First game, almost at alpha stage
by Marcus Fernstrom · 03/11/2009 (6:02 am) · 24 comments
So, I've been working on a small multiplayer for a while now.
It started out as a way for me to learn more about the engine and actually going through all the steps in creating and releasing a game.
Now, I'm an artist, not a coder, so alot of things started out as copied functions from resources here and modified (The longer I kept working in this game the more heavily modified things seem to get).
It's not a huge project, it doesn't have the depth of say Never Winter Nights, or the thorough testing and tweaking of Counter-Strike, but I hope people will take it for what it is, a first game-release, and that they can enjoy it.
Once I hit Alpha stage which isn't so far off now, I'm going to try and round up people for a live MP evening to test stability, fun-factor, get feedback, and hopefully make the people testing it wait eagerly for it's full release.
A free demo will be up once I'm at a late beta-stage, my hope is that people will download and play and provide feedback, thoughts and ideas on it for me to go over and scratch my head in confusion about how to implement ;)
Jokes aside, feedback is important and once it's time for the demo to be released I'm hoping for some help from the GG community in testing, evaluating or bashing the product, all feedback is important and valueable.
More details to come.
It started out as a way for me to learn more about the engine and actually going through all the steps in creating and releasing a game.
Now, I'm an artist, not a coder, so alot of things started out as copied functions from resources here and modified (The longer I kept working in this game the more heavily modified things seem to get).
It's not a huge project, it doesn't have the depth of say Never Winter Nights, or the thorough testing and tweaking of Counter-Strike, but I hope people will take it for what it is, a first game-release, and that they can enjoy it.
Once I hit Alpha stage which isn't so far off now, I'm going to try and round up people for a live MP evening to test stability, fun-factor, get feedback, and hopefully make the people testing it wait eagerly for it's full release.
A free demo will be up once I'm at a late beta-stage, my hope is that people will download and play and provide feedback, thoughts and ideas on it for me to go over and scratch my head in confusion about how to implement ;)
Jokes aside, feedback is important and once it's time for the demo to be released I'm hoping for some help from the GG community in testing, evaluating or bashing the product, all feedback is important and valueable.
More details to come.
#2
Mentioning those games just to say that it's not big and elaborate as Neverwinter Nights, nor has the drastic testing and network tweaking of something like Counter-Strike/Half-Life.
Though... a text-based multiplayer, now that would be neat. hehe.
MMO MUD, anyone?
03/11/2009 (6:54 am)
A lot of graphics is to be thrown in there, I'm an artist so priorities have been on the code part, screenshots in a few days I think I can do :)Mentioning those games just to say that it's not big and elaborate as Neverwinter Nights, nor has the drastic testing and network tweaking of something like Counter-Strike/Half-Life.
Though... a text-based multiplayer, now that would be neat. hehe.
MMO MUD, anyone?
#3
03/11/2009 (7:11 am)
text based fps... hmmm 
#6
@Marcus - I'd purchase a decent MMO Mud, even in this time of WoW and Warhammer Online.
Pics on your project ASAP, please. It sounds interesting.
03/11/2009 (10:00 am)
@Patrick - Funniest thing I've read all week =)@Marcus - I'd purchase a decent MMO Mud, even in this time of WoW and Warhammer Online.
Pics on your project ASAP, please. It sounds interesting.
#7
Thanks Michael, though I'm not sure how interesting it sounds right now with the little detail I've written here.
I promise to post a bunch more info when the screenshots are made.
03/11/2009 (10:15 am)
*Makes plans for a MMO MUD just for the hell of it*Thanks Michael, though I'm not sure how interesting it sounds right now with the little detail I've written here.
I promise to post a bunch more info when the screenshots are made.
#8
03/11/2009 (10:28 am)
So what type of game are you making?
#9
Multiple characters, CTF-type play, bots available when servers run low on human players, bunch of fun weapons, music scores, etc. etc.
No singleplayer though thinking about putting that in, same maps as MP but offline bot-filled maps.
It's not all that inovative, it's not going to completyl alter the way FPS games are going to be made, I'm just aiming for a game people will enjoy wasting some time on because it's fun and simple.
03/11/2009 (11:01 am)
It's a monkey FPS :DMultiple characters, CTF-type play, bots available when servers run low on human players, bunch of fun weapons, music scores, etc. etc.
