Thank you Garage Games.
by Earl Carey · in Torque Game Engine · 03/16/2006 (5:14 am) · 28 replies
I have been a programmer for most of my life. I started a the age of 5 and have never stopped. From the beginning all that I really wanted to do was make games. I have written many basic and assembly language games but most just collected dust in a stack of disks in my computer drawer.
A few years ago I decided that I wanted to actually create and release a commercial video game. Unfortunately I belonged to the old school that believed that I game was not my game unless I wrote every single line of code my self. As a result I made numerous failed attempts to write my game engine from scratch as I have always done. The problem was though, I am now married, with one chilled and one on the way. I have a full time job and other engagements that are very demanding.
I had to face the fact that I simply did not have the resources in time and energy needed to accomplish my goal by starting from scratch.
Next I accepted defeat and began building my engine using DirectX 8.0. at least now I got to the tech demo level But still I was unable to find enough time to finish my games.
I have recently bought the torque game engine and virtually every content pack available.
I have gotten over my need to do everything my self and the experience of using torque has been more than I ever could have asked for. For the first time rather that focusing on breshams line drawing algorithm, double buffering, and calculus I am able to just focus on making my game. I am about to release my first commercial game and it is all thanks to you garage games and to every one out their in the garage games community.
I Thank you garage games. I thank you forum posters, bogglers, modelers, programmers, content creators, and every one else. I look forward to contributing as much as I can in the future to this community so that I can help others as much as I have been helped.
With many thanks
Earl J. Carey
A few years ago I decided that I wanted to actually create and release a commercial video game. Unfortunately I belonged to the old school that believed that I game was not my game unless I wrote every single line of code my self. As a result I made numerous failed attempts to write my game engine from scratch as I have always done. The problem was though, I am now married, with one chilled and one on the way. I have a full time job and other engagements that are very demanding.
I had to face the fact that I simply did not have the resources in time and energy needed to accomplish my goal by starting from scratch.
Next I accepted defeat and began building my engine using DirectX 8.0. at least now I got to the tech demo level But still I was unable to find enough time to finish my games.
I have recently bought the torque game engine and virtually every content pack available.
I have gotten over my need to do everything my self and the experience of using torque has been more than I ever could have asked for. For the first time rather that focusing on breshams line drawing algorithm, double buffering, and calculus I am able to just focus on making my game. I am about to release my first commercial game and it is all thanks to you garage games and to every one out their in the garage games community.
I Thank you garage games. I thank you forum posters, bogglers, modelers, programmers, content creators, and every one else. I look forward to contributing as much as I can in the future to this community so that I can help others as much as I have been helped.
With many thanks
Earl J. Carey
About the author
#2
And welcome to the community. Make sure you share some screens shots some time soon, I would love to see what you are creating.
03/16/2006 (8:26 am)
Congratulations on the progress and for following your dream Earl.And welcome to the community. Make sure you share some screens shots some time soon, I would love to see what you are creating.
#4
I will indeed be posting Screen shots soon so that I can get some feed back from you guys.
I value your opinion highly.
Regards
Earl J. Carey
03/16/2006 (12:00 pm)
Thanks guys for the encouraging words.I will indeed be posting Screen shots soon so that I can get some feed back from you guys.
I value your opinion highly.
Regards
Earl J. Carey
#7
Fight 2 Write will be released as a beta Monday March 20th, at 12:00 pm eastern standard time. Fight in an immersive first person shooter to make you blog and or your idea the number one most read document on the internet.
Game information
Ok the date is set for me to release my first game photos and game demo.
Monday March 20th, at 12:00 pm eastern standard time.
I will how ever post the nature of the game and why I choose to make it right here and now.
Note: This is the first public announcement for the game.
Nature of the game:
Part 1:
The idea of the massively multi player was one that always intrigued me. We all want to have an impact on the world that we live in but not all of us will. In a virtual universe however we stand a better chance of impacting that virtual world in a way that others will see and that we will get recognition for.
Unfortunately the resources required to run a "real" massively multiplayer game is beyond the means of the average independent developer. Truth be told among major named developers many of today's tittles are not "really" fully massively multiplayer. While thousands of people may be logged in at the same time, and their may be areas where every one gathers together. More and more of today's missions take place in an instanced game.
