M-rated edgefest here!

-Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are the main playable characters. A variety of other characters with unique movesets based on his are available for free play and the like, unlocked through main story progress and other methods. Tangle and Whisper are available too. A customizable avatar is also available and make it actually good this time >:c

-Each member of the playable trio plays through the same Zones--but not in the same order, and their actions affect the whole world. So if Sonic shuts the power off in an Eggman base and Knuckles plays through that Zone later, the power will be off. As I explained in a much earlier post:

-Throughout the story have Amy realize that Sonic clearly isn't going to reciprocate her feelings for him and have her end up getting to know and eventually fall for Shadow (basically, make Shadamy canon and then make Sonaze canon too maybe) i̶ ̶k̶i̶n̶d̶a̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶s̶o̶n̶a̶d̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶o̶n̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶ ̶l̶m̶a̶o̶

-No humans but the Robotniks. Basically like the comics.

-Introduce a new Mobian character that fights for Robotnik. Why this has happened only once (Infinite) is baffling to me a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶h̶o̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶f̶i̶n̶i̶t̶e̶

-Chao garden. Hoo boy, buckle up, I got a LOT of ground to cover here. Start with the SA2B system, of course. Now, for additions, tweaks, and changes:
> Improve chaos drives and in general make leveling stats much less tedious. Even with improved animals and drives in Chao World Extended, it still takes an acceptable timesink to max levels so there's no need for the insane grind of SA2(B)

> Completely overhaul chao genetics: firstly, two-tone chao now have a base color and a highlight color instead of each two-tone having a set combination. If you want to breed a white chao with red highlights, then you can (the original two-tones can be from [color]/Normal mixes). Mix and match any color (and also introduce like 50 new shades at the very least, perhaps even allowing for mixing shades by breeding two monotone chao together); Introduce several new coat types (frosted tips, dusty, gunmetal sheen, jewel but affected by color etc.) that all exist on the same gene as shininess. Make bright chao canon as well, based off of their dark chao appearances. Also make it so that COLORED DARK/NORMAL CHAO ACTUALLY LOOK THEIR COLOR AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

> Overhaul chao's behavior: give them actual personalities that matter and the ability to make friendships/rivals/enemies/etc. with other chao. Have them actually do unique things around the garden and interact with the environment and each other: If a chao is drowning a chao that can swim can save them; two chao friends can fly around together; an altruistic chao can give a hungry one some fruit, etc. Add a LOT of new classes for them to take and things for them to learn (and don't make it require being in the garden itself to progress good god) to bolster this. Basically chao should do things.

> Introduce many of CWE's new features/improvements (differing eye colors, hyper fruit/x grade, shiny fruit, character chaos chao, negative chao, colored wings, improving grades at the doctor with rings, family histories/trees, birthdays etc.)

> Make Intelligence a regular stat alongside the existing 5 with unique evolutions (luck can remain a weird hidden stat though...but jester-esque Luck chao sound kinda cool so idk lmao)

Basics of that down, I could go on but this post is long enough XD

 

Reading you now, I've probably been reading your posts somewhat wrong and saying things I shouldn't in consequence so I won't make this conversation longer, but out of potential embarrassment, since I'd like to give you a proper answer and my previous responses suggest I won't be able to (better know when to shut up, or at least better late than never). About the way you say things, its probably that you speak too "logical" and not so much with your heart (at least we'll avoid that horrible song) that I'd probably read your tone as empathy lacking and a bit cathegoric, but, as I've said, I'm not sure I understood everything right, so sorry for being so harsh to you.

This is the spirit! if you have freedom to choose, push every limit! I'm missing Socket Time Dominator in this plot of you, though.

Knuxonic has always been the real thing and you know it.

I'm still missing the visual novel spin-off game I suggested years ago, btw. Put that on the request list, though it wouldn't exactly be pandering to me. XD

Also, now I think of it, we need some Super Sonic-only game, travelling through space or something like that. Something like Doomsday Zone but a whole game that could be top-down perspective like a bullet hell game, but with original gameplay instead as Super Sonic isn't an X-Wing. When I say Super Sonic only I'm talking about the form, not the character, so any other potential fitting character would also be welcome as long as they have 7 chaos emeralds and at least 50 rings.

