Q do you still intend to finish it ? I am interested in these style of games.
ref I intend to make lots of moneys on
well after seeing the screenshots it took me quite a while to regain my normal breathing patterns :-p
If you want to make money by writing games then i would be interested in contributing.
Its a lot of work even coming up with a prototype, and thats too much for most people cos as you know its an immense task.
Merchants of Power
Re: Merchants of Power
It is an immense task.
I haven't finalized all the details, so you could help since you seem to brainstorm a lot here. I would welcome ideas as to how you think it should work, just going by the pictures.
Any crazy thing.
I haven't finalized all the details, so you could help since you seem to brainstorm a lot here. I would welcome ideas as to how you think it should work, just going by the pictures.
Any crazy thing.
Re: Merchants of Power
I play all sorts of games always have done since i can remember. Ive also created dozens of games and spent zillions of hours playtesting them or just playing them with other people, after a while you become a bit of an expert so im looking at getting into making games for $.
Its a dual thing, i like great games and you can sell great games for $. If i won the lottery i would prolly spend uber amounts of time making great games and giving them away fro free, lol. That said building the worlds greatest 'board/software gamehouse' would be the ultimate prize for me.
Talk is cheap, games (games worth making ) require vision + effort ( too much effort for 1 man and his dog) If this was 1980 things would be different, the world was simpler and it wasn't drowning in games like it is now. Thus anyone with a half decent game got noticed and pushed....the game of making games has moved on. If you want to deliver fun to the world you have to make a good game.So im looking at hooking up with people who want to make good games....get noticed, make $ and be in a position to make more good games more easily.
Key is this, when creating games you are creating them for other people, that means going the extra mile for them.
My code skills are not too hot but my game design skills are world class & i really mean that. Great code is the method but its just part of the building method.SO if you are serious about making a good game and earning $, gaining status and recognition then im all ears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpN_WXUxWx0
We all undertake projects that i class as 'journeys of exploration' , however some of my projects are undertaken so the results can be released in the wild. If you are coding/building for your self then you are not really making a game, you just look like you are lol, if you get me. Lachies website is full of games that are a programmers 'journeys of exploration' aside from a few coders checking them out they are not going to be turned into blockbusterfilms or a sea of T-Shirts at a gaming convention....that's essentially what im aiming for with whatever games create.
I also have a wealth of skills in business,marketing etc etc so i know how to join up all the dots between bedroom hack to global domination. email asimovone at yahoo dot com
Not a lot there, but there is a whole universe waiting to be explored off that video clip. But its not going anywhere unless i really commit to it & get others onboard. This will be the same for your game, going nowhere fast.Lack of vision, lack of resources...you need both. http://homeworlds.wikispaces.com/
An education in making real games http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFqY7z8K-A0 (please note not a polygon in sight)
First lesson of game design 3D = death by polygon unless your Ridleyscott & have an army artists and million $ backers. I think the basic premise of your idea is #1 but it is the execution of that idea which makes the difference between Concorde and a lead ballon. Lose the 3D ....Merchants of Power 6 will be in full on 3D ...but the year of its release is circa 2025 :-p , you can add a phd in the Roman Empire to my skillset too, lol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QCvRvpD ... re=related Imagine 100 million human beings standing in a line willing to pay $ for an experience as good as this....the world is waiting for the goods to be delivered
.....Q are you ready to rock ? , do what it takes ' cos i am '
Victory may be fleeting, but obscurity last for all eternity
A great general first seeks victory then seeks battle
Its a dual thing, i like great games and you can sell great games for $. If i won the lottery i would prolly spend uber amounts of time making great games and giving them away fro free, lol. That said building the worlds greatest 'board/software gamehouse' would be the ultimate prize for me.
Talk is cheap, games (games worth making ) require vision + effort ( too much effort for 1 man and his dog) If this was 1980 things would be different, the world was simpler and it wasn't drowning in games like it is now. Thus anyone with a half decent game got noticed and pushed....the game of making games has moved on. If you want to deliver fun to the world you have to make a good game.So im looking at hooking up with people who want to make good games....get noticed, make $ and be in a position to make more good games more easily.
