Game: Game modes

[Michael Hartlef]

This topic is about discussing the game modes. Single player, multiplayer, campaign, league, whatever. Raise your voice and give your oppinion.

[Simone]

Hi,

I think that multiplayer mode could be very fun, we can do a simple 1 Vs 1 or championship league mode with one or more players versus PC.

the league may consist in multiple path where the first three earns points based on the position at the end of race.
who has more points at the end of league win the cup. ;D

Simone

[ErosOlmi]

Telling how and what to do is not so hard.

Coding it and making it working fine ... a little more difficult :o but not impossible ;D

[Michael Hartlef]

Telling how and what to do is not so hard.

Coding it and making it working fine ... a little more difficult :o but not impossible ;D



So what do you think? Plan things ahead or just play around and see what comes out of it?

[kryton9]

I say we need some initial planning of key things like: single player or multiplayer? If multiplayer, over the internet or via local lan?
Then move on from there with the next steps.

[Michael Hartlef]

Here are my suggestions of game modes. When you think about the main menu of a game, and where do you go from there, I think this could describe the modes good:


Multiplayer:
· Quick race
· League
Singleplayer:
· Quick race
· Campaign
· Practise
Vessel builder
· Design vessel
· Load
· Save
Track builder:
· Design track
· Define waypoints
· Define victory conditions
· Place environment
· Save
· Load
Race Builder:
· Load Race
· Define Race conditions
· Load
· Save
Campaign builder:
· Load Race
· Load Media
· Define victory conditions
· Save/Load

[Michael Hartlef]

The editor part could be external tools. That would be the best approach I think. External editor(s) that then save configuration files that the game loads. Here is the "real" game modes, how I see them:

Single Player, there would be

- Quick race -

You can choose a track, a vessel, how many opponents, which difficulty, how many laps, if weapons are allowed.

- Campaign -

Can't say something about it till I know the story, setting.

- Time race -

You choose a track, a vessel, the time of laps will be stored online in track and vessel categories.

Multiplayer, this should be via internet and on lan, with a race lobby where people can chat and join races. The race types are

- Quick race -

like a single player quick race, but with players joining from the lan/Net.

- Championchip-

A predefined series of quick races. there you will get points for the rankings in the races and the winner is the one with the most points.

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi Mike,

thanks again. For Vessel builder, do you think editor to model Vessel polygon by polygon, or something like "factory assembly", where do you have parts and just combine body + wings + engines?


Petr

[Michael Hartlef]

The later one. Where you factory all the prebuild parts.

[Petr Schreiber]

Ok,

thanks a lot.


Petr

[kryton9]

I like that game mode list Michael, but can we do all of that in 3 months now?

I think a level editor and vehicle editor could be cut out of the project to save time now, and that they can always be added after the competition.
If we get the game done in 2 months and have a month left, we can add those in then?

I would say drop multiplayer till after the competition too as a time saver.

If we concentrate on single player racing against ai controlled challengers and perhaps 3 to 4 levels that would be doable in 2 to 3 months.

Here is just some ideas:

Level 1 - Desert Map, flat terrain and easiest course, used for training and first race.
Level 2 - Curvy Course Race with Hills or Jumps this could be in a futuristic stadium or city
Level 3 - Ridge Race, the course hangs off of cliffs, there are boulders that have slid down, jumps to do and through tunnels
Level 4 - This could be very arcady, loops, lots of colors and effects as you go around the course

I am just throwing out ideas to narrow our goals down to something we could meet for the contest.

I like all the ideas that were listed but I think many could be moved to post contest to make things easier to meet deadlins.

[Michael Hartlef]

I like that game mode list Michael, but can we do all of that in 3 months now?

I think a level editor and vehicle editor could be cut out of the project to save time now, and that they can always be added after the competition.
If we get the game done in 2 months and have a month left, we can add those in then?

I would say drop multiplayer till after the competition too as a time saver.

