Plan for William Sims
by William Lee Sims · 01/31/2005 (5:32 pm) · 7 comments
This is my first project with the TGE. I was a bit ambitious in making it, but I finally got it to a point where I'm happy with it.
The game plays with 3 to 16 people (although I've only ever tested it with 10). There is a lot of programmer art in this, too. Learning the art tools (Quark, gameSpace, MilkShape, Ultimate Unwrap, CharacterFX, etc.) at the same time shows. But since this is just a hobby, my friends are my only players, and I don't make money, nobody can really complain.
I made a few changes to the engine. I created a tractor beam (which is really an impulse beam). I created a C++ object that mostly encapsulates the source and target names. The clients then draw the tractor beam using those names. I then have a separate function which applies the proper impulse. The tractor beam looks kind of Star Trek-ish... kinda.
Second, I had the server determine the footprints. I then replicate these footprints exactly on each client. This is because each character has a stealth ability. The more stealthy you are, the less footprints you leave. It was vital that you knew where your footprints were. Especially when you are invisible.
Finally, I made a slew of minor changes to support each character having different speeds, different powerup effects, different stealths, and for tagging. (Nothing major... just a lot of state variables and modifications to virtual functions within my own PlayerHnGS class.)
If anybody is interested in these changes I would be willing to share the code and/or concepts.
Here are the powerups. You can visit my web site or view the Hide and Go Seek Instructions to learn more.
Here are a few shots of the levels (from the documentation):
The game plays with 3 to 16 people (although I've only ever tested it with 10). There is a lot of programmer art in this, too. Learning the art tools (Quark, gameSpace, MilkShape, Ultimate Unwrap, CharacterFX, etc.) at the same time shows. But since this is just a hobby, my friends are my only players, and I don't make money, nobody can really complain.
I made a few changes to the engine. I created a tractor beam (which is really an impulse beam). I created a C++ object that mostly encapsulates the source and target names. The clients then draw the tractor beam using those names. I then have a separate function which applies the proper impulse. The tractor beam looks kind of Star Trek-ish... kinda.
Second, I had the server determine the footprints. I then replicate these footprints exactly on each client. This is because each character has a stealth ability. The more stealthy you are, the less footprints you leave. It was vital that you knew where your footprints were. Especially when you are invisible.
Finally, I made a slew of minor changes to support each character having different speeds, different powerup effects, different stealths, and for tagging. (Nothing major... just a lot of state variables and modifications to virtual functions within my own PlayerHnGS class.)
If anybody is interested in these changes I would be willing to share the code and/or concepts.
Here are the powerups. You can visit my web site or view the Hide and Go Seek Instructions to learn more.
Here are a few shots of the levels (from the documentation):
About the author
#2
01/31/2005 (5:59 pm)
Cool Idea, very clever 
#3
I had this idea for a genre of games called the digital playground, where playground games that we used to play would work for something like emerging mobile technologies and there's actually a design doc for one of them on the whiteboard next to my desk.
I think your idea, if done well, is a very good one. The easier the play mechanic the better, now all you have to do is make it fun, and you are golden.
01/31/2005 (8:07 pm)
Holy crap. That is a really good idea.I had this idea for a genre of games called the digital playground, where playground games that we used to play would work for something like emerging mobile technologies and there's actually a design doc for one of them on the whiteboard next to my desk.
I think your idea, if done well, is a very good one. The easier the play mechanic the better, now all you have to do is make it fun, and you are golden.
#4
01/31/2005 (8:36 pm)
Looks nice, can't wait for more information on it.
#5
01/31/2005 (10:41 pm)
Hide and go Seek.... Why didn't I ever think of this... Awesome Idea...
#6
Good luck, keep up the excellent work.
02/01/2005 (6:53 am)
Man, I can't even remember seeing anything like it before either ... this was a good one ..Good luck, keep up the excellent work.
#7
I looked at the instructions a bit...to be frank, at first, I didn't think this game would be fun, but after reading the well written instructions, it's like...WHOA. Downloading right now =D
02/01/2005 (12:11 pm)
NIiiiiiiiiice....lol same as Burning, can't believe I didn't think of this either >.<I looked at the instructions a bit...to be frank, at first, I didn't think this game would be fun, but after reading the well written instructions, it's like...WHOA. Downloading right now =D
Torque Owner Josh Williams
Default Studio Name