Video Games: A serious lack

[_Bryan Inks]

Mario Kart Double Dash.

So what does the non-driver do?

There's the thing though, I want it to be VERY story and character driven. I can't get into games for the games sake. Otherwise I'll play a level or two and get board. That's why RPG's have dominance in my library.

You mean RPGs as in the physical books (as opposed to WoW-style video games), right?

Nah, he's talking about RPGs as in Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Legend of Zelda.

The WoW-style games are classified as MMORPGs. Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. As an adherent to WoW, once you get over the initial "grind" to get your character up to the level cap, teamwork is a requirement to progress. Dungeons (instances) become way more over-powered, and it isn't uncommon to encounter a "trash" mob (non-boss) that is 20 levels higher than you can be.

On Monday, I ran just such an instance. 20 people of various classes (all level 60) all working together to down bosses that are level 95-120.

It can get pretty hectic. Everyone has a role and if one person messes up, you'd better have a backup or the entire group dies.

[_keene]

Mario Kart Double Dash.

So what does the non-driver do?

Weapons and attacks, just like you described, but more cartoony.

There's the thing though, I want it to be VERY story and character driven. I can't get into games for the games sake. Otherwise I'll play a level or two and get board. That's why RPG's have dominance in my library.

You mean RPGs as in the physical books (as opposed to WoW-style video games), right?

I mean more like Final Fantasy. The characters are already made up for you, and their own personalities and development is an integral part of the adventure. There are video games based off the books, such as Neverwinter Nights, but I never feel like the story ever cares who I am. The development of the character doesn't add or detract from the story at all, and it makes the game experience feel hollow.

Now, playing with the books in a live setting, that's great. You get to act out your character, and the dungeon master and your fellows work with you. it's like a giant game of Improv Theater, with goals you can all reach. And character development can and often will directly influence the direction of the play. My only problem with it is that it's too slow. I've learned impatience from the computer generation.

[_Negative]

When developing games I usually find it's better to decide on the setting first. IE: Fantasy (WoW), Space/future (I can't think of any RPGish space games), post-apoplectic (Fallout), Modern, Historic (WW2), etc.

Once that is decided it gets easier to toss around ideas.

[_keene]

When developing games I usually find it's better to decide on the setting first. IE: Fantasy (WoW), Space/future (I can't think of any RPGish space games), post-apoplectic (Fallout), Modern, Historic (WW2), etc.

Once that is decided it gets easier to toss around ideas.

At the moment, I want to set up a framework for gameplay. The great thing about stories is that the setting ultimately doesn't matter, -- it's the human constants that make the story compelling. For example, FireFly -- a space western? Yet it's one of the greatest stories told on TV in this generation.

And the .hack series, and the Xenosaga series are space-based RPG's.

My current story idea goes around a post-post apocalyptic world. After the global colapse, technology loses favor, and spiritual technologies start taking it's place. Different technologies to enhance the power of the mind to the point of "magic." Those unable to use magic are a slave class, with one member who goes to old city ruins to ressurrect technology, to try and free the slaves.

The main game will be a faction trying to stop the impending civil war. I want an unlockable single player mission (only unlockable by a multiplayer side-quest) that plays through the opposite side. I've been wanting to tell a story for quite a while where two sides fight, when both sides are technically good. This is my chance.

But again, it's the game framework I'm trying to plow through. And, in any case, it's gonna take me quite a while to learn enough programming for this to be a viable option.

[_asbestosman]

But again, it's the game framework I'm trying to plow through. And, in any case, it's gonna take me quite a while to learn enough programming for this to be a viable option.

There are some frameworks available to help make game programming easier. I can't recommend any as I haven't tried them, but a little time with Google might help you find what you're looking for. I know Microsoft recently released a gaming framework called XNA that helps make games for both the PC and the Xbox 360. I don't know of any other console platforms with a similar offer off the top of my head. In any case it's probably easiest to do the initial development or proof of concept on a PC.

By the way, another thing I'd love to see is a good multiplayer mobile phone / Pocket PC game--especially of the RPG type. I'd love to be able to play a quick game with someone someone during lunch or while waiting in line or at the airport.

[_keene]

But again, it's the game framework I'm trying to plow through. And, in any case, it's gonna take me quite a while to learn enough programming for this to be a viable option.

There are some frameworks available to help make game programming easier. I can't recommend any as I haven't tried them, but a little time with Google might help you find what you're looking for. I know Microsoft recently released a gaming framework called XNA that helps make games for both the PC and the Xbox 360. I don't know of any other console platforms with a similar offer off the top of my head. In any case it's probably easiest to do the initial development or proof of concept on a PC.

By the way, another thing I'd love to see is a good multiplayer mobile phone / Pocket PC game--especially of the RPG type. I'd love to be able to play a quick game with someone someone during lunch or while waiting in line or at the airport.

Yeah, I started looking through all the different toolkits out there. Unreal's engine is the most popular one. What I started to understand is that all these toolkits and engines are basically just blocks of code that you mortar together like bricks -- but I don't know ANY C++, which is the mortar they assume you're gonna use. So, I'm currently studying several hours a day to learn C++. I'm at the point where I can write a script to do just about anything to inforamation, but nothing graphical yet. It's difficult going, too, 'cause I refuse to learn any sort of programming that is not cross-platform, so every time I learn a windows function, I gotta run over to the linux books and find it's equivalent.

Needless to say, my brain is quite fried.