 

I'm not sure how strongly I hold this opinion anymore, but for a number of years, I've thought strongly that the classic Sonic format was screaming to be in a 3D format as there is so much potential there if done properly. So essentially, a competent, very carefully, and thoroughly done transition of classic Sonic into an appropriate 3D analog.

Stages can have an unbelievably high amount of variety, as they would be complex manifolds giving the characters many choices for how to interact with the environment. Think similar to those old Tony Hawk skateboarder games, a world inundated with half-pipes, interacting levels, and slopes. An enlarged emphasis of the characters using their velocities (direction and speed) to reach different sections of each level. Levels should have different physical stories similar to 2D levels.

Maybe levels would have a generic shape of a large inverted bell curve, where the overall direction is down a large slope, but there are many and multiple opportunities to reach higher stories in the level, which have different things happening in them before converging as they do in 2D levels. Windy Valley beta often appears in my mind when considering these options, along with a more streamlined Sonic Utopia. There should be more of an emphasis on A to B progression than there is in Utopia though. The world is large and expansive, but it's not a true open-world game.

There should be levels too that interact more with the general physics ideas, such as maybe a stage where the concept is that the geometry of sections is constantly changing and you have to take advantage of the present shape to shoot yourself off to another part of the stage or to do something else interesting. Maybe some levels have badniks or some sort of structures built by Eggman which are moving around and you have to take advantage of their positions to launch off them or something of the like.

Basic moveset would include the spindash, dropdash, and insta-shield, which I've always thought to be a neglected move. The insta-shield would briefly increase your hitbox considerably which would be useful in 3D, and perhaps there are certain pathways in levels which can only be penetrated by timing an insta-shield to make it through a forcefield or something of the like, allowing Sonic to have unique pathways in the way that Tails and Knuckles do.

I'd imagine the art style to emulate Sonic Jam era stuff, with maybe a touch more CD-style surreality. Make the world feel like something amazing to behold, but extremely distinctive. Storyline and such things are mostly secondary, but I'd like it to take a roughly 3K approach to a narrative, where each stage plays a role in the next and explains why things are progressing as they are. I wouldn't be adverse to talking, but I'd think the cutscenes would be more on the short side and more reminiscent of the OVA than anything else, with short quips from each character as an event is happening, and then the next stage begins.

Those are some of my basic ideas.

 

If Sega was pandering to me, we'd have a classic Sonic Maker game (kinda like that Sonic Maker fangame that's being made). You'd use a polygon editor to edit the stage, and place enemies and things. There'd be a story mode much like Super Mario Maker and one of the "gimmicks" would be that they got a bunch of level designers from previous games to their own level in story mode. In the editor, besides editing the terrain, you'd have the ability to edit the palette of the level to make it look unique. I wouldn't even ask for too many features, having the ability to make my own level to run around in would be nice. Much like Mario Maker, I imagine there'd be 4 themes, Hills (Reminiscent of Green Hill, Emerald Hill, and Splash Hill), Mechanical (Reminiscent of Chemical Plant, Metropolis, and Scrap Brain) and Ruins (Reminiscent of Aquatic Ruins, Labyrinth, and Marble Zone), and Sand (Reminiscent of Emerald Coast, Mirage Saloon, or Dust Hill). Due to the fact that you can toggle water or lava, and due to the fact that you can change the liquid's palette, a desert theme easily becomes a beach with a bit of water, and a hill theme with a bit of lava and a blue coloring scheme becomes a Hill-Top-Like volcano. Perhaps there would be DLC that allows you to get more themes somewhere down the line, but I feel like even just those themes + the ability to change the colors of the theme would let you customize them to look the way you want your level to look. You'd also have maybe 10 sprite decorations for each theme, so that you could use those to further make your level be special. As for music, I think it'd probably have a selection of music from a few Sonic games, mainly classic games, but some modern too. Maybe on PC, you could insert custom music. I could be pushing my luck, but getting someone like Karl Brueggemann to do some custom classic esque music would be the dream. I don't think it'd cost too much to make, and I think people would generally enjoy it assuming it ran on the retro engine. What are you gonna complain about, the level design? The story? It's just a level editor where you can share your levels online.

