Wip: Virtual arcade fps style...need some input ;-

[)p(]

Ok productive weekend...hehe...

The 3darcade in Emulaxian works well for browsing through a gamelist...
But you can not really build your own arcade...that is why James and I will also make a version were you walk through a room like in a fps shooter. A system like that is not as flexible as the current but will give more of an arcade experience and be a nice addition!

I allready got some of the basics working and the arcade will even have real physics! Yeah you can push things...
When it is ready this will also be available as a plugin for other fe's..

But we will need some input on what you would like to see in an editor to build you own arcade...

these are some things we were thinking about:
-a grid were you can drop walls and objects
-add your own textures on the walls and ceiling
-all kinds of object that can be placed on the grid and resized
-arcade machines :-)
-lighting...add and remove lights...point them...set the color of the lights


Peter

[Lilwolf]

Nice idea, but I don't think many people will use it.

Why?

I don't want to remember where I put all 3000+ arcades... I want to play q-bert... was that on the 3rd level or is that under the secret room in level 1?

IE, I think it would be fun, but everyone would be jumping back to the original settings so they can find a game.

One more note.  It might work if you did this (and this would be cool).  Allow you to find a game texturally (like a drop down list, or a high score text input).  THEN it would find in the map where it's located and figure out a path to get there and run there.  That might be fun

[Mike]

See this is why clones need to be on the same machine so stuff is easier to find. Then that takes your number on video games down to 1200. Which is substantially less to pick through.

[Mike]

Heres an idea for the clones anytime there is a clone for a game make the screen like a players choice screen where you can select to play the parent or one of the clones and it has movies on the top of the screen.

[)p(]

I don't want to remember where I put all 3000+ arcades... I want to play q-bert... was that on the 3rd level or is that under the secret room in level 1?

As I said for larger lists the current version of the 3d arcade works much better...
But this could be used to make your own Arcade the way you want it to look and feel with your fav games...lets say 40 or so...your layouts can be saved...so you can make different arcades or make them available to others...


But if most people think it is not worth it I will continue to focus on the current version and not split my time.
New things in the current version besides the multicab support will be an animated texure of an arcade on the background instead of the pic now and support for background sound/mp3...

[Lilwolf]

1)  I think if you want to play with it its' worth it

2)  It would be cool.  But probably wouldn't be used nearly as much as the other.


but as an idea.  How about the normal one can switch to the room.  The rooms advantage is that it's a way of selecting random (ie, go into the random room, and you wander around and decide what you want to play).  And then you can also setup a favorites room.  This wouldn't change as often and maybe allow people to setup what they like (or keep track to how often games are run).  

So another words.  Have it go along with the default setup now.  But allow you to go into different rooms that can be setup for different uses.

[)p(]

but as an idea.

[Howard_Casto]

I think this is all good stuff, and I think it would be great for you r front-end, but like lilwolf, I doubt there would be much demand for it in plug-in form.... I was about to suggest that you simplify your current 3d arcade for the plug-in version.  

The rotating sylinder is nice for full-screen, but if you want to make it an element on the screen then it's a tad akward.  One cab displayed at a time would be nice for the plug-in, or at least having the option to do so.  Also one more thing that might make things nice.....  I've done some research and a transparent form for shockwave plug-ins is a no go.... but how about this.....  Would it be possible to capture the area directly behind the plug-in and have it displayed as the background of the plug-in? Or at least let us pass this via the blitter or something.....     Just some more thoughts.... this is gettin good man.

[Dr. Jay]

Hey,
 I think this is a neat idea.  I actually wrote Dave Dries
at CinemArcade about this quite a while ago.  Here's a clip of the ideas I was hoping he would have been able to help with, but he said it wasn't something he could do.  Make of this what you will:

What I was
> thinking about would require something more like the quake or unreal
> engine. That would give freedom to move to which ever machine and look
> at what you wanted to. Maybe someone who's into level editing for quake
> and unreal, who also enjoys mame would be able to do something with
> this. Know anyone? And that set-up program I was talking about would let
> you change skins, and which game the emulator would actually start.
> Maybe even have an interactive map to let you move the arcade machines
> where you wanted. That way you could download other arcade machines
> like prefabricated structures in quake and unreal level editors. You'd
> download the prefabbed machine, and in the setup program drag and
> drop the icon on the map, and that's where we get the machine in 3D. You
> could even have different arcade maps to accomadate the different sizes
> of peoples libraries, and different architecture. There could even be a part
> that lets you edit the tiles for the floor, or wall graphics. And like the
> prefabbed machines, there could be prefabbed decor. I guess I'm talking
> about a user-friendly, customizable 3D arcade room, Quake-style.

Hope it's got ideas you can use.  Dr. J

[)p(]

I think this is all good stuff, and I think it would be great for you r front-end, but like lilwolf, I doubt there would be much demand for it in plug-in form.... I was about to suggest that you simplify your current 3d arcade for the plug-in version.