[_asbestosman]

Yeah, I started looking through all the different toolkits out there. Unreal's engine is the most popular one. What I started to understand is that all these toolkits and engines are basically just blocks of code that you mortar together like bricks -- but I don't know ANY C++, which is the mortar they assume you're gonna use. So, I'm currently studying several hours a day to learn C++. I'm at the point where I can write a script to do just about anything to inforamation, but nothing graphical yet. It's difficult going, too, 'cause I refuse to learn any sort of programming that is not cross-platform, so every time I learn a windows function, I gotta run over to the linux books and find it's equivalent.

Needless to say, my brain is quite fried.

If you want to do Linux & Windows then I recommend OpenGL. Graphics are not part of ANSI C, so you need to use libararies. That will always be a little different on every platform, but at least OpenGL makes it a little easier.

I also think that learning to program in Java would easier than C++ although you'll probably want to learn C++ anyhow. I find C# to be even better, but it is not cross-platform (even though it is quite similar to both Java and C++).

The most important thing to learn in progrmming is how to plan, not how to code. Writing code without a good plan is like building a house without a blueprint. It's a disaster (I say after being recently bit by poor planning). Learning to break everything down into logical components is most important. Think about reusability and maintainability. Learn how to find common functoinality and then exploit that in class hierarchy or commonly called functions. Any good programming book should emphasize all this. Good luck. If you get stuck, go ahead and ping me. Unfortunately I can't actually write any code for your game as my contract with work probably forbids it, but I can answer questions.

[_keene]

Yeah, I started looking through all the different toolkits out there. Unreal's engine is the most popular one. What I started to understand is that all these toolkits and engines are basically just blocks of code that you mortar together like bricks -- but I don't know ANY C++, which is the mortar they assume you're gonna use. So, I'm currently studying several hours a day to learn C++. I'm at the point where I can write a script to do just about anything to inforamation, but nothing graphical yet. It's difficult going, too, 'cause I refuse to learn any sort of programming that is not cross-platform, so every time I learn a windows function, I gotta run over to the linux books and find it's equivalent.

Needless to say, my brain is quite fried.

If you want to do Linux & Windows then I recommend OpenGL. Graphics are not part of ANSI C, so you need to use libararies. That will always be a little different on every platform, but at least OpenGL makes it a little easier.

I also think that learning to program in Java would easier than C++ although you'll probably want to learn C++ anyhow. I find C# to be even better, but it is not cross-platform (even though it is quite similar to both Java and C++).

The most important thing to learn in progrmming is how to plan, not how to code. Writing code without a good plan is like building a house without a blueprint. It's a disaster (I say after being recently bit by poor planning). Learning to break everything down into logical components is most important. Think about reusability and maintainability. Learn how to find common functoinality and then exploit that in class hierarchy or commonly called functions. Any good programming book should emphasize all this. Good luck. If you get stuck, go ahead and ping me. Unfortunately I can't actually write any code for your game as my contract with work probably forbids it, but I can answer questions.

LOL, yeah, it's amazing how much your code will change if you didn't plan it correctly. I just recently finished a PHP project. I began with a script I found online, and by the time I added all the features I needed, I had re-written the entire thing 4 times. The only code that remained the same was the Populate_Database().

Thanks, I'll throw any questions I have your way. It'll be nice to hammer out tough concepts that I'm sure I'll run into.

[_Mercury]

As part of running a small business (several, actually), find that it is very important to build trust and teamwork with your partners. My business partner is very active, loves sports, but quite frankly, I'm a geek. Sports just aren't my thing.

We settled on Video Games as a way to build up this relational characteristic...

But we ran into some problems.

When did Video Games stop creating cooperative play? It used to be, back in the hey-day of the arcade, you could hop in on anyone playing a game, and help them out. Contra, Bubble Bobble, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, even the Simpsons all had the cooperative gameplay. New games these days, simply don't.

Other than a very select few, such as the newest Splinter Cell games, no game has any cooperative play mode. It's either competition, or online team play.

One genre that I feel greatly lacks coop is the RPG. Everyone wants it, as evidenced by the huge boost in MMORPG's that has come out recently, but no console RPG has any way to play multiplayer, besides MMO.

And, to be honest, MMO's suck. They have no story, and character development is so BORING that I can't even bring myself to care a whit whether my avatar dies or not. Not to mention the HORRIBLE SLOWNESS of it all.

Thus, I propose a new style of game. The cooperative action-rpg. By blending gameplay from Splinter Cell, Zelda, and Final Fantasy, I want to create a cooperative, story-driven game, allowing two players to rely on skill, trust, and communication, to bring to life a rich game experience that to this day cannot be compared.

Back in the day, there was a great little game called Secret of Mana. It was quite popular, and had ALMOST what I want in this new genre. It was an RPG like any other, but at any point throughout the game, a second or third player could jump in and take control of one of the characters. The only problem I see with this game is that it allows a single player the option of going through the game with no issues -- there's no need for teamwork, nothing the extra players can do that the AI already can't.

I also hope to create a new generation of gaming, where Coop play is the norm, not the exception.

So, what I ask from you is, what do you look for in a video game? What would be required in a game for you to not only want to play it, but to bring over a friend (or family) to play it with you from start to finish?

Have you played Gears of War on XBox 360? I havent but i have heard good things about its cooperative play.

[_Dr. Shades]

Have you played Gears of War on XBox 360? I havent but i have heard good things about its cooperative play.

My stepson plays that incessantly with his buddies. He's got the "teamspeak" headset plug-in so they can coordinate their tactics. It must be a good game, 'cause over the Christmas break they'd be playing it 'till 5:00 a.m. He's even been known to come home during his lunch break to play it.