 

I like this part of the post, because I find it very adequate as a silent answer to fans that also avoids a lot of shitstorm. "Go ahead, make your own games and leave us alone, we'll see if you do it better and, if not, complain to AnonUser1337 who made the levels you tried".

 

They'd give Nack the Weasel his own game! Mostly Genesis-style 2D gameplay, but it would be nice to see some animated cutscenes, and some good 3D renderings of Mr. Weasel would be nice.

I'm honestly not sure how best to incorporate the gun into the gameplay, though. Maybe something in between "Jazz Jackrabbit" and "Shadow the Hedgehog?"

 

If they were trying to pander to me specifically, they'd probably make a new classic style 2D game with hand-drawn art during gameplay and animated cutscenes inbetween certain zones.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles would be playable of course, with all their S3&K abilities (plus Drop Dash and Peel-Out for Sonic), and I feel like the Chaotix deserve another game too, albeit with a nerfed Charmy. Amy would be playable and just as fast as the other characters, and I'd even like to see some more modern characters in a classic game, like Rouge, Tikal, or Blaze. Metal Sonic would be cool too.

The levels would be original too, some sort of forest zone sounds like it could be amazing, I've always wanted a Christmas level, and a beach zone just sounds fun.

Or they could just make a Sonic Man game. I'd buy that.

 

If Sega were only pandering to me, they'd say "fuck off" to Sonic for a minute and make a new NiGHTS game.

Like, a proper 3D one, not simply a retread like JoD was.

GAMEPLAY:
You freely fly in any direction in the sky (albeit auto-moving) in a more adventure-type game, with occasional "rail shooter" areas to loop around a track like the original. NiGHTS can fly up, down, left or right, and if held long enough can do loops or U-turns, although said turns are somewhat wide. Despite auto-moving, NiGHTS can hard brake with the left trigger, and soft brake with the right trigger; each allowing tighter loops and turns. NiGHTS has their usual Drill Dash on A/B, but to assist hitting enemies or honing into objects, NiGHTS gets a "Homing Dash" on X/Y, not too dissimilar to how it works in Rodea the Sky Soldier where you can aim with a cursor upon holding and launch upon release into target objects/enemies (or just in a short burst, if not locked onto anything). NiGHTS could also do tricks using the right stick, and upon double tapping in any direction can quickly dodge incoming hazards.

When not playing as NiGHTS, you play as the human character, who can do certain things NiGHTS cannot (like jump on things, navigate places on the ground, do more dexterous things, or speaking to NPCs). Turning to and from NiGHTS would require Blue Chips, as in this game (to replace the time limit) we treat it sort of like Super Sonic, where you must keep more than zero on you to stay dualized.

STORY:
Instead of doing another game about kids, we focus on young adults having to parse their way through figuring out who they are in their newfound adulthood lives, with maybe a pinch of romance between the two characters. Main guy is a young man who got caught into being a businessman but always wanted to be a musician. The main gal is a baseball player who wants to get back in touch with the side of her that did ballet (or maybe the other way around). The two, through NiGHTS, meet each other, Dreams Dreams plays, etc idk get a hold of Science Saru and let them do something really cute here.

The main plot of the game, however, would be about Wizeman learning how to break the barrier between Nightopia and the real world, letting Nightmaren run free and warp reality into a bastardized, Paprika-esque NiGHTS version of the real world (name reveal of this world below). It's up to your two main protagonists to save both reality and Nightopia from this convergence, and restore peace to both worlds. Maybe the whole thing comes off like a dream to the main protags when it sorta-is, sorta-isn't. Don't worry too hard about the specifics, more about the feelings the game gets out of the player.

And call it... NiGHTS into Limbo.




Hit me up, Sega.