Key is this, when creating games you are creating them for other people, that means going the extra mile for them.
My code skills are not too hot but my game design skills are world class & i really mean that. Great code is the method but its just part of the building method.SO if you are serious about making a good game and earning $, gaining status and recognition then im all ears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpN_WXUxWx0
We all undertake projects that i class as 'journeys of exploration' , however some of my projects are undertaken so the results can be released in the wild. If you are coding/building for your self then you are not really making a game, you just look like you are lol, if you get me. Lachies website is full of games that are a programmers 'journeys of exploration' aside from a few coders checking them out they are not going to be turned into blockbusterfilms or a sea of T-Shirts at a gaming convention....that's essentially what im aiming for with whatever games create.
I also have a wealth of skills in business,marketing etc etc so i know how to join up all the dots between bedroom hack to global domination. email asimovone at yahoo dot com
Not a lot there, but there is a whole universe waiting to be explored off that video clip. But its not going anywhere unless i really commit to it & get others onboard. This will be the same for your game, going nowhere fast.Lack of vision, lack of resources...you need both. http://homeworlds.wikispaces.com/
An education in making real games http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFqY7z8K-A0 (please note not a polygon in sight)
First lesson of game design 3D = death by polygon unless your Ridleyscott & have an army artists and million $ backers. I think the basic premise of your idea is #1 but it is the execution of that idea which makes the difference between Concorde and a lead ballon. Lose the 3D ....Merchants of Power 6 will be in full on 3D ...but the year of its release is circa 2025 :-p , you can add a phd in the Roman Empire to my skillset too, lol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QCvRvpD ... re=related Imagine 100 million human beings standing in a line willing to pay $ for an experience as good as this....the world is waiting for the goods to be delivered
.....Q are you ready to rock ? , do what it takes ' cos i am '
Victory may be fleeting, but obscurity last for all eternity
A great general first seeks victory then seeks battle
Re: Merchants of Power
This game just wouldn't work or be fun in 2D. :[
Re: Merchants of Power
ref wont be fun in 2D why is that ?
high quality 2d sprites in isometric view serves the eye just fine, the trade cart in lords of the realm is quite cute, kind cool to watch it wend its ways towards your territory.
Most resource style 3d polygon games look totally sucky , given the choice between a hand crafted sprite and a low polygon object my eyes choose the sprite every time. The viewpoint you get in Lords of the realm II is very pleasant on the eye and little is hidden from your view.
There is nothing more tedious than a zoom pan and tilt interface, i play many games with such ability, invariably i zoom out and keep the the view isometric and wide so i can i have a good viewpoint.
Settlers true 3d ...unless you have a mega $$$ budget time or money wise keep on dreaming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35cera0Z ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POT9uBPt ... re=related
Considering the resource base you are likely to have at your disposal going 2d isometric sprite route makes a lot of sense. You have to bear in mind that what makes for good fun 'eye candy mode' does NOT make for a good interface to operate. Which is why 99.99% of all interfaces are 2d perhaps with a pseudo 3d/isometric viewpoint.
high quality 2d sprites in isometric view serves the eye just fine, the trade cart in lords of the realm is quite cute, kind cool to watch it wend its ways towards your territory.
Most resource style 3d polygon games look totally sucky , given the choice between a hand crafted sprite and a low polygon object my eyes choose the sprite every time. The viewpoint you get in Lords of the realm II is very pleasant on the eye and little is hidden from your view.
There is nothing more tedious than a zoom pan and tilt interface, i play many games with such ability, invariably i zoom out and keep the the view isometric and wide so i can i have a good viewpoint.
Settlers true 3d ...unless you have a mega $$$ budget time or money wise keep on dreaming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35cera0Z ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POT9uBPt ... re=related
Considering the resource base you are likely to have at your disposal going 2d isometric sprite route makes a lot of sense. You have to bear in mind that what makes for good fun 'eye candy mode' does NOT make for a good interface to operate. Which is why 99.99% of all interfaces are 2d perhaps with a pseudo 3d/isometric viewpoint.
