| VBBR |
Posted - May 28 2004 : 7:09:20 PM
OK, here am I again. Sorry I was off for 4 days but now I'm back 
Now for the main point of the thread...
Some of you know of my Project Lupa. While developing it, it made me think a little. The kind of engine, editor, etc. I was to create would need a lot of work, still be used for just one project.
Then I started to look at some concepts of Lupa.
- You control a character and move s/he around;
- You find people and talk with them for gathering information and advancing the story;
- You examine/push/pick/whatever objects in the scene;
- You have to take a path in advancing the story to find a determined goal.
Now see if it doesn't look exactly like any adventure game!
So I had a very ambitious idea.
It would be, to create a program where you can create all kinds of adventure-like games (like RPG Maker is for RPGs). Note: As you know with Lupa, 2D gameplay with 3D graphics. 
But then you say, "VB is already interpreted, so you put one more interpretation layer on top of that and my game would run at 0.001 FPS!".
Right, and then comes the most ambitious part.
I was planning to maybe create the runtime module in C++, but the main program in VB.
Now please analyse that and give me your general opinion about this project. Thanks!  |
| VBBR |
Posted - May 31 2004 : 11:54:33 AM
In fact these are really good ideas. Mainly the one about cut-scenes. Thanks a lot! |
| masterbooda |
Posted - May 31 2004 : 11:04:27 AM
That sounds like a good idea, because you can get help from other coders(real ones, not me) can contribute to it. As for the customizable, that is the hard part, for one though, you can let the maker do all the mundane things, like an engine to some extent, but allow the user to actually break into the code, to allow themselves to set up certain things they want. Your best source of information, is by using other editors, find what they lack and make yours support it, just keep adding on more and more tools and eventually it will become something great.
One aspect, is to give the maker more than one program, like a studio suite, you can edit every aspect of the game within this suite. Say for example, you can add a cinema maker, where the user can set up there own cut scenes for the game. Just have the whole suite tie into the one project... again if I am babbling please let me know..
DaBooda out... |
| VBBR |
Posted - May 31 2004 : 10:52:49 AM
OK if anyone has suggestions, please post them here... I know this project is very big... so I'm going to develop it very slowly, like climbing stairs, only move to the next stage when the current is completely solid so it doesn't screw up everything later on.
So, I'm going to make it very customizable. But, in what way? I mean, to what point should I make everything customizable? Maybe create some templates like camera movement schemes but allowing the users to create their own? Humm.... sounds like a very good idea 
Besides that (and you can call me crazy) probably this program will come out as open source because otherwise it will be a tool not well known and maybe poorly programmed. And also I can release the current development status (code) so you (people in general) can give suggestions to improve the code and such. |
| masterbooda |
Posted - May 31 2004 : 10:09:48 AM
The problem with the adventure maker that I forsee, and this is just helpful speculation. It is going to be hard to keep it from being a template type of maker, and not really give the person alot of control. Because a lot of rpg makers out there, pretty much make the same games... sure you can change the story line and such... but the similarities between the game are noticable. If you persue this project, I would like to see a maker that actually gives total creation control to the user.
Also I think I have seen a few adventure makers out there myself, but not one in vb, yet. But they are more like the templates I mentioned. This project, is going to be a big one, and I wish you luck.
DaBooda out... |
| 2dcoder |
Posted - May 31 2004 : 04:39:30 AM
I would do some research on this, there seems to be A TON of VB RPG/Adventure type game makers, constructions sets, engines, in development. Sounds like a big project, make sure it's worth it before you commit. |
| VBBR |
Posted - May 29 2004 : 08:50:29 AM
I have decided to first create the runtime module in VB, and see if it comes out slow. Then if I think I should (or know how to do it), I will create a very simple carbon-copy of the VB module in C++ just to compare the speed.
Now for the current development status...
- I have already developed a small test program for features that I was planning to use with Lupa at first, it includes just simple character animation/movement and camera movement. Good just to start with.
- Now I'm in the proccess of creating a simple file system that just stores things like game name, and just one totally squared (boxed) room where there can be a character (player) and some objects that you yet can't interact with. Also the collision detection is a little buggy so it will be disabled for now.
Oh, and the program name I tought of was "VB Adventure Maker". Not very original but I couldn't find another program with this name on the web. |
| Sr. Guapo |
Posted - May 29 2004 : 12:01:15 AM
have fun... And tell us if you ever finish . It sounds difficult, especially in c++. The most I've been able to do in C++ is simple math and DOS stuff. |
| cjb0087 |
Posted - May 28 2004 : 8:40:11 PM
ask away whenever you want to |
| VBBR |
Posted - May 28 2004 : 8:34:33 PM
Thanks for explaining, masterbooda.
For sdw... well, this is what RPG Maker is. I plan to create an Advanture-maker not an RPG-maker. I guess there are already a lot of RPG makers out there... |
| masterbooda |
Posted - May 28 2004 : 8:04:17 PM
I was referencing something that Almar said in the other post, the one that inspired you post... He said that ambitious projects have become stagnant...
Sorry it was my poor attempt at humor... it was in no way directed at you , for I like your idea...
And here are some(dots)
...... DBooda Out..................
P.s. I was deprived of dots as a child..... so I make up for it here.... |
| sdw |
Posted - May 28 2004 : 7:55:36 PM
Why not build a generic RPG engine which loads all data from external files and then manages the data in the executable itself (thats what a engine does, right?). So then the user can simply modify the data files to make their own game out of it. Then if you wanted to make it user friendly you would make a separate application specifically for modding the engine. Maybe I don't understand what you're talking about but this seems like a pretty big project. |
| VBBR |
Posted - May 28 2004 : 7:31:06 PM
quote:
Originally posted by masterbooda
Have the pools unstagnated yet?
Sorry I didn't understand this... Was it a joke? Sorry and remember, I'm not a native English speaker...
Please explain it better... Thanks...
(now to sum with all the dots I was planning to write here "VBBR out..." but I though you could take it as a bad and/or offensive joke ) |
| VBBR |
Posted - May 28 2004 : 7:28:24 PM
Oh and one more thing, I will probably need all the help you guys can give me, so be prepared for a storm of questions! |
| masterbooda |
Posted - May 28 2004 : 7:24:24 PM
P.S. Nice to see you back... |
| masterbooda |
Posted - May 28 2004 : 7:14:18 PM
Yes your right, very ambitious... **** out of **** stars....... Sounds like a good idea to me
Have the pools unstagnated yet?
DaBooda out.... |
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