Making a game...

[Trimoor]

I want to make a computer/video game.  I know this is a daunting task, but it will give me programming experience if nothing else.

I have plenty of technical and artistic abilities, but my philosophy is "Make the gameplay fun.  Everything else is secondary."  That leads me to the problem: what kind of game should I make?

Once I can come up with a premise for gameplay, stories, characters, and the like will come easily to me.  I want to be unique, but I can't think of anything.  Anyone have any precious ideas they wish to divulge?

[Hoagie_one]

Ninja's Vs. Pirates:  Junkyard Derby madness and Rugby Tournament

[Stingray]

Ninja/ Pirate Rugby.

-S

[Shape D.]

my philosophy is "Make the gameplay fun.  Everything else is secondary."

Sounds like a dreamcast game to me.

[TalkingOctopus]

I think a puzzle game would be easiest type of game for a single person to tackle.

[GGKoul]

What system are you going to make the game for?

[Hoagie_one]

can i beta test it?

[Trimoor]

A puzzle game does sound like a good idea, especially because of it's programming simplicity, but it typically lacks in the story/adventure area.  My personal favorites are Puzzle Bobble/Bust-A-Move and Chu Chu Rocket.  But it still leaves me with my original conundrum; I don't have an idea for the gameplay.

SDL sounds like a good API.  It's what I use for my still-beta Jukebox program.  I've always wanted to learn good old solid C, so I will start there.  I won't be alone; I have an experienced programmer to help me.  (Okay, so he's the one who wrote the Jukebox program, but the idea was all mine.)  I will likely start with Linux, then port it to windoze and mac.  Heck, maybe I'll even make a Dreamcast port if it's not too hard.

my philosophy is "Make the gameplay fun. Everything else is secondary."

Sounds like a dreamcast game to me.

How do you mean?  I love the Dreamcast, but I don't see how it's games were exceptional in terms of gameplay.

can i beta test it?

Uh, sure.

[tommy]

Make a new pc Resident Evil. 

[Hoagie_one]

Ninja vs. Pirate Bobble?

[cholin]

Trying myself to make games, it is not an easy challenge!  If you have medium experience, you can make an RPG with inventories and ETC, *without* ever using premade code.  Expert, you can use 3d devices such as OpenGL and DirectX to make a game.  Beginners will be best with puzzle games.  I'd like to see an RPG, but there are so many free ones coming out with fantastic graphic engines.

[Trimoor]

Well, I don't have the patience to finish and RPG, much less make one.  I think I'll start with a puzzle game, and if it works, start using 3D graphics in it.  I have some experience in modeling and animation and would like to make something of it.

SDL supports openGL, so it shouldn't be too hard.  DirectX is utter proprietary crap.

Once again, I am stuck with my original problem.  What would the actual gameplay be?  Tetris is lining up falling shapes to make a line, Puzzle Bobble is shooting circles at other circles to match colors.  These are the kind of ideas I need.  Any suggestions?

Eventually, I would love to make a 3D adventure game, akin to Mario64 and Banjo Kazooie.  I just love the huge richly detailed worlds.  Too bad I would need a team of designers for something like that.

[JoyMonkey]

Resident Ninja Pirate: Evil Puzzle Edition

[cholin]

Brainstorm!   What kind of puzzle game could we have.  Ive always liked the games where you bounce a ball off "mirrors" into an ending location, such as Reflex(ion?).  Puzzle games, eh?  Can't think.  Im trying to make a flash RPG type game with tile-based maps right now.  I would help, but I know *no* C, very very little C++.

[Dartful Dodger]

I had this idea for a multiplayer game. it's a 9 square grid and each player takes turns selecting a square.

The goal is to take control of three squares that are either in a straight line or a diagonal line.

I've been playing around with the idea of using Xs and Os, but you can use any objects you want.

[cholin]

I had this idea for a multiplayer game. it's a 9 square grid and each player takes turns selecting a square.

The goal is to take control of three squares that are either in a straight line or a diagonal line.

I've been playing around with the idea of using Xs and Os, but you can use any objects you want.

Ahh, I can just imagine how famous that game would be!  Whenever people got bored, they could simply draw out the game board on a piece of paper, during work, school, whatever.  I like this idea.  Perhaps you should go into business with it.  Too bad only 2 players can play (or 1 lonely lonely person)

[Trimoor]

Mirrors are a great idea.  How about a light based game?  You use mirrors and lenses of all different types to guide a single slow moving photon to a special target.  Prisms make it change color.  Other modes could use a solid laser beam, possibly even holography.

I really prefer 'action' puzzle games like Tetris, where you must keep moving to play.  Static puzzles won't appeal to as many gamers.

