Back with a vengeance

I'm back. I decided to take a 2 month break from the project. This was because the project had just moved from engine development to actual game development and I was not happy with how the game was progressing. It was not something I was comfortable putting my name to. No amount of effort was going to fix the project's problems, because I couldn't put my finger on what the problem was....I was just spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere.
Sometimes this happens, and you need to take a break and come back with fresh eyes. This allows you to see the forest, not just the trees, so to speak.
During my break, I had several epiphanies:

1. The game was looking crap because it was a mix of styles. Realistic models here and deliberately retro models there. The retro stuff was looking like crap against the realistic stuff...but if it is ALL retro, then it becomes obvious to the player that that is the intention and it therefore looks good (despite not being ultra modern), because the player "gets it".
2. I was seeing games, such as Lego Star Wars having 120+ characters and wondering why I was struggling making a second character. Sure they had their IP with 6 movies worth of pre-thought-up characters, but it would have been a great effort making all of those models!. No it wasn't! The way they went about it was brilliant: Have one basic model and just change the textures (and occasionally, the helmet, hair, etc).
3. Replayablity: Although I already had the concept of locking areas (with lava, water, toxic waste) and the player needing a required element to access (shields), the Lego games used doors that can only be opened by specific characters that are not available in Story Mode, or by using helmets. This is nothing new, after all Doom had red/blue/yellow access cards to open those doors, which is the same thing, just now you have to unlock something on one map, so you can use it on another. I can replicate this via security ID cards.
4. Upgrades: I always wanted DEMII to have upgrades, but could not think of a good way to implement them. Then I realised that upgrades are present in most modern games under various aliases: Lego Star Wars has "Extras", GTA4/Red Faction Guerrilla/etc have "Cheats", Deus Ex had "Augmentations". These are abilities that are unlocked during gameplay and give the player the option to change an aspect of the game. I have already thought up a number of them, eg Ice that dosen't melt, various automapping tools, regenerate HP from SP, etc.
5. I don't need missions to tell a story ! Missions limit play: once they are done, why would the player want to do them again? Better to give a less restrictive map and have one main goal to achieve, to push the story forward, coupled with a number of mini-goals to make the player explore and require multiple runs, etc.

Add to that an affirmation of game size: By having replayibilty of levels, Lego Star Wars gets away with 6 maps per episode and 3 episodes per game = 18 maps (plus a few bonus maps). I am considering having 3 acts of 5 maps = 15 maps. The difference is they tell a story in 6 maps, I will be telling my story over 15 maps.

I have already redesigned DEMII into a simpler style, and designed 2 other character models. Once I have the design thought out, it only takes an hour or so to adjust the basic model template I have made into the character! I have thought up 9 possible characters (including both enemies and NPCs). So far I have DEMII, a random scientist (perhaps this will become the mad doc, himself) and a native girl (not yet named, but she will be a key NPC in the village levels).
Note: They all have the same expression in these pics, but in-game, they will change.

Scientist

DEMII

Native Girl