Re: Merchants of Power
What makes you think I have the resources for a hand-crafted sprite? :P
If I re-made the game in 2D it would be bland and hard to navigate. Not to mention all the time and effort to redo everything in 2D. It's not just a switch...
If I re-made the game in 2D it would be bland and hard to navigate. Not to mention all the time and effort to redo everything in 2D. It's not just a switch...
Re: Merchants of Power
Bland and hard to navigate ? I really struggle to see where you come to that conclusion.
Ref sprites and resources......many people can make 2d sprites but only a handful can craft 3d models to the required level.
Interesting concept, but i think your heads in the wrong place, so im out as a contributor. Not knocking your efforts, but you are no 'game designer' that's for sure. We all have different skills. You need to build a team with a broad based skillset....you cant do that unless you have the correct vision to start with.
Maybe your Captitoloply game might have stronger legs. Do keep us posted on that. You got a link ?
Ref sprites and resources......many people can make 2d sprites but only a handful can craft 3d models to the required level.
Interesting concept, but i think your heads in the wrong place, so im out as a contributor. Not knocking your efforts, but you are no 'game designer' that's for sure. We all have different skills. You need to build a team with a broad based skillset....you cant do that unless you have the correct vision to start with.
Maybe your Captitoloply game might have stronger legs. Do keep us posted on that. You got a link ?
Re: Merchants of Power
Google it :P
Re: Merchants of Power
found it ...after correcting my abysmal spelling lol http://www.capitalopoly.com/index.php?page=login
.....as an interface designer Argy " you need to be placed against a sunbaked white wall and shot !" lol
the phrase ' give him the full 9 yards ' springs to mind , lool
nonetheless you are prepared to make some effort to get your game moving forward
I think the hardest thing about creating a game or orchestrating the resources to make that game is overcoming your own internal desires and biases. Quite often prodigious talent in one or two areas is overshadowed by a deficit in another. Games are heavily worked interfaces. Neither the game play nor the interface can be allowed to break the spell. The human imagination must be guided, but not corralled or their efforts hamstrung.
The game must present few obstacles to player expression given the direction of the game pathtree and game plain you wish to let the explore.....the challenges to game creation must never-be underestimated. The spell breaking issues must never be ignored.
At a more tangible level, the reward per click ( the reward per batch of player actions) is the hidden steering mechanism.
As an example > If diplomacy is central to the game then have a fiddly diplomatic interface will just leave players frustrated. Likewise endless cycles of diplomatic messaging that yield little reward turn the game into a tedious click fest. Players have only so much time and energy they wish to invest during the course of playing a game. Every time you place a tedious barrier in their way or Insult their eyes, ears or imagination with spell breaking events the game loses both credibility and enjoyability.
Q have you got any screenshots ? or is it still WIP ?
.....as an interface designer Argy " you need to be placed against a sunbaked white wall and shot !" lol
the phrase ' give him the full 9 yards ' springs to mind , lool
nonetheless you are prepared to make some effort to get your game moving forward
I think the hardest thing about creating a game or orchestrating the resources to make that game is overcoming your own internal desires and biases. Quite often prodigious talent in one or two areas is overshadowed by a deficit in another. Games are heavily worked interfaces. Neither the game play nor the interface can be allowed to break the spell. The human imagination must be guided, but not corralled or their efforts hamstrung.
The game must present few obstacles to player expression given the direction of the game pathtree and game plain you wish to let the explore.....the challenges to game creation must never-be underestimated. The spell breaking issues must never be ignored.
At a more tangible level, the reward per click ( the reward per batch of player actions) is the hidden steering mechanism.
As an example > If diplomacy is central to the game then have a fiddly diplomatic interface will just leave players frustrated. Likewise endless cycles of diplomatic messaging that yield little reward turn the game into a tedious click fest. Players have only so much time and energy they wish to invest during the course of playing a game. Every time you place a tedious barrier in their way or Insult their eyes, ears or imagination with spell breaking events the game loses both credibility and enjoyability.
