The Future of Veneficus

Alright... so... I'll admit it. Veneficus as it stands right now has so much potential, but absolutely no chance of being made. It's too complex! And too dependent on me getting my lazy butt up and working on it without some sort of compensation. So, I'm refining it; cutting out the cruft and whittling it down into something manageable. The goal here is to make a short working version that's fun and easy to play - then, I'll distribute it for free on the Web. After I get feedback on it, I'll begin work on a bigger "sequel" with an actual team, maybe start a kickstarter page, and ultimately release the original idea through Steamworks or something. Finally, I'll branch out a bit and re-make the short version for iPhone and Android, and sell that through their respective App Stores. But first! I need to actually design Mini-ficus.

Minificus is meant to be short and sweet - a prototypical version of the final project. To that effect, I need to nail down what the core elements of Veneficus are. I believe them to be the following three points:

1) Magic - the most important part! Using magic to interact with the world is the cornerstone of this project, and no matter what the outcome is, it needs to have magic. And not just "Magic Missile" and "Fireball" sorts of magic, but things like reviving zombie slaves, creating magical gates to other realms, and possessing strangers and forcing them to do your bidding. None of this typical "video game" magic.
2) Survival - basically, the whole idea of this game started as a thought - "What if a real flesh-and-blood wizard was trying to eke out an existence after the Apocalypse?" And while the setting doesn't *have* to be post-Apocalyptic, the focus on survival helps to form what sort of game this is.
3) A World of Shadows - the world of Veneficus isn't a pleasant one (typically). The game is set in a world on the verge of destruction: One rife with devils, demons, and monsters that no longer fear discovery; One in which wizards who once hid their talents from the masses now wage war openly in the streets; And in which humans struggle for survival every waking moment of their bleak lives. It's pretty goth, but really helps set the tone.

So... a game of modern magic and savage survival. Not a bad tagline. On to more design stuff!