Concept
Summary
LEGOLAND is a modification to the upcoming Half-Life 2, using LEGO bricks and elements as the world and LEGO minifigures as the playable characters.
Details
There are many familiar styles of gameplay in a First-Person Shooter (FPS). From the popular Deathmatch and Capture the Flag modes to the more obscure Rabbit and Bounty modes, there are styles of play to suit many tastes.
Unfortunately, the FPS genre is becoming increasingly stale. There's good news, however. In the LEGOLAND Build (or Construct -- the name is a work in progress) mode, a team must build a specific structure before the other team builds theirs. So, LEGOLAND emphasizes the best part about playing with LEGO pieces: building things.
The pieces necessary to build your team's structure are scattered throughout the level. Pieces can be picked up from the ground, they can be stolen from the other team, and the structures can be attacked to knock pieces off. This promises to be an intense game mode favoring several different roles for players to choose. In addition, vehicles, weapons, and defensive structures can also be constructed by the players to help their cause. Some vehicles will aid in gathering pieces, while others will take an offensive role in the race to finish. Larger weapons can be used to attack the enemy players or blast holes in their defenses. Defensive buildings like walls and turrets will aid your team in holding back the enemy. But that's not all.
A LEGO minifigure is composed of several smaller pieces. Assuming it isn't wearing or holding any accessories, it has at least the following: a head, a torso, two arms, two hands, two legs, and a waist. Because of this, LEGO minifigures never really "die"; they simply fall (or get blown) apart. You, as the player, will always occupy the head. As you take damage (location based), your various body pieces will begin to weaken and eventually detach. A large explosion would of course accelerate this process. With only one leg to hop on, your movement will be slowed, and if you only have one arm or one hand, your accuracy will be limited.
Now, you may imagine that this could be rather annoying. Not to worry. After a short period of time, your minifig will begin to heal, and you can reattach whatever body piece(s) you're missing. You can also buy new ones at your team's base. If you have become so incapacitated that it's just your head rolling around (or if you're too impatient to find the two legs you've lost), you have the option of respawning at your base. However, this will come with a significant penalty of "limbo" time.
This aspect of the game will be very interesting to see in action. We really hope people will find this new style of play fun and engaging, and it will go a long way in revitalizing the FPS world. If any of you have any suggestions for more LEGO-based fun, please let us know.