I'm still in the conception stage, so don't worry about programming yet.

Dartful Dodger, I remember hearing about your idea somewhere, but I cant quite place it....I may have to steal it.  I'll make millions...heheheh

[cholin]

Thing is, computer puzzle games are usually directed towards kids.  Now, explain to me, how the hell is a kid gonna be able to keep a photon moving through prisms to do whatever you wanted to happen.  Ill tell you what they'll think......."OOH BRIGHT COLORS!"  Id rather play the fish tank game   You gotta keep it simpler than that!

I say we start a business with that grid idea!  Call it Naughts and Crosses, or X's and O's, or Tic-Tac-Toe (dont ask me where I came up with the last one....I just like toes!)

[Hoagie_one]

I had this idea for a multiplayer game. it's a 9 square grid and each player takes turns selecting a square.

The goal is to take control of three squares that are either in a straight line or a diagonal line.

I've been playing around with the idea of using Xs and Os, but you can use any objects you want.

or ninjas and pirates

[Trimoor]

Hoagie, come up with a gameplay idea for me, and I'll be sure to put pirates and ninjas in it.  (Can't get enough of the ninjas.  Every game should have them.)

[RayB]

How about another sequel to Pac Man, only now, he's a great grandpa, and he has to chew 10 times on each pellet before gobbling it. The special pills in the corners are meds for his arthritis, gout, and other old-people problems. The ghosts all walk with canes, and when they turn blue, Grampac (Grampa + Pac = Grampac) shakes his fist at them disapprovingly.

Oh, and the ghosts: The red one chasing you, will stop every few seconds to catch his breath. The blue one will have really bad eyesight, so he'll NEVER find you. Orange one will wander around the board over and over not remembering where he was going. Probably should even stop at intersections and look side to side like he doesn't know which path to choose. The Pink ghost will stay inside the center "room" and never come out. Whenever you move Pac close to the entry of that room, Pinky will shout "Who's there!?" and "Go away!"

I think this would be a great game.

[TalkingOctopus]

Thing is, computer puzzle games are usually directed towards kids...

Not really...  Popcap makes some awesome PC puzzle games.  Give them a try:

http://www.popcap.com/

[xar256]

I got an idea...I've been looking and never seen a computerized version.

[cholin]

How about another sequel to Pac Man, only now, he's a great grandpa, and he has to chew 10 times on each pellet before gobbling it. The special pills in the corners are meds for his arthritis, gout, and other old-people problems. The ghosts all walk with canes, and when they turn blue, Grampac (Grampa + Pac = Grampac) shakes his fist at them disapprovingly.

Oh, and the ghosts: The red one chasing you, will stop every few seconds to catch his breath. The blue one will have really bad eyesight, so he'll NEVER find you. Orange one will wander around the board over and over not remembering where he was going. Probably should even stop at intersections and look side to side like he doesn't know which path to choose. The Pink ghost will stay inside the center "room" and never come out. Whenever you move Pac close to the entry of that room, Pinky will shout "Who's there!?" and "Go away!"

I think this would be a great game.

This idea wouldnt be patented or anything would it   I think I need to get coding some Grampac!  Honestly though, I might attempt a stab at this game soon in flash if time prevails!  Could start with a pre-coded Pacman such as Neave's (www.neave.com I think) and then modify it.  10 gobbles is a little bit too much though.  The difficulty wouldnt be speed, it would be patience.  I got to level 3!  I just said SCREW IT at level one after 45 minutes of gobbling 3 pellets!  If anyone wants to submit some graphics for this, Ill surely make it a game!

[Shape D.]

How about another sequel to Pac Man, only now, he's a great grandpa, and he has to chew 10 times on each pellet before gobbling it. The special pills in the corners are meds for his arthritis, gout, and other old-people problems. The ghosts all walk with canes, and when they turn blue, Grampac (Grampa + Pac = Grampac) shakes his fist at them disapprovingly.

Oh, and the ghosts: The red one chasing you, will stop every few seconds to catch his breath. The blue one will have really bad eyesight, so he'll NEVER find you. Orange one will wander around the board over and over not remembering where he was going. Probably should even stop at intersections and look side to side like he doesn't know which path to choose. The Pink ghost will stay inside the center "room" and never come out. Whenever you move Pac close to the entry of that room, Pinky will shout "Who's there!?" and "Go away!"

I think this would be a great game.

shouldn't one of the ghosts have incontenence problems too?

[tommy]

One of the ghosts have a machinegun, and grampac gets all bloody in this one. 

[cholin]

Nah, you'd need a death chip for that   Easy to install...guaranteed!