Q have you got any screenshots ? or is it still WIP ?
Re: Merchants of Power
You're entirely correct in all your points... except the shooting part...
I've beta-tested this for a while, with hundreds of people. Most of them gave me interface suggestions -- however, it's important not to pounce on every interface idea a user has but think about them in aggregate, and also think about if they are going to be my target user base or not -- not every beta tester fits this criteria.
I've implemented a fair amount of those ideas; some of them are still on the table awaiting time and resources for development.
If you want to see more than the login screen, you can log in using username public and password public, or you can make your own user.
--------
I am still working on the challenge and fun part of the game. It's currently far too easy to make money once you have set up an industry chain, and too hard when you are just starting out. This requires a few gameplay parts that I am still implementing.
--------
I made a separate forum post for this project, here:
http://www.freebasic.net/forum/viewtopi ... ly#p170056
I've beta-tested this for a while, with hundreds of people. Most of them gave me interface suggestions -- however, it's important not to pounce on every interface idea a user has but think about them in aggregate, and also think about if they are going to be my target user base or not -- not every beta tester fits this criteria.
I've implemented a fair amount of those ideas; some of them are still on the table awaiting time and resources for development.
If you want to see more than the login screen, you can log in using username public and password public, or you can make your own user.
--------
I am still working on the challenge and fun part of the game. It's currently far too easy to make money once you have set up an industry chain, and too hard when you are just starting out. This requires a few gameplay parts that I am still implementing.
--------
I made a separate forum post for this project, here:
http://www.freebasic.net/forum/viewtopi ... ly#p170056
Re: Merchants of Power
wise words indeed
your game play description is the also reflective of the trials of game creation, lol , so very hard to start out
Pareto principle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle
There is a lot of business philosophy to be found on wikipedia ( ultimately its grounded in the laws of physics which shape human behavior ) ...it is a handy selection of complex mathematical formula 'in words' that is relevant to both game play and the profitable business of making games...well worth an hour of your life bouncing from one principle to another.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_for_lemons
I think there are two games....straight games, which make efforts to emulate reality, and fun games, games that deploy toungue in cheek humor to jolly the player on.....i bought Airport Manager, daft , cartoony but fun it had me laughing out loud half a doden times in as many minutes. The obscenely dodgy Arab selling aviation fuel, the coke machine that gave you an electric shock, the punk haired, fag in mouth plane mechanic who told my mimsy poppins character to get lost....larger than life AI personalities are also found in Lords of the realm 2. It took me ages to persuade a conservative computer programmer house guest to play the game. Six hours later he was accosting me in the hallway blathering on about the Arch Bishop stitching him up like a kipper. Lords 2 just has that 'it' factor....and that is what you need to aim for cos anything less is an elevator ride to obscurity.
your game play description is the also reflective of the trials of game creation, lol , so very hard to start out
Pareto principle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle
There is a lot of business philosophy to be found on wikipedia ( ultimately its grounded in the laws of physics which shape human behavior ) ...it is a handy selection of complex mathematical formula 'in words' that is relevant to both game play and the profitable business of making games...well worth an hour of your life bouncing from one principle to another.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_for_lemons
I think there are two games....straight games, which make efforts to emulate reality, and fun games, games that deploy toungue in cheek humor to jolly the player on.....i bought Airport Manager, daft , cartoony but fun it had me laughing out loud half a doden times in as many minutes. The obscenely dodgy Arab selling aviation fuel, the coke machine that gave you an electric shock, the punk haired, fag in mouth plane mechanic who told my mimsy poppins character to get lost....larger than life AI personalities are also found in Lords of the realm 2. It took me ages to persuade a conservative computer programmer house guest to play the game. Six hours later he was accosting me in the hallway blathering on about the Arch Bishop stitching him up like a kipper. Lords 2 just has that 'it' factor....and that is what you need to aim for cos anything less is an elevator ride to obscurity.
Re: Merchants of Power
Was wondering if anyone was interested in helping me move forward with this. Currently working on other things so not sure I can finish it myself.