Heya!
I have decided to run a community based project right here on the forums! (Simple reasons for this are to get an active design community up and because this is just a part time project for me, there will be a lot of things others can do for it). I am currently studying Games Design at university and have a lot of experience leading teams etc and know all about scope.
But if you like the idea or think you can add something to the project, let me know via here or a PM (If you are IRC inclined I am in there usually 24/7).
What is The Project?
Basically I am trying to create a new experience for the player. The game itself is loosely based off Gazillionaire and the idea of trading resources between planets to create a stable and successful company in a world like EVEonline. Expanding on that idea, players will be able to fly between moons and planets to trade stuff, however the universe is constantly moving - so Moon A might be 30 min travel from Moon B, but if you wait say 20 minutes (and do other things) Moon A will rotate around the planet and might be now only 5 minutes away.
However by waiting, another player might have got in and bought all the cheap items - or sold exactly what you were bringing over for a profit and thus killing any massive profit you had imaged!
The universe is starting small (1 sun, 5 planets, 16 [I think] moon system) However a second system is being planned now and the direction of the code will allow for expanding to almost anything (Modularity is awesome.)
One of the other key ideas I wanted to have is that the player will feel they have impacted the universe. If they decide to trade metals or war machines to one faction in a time of war they may affect the outcome of that battle. (I.e. that faction might take over a planet system because more people gave it more of a means to do so)
So far the client and the server are being coded up together. The server will just keep track of the worlds and trades. The client will be a simple 3D / 2.5D interface of the system, or areas on planets to check out. I have started to play ideas for mining systems and other "things to do on the planet"
Extra Stuff that has been thought about
Okay so expanding on the basic idea some suggestions have been....
- Having a crew training them up to 'customize' your ship
- Owning/Operating of facilities on planets
- Mining/Exploration flying
- A facebook/Website integration to play while you are 'at work' or away from the client (buy/sell/check trade prices etc)
Specifics
The art itself will be low poly stuff, however I am using the engine for all the planets and they should only need textures.
The design is being modular so we can expand on it later. It is currently being scripted in a language called DarkBasic Professional.
The server is currently outputting all the data about the worlds into just .txt documents and the clients grab this from an ftp update their own person files. They will be encoded to stop any cheats and updated at regular times. (This is just the limitations of the engine itself, but the pros do have faster implementation of new stuff)
If you do become involved a contract will have to be signed. Simply just to say that this is a non-profit community project, however that if in the unlikely situation that money becomes involved you will be given royalties for the work you have provided. All your work is your own and you can freely advertise your work from the project - and you will be credited for it in the game and anywhere else listed with the game (Web etc). And all that jazz...
Why be involved?
So why be involved? Well if you are like me and have some spare time on the side and want to work on something for:
- Own portfolio
- Experience of working in a team on a project
- Bored?
- or if you feel you want to really make an impact on the world with this project... hell it might be something like what you were thinking of doing.
What you can do?
I am looking to have some people jump on and do whatever they think they can add to the project.
For designers they would chat to me and we can balance systems and such.
For Artists they would be working on 3D art works, Interface designs, menus, splash screens, planet textures as well as creating different races/technologies for those planets to incorporate.
For Webguys If there is any that know facebook stuff or Java let me know and we can build it around this as well.
IF there is any coders around I might be willing to ditch the current **** language for some real code IF they think they could develop a way to handle it all.
TLDR Version
Community Project - Trading Space game - Want to help? - Awesome.
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