[itismejs]

How about a game where you have to fire a pellet at a matching colored ninja from a pirate ship.

[Trimoor]

Well, I'm pretty sure Midway won't give me the rights to make a Pac-Man game, and I would like the ability to sell the game.  Chess if far too dull for today's ADD gamers, and I really don't care about star track.

The pellet/ninja/pirate thing might work, but I need more details.  Oh, and sign this disclaimer giving me all the rights to the idea.  Don't read it, just sign it.

[RayB]

This idea wouldnt be patented or anything would it

[tommy]

Well, I'm pretty sure Midway won't give me the rights to make a Pac-Man game, and I would like the ability to sell the game.

[Trimoor]

Did he say star track = trek

Geek test!

[paigeoliver]

How about another sequel to Pac Man, only now, he's a great grandpa, and he has to chew 10 times on each pellet before gobbling it. The special pills in the corners are meds for his arthritis, gout, and other old-people problems. The ghosts all walk with canes, and when they turn blue, Grampac (Grampa + Pac = Grampac) shakes his fist at them disapprovingly.

Oh, and the ghosts: The red one chasing you, will stop every few seconds to catch his breath. The blue one will have really bad eyesight, so he'll NEVER find you. Orange one will wander around the board over and over not remembering where he was going. Probably should even stop at intersections and look side to side like he doesn't know which path to choose. The Pink ghost will stay inside the center "room" and never come out. Whenever you move Pac close to the entry of that room, Pinky will shout "Who's there!?" and "Go away!"

I think this would be a great game.

I like this idea, some more suggestions to make it more fun, and less novelty.

Make it look just like the classic Pac-Man series, but make Pac a bit "gummy" because he lost his teeth.

As for the multichomp, Junior Pac-Man has some pellets that need to be double chomped, I say use that for the whole game, anything more would be frustrating.

Intermissions are definitely needed. All related to Pac and the Ghosts being really old now.

I think Granpac should be able to gobble at full speed if he has eaten a power pellet.

Every once in a while (maybe a 25 percent chance per screen), one of the ghosts should fall over and get stuck. Get someone who does a good Gilbert Gottfried impersonation to record some audio for this "I've fallen, and I can't get up."

I like the pink ghost idea, but I think it would be better if he did come out from time to time, but never ventured past the area directly around the ghost house (or just let Pac-Man enter the ghost house), there has to be some chance of eating him.

As for canes and such, I suggest mixing it up, one with a cane, one with a walker, one in a wheelchair, and one who moves normally.

[MrTroy]

May I recommend checking out http://www.allegro.cc. They have TONS of projects that have the source there just ripe for the picking.

I wish you the best of luck with it. And do you plan on making this "Arcade" style. Like where you have to put in coins? I'd love for there to be more homebrew games made for the arcade(I personally am working on quite a few)

[menace]

This grandpac idea is great--make one of the pills a viagra pellet so that him and grandma-pac can relive old times.  Also, the ghosts wouldn't be complete if they didn't have a left/right blinker left on while they are chasing you 

[missioncontrol]

if you go with great grandpa pac who would be driving in the fast lane at 45 MPH with their left turn signal on?? 

[Hoagie_one]

remember that game that we used to play on teh kitchen floor as kids, Crossbows and catapults?  Make a Ninja vs pirates verison of this.  you build your walls and then take turns launghing balista and bolder at each other.

[RayB]

Someone suggested another idea for Grampac: Sometimes his dentures fall out, and he can't eat the pellets till he gets em back.

Although, the dentures could be the special power pellets, enabling him to eat the ghosts...

[Trimoor]

A strange idea just came to me. (In a dream, no less)

It's a Mario64 type adventure game, but the view is higher up and zoomed out a bit.  The world is a 3D landscape, with lots of small hills and valleys.  Occasionally, white squares/rectangles appear on the ground, and an enemy morphs into view on top of it.

The white rectangle area then turns into dozens of little colored squares.  This is the enemy health indicator.  The overall size of the rectangle indicates the relative formidability of the enemy.  It reamins centered under the enemy as it travels, taking the shape of the ground as if it were projected onto it.

As the enemy is hit with Street Fighter type moves, the little squares change colors in a mosaic like pattern to indicate the current health status.  When the enemy is killed, it's rectangle fades to the ground underneath, then a white square with an artistic blue 'M' appears in the death location, which can be collected by the player.

I have no idea what the 'M' stands for, but if you don't collect it fast enough, it disappears.

The key to innovation must be strange dreams.  I'll have to start listening to strange music/sounds when I sleep to get more ideas.

[cholin]

Dude, thats one of the most retarted dreams Ive ever heard!  Do it, do it!