New Star Duel Game Concept & Team
by Derik Wilson · in Jobs · 12/13/2008 (1:21 pm) · 2 replies
I have completed my requirements for my Bachelor of Science in Game Software Development at Westwood College, all that's left are the formalities.
In the last term, for our Senior Project, we were required to put together a game that was fully functional and meeting specific requirements, such as, a certain number of animations, and an ending. Four of my fellow students, and myself, put together a team and pushed ahead with the project plan, design, coding, and testing. We met the projects requirements within 7 weeks, unfortunately, a lot of the game code was work-arounds and hacks because TGEA is not well suited for space shooters. The design was also very simple so that we were not taking the chance of bringing too many features into the product when we only had about 7 weeks to complete it from scratch. (You can download the game here: sg490.digitalkingdomgames.com/files/release/StarDuel_Setup.exe and please read the README.txt file after you install the game!) We had a slight bug in the game, so if you want to try all races, you will have to shut down the game and restart for each one. If you go into each race from the menu, one after another, the ship will be locked and the countdown won't start. Sorry about that.
For a 7 week game development project our results were amazing, and we implemented many engine mods to accommodate a space flight shooter (thank you to those in the GG community who post awesome resources!); however, we are not satisfied at the simplicity of the game and design. Now that we are graduating, we want to revisit the concept, redesign the product, and start over with our new found knowledge.
We are getting together next week to talk about the game concept. The original high-concept was to create a multiplayer space shooter where players could pick their ships (each having different statistics, such as, speed, shielding, etc.), and race against other players in a space track that consisted of point rings (you get points for passing through rings), and obstacles. Not only would there be obstacles, but the players would be able to battle against each other for each ring. The idea was to slow down the opponent, or destroy the opponent before he reaches the next ring and gets the points before you do.
It's a simple concept, but even for a 7 week development period, it can be quite demanding. So now that we have all the time in the world, we want to rework the entire concept. One thing we lack are artists and modelers. We are pretty good on programmers since that was the most emphasized skill in our degree program, but we do lack modelers. We got by with free models (the ship) and models of our own making (the 'H' platform you will see in the demo).
I would love it if we expanded the concept a bit to allow for the following:
* Players can socialize in stations with other players.
* Players can take quests that include any number of events, such as races.
* Players can casually race against other players.
* Players can modify their ships and tweak them to gain advantages depending on the event.
* Players can trade and explore.
* Players can walk around on other player's ships, if it is larger than a fighter ship.
If you have ever played Freelancer, Privateer, Star Wars Galaxies (the space combat part of it), Earth and Beyond, and Eve Online, you will notice that I have taken a little bit from each of those types of games.
As you may know, many ideas are thrown out in a development life cycle because they are either too complex to complete within a reasonable time frame, or they don't add anything to the game experience. So I understand that many of the "cool ideas" that we might have, may not make it to the product. I do think that all of those features listed above are completely reasonable for about a 4 year development plan.
I will definitely keep this blog up-to-date in the coming weeks as we hash out the details with our boxing gloves on in the virtual game development concept boxing ring.
In the last term, for our Senior Project, we were required to put together a game that was fully functional and meeting specific requirements, such as, a certain number of animations, and an ending. Four of my fellow students, and myself, put together a team and pushed ahead with the project plan, design, coding, and testing. We met the projects requirements within 7 weeks, unfortunately, a lot of the game code was work-arounds and hacks because TGEA is not well suited for space shooters. The design was also very simple so that we were not taking the chance of bringing too many features into the product when we only had about 7 weeks to complete it from scratch. (You can download the game here: sg490.digitalkingdomgames.com/files/release/StarDuel_Setup.exe and please read the README.txt file after you install the game!) We had a slight bug in the game, so if you want to try all races, you will have to shut down the game and restart for each one. If you go into each race from the menu, one after another, the ship will be locked and the countdown won't start. Sorry about that.
For a 7 week game development project our results were amazing, and we implemented many engine mods to accommodate a space flight shooter (thank you to those in the GG community who post awesome resources!); however, we are not satisfied at the simplicity of the game and design. Now that we are graduating, we want to revisit the concept, redesign the product, and start over with our new found knowledge.