Part 2:
Further more in most games have you fight for a cause that is fictitious. You pretend to fight to save the universe from aliens. What if we could have the game revolves around ideas that the player actually believes in and hold close to their heart.
The game
The goal of my game is to capture the essence of what really makes a persistent world intriguing and tap into a reason for playing that the player will find intimately meaning full.
The public meeting area is in the form of a fully interactive website. (In my day job I work extensively with web services, asp.net etc. so I am leveraging my everyday knowledge to my advantage.) On the website players will be able to form, manage, interact with theirs and other peoples guilds. They will see up to date detailed statistical information such as who has the most frags and whose ideas have the most points (more on this later). Starting on Thursday march 23 players will be able to sign up to be emailed when ever their guild gains or loses the lead.
After finding way capture the essence of what makes a persistent world meaning full my next challenge was to create game play that the player would find meaningful. To this end my games motto is "fight for the right to write". Players will have two opportunities to have their ideas heard. First every week their will be a topic that is chosen by the votes of the players. Players can then launch instanced FPS game worlds where the can either fight for or against the weeks topics. Whether the weeks topic is good or bad write or wrong will be determined by how many people get in the game and frag for or against it.
At the end of the week results will be posted including which side won and who the hero's where (the players who score the most frags for their cause)
The second method for players to have their ideas heard is through a mini blog. In this scenario players can create a page of text (of course this text will have to be approved to avoid offensive materials) containing their ideas, views on the world or their Aunt Mables recipe for chicken soup. The can the go out and fight for their idea and if they get the most frags then their text will be featured prominently on the games website for every day that they are able to hold onto that lead!
Players have the options of going in alone and fighting for their ideas or they can form guilds in which everyone agrees to all fight for the same ideas. This way a lone gamer can log in and still have an impact on the world (they may even become a hero!) or if a person really want their idea to be number one they can team up with others to make it happen.
Conclusion
So that's it that is what my game is all about. Next week Monday every one can play it and let me know if they like it and also what elements need to be tweaked.
The game will be full functional but I have labeled it as beta because obviously once every one gets in and starts playing issues may arise that I can not possible foresee testing on my home network.
The core game play of this will always be gone in the standard Torque Game Engine because I want it to be playable on systems with modest system resources. My hope is that even people who are not "Gamers" per say with find the social and blooging, and idea based aspect of the game intriguing enough to actually download and play the FPS game.
To support the game I am thinking about three business models. I am thinking of placing limited ads on the website to allow for a steady stream of income to allow me to buy more tools and kits and such so that I can continue to build and evolve the game.
The second aspect of the model is to release a version of the game for real hardcore gamers. For this game client players will buy a supped up client from garage games. This client would use the Torque Shader engine and push the limits of graphics technology.
The third model involves allowing players to buy tanks and other vehicles that they can use in game.
I am thinking of allowing mixed games so that a player can choose to only fight with others using the same client or with others using any client, or only with people who have tanks, or planes etc. or once again with everyone.
I may allow the core game TGE to remain free to encourage non gamers to give it a try but that is still up for debate.
Rgards
Earl J. Carey
03/17/2006 (6:05 am)
SummeryFight 2 Write will be released as a beta Monday March 20th, at 12:00 pm eastern standard time. Fight in an immersive first person shooter to make you blog and or your idea the number one most read document on the internet.
Game information
Ok the date is set for me to release my first game photos and game demo.
Monday March 20th, at 12:00 pm eastern standard time.
I will how ever post the nature of the game and why I choose to make it right here and now.
Note: This is the first public announcement for the game.
Nature of the game:
Part 1:
The idea of the massively multi player was one that always intrigued me. We all want to have an impact on the world that we live in but not all of us will. In a virtual universe however we stand a better chance of impacting that virtual world in a way that others will see and that we will get recognition for.
Unfortunately the resources required to run a "real" massively multiplayer game is beyond the means of the average independent developer. Truth be told among major named developers many of today's tittles are not "really" fully massively multiplayer. While thousands of people may be logged in at the same time, and their may be areas where every one gathers together. More and more of today's missions take place in an instanced game.
Part 2:
Further more in most games have you fight for a cause that is fictitious. You pretend to fight to save the universe from aliens. What if we could have the game revolves around ideas that the player actually believes in and hold close to their heart.
