Almar Joling

========================================================= Original Games Development ========================================================= While working on the 'final' stages of QuadrantWars(QW), I started to think about the new game I would start workign on after I finished QW. It's tough to think of something completely new for a game. (Almost) every VB game that is currently under developement has a background that leads to something older. My game, could ofcourse be compared with Asteroids, Subspace, Netrek. The same applies for Lucky's Galaxy. Now "Rag on a Stick" (Andy) is working on an RTS game, Emoticon. The game is pretty original, every unit is a simple emoticon. Although I'm not sure about the gameplay I assume it works like one of the previous RTS games like C&C, Warcraft, Z(ed), etc. DDCK: MoC, was also very original, but still the concept came down to an "different RTS" The toughest problem of game design is to create an original but still fun game to play, well in my opinion then. So what for type of games do we currently have? well in a rough sketch it comes down to this: Space shooters: X-Wing, Wing Commander, Nihilist, Starfleet Academy RTS: Command & Conquer, Warcraft, Total Annihilation FPS: Unreal Tournament, Quake, Doom Flight: Flight Simulator, Commanche3, F22 Lightning 3 Shoot'em ups: Tyrian, Raptor Adventures: Monkey Island, Sam & Max: Hit the road, Atlantis Platform: Jazz Jackrabbit, Prince of Persia, Mario RPG: EverQuest, Baldur's Gate, Diablo Race: Need for Speed, SpeedBoat Attack, Gran Turismo Simulation: SimCity, Transport Tycoon, Railroad Tycoon I probably forgot some catagories (like fishing =-P). But these are just the basic catagories. Many games are realted to these, but for example, are in 3D. For example for Racing you can have road versions, water versions, even air versions. That probably makes it 'flight' again though. Max Payne can be put, for example in "FPS" and in "Adventure". As you can see it's very hard to tihnk of something new. Almost everything 'imaginable' has been used. Still some people manage to think of something new like Messiah, where you're an angel. (I believe), and Black & White, is also pretty original. But Black & White can be again put under simulation. And there has been an game before where you're good- or evil. I forgot the name of it, but it was similar to simcity but you had to please (dead) people in heaven (good roads, everything happy), or in hell (bad roads, traffic, the more problems, the better). For my next game I thought about an RTS on/in water... but it won't be really anything new. Multiplayer functionality is essential in the current games. If your game doesn't have multiplayer functions, you'll have a lot less players. -And buyers if you want to publish the game. After completing Prince of Persia 2 yesterday (finally after 6 years :)), I thought about making such a game, using the new standard for graphics, etc. but it's virtually impossible to make it multiplayer. Still the game is fun to play, and it doesn't look that bad. I finished Max Payne within 4 days. Now I have the box somewhere lying in my room, and it probably won't be played again for a while. Unreal Tournament, I'm playing it since November 1999. (The small CD box might be covered with dust, but that's just cause I never have to reinstall the game.) But because it has multiplayer functionality I still play this game for two reasons. 1) To improve my aim 2) It's fun to play online and beat other people. Max Payne doesn't have multiplayer functionality, so why would I continue to play? I've seen all "maps", and I do not have to improve my aim, cause there is no way I can compete with other players. I just installed Atomic Bomberman, and played it for 4 hours with my brother. I used the arrow keys, and he used the left-keyboard keys. It was much more fun to play this than Max Payne. Any multiplayer functionality will improve the singleplayer- game severely. Especially if the game depends on thinking capabilities (Chess, Card games), or reaction games (FPS, RPG, RTS). Conclusion: We'll soon enter a new era where the brainstorming takes longer than the actual game design, -if you want to make an original game that is. The game needs multiplayer functionality to survive and to remain fun to play. Players will expect more and more 'game' from the programmers. 'Till next time /Almar

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VB vs C++

Almar Joling is:
	A very talented VB programmer. His main project is the massively multiplayer Quadrant Wars