Hello Programmers,

I game design, as a hobby, I know strange but i have been on many projects which have been a success, I have created using just word multiple worlds, creatures, weapons and plot lines, which have been used (or discarded in most cases) in indi (not professional) games.

But now, I fancy a challenge, I have recently come up with an innovative game, one unlike most out there, with certain features that will require large amounts of technical expertise.

Rather then hit the main sources of disappointment in the indi community, I thought I would see if there were any able programmers up for a challenge, here in one of my favorite communities (I admit it, I should post more.)

Why is it a challenge, you ask? Well I want to develop a game which runs like a combat simulator, low graphics (retro if you will, see: Defcon, for ideas), It would have players selecting a scenario (scenario’s are created by designers at first but then an editor would be brought out and automatic updates introduced for more maps and missions (and AIs)) then judging on the mission, and of course the players rank (increases with every kill, decreases with loss, etc.) the player can select, everything from their means of entry to their units weapons. Then he plays, in real time, trying to control everything whilst an AI tries to stop you're mission.

Players can choose from a wide selection of everything, they have options to customize units, choose pre-prepared units, etc.

The problem would be linking everybody to a network, The units a player creates through customization will be uploaded but also how the player plays, each mission is recorded and where the player went with what and how will be written down mathematically so that AIs can learn the best methods, this would mean keeping an up-to-date database of all units, tactics, etc.

But this would lead to a great game, with players fighting realistic missions against ever changing opponents, with players creating as well as destroying. Of course there is an option to expand, include new (sci-fi like) technologies, multiplayer (over the internet + LAN) and of course a mass fan base.

Sound interesting? I have tried to cover as much as I can, hopefully it is simple, I didn't want to give this much away, but hopefully you will see the potential in it. I have worked it down to the last letter, I am a game designer, and this is my game. Thank you.

sorry to say, but no one here is capable of what you're talking about. The only ones I would mention as being able to learn how to do it and give it a try would be Cuddles, Mass, and myself... but I dont see either of them or myself getting into that.

Bummer.

Thank you, that is disappointing indeed, though maybe we can discuss it, as your (all of your) technical knowledge is probably better then my own.

So lets start, The AI would use wrong tactics as well depending on the player's skill level (this goes up like levels after each mission or down for that matter) and also the AI would be different each time, using rush methods on one mission and another AI would use hit and run method, I’m not suggesting creating one AI but many different ones (many different "army generals")

what if updating/uploading was limited in some ways, the data base is filled up with customization and such until it reaches a quota (a maximum) then after about a week (or 3 times the player loads the game) all the custom data is deleted and new data is brought in?

Your thoughts?

the general idea of what you're talking about seems out of the league of even some pretty knowledgeable programmers... and im just a PHP programmer.... i only touch C/C++/C# when I need to.

If we were to use say.. the Source engine, then no.. it wouldn't be too terribly hard. I was more thinking about custom development though.

my first suggestion is to read up on A LOT of classic as well as new military techniques, they can give you a LOT of ideas on how to program your AI in a combat game

i could probably program every aspect of this with only a little studying BUT my computer isnt capable of much at the moment (wont even run the original doom...i got starcraft running...that's about the heaviest game ive made run, and that was blind luck)

do you want to build a game completely yourself, graphics and all, to the point where you have to create base scenes that are modified with each new level (or code each new level individually), or do you want to use a game engine, like blender3D to simplify the thing?

there are a lot of options here, but basically, what you want to do is create a game where after a period of time(testing, making popular enough, and developing a simple enough engine), can be added upon by the users, which has simpler graphics...you're pretty much creating Doom, except more betterer?

pretty much any game that comes out today has the ability to be modd'd like that, if the person tries hard enough...you'd have the advantage that yours would be built SPECIFICALLY for that, and thus making it simpler to do so, and it could be a LOT of fun to program, but you're going to wind up having to either 1: have servers for people to play on, or 2 make every computer with the game installed into a server and client, the second is rather resource heavy, and usually somewhat vulnerable, the first requires a decent user-base (PR can be a BITCH if you dont know what you're doing)

"Could probably program every aspect of this with only a little studying"

Well I've decided to edit it a bit, to make it more, fun. The game itself would not have been fun or practical as the controls would need to be much simpler in order to work when you want to control how a squad moves, shoots, throws grenades and runs for cover in real time, you have to be fast and so on...so I decided to scrap it, put it in the file I call "Dead Ends."

Then I thought, I wouldn't waste most of the ideas of a military strategy based on customization of units, ever changing AIs and User uploaded content.

I took the original idea of Real Time Strategy and decided to change it to the much easier but still strategic Turn Based. I decided to take the line graphics and change them completely to something the player can really look at, so I decided to go with something about 32 bit. With the upgrades in text (bullet type - Explosive) rather then showing them visually (too much graphics) Then I felt like it lost some of its features, it basically looked like advance wars (Google it if needs be so you know what I’m talking about)

So I decided to add a commander, the player, which would add an Role Playing side to it, as with ever kill your commander got he received EXP, then the player would spend it on stats and the commander could also do tactical things like, call in air support, etc.

So there you have it, advance wars with a commander, then I thought, still to similar, I mean they have tanks, my idea has tanks, change it. So I dug out an old Sci-fi file, it had information on various un-used races, weapons, robots, etc. So that’s what I ended up doing...Advance wars set in the future with aliens, robots, etc. and a commander.

But enough of the design lets talk Tech. The multiplayer would start off direct host; direct join, through IP address, so that players can play for testing etc. Once it had been finished a server would be acquired, first in Europe, then in the USA.

I would want the engine built from scratch as it allows total customization of features and also allows the programmers full understanding of the engine thus making editing easier.

Graphics, I would get drawn up by some free lance bit artist. The writing I would do myself, for all topics in the "universe" so at the end there would be a mass library of information so the player can get totally immersed in the game world.

Critically Examine, Please.

So Basically you are making a turn based Total Annihilation?

i could do it. wouldnt want to. personally i think having a specific"main" customizable hero type untit that you keep and progress/lvl with is the way to go.