The game
The goal of my game is to capture the essence of what really makes a persistent world intriguing and tap into a reason for playing that the player will find intimately meaning full.
The public meeting area is in the form of a fully interactive website. (In my day job I work extensively with web services, asp.net etc. so I am leveraging my everyday knowledge to my advantage.) On the website players will be able to form, manage, interact with theirs and other peoples guilds. They will see up to date detailed statistical information such as who has the most frags and whose ideas have the most points (more on this later). Starting on Thursday march 23 players will be able to sign up to be emailed when ever their guild gains or loses the lead.
After finding way capture the essence of what makes a persistent world meaning full my next challenge was to create game play that the player would find meaningful. To this end my games motto is "fight for the right to write". Players will have two opportunities to have their ideas heard. First every week their will be a topic that is chosen by the votes of the players. Players can then launch instanced FPS game worlds where the can either fight for or against the weeks topics. Whether the weeks topic is good or bad write or wrong will be determined by how many people get in the game and frag for or against it.
At the end of the week results will be posted including which side won and who the hero's where (the players who score the most frags for their cause)
The second method for players to have their ideas heard is through a mini blog. In this scenario players can create a page of text (of course this text will have to be approved to avoid offensive materials) containing their ideas, views on the world or their Aunt Mables recipe for chicken soup. The can the go out and fight for their idea and if they get the most frags then their text will be featured prominently on the games website for every day that they are able to hold onto that lead!
Players have the options of going in alone and fighting for their ideas or they can form guilds in which everyone agrees to all fight for the same ideas. This way a lone gamer can log in and still have an impact on the world (they may even become a hero!) or if a person really want their idea to be number one they can team up with others to make it happen.
Conclusion
So that's it that is what my game is all about. Next week Monday every one can play it and let me know if they like it and also what elements need to be tweaked.
The game will be full functional but I have labeled it as beta because obviously once every one gets in and starts playing issues may arise that I can not possible foresee testing on my home network.
The core game play of this will always be gone in the standard Torque Game Engine because I want it to be playable on systems with modest system resources. My hope is that even people who are not "Gamers" per say with find the social and blooging, and idea based aspect of the game intriguing enough to actually download and play the FPS game.
To support the game I am thinking about three business models. I am thinking of placing limited ads on the website to allow for a steady stream of income to allow me to buy more tools and kits and such so that I can continue to build and evolve the game.
The second aspect of the model is to release a version of the game for real hardcore gamers. For this game client players will buy a supped up client from garage games. This client would use the Torque Shader engine and push the limits of graphics technology.
The third model involves allowing players to buy tanks and other vehicles that they can use in game.
I am thinking of allowing mixed games so that a player can choose to only fight with others using the same client or with others using any client, or only with people who have tanks, or planes etc. or once again with everyone.
I may allow the core game TGE to remain free to encourage non gamers to give it a try but that is still up for debate.
Rgards
Earl J. Carey
#8
[image]www.satoricode.com.com/1 - game screen shot.jpg[/image]
[image]www.satoricode.com.com/2 - menu screen.jpg[/image]
03/20/2006 (5:17 am)
Change of plans. I need 2 more days to get the visual feel of the game set before I release it for the demo. I have how ever uploaded a screen shot for everyone to get a feel for how the game will look.[image]www.satoricode.com.com/1 - game screen shot.jpg[/image]
[image]www.satoricode.com.com/2 - menu screen.jpg[/image]
#9
03/20/2006 (5:19 am)
The links don't work... I guess it's [img] instead of [image]. You should always replace spaces " " in web urls by the underscore "_". 
#11
03/20/2006 (5:49 am)
I am trying to find the blend of colors and textures that can make the game feel like tron light. In other words it is believable that this is a real world but yet it still feals like its part matrix or part computer interface.
#12
If you want Tron like lights and stuff I think you should take a deeper look at the Torque Shader Engine. It offers shader support which helps creating Tron-like effects.
03/20/2006 (5:52 am)
No problem :-)If you want Tron like lights and stuff I think you should take a deeper look at the Torque Shader Engine. It offers shader support which helps creating Tron-like effects.
