This is a design for a action/strategy video game that I came up with a while back.
You’re either a brigand, or a law keeper. As a brigand, you start out by choosing a character whose strengths turn you on the most, and build a band of marauders and thieves. It is also possible to move up through
the ranks of an established band, but this is usually decided by combat, which is difficult.
Money is needed to bribe outlaws to join your band. Otherwise you must defeat them in single combat or get the money yourself to pay them, by doing your own robbing. That can be slow if you do little stuff, and hard to fatal if you try big stuff.
If you do something too extreme, in too public a place, you will be pursued. The more men you have, the more likely it is you’ll get away, and you can get more ambituous and complicated with your ambushes.
When you gain fame and notoriety, other, rival bands as well as the Sheriff’s men will pursue you, or attack you. The more money you get, the more men you can recruit and equip. Heavy armor is not advised for outlaws as it doesn’t allow for running. A certain amount of chain mail is useful, however.
As a law keeper, you start out as a forester or man-at-arms and move up in rank. You can switch from this side to the other, but if so, it’s better to transfer from forester.
Transfer from soldiering will leave you bereft of any resources. Your mission is to catch and punish outlaws. The more outlaws you catch, the more brownie points you get with the head honcho, i.e. The Sheriff or King John, even.
The higher your rank gets, the better the weapons and armor you can requisition for yourself and your men. A man-at-arms has more resources than a forester does, but it’s tougher to mobilize from the town. On an extended foray, armor will begin to rust and some of your men may desert. The forester has fewer resources, but is used to the forest. Duh. He is faster to pursue, as well, and generally a better archer.
Fairs and contests are good training grounds for any character. They hone your battle skills as well as offer prizes, such as food, better weapons, or money. Sometimes items that give you special privileges or that you can just sell for a whole lot of money.
After you become more notorious, a disguise may be necessary for public places.
Single-person missions often need a disguise, which can be used to move about towns easier, and make for some hilarious misunderstandings. Foresters can disguise themselves to infiltrate bandit groups.
You can interact with bystanders in various ways. If you’re on the run, they may help you if you have a good reputation, or they may call for help. It sometimes depends on the situation. Or you can just engage them in conversation and get information. If you mug them in too public a place, you’re likely to attract attention. Knock them out in a dark alley and you’ll have a delay period. If you kill them, then the delay is longer, but your reputation may worsen. Or not, this can be random.
The Look of the Game: Bright colors, except in the forest where it’s shady so that it’s easier to ambush. Clothes are typically in dull greens and browns for outlaws, with lots of leather. Pointy archer hats, tricorner hats, berets, big berets, skullcaps, that kind of thing. For the ‘good’ guys, same thing for the foresters, except for a marker showing them for what they are, a royal patch. Men-at-arms, soldiers, wear chain mail and browns to start, then breastplates, and then full plate armor for officers. Officers are fancy, of course. Guardsmen wear the royal patch. A horse is a sign of rank.
Lots of good-looking maidens, all over the place, but concentrated in towns.