Kensei
07-04-2009, 11:36 PM
Alright, This is not set in stone yet, hence why it says very neutrally, 'Kensei's Game'
I have a few ideas swirling in my head so I thought I'd put them down here so I can think straight :P
Idea 1 - Remake of a classic
I am unsure how many slightly older gamers remember a game called The Horde (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Horde_(video_game)). I loved this game as a child, despite being a bit hopeless at it in the later missions.
It was considered an action/strategy game and consisted, basically, of preserving enough of your crops from the Horde to pay taxes and buy some goodies on the side.
The first phase included using your starting gold to build fences (to stop the horde), traps (to kill them), cut trees (for gold), place saplings (to grow into trees), place knights and archers (to kill the horde) and place cows (that earn you more gold than normal crops)
After a set amount of time, the Horde would come and this is where the action part begins. Controlling your character, you must kill all the Hordlings before they eat too much of your crops, villagers and cows. To aid you in this, you have fences, hirelings, pits of spikes and your trusty sword.
One defeated, the season changes and you go back into the strategy phase to build more fences etc. This repeats 4 times before you have to pay taxes and buy new goodies.
How I will leverage this idea:
I have fairly low expectations at this moment, I am likely going to do away with the 3D/isometric idea and get it first to work in 2D. It is likely not to have as many features but I will see how I go :P
http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/original/1139153286-00.gif
Idea 2 - Crop Rotation
Suggested by Fengol, what about a game where you have to grow crops. You could have different characters that perform different duties (think Theme Hospital) and different crops that take more or less space.
After a cycle natural disasters hit or something and you need to prevent these... This kinda sounds like The Horde idea but without the violence
Idea 3 - Keep working on Wizards?
My current side project, that seems to get more and more complex daily :P Search for my topic on this game if you want more information. Basically it is a side-scroller shooter.
My worry is there is heaps of side scroller shooters on the market and to make this one unique will be incredibly tricky since people have been playing these games (two player) for years and years
GGE Link (http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/wizardsexperiment)
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z210/KenseiZA/Random/ss3.jpg
Idea 4 - My Shopping Centre game
A running gag in my household, the game I have been working on in my head since I first decided I wanted to make games. It changes everytime I think about it but the premise was there are no shopping centre games. We have games about cooking, driving, shooting, rocking on guitar, building cities and we don't want games about going to the bathroom. But there is none that simulate the 'thrill' of shopping.
At present it is taking the form of racing around a supermarket, trying to get all the items on your shopping list before the other players. Other ideas included a 'tiredness' rating when the items cannot be found.
Ok. It sounds silly. Nevermind :P
And I think that is it for the moment. Likely something else will pop up but those are the ideas so far.
-----------------------
Updates
09/04/09 - Tile Prototype 1 (http://www.quickshare.co.za/files/g5i4kbtg/TileEngineTut.zip.html)
Instructions
XBox Controller:
Left Thumbstick to move around the map
'A' to place selected tile
Left Bumper to cycle to previous tile
Right Bumper to cycle to next tile
Keyboard
Arrow Keys to move around the map
'Space bar' to place selected tile
Q to cycle to previous tile
W to cycle to next tile
NOTE: Visual Studio 2008 (express) and XNA Framework 3.0 are required to run this as it is a solution, not a complete executable
I have a few ideas swirling in my head so I thought I'd put them down here so I can think straight :P
Idea 1 - Remake of a classic
I am unsure how many slightly older gamers remember a game called The Horde (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Horde_(video_game)). I loved this game as a child, despite being a bit hopeless at it in the later missions.
It was considered an action/strategy game and consisted, basically, of preserving enough of your crops from the Horde to pay taxes and buy some goodies on the side.
The first phase included using your starting gold to build fences (to stop the horde), traps (to kill them), cut trees (for gold), place saplings (to grow into trees), place knights and archers (to kill the horde) and place cows (that earn you more gold than normal crops)
After a set amount of time, the Horde would come and this is where the action part begins. Controlling your character, you must kill all the Hordlings before they eat too much of your crops, villagers and cows. To aid you in this, you have fences, hirelings, pits of spikes and your trusty sword.
One defeated, the season changes and you go back into the strategy phase to build more fences etc. This repeats 4 times before you have to pay taxes and buy new goodies.
How I will leverage this idea:
I have fairly low expectations at this moment, I am likely going to do away with the 3D/isometric idea and get it first to work in 2D. It is likely not to have as many features but I will see how I go :P
http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/original/1139153286-00.gif
Idea 2 - Crop Rotation
Suggested by Fengol, what about a game where you have to grow crops. You could have different characters that perform different duties (think Theme Hospital) and different crops that take more or less space.
After a cycle natural disasters hit or something and you need to prevent these... This kinda sounds like The Horde idea but without the violence
Idea 3 - Keep working on Wizards?
My current side project, that seems to get more and more complex daily :P Search for my topic on this game if you want more information. Basically it is a side-scroller shooter.
My worry is there is heaps of side scroller shooters on the market and to make this one unique will be incredibly tricky since people have been playing these games (two player) for years and years
GGE Link (http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/wizardsexperiment)
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z210/KenseiZA/Random/ss3.jpg
Idea 4 - My Shopping Centre game
A running gag in my household, the game I have been working on in my head since I first decided I wanted to make games. It changes everytime I think about it but the premise was there are no shopping centre games. We have games about cooking, driving, shooting, rocking on guitar, building cities and we don't want games about going to the bathroom. But there is none that simulate the 'thrill' of shopping.
At present it is taking the form of racing around a supermarket, trying to get all the items on your shopping list before the other players. Other ideas included a 'tiredness' rating when the items cannot be found.
Ok. It sounds silly. Nevermind :P
And I think that is it for the moment. Likely something else will pop up but those are the ideas so far.
-----------------------
Updates
09/04/09 - Tile Prototype 1 (http://www.quickshare.co.za/files/g5i4kbtg/TileEngineTut.zip.html)
Instructions
XBox Controller:
Left Thumbstick to move around the map
'A' to place selected tile
Left Bumper to cycle to previous tile
Right Bumper to cycle to next tile
Keyboard
Arrow Keys to move around the map
'Space bar' to place selected tile
Q to cycle to previous tile
W to cycle to next tile
NOTE: Visual Studio 2008 (express) and XNA Framework 3.0 are required to run this as it is a solution, not a complete executable