#13
At some point I will make a version of the client that uses the shader engine. According to my current budget I should be able to afford to get it in two weeks.
For this version how ever I want to use the regular torque game engine. The reason is I want it to be able to run on the machines of people who are not hard core gamers.
I want people who are pure bloogers of newbie's to games who just have a basic computer set up to be able to get the full game experience.
I have experimented with some interesting texture techniques and I think that I will be able to pull it off but time will tell.
03/20/2006 (5:58 am)
Thanks and by the way congratulations on super maze.At some point I will make a version of the client that uses the shader engine. According to my current budget I should be able to afford to get it in two weeks.
For this version how ever I want to use the regular torque game engine. The reason is I want it to be able to run on the machines of people who are not hard core gamers.
I want people who are pure bloogers of newbie's to games who just have a basic computer set up to be able to get the full game experience.
I have experimented with some interesting texture techniques and I think that I will be able to pull it off but time will tell.
#14
Hmm, maybe for some special light effects you should look at the fxLightDB stuff from Melv May that's in TGE built in. Maybe that helps you creating some fancy lights.
03/20/2006 (6:07 am)
Thanks.Hmm, maybe for some special light effects you should look at the fxLightDB stuff from Melv May that's in TGE built in. Maybe that helps you creating some fancy lights.
#15
03/20/2006 (7:30 am)
You should make a blog. Congrats on going for your dream, and the soon to be child.
#16
also, if you want tron-like lights, I don't think TGE will be able to offer you the exact visual effect you want. if I were you, instead of special fx, I would concentrate on using IFL's to make the textures animated. you could fake a pulsating light using a few different shades of the same texture.
the title screen gui could use a little work though.
03/20/2006 (7:30 am)
Earl this is a very cool idea for a game. This is the kind of venture only an independent or small company would try. looks nice.also, if you want tron-like lights, I don't think TGE will be able to offer you the exact visual effect you want. if I were you, instead of special fx, I would concentrate on using IFL's to make the textures animated. you could fake a pulsating light using a few different shades of the same texture.
the title screen gui could use a little work though.
#17
I think that i almost have that 'tron - ish'look that i was going for.
[Sean H.] thanks alot i hope the game is fun for every one to play. I looked into IFL'sand i am definatly going to use that technique.
Also i have the synapse lighting pack. So i am going to be using that to add some really cool lighting effects.
03/21/2006 (4:48 am)
Hey guys i have more screen shots.I think that i almost have that 'tron - ish'look that i was going for.
[Sean H.] thanks alot i hope the game is fun for every one to play. I looked into IFL'sand i am definatly going to use that technique.
Also i have the synapse lighting pack. So i am going to be using that to add some really cool lighting effects.
#18
03/21/2006 (5:12 am)
Cool. Are those light effects done with the Lightning Pack?
#19
I choose a light bluish tron type color and made designs using solid lines.
I then selected the lines and expanded the selection slightly. Finally I filled that selection in a new layer and used a blur effect to simulate a glowing effect.
I am going to be adding the Light effects tonight. To really spice things up a bit. Then I will release a demo client so that you guys can tell me if the illusion holds up upon close inspection.
I delayed the release of the demo by two days to accomplish this specific look and feel but I think it was worth it.
I f I have time tonight I may implement IFL's so that the textures appear to pulsate but I am not going to delay releasing the game to wait on that. It would then come in the next release.
03/21/2006 (5:20 am)
Actually I was able to fudge lighting effects in Photoshop.I choose a light bluish tron type color and made designs using solid lines.
I then selected the lines and expanded the selection slightly. Finally I filled that selection in a new layer and used a blur effect to simulate a glowing effect.
I am going to be adding the Light effects tonight. To really spice things up a bit. Then I will release a demo client so that you guys can tell me if the illusion holds up upon close inspection.
I delayed the release of the demo by two days to accomplish this specific look and feel but I think it was worth it.
I f I have time tonight I may implement IFL's so that the textures appear to pulsate but I am not going to delay releasing the game to wait on that. It would then come in the next release.
#20
03/21/2006 (5:25 am)
The biggest problem right now is that while the building looks like it is glowing their are no shaddow or light effects cast on the player wich ruins the illusion. the lighting pack will solve this problem. 
Torque Owner Martin Schultz