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When Empires Collide diary


vprette

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This game idea of mine is based on adaptation of Galaxian or similar shooter.

It will be a project for INTV, not ECS.

It will be based on the new upcoming version of the wonderful P-Machinery game engine.

 

So far, I'm focused on Colossal Cave so Empires will take some time before that I'd be able to show something, but this is the right moment to discuss about what is interesting to include in a space shooter.

 

My initial idea is to develop 3 stages, one in the Heart, one in space and one to the hostile planet.

Each stage will be running several aliens waves, ending with a "boss" taht I would like to be a BIG ship to be destroied...

For sure I would add intellivoice samples

 

So far is not much, but I accept suggestions :-)

 

boxart_tiny.JPG

Edited by vprette
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What do you mean by "one in the Heart"?

 

I mean Earth!

sorry about this :-)

 

Thought so.

 

That picture is awesome, and inspiring. Whatever game it is, if that picture is on the cover, I want to play it!

 

Here's a concept inspired by that picture, as well as all the other alien-invasion tropes it brings along:

First Wave: Earth

Humans have detected an alien signal, and just when they're celebrating the most amazing discovery in their history, the aliens attack various major Earth cities.

 

The game-play could be the typical base anchored to the ground, moving horizontally, shooting at waves of aliens dropping from the sky. Different types of enemies, attack patterns, and weapons should add originality to the gameplay. Also the scenery could change to match different skylines around the Earth.

 

Second Wave: Space

Humans have managed to stop the First Wave of attack, but they have received noticed that a Second Wave is already underway. So they prepare whatever space technology they have available and blast off into space to engage and stop the invaders.

 

The game-play could be a first-person (cockpit) space simulator, shooting at the aliens as they come within range, with the aid of a voice-enabled flight computer.

 

Third Wave: Alien World

The Humans have managed to cripple temporarily the Second Wave of attack. However, they have realized that the aliens are intent on invading our planet and that the only way to avoid total extermination is to completely annihilate them first. So the Earth space fighters must go to the alien planet and destroy them.

 

The game-play could be a reversal of the First Wave, in which the Earthlings are now the invaders and destroyers of the alien cities.

 

What do you think?

-dZ.

Edited by DZ-Jay
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first wave: I totally agree

 

OK.

 

second wave: first person?? this gonna be very difficult to make.. or you thinking something like space battle, just moving a pointer

 

I meant, view from cockpit, like Space Battle. The star pattern can be moved by cycling GRAM to make it look like the ship is moving through space, and the enemies will come in and out of view by keeping track of their relative position in 3-D space. I can't imagine this being too hard. It does take some maths and RAM, though.

 

third wave: you mean we shoot from up to down to the alien facilites?

 

Yes. The title and the picture inspire me to think of the moral conundrum of the Humans turning into invaders and exterminators as their only recourse to avoid annihilation. It's a classic sci-fi theme and I think it adds an extra dimension to the game, when the player must do to the aliens exactly what has been done to him at the beginning of the game.

 

Of course, it's hard to get much emotional involvement with an 8-bit graphics display on such a simple platform, but if the game-play is done well, it can add depth. The text in the back of the box and the manual exposing the story, help too. :)

 

-dZ.

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first wave: I totally agree

 

OK.

agreed

 

I meant, view from cockpit, like Space Battle.

 

I still have doubts. what would we add comparing to space battle in term of gameplay? maybe we can imagine a more trategic stage based on maps to move the earth ships to the other planet avoidin other enemy ships... much more the radar part of Space Battle, where the target is reaching the alien planet with a minimum of ships

third wave: you mean we shoot from up to down to the alien facilites?

Yes.

agreed

Edited by vprette
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I meant, view from cockpit, like Space Battle.