We are getting together next week to talk about the game concept. The original high-concept was to create a multiplayer space shooter where players could pick their ships (each having different statistics, such as, speed, shielding, etc.), and race against other players in a space track that consisted of point rings (you get points for passing through rings), and obstacles. Not only would there be obstacles, but the players would be able to battle against each other for each ring. The idea was to slow down the opponent, or destroy the opponent before he reaches the next ring and gets the points before you do.
It's a simple concept, but even for a 7 week development period, it can be quite demanding. So now that we have all the time in the world, we want to rework the entire concept. One thing we lack are artists and modelers. We are pretty good on programmers since that was the most emphasized skill in our degree program, but we do lack modelers. We got by with free models (the ship) and models of our own making (the 'H' platform you will see in the demo).
I would love it if we expanded the concept a bit to allow for the following:
* Players can socialize in stations with other players.
* Players can take quests that include any number of events, such as races.
* Players can casually race against other players.
* Players can modify their ships and tweak them to gain advantages depending on the event.
* Players can trade and explore.
* Players can walk around on other player's ships, if it is larger than a fighter ship.
If you have ever played Freelancer, Privateer, Star Wars Galaxies (the space combat part of it), Earth and Beyond, and Eve Online, you will notice that I have taken a little bit from each of those types of games.
As you may know, many ideas are thrown out in a development life cycle because they are either too complex to complete within a reasonable time frame, or they don't add anything to the game experience. So I understand that many of the "cool ideas" that we might have, may not make it to the product. I do think that all of those features listed above are completely reasonable for about a 4 year development plan.
I will definitely keep this blog up-to-date in the coming weeks as we hash out the details with our boxing gloves on in the virtual game development concept boxing ring.
#2
The combat will primarily be in space. The goal is for one faction to man enough bombers and fighters to break down a station super structure's defenses so that the troop carriers can dock with the station and provide interior assaults on the station. Each component of the station can be captured by the attackers, so the defending faction must hold the line or risk losing a component of the station. As the attackers move through the station, the hackers and engineers will assist with their specialized skills. Engineers can set up remote cameras, remote turrets, remote force fields, etc. Hackers will be able to hack the hangar bay shields, power plants, station defenses, control towers, etc. The first hack is obviously the shields that protect the hangar bay and the station turrets. These will have to be hacked through some sort of relay, or via wireless tap before the station is boarded. Meanwhile the pilots in the fighters will hold off the defenders.
Anyway, we have a very long way to go with this, and hopefully in a year (or less) we will be ready to start inviting folks to early alpha testing.
We are in need of artists, 3D modelers/animators, programmers (AI and particle engine coders is a plus), composers, and sound effects specialists.
If anyone is interested, please let me know by emailing: dwilson@digitalkingdomgames.com.
03/31/2009 (5:26 pm)
Well, we have changed our concept a bit. This game will still be a MMO, but we are setting it up as something similar to the way Planetside plays, only in a space setting. There will be different classes of warrior. The Terrans, for example, will have Marines, which are grunts who can wield a wide range of weapons and armor; pilots, which will be able to fly any space craft they are certified for, and they will be able to wield light armor and small weapons for station combat; engineers, who will be able to deploy strategic devices; hackers, who will be able to take over station components; and last of all will be medics, who will be able to resurrect and heal fellow faction members.The combat will primarily be in space. The goal is for one faction to man enough bombers and fighters to break down a station super structure's defenses so that the troop carriers can dock with the station and provide interior assaults on the station. Each component of the station can be captured by the attackers, so the defending faction must hold the line or risk losing a component of the station. As the attackers move through the station, the hackers and engineers will assist with their specialized skills. Engineers can set up remote cameras, remote turrets, remote force fields, etc. Hackers will be able to hack the hangar bay shields, power plants, station defenses, control towers, etc. The first hack is obviously the shields that protect the hangar bay and the station turrets. These will have to be hacked through some sort of relay, or via wireless tap before the station is boarded. Meanwhile the pilots in the fighters will hold off the defenders.
Anyway, we have a very long way to go with this, and hopefully in a year (or less) we will be ready to start inviting folks to early alpha testing.
We are in need of artists, 3D modelers/animators, programmers (AI and particle engine coders is a plus), composers, and sound effects specialists.
If anyone is interested, please let me know by emailing: dwilson@digitalkingdomgames.com.
Torque 3D Owner Edward