Io

[PkK]

Years ago while in Tokyo, when I wrote the Qix-like Ȼi̅x̅, I also had an idea for another game, Io.

It is inspired by the game 20,000 Light Years Into Space, and a visit to a vulcano with an abandoned sulphur mine.

 

Now I finally have a very early, but somewhat playable prototype:

In the game you manage a sulphur mine. You need sulphur to pay the workers. Sulphur comes from sulphur vents, where it can be captured and then moved to the headquarters.

 

The upper left corner always shows how much sulphur you have at the HQ, when it reaches 0, you loose (the game currently just restarts).

With the left fire button, you can build sulphur depots and paths for sulphur transportation. When a sulphur depot is built on a sulphur vent (those things with the white steam), it captures the sulphur from there. Otherwise it just sevres to store and distribute sulphur. Sulphur is transported along paths that connect depots.

With the right fire button you change the currently selected construction tool (which can alternatively also be done with the toolbar on the upper right of the screen). When the cursor is over a depot, the amount of sulphur there is displayed instead of the toolbar.

 

Currently at the beginning you see the HQ (with the blue building), a sulphur depot on a sulphur vent to the right of it (but not yet connected), and two other sulphur vents further up.

 

You should start by connecting the depot on the sulphur vent to your HQ with a path, so you don't run out of sulphur soon.

 

If I ever complete the game, it will come in sulphur-yellow cartridges.

 

Philipp

 

P.S.: This is a very early demo. Many features are not yet implemented:

* Rail (has higher transport capacity than paths; you can build it already, but it doesn't work yet)

* Upgrades of depots and HQ (higher capacity)

* Multiple workers for faster construction

* Two-player mode

* Saboteurs (destroying infrastructure)

* Earthquakes (destroying infrastructure, opening new sulphur vents, closing old ones)

* Difficulty settings

* Different levels (with later levels possibly in a futuristic setting on Io instead of Earth)

* Demolishing

Io.rom

[PkK]

Rail and upgrades for depots are now implemented:

 

Rail has 3x the transport capacity of paths.

Upgraded depots on sulphur sources have higher production.

Depot storage capacity is increased with upgrades (and depots that are not on sulphur sources have higher storage capacity).

 

Philipp

Io-0.2.rom

[ValkerieSilk]

You know, I've always started my kids bedtime stories with 'Once Upon a Time' ... No Longer... From this point forward it's going to be 'Once Upon a Time 20,000 Light Years Into Space, and a visit to a vulcano with an abandoned sulphur mine' ... Now that's a great opener. ...

 

PS: Sounds like an awesome game, I hope you complete it, would love to buy a copy .

[PkK]

HQ upgrades, multiple workers and demolition are now implemented. Also, curved rail now works porperly.

The number of workers increases with some HQ upgrades (the ones that don't change the HQ graphics).

 

List of planned features not yet implemented:

* Two-player mode

* Saboteurs (destroying infrastructure)

* Earthquakes (destroying infrastructure, opening new sulphur vents, closing old ones)

* Difficulty settings

* Different levels (with later levels possibly in a futuristic setting on Io instead of Earth)

* Demolition of construction sites

* Animated sulphur sources

 

Philipp

Io-0.3.rom

[PkK]

Construction sites can now be demolished, and there is basic support for difficulty levels (currently the difficulty only affects the storage space in teh HQ and the starting amount of sulphur; later it will affect saboteurs and earthquakes, too).

 

List of planned features not yet implemented:

* Two-player mode

* Saboteurs (destroying infrastructure)

* Earthquakes (destroying infrastructure, opening new sulphur vents, closing old ones)

* Different levels (with later levels possibly in a futuristic setting on Io instead of Earth)

* Animated sulphur sources

* Status bar redesign

 

Philipp

Io-0.4.rom

[digress]

simcity? cool. Can't quite understand how to play yet but it seems promising

[+nanochess]

It will need a detailed manual with examples. I've difficulties understanding the icons.

[PkK]

Here comes the status bar redesign.

I hope this makes the game easier to understand.

Whenever the player changes the active tool, a short tool description is briefly shown in the upper right corner.

 

Philipp

Io-0.5.rom

[PkK]

simcity? cool. Can't quite understand how to play yet but it seems promising

If you want to build more than just a sulphur mine, there are also other games, such as Fortune Builder and Bankruptcy Builder. But those also are complex enough that one should read the manual and use the overlays.

 

Philipp

[PkK]

The sulphur vents are finally animated.

 

List of planned features not yet implemented:

* Two-player mode

* Saboteurs (destroying infrastructure)

* Earthquakes (destroying infrastructure, opening new sulphur vents, closing old ones)

* Different levels (with later levels possibly in a futuristic setting on Io instead of Earth)

* Performance optimization

 

Philipp

Io-0.6.rom

Edited December 2, 2016 by PkK

[PkK]

Hmm, the two-player mode isn't that easy to do. How to strike a good point on the cooperation / competition scale?

 

* If both players just work as one mine with one HQ that might not be that interesting

* If each player has their own HQ and they are competing, demolishing the other players infrastructure should not be allowed (unless maybe through some special features like hiring saboteuers). But then one player could easily block the other by building paths.

* But maybe if the number of construction sites per player is severly limited, the blocking path problem won't really happen: The blocking path can't be build in one go, so the player about to be blocked has sufficient time to react, and build their own path bypassing the block.

* When should the level be won? One player achieves a level 10 HQ (same criteria as for single-player)? The sum of the HQ levels is 10 (might be a bit more interesting but also easier to achieve)?

* When should the level be lost? When both players are bankrupt? When one player is bankrupt?

 

Philipp

[PkK]

Basic two-player support is there now.

 

List of planned features not yet implemented:

* Saboteurs (destroying infrastructure)

* Earthquakes (destroying infrastructure, opening new sulphur vents, closing old ones)

* Different levels (with later levels possibly in a futuristic setting on Io instead of Earth)

* Performance optimization

* Per-player construction site limit to prevent blocking in two-player mode

* Prevent tapping into other players sulphur storage (currently all paths/rails/nodes form one big network,no matter who built what)

 

Philipp

Io-0.7.rom

Edited December 3, 2016 by PkK

[PkK]

This will probably the last update for a while. I don't know yet when I'll find time for Io again.

 

Changes in this version over the previous one:

 

* Prevent tapping into other players sulphur storage

* Fix tool text for second player

* Per-player construction site limit to prevent blocking in two-player mode

* Tornados

* Fix demolition of nodes on sulphur vents

 

Planned features not yet implemented:

 

* Saboteurs (destroying infrastructure)

* Earthquakes (destroying infrastructure, opening new sulphur vents, closing old ones)

* Different levels (with later levels possibly in a futuristic setting on Io instead of Earth)

* Performance optimization

* Fix HQ update sprite graphics bug

* Eruptions

* Roller controller support

 

Philipp

Io-0.8.rom

[PkK]

I finally found time to work a bit more on Io:

 

0.9 (2016-01-20):
* Saboteurs
* Fixed node upgrade sprite graphics bug
* Disallow demolition of HQ
* Won / lost screen

 

Planned features not yet implemented:

 

* Earthquakes (destroying infrastructure, opening new sulphur vents, closing old ones)
* Different levels (with later levels possibly in a futuristic setting on Io instead of Earth)
* Performance optimization
* Volcanic eruptions
* Roller controller support

 

Feedback and suggestions are welcome.

 

Philipp

 

P.S.: I'll try to have another update ready before mid-february.

Io-0.9.rom

Edited January 20, 2017 by PkK