No singleplayer though thinking about putting that in, same maps as MP but offline bot-filled maps.
It's not all that inovative, it's not going to completyl alter the way FPS games are going to be made, I'm just aiming for a game people will enjoy wasting some time on because it's fun and simple.
#11
Being a monkey does sound interesting, can't wait to see a picture.
03/11/2009 (12:37 pm)
Really if you're playing with the engine to make a little game while learning, all it has to be is fun. It doesn't need to have radical new features or the most unique levels ever created.Being a monkey does sound interesting, can't wait to see a picture.
#12
Yes, it started as just a way to learn more about the engine, but evolved into something that I figure will be worth releasing, so I'm putting extra work into making it good enough and poslished enough for an actual game, and now I figure it will be a good experience to go through the whole thing, from developing, bugtesting, beta testing, releasing, promoting, and hopefully selling (the fullversion) game if it's deemed good enough by others.
It's all a learning experience, but I'm not doing it only to learn more about the engine, if so I wouldn't make a real release, just drop it to the community at some point.
Time will tell, and yep, graphics work is progressing so screenshots shouldn't take too long to get up here :)
03/11/2009 (12:50 pm)
Banana-nades, Coconut-launchers, and more ;)Yes, it started as just a way to learn more about the engine, but evolved into something that I figure will be worth releasing, so I'm putting extra work into making it good enough and poslished enough for an actual game, and now I figure it will be a good experience to go through the whole thing, from developing, bugtesting, beta testing, releasing, promoting, and hopefully selling (the fullversion) game if it's deemed good enough by others.
It's all a learning experience, but I'm not doing it only to learn more about the engine, if so I wouldn't make a real release, just drop it to the community at some point.
Time will tell, and yep, graphics work is progressing so screenshots shouldn't take too long to get up here :)
#13
03/11/2009 (1:07 pm)
I bet Leba will be your first customer.
#14
03/11/2009 (1:08 pm)
Leba? 
#15
03/11/2009 (2:05 pm)
Man, sounds great, I was used same way when first met TGE, so, keep us updated on your development ;)
#16
03/11/2009 (2:07 pm)
Hey Maxim, thanks for the support :) (That goes for everyone) Yep I'll try to update as I go, hopefully I can have the demo up in a few weeks :)
#17
Surely text-based multiplayer is the definition of a MUD (Multi-User Dungeon), there's no shortage of them around and some are still pay-to-play. I'm not sure any are large enough to qualify as "massively multi-player", 100-150 players is about the most I've seen concurrently.
There's been a few FPS inspired MUDs over the years although I'm not sure which if any are still running. There was a DOOM MUD, pretty sure there was a Quake MUD and I could name a few that do ranged combat in a coordinate based 3D space quite effectively. There's even been the odd one or two that let 3D graphical clients play alongside the regular telnet clients.
Colour me picky if I'm taking this too serious, but I'm from quite a long background in MUD dev... we've come a long way from "kill goblin with sword", "loot goblin". ;)
03/11/2009 (2:09 pm)
Thoroughly off topic, but I'm a little confused about a few of the MUD comments...Quote:a text-based multiplayer, now that would be neat. MMO MUD, anyone?
Surely text-based multiplayer is the definition of a MUD (Multi-User Dungeon), there's no shortage of them around and some are still pay-to-play. I'm not sure any are large enough to qualify as "massively multi-player", 100-150 players is about the most I've seen concurrently.
There's been a few FPS inspired MUDs over the years although I'm not sure which if any are still running. There was a DOOM MUD, pretty sure there was a Quake MUD and I could name a few that do ranged combat in a coordinate based 3D space quite effectively. There's even been the odd one or two that let 3D graphical clients play alongside the regular telnet clients.
Colour me picky if I'm taking this too serious, but I'm from quite a long background in MUD dev... we've come a long way from "kill goblin with sword", "loot goblin". ;)
#19
Screenies as soon as I have more of the final art inside the game. ^^
03/11/2009 (2:47 pm)
I'm coughing I'm coughing ;)Screenies as soon as I have more of the final art inside the game. ^^
Torque Owner RollerJesus
Dream. Build. Repeat.
Is it an FPS? Neverwinter Nights and Half Life are drastically different games.