If we concentrate on single player racing against ai controlled challengers and perhaps 3 to 4 levels that would be doable in 2 to 3 months.

Here is just some ideas:

Level 1 - Desert Map, flat terrain and easiest course, used for training and first race.
Level 2 - Curvy Course Race with Hills or Jumps this could be in a futuristic stadium or city
Level 3 - Ridge Race, the course hangs off of cliffs, there are boulders that have slid down, jumps to do and through tunnels
Level 4 - This could be very arcady, loops, lots of colors and effects as you go around the course

I am just throwing out ideas to narrow our goals down to something we could meet for the contest.

I like all the ideas that were listed but I think many could be moved to post contest to make things easier to meet deadlins.





Just let us collect a little more on ideas and then start try to value them. I actually think that multiplayer could be devleoped easier then a good AI. We have not only Petr working on the coding so we could split things. This is a key part in my oppinion, that we should try to build modular code that can be inserted easily.

Kent, thanks for the level list. But again, wrong place. ;)

[ISAWHIM]

I like the idea of having an "Only multi-player"... but that may be hard to arrange. Though, it may be easy to implement.

Without having a country matching, there will be horrible lag across the main network hubs. (With only one primary server, you also have to setup direct IP connections for playing. Not sure how easy that will be with 3, 4, 5 connections.)

You also have to contend with... Is there going to be someone online, in that persons country, in that persons area, at that specific time, waiting for another person to race?

AI would still be needed, for those who don't want to wait, can't connect, can't find anyone to play with, or don't have "Always on" connections or home networks. (By always on, I am saying... unlimited time... or won't be interrupted by an incoming telephone call.)

It would make a sweet option. Especially if it can be used to promote thinbasic in the chats/hook-up rooms.

I think, for the contest, we should keep the initial development down to a minimum, to showcase our ability to create a game. (As opposed to creating functions to add to a game. Online multi-player being a function, not a game element.)

LAN multi-player would be the furthest that I say should be developed, for this contest. That could easily be expanded to work online, once a separate server is setup to handle the chat/hook-ups.

I suggest staying away from any track editing, until the game is refined into a version 2... (With more mobile editing options that can be dropped-in, for a simple edit. That also leaves room to expand with no time-constraints, so it gets done in a well thought-out manor, and to keep a desire for them to come back for a second version.)

I love the idea of implementing all the single-player elements.

For the two-player... I can not see a campaign option being done. You either loose to your friend, or you win... end of campaign. (You have to win over and over in a campaign. If you are both in the same race, all the time, than what happens when one falls out... The other person can't continue alone, or it is a single player game. That would make the winner, who didn't loose, have to keep playing over and over, until the second player eventually takes a winning place.)

I am not sure if I grasp that concept, as a multi-player element. Unless it was just a tournament game. But that is a real specific crowd to designate a whole programming cycle towards. As a design element, I don't think that would be critical towards this release for the contest.

I like the race-builder, if multi-player LAN is setup.

I don't care for the campaign builder, for the above stated reasons. (I don't see a use for it as a single player setup. You choose how you win?) Would be great as a design element, for a later version, where the multi-player element would be used in a tournament style setup. (I don't see it being a big deal for normal multi-player playing.)

[Michael Hartlef]

Ok, here is what I think we should do, develop the game modes in these order:

1) Single Player, timed race, save score Online.
2) Single Player, Quick race against AI
3) Multiplayer, Lan racing, Quick race
4) Single Player, Race campaign
5) Multiplayer, Online racing, Quick race

What do you think?

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi Mike,

I agree, just not sure if we can put that Online system together so fast.


Petr

[Michael Hartlef]

I don't think so either but you have to set goals.

[ISAWHIM]

Sounds like a good order...

I will attempt to keep a 2nd player in mind, for suggestions. (I have only been focused on one player mode on some of the suggestions, not contemplating another human player.)