 

I still have doubts. what would we add comparing to space battle in term of gameplay? maybe we can imagine a more trategic stage based on maps to move the earth ships to the other planet avoidin other enemy ships... much more the radar part of Space Battle, where the target is reaching the alien planet with a minimum of ships

 

Strategic simulations are good, but sometimes boring, especially as the "second act" of a space shoot-'em-up game. I personally think it would be better to intermingle both: a space shooting phase, with strategic elements to select primary targets. I was thinking more like B-17 Bomber in space, where you control your ship with the aid of the targeting computer.

 

Actually, what I see in my head is a very simplified version of X-Wing or Tie-Fighter (the PC space-combat simulators), where you use the map to select primary targets, and shoot enemies on your way to it. The computer can assist you by letting you know where the enemies are and the proximity of the target. Strategy should be very important, or else you risk missing the primary targets, which are the "bomber ships" heading for Earth.

 

This is just a concept. Obviously there's a lot to develop in terms of game-play. :)

 

-dZ.

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This is just a concept. Obviously there's a lot to develop in terms of game-play. :)

 

-dZ.

 

my doubts are:

-gameplay to be too much different from first and third wave, and confusing

-development will become much more complex..

 

what about the same gameplay of vawe one but just space background? so we'll have a wave one similar to space invaders, wave 2 similar to galaxian and wave 3 completely new concept....

 

I like your idea for the second wave but it looks to me as a complete game for itself!

Edited by vprette
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I understand. It would certainly be ambitious.

 

How about making the game in three chapters, so each wave is an independent game on its own, tied to an overarching storyline?

 

The first game can be the First Wave, culminating in a big boss battle against the "bomber" ships over the last standing Earth city?

 

Likewise, the next two games would be the Second and Third waves, respectively. Each one different in game play, but tied to the narrative by the graphics style and story.

Edited by DZ-Jay
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I like the idea of the first wave being a standard shooter, the second wave being the journey and the third wave being the Earth invasion of the alien planet.

 

The fighting in space first person shooter seems like an awful lot of development. I think you could accomplish the same goal with a different twist.

 

First Stage = Thwart Alien Invasion

Second Stage = Chase them to their homeworld

Third Stage = Invade and Destroy

 

All three phases could look very similar, except that the first stage has an earth ground and blue sky [if it is during the day] and the second stage could have NO ground and be flying through space and the third stage could have crazy alien ground. The second stage could be like flying through space with debris coming at you (think Life Force vertical on NES.)

 

The first stage could be like Atlantis where you are firing from the ground, the second like a galaxian shooter except moving in space and the third could even be something where you have to target buildings on the ground...

 

Maybe dropping bombs or something.

 

Or it could be that you shoot and destroy some kind of shield, or you have to take out their ground defenses before you can destroy buildings.

 

Somehow you have to tie the three together and reuse code, or it'll be five years before we have something to play!

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yes... too much carne al fuoco :-)

I want to make one game not 3 games because life is short.

this game must be targeted for 2013 not later.

I like very much the DZj concept of third stage being the player to bomb aliens, this is original and challenging

I see wave 1 a mod of space invaders with defense shields

I see wave 2 a mod of galaxians

I see wave 3 something very new

 

each wave could be 12 levels, introducing differents alien ships, maybe after each 3 level

Edited by vprette
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yes... too much carne al fuoco :-)

I want to make one game not 3 games because life is short.

this game must be targeted for 2013 not later.

I like very much the DZj concept of third stage being the player to bomb aliens, this is original and challenging

I see wave 1 a mod of space invaders with defense shields

I see wave 2 a mod of galaxians

I see wave 3 something very new

 

each wave could be 12 levels, introducing differents alien ships, maybe after each 3 level

 

I understand. I think I will retain the idea of the Second Wave for a separate game.

 

-dZ.

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Ok, we have defined few guidelines.... now I focus on Colossal Cave, and as soon as a new version of P-Machinery is available, I will start working on this....

 

other simple and interesting ideas could be Nibbler and Kaboom.... I would like to convince another newbye to join me for experimenting P-machinery, and those two games are simple concepts and very funny

Edited by vprette
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