If you were to create a FLOSS game, how would it be?

[b15hop]

I suppose you are talking about the Linux-gamers.net Games LiveDVD, it is (or used to be) based on ArchLinux. For the "desktop" they used Fluxbox IIRC. Here's the link: http://live.linux-gamers.net/

Unfortunately the first team dedicated to the family suited games failed in finding a good live distribution which could be taken to create a base system fitting our ideas. But luckily the second team was successful. They created a live DVD based on Arch Linux.

That is correct. It still uses Arch Linux. Arch has always been a more higher end x86 binary blob distro. Currently they're a x64 based distro as well as i686. Back in it's hey day, the only available binary i686 Arch Linux, was faster than all other i386 distro's. Most distros were either i386 or i486 and I wanted something that was faster than windows. After trying Gentoo, I got sick and tired of recompiling all the time. Portage is in my eyes, both the best and worst thing about Gentoo. Eventually trying Arch, I realised that Arch is even faster than Gentoo with -Os or -O3 settings. ... ( what many Gentoo see as optimisation bling) Arch doesn't have the bloat issues that other distro's have. Given time though, Arch is growing into a mature distro.

[Yfrwlf]

I am working on a prototype for a game inspired by the legendary Magic Carpet.

That was a good game. I think it may have even had at least one other game attempt to duplicate its gameplay, but I remember playing that game for hours on end. Very unique. I think perhaps the best ordering for a good game is focusing on gameplay first, story second, and graphics last though graphics certainly helps draw attention and shore things up. Ideally they all sort of come at the same time but definitely a strong focus on gameplay is the most important part IMO.

Perhaps copying existing games is the right way to go, but ignoring what the big commercial houses are doing as well? After all they tend to churn out the 'commercially viable' variations on a theme (aka WW2 FPS or indeed First Person Shooters in general). But where are the Carrier Command's, Midwinter's hell even Millennium 2.2 & its sequel Deuteros? Yes, even the old point n' click adventure games.

Whilst classics, what was missing from those games that could be expanded on thanks to modern hardware (increased screen resolution, CPU grunt and RAM availability) and I don't just mean graphics? Perhaps CC with a better resource management aspect?

People still play things like Ultima 7 because they were fundamentally good games that told a good story and/or were enjoyable in the long term. I think that's what FOSS gaming needs. It's version of Ultima, it's Carrier Command... something which a) works b) is playable c) stands there and goes "You wouldn't make this, so we bloody well did it".

I mean if you could panel beat the Vega Strike engine hard enough you'd have a bloody awesome Elite/space trading game.

There are so many great gameplay styles which are not done anymore because too many CEOs said "oooh 3D shooters and violence and explosions sell!!!!!" and that's how the business world works, they latch onto the status quo instead of thinking up new ideas. There are an infinite number of gameplay concepts you can come up with which have never been tried in games before. I find that Nintendo has been a fairly decent driver of gameplay creativity but there has certainly been some on the other platforms as well.

Point and click adventures are essentially a series of puzzles plus a story, and each puzzle can be a form of gameplay in its own right. Look at the Ratchet and Clank series, they've easily managed to create a puzzle and decent gameplay in the mini-games that they've included in each release of the series. It's honestly not hard to come up with gameplay concepts like that which is why I believe if there was more focus on gameplay creativity, the graphics and story would surely follow (though choosing the right graphics engine to build your prototype on is an important decision I'm sure) and gaming in general would be a lot further along.

That, and making it easier for normal Linux users to create those games to begin with. See Blender and http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=324248

[V!NCENT]

Think about the gamplay first! Make it blockish as hell and ugly as fsck! Is it fun? No? Scrap it! Is it fun? Yes? Make a game out of it!

"I want a game where I am a super hero, where there are zxombies and massive sharks with freakin' lasers!" <- Nice setting, but don't even bother making a game. You already failed and it will not come out of beta as you will realise it just sucks when it shapes up!

Make sure the initial stage comes first! Think about what you like about certain games! How many objects do you want to controll? How many objects do you want to controll simultaniously? Do you like agility, timing or rather being smart? Figuring out puzzles? Strategy maybe? Do you want turn-based or realtime continues interaction? Etc. etc. etc.

After you came up with something, what setting do you want? Now comes the awesome part! Zombies, gigantic laZ0Rs? Whatever. And how could you make a story out of it?

Repeat repeat repeat!

Nów you've got a game! After that... program a prototype with the most ugly models evah and test it. tweak it. perfect it.

After you have done thát... make a demo in C/C++ instead of python and Blender.

Then!... Show it to a concept artist. They can prototype a setting in the form of art. Then you create your story. You throw the thing out there and ask designers "Hey look at this. This is what I am making!". Then see if you can get artists to dress it up with their artwork.

[ChrisXY]

binary blob

A binary binary what?

I personally look forward for games based on the penumbra engine which is now open source.
http://github.com/FrictionalGames

[b15hop]

A binary binary what?

I personally look forward for games based on the penumbra engine which is now open source.
http://github.com/FrictionalGames

Binary blob as in the slang for binary based distro.

[Janell6754]

it would provide a good base for heavy modding. and be written really well (as small as possible memory footprint, clean and