DC needs a fun game project that multiple people can contribute to

[Renegade]

Why not build puzzles first, then later do a game with the puzzles in it? i.e. Very small bites first. Nibble first. Munch second. Feast last.

[mouser]

Very small bites first. Nibble first. Munch second. Feast last.

very wise words.


but:

Why not build puzzles first, then later do a game with the puzzles in it

i don't get it -- what would this mean?

[Renegade]

Why not build puzzles first, then later do a game with the puzzles in it

i don't get it -- what would this mean?

-mouser (January 23, 2011, 07:21 PM)

I was referring to this:

(Bare in mind I know nothing about gaming, but...) Wouldn't it be possible to do both? Journey through the dungeon labyrinth solving puzzles to get to the next room/passageway/level?

-Stoic Joker (January 23, 2011, 10:51 AM)

Think of the "solving puzzles" as a very small element within the game that repeats. Creating these kinds of puzzles in a way that users can create modifications of them would be a good small start. Think of it as a practice run through in order to get people into the groove.

Puzzles are relatively simple. The problem is to create puzzles that are fun.

So, for example, a peg-jumping puzzle to remove all the pegs would be relatively simple. But it would need a twist to be fun. e.g. Cody must run over worm holes and eat the worms, but can only run over a worm hole once. Animation there is probably the key element to making that work.

But simple, simple puzzles like that would make an excellent start. Later, they could be incorporated into a dungeon game or whatever.

[Renegade]

Here's an example game:

http://www.codeproje...me/PegSolitaire.aspx



Another project:

http://netcode.ru/do...D=259&artID=6763

A DHTML game:

http://www.blackdog4...zles/jump/index.html

Some peg logic:

http://www.worldling...iki/en/Peg_solitaire

Chess:

http://en.wikipedia....rg/wiki/Chess_engine

A starter kit:

http://www.chessbin....Game-Starer-Kit.aspx

For the sake of productivity, it would likely be easiest to start with some source and go from there. i.e. Why reinvent the wheel? Programming yet another chess engine is simply dumb.

The key there, I believe, is to come up with a twist. Devise a way for the game to offer something new and novel. e.g. Chess: Cody vs. Worms. etc. etc. etc.

Puzzles... Mazes... Platformers... There's lots of code already available. I think it's best to pick a decent open source project, then spin it off into a DC game. BSD licenses are best, but for donationware, GPL is fine too.

[mahesh2k]

I like the idea of platformer game, i'll see if there is any good engine that is good for this job. I've one in mind panda3D- free, C++ and python based engine but let's see if there is any other available.

[worstje]

Sounds like a sort of mixup of various games. Mario, The Incredible Machine, Lemmings, what am I missing?

[Stoic Joker]

Mario's Incredible Lemming Machine?

[mouser]

 
something like lemmings would be fun.. but maybe a bit too ambitious.

[Renegade]

~BUMP~

Got an idea...

A browser game. Not Flash. A pure (X)HTML(5) browser game. Something like Travian.

It's ambitious, but it's also web-based, which is a twist for the discussion.

Another twist is to tie it into Facebook.

[KynloStephen66515]

Another twist is to tie it into Facebook.

-Renegade (February 05, 2011, 02:37 AM)

Anything that connects to facebook usually gets lots of attention if advertised correctly lol.

[kyrathaba]

Ambitious, but I LIKE IT!!

[kyrathaba]

In the interest of reviving discussion that may someday lead to a DC-created game or (even better) game-creation kit/engine, I'll share a find of mine. Gary Shannon has begun work on a PHP server-side script, PHPIF, that can run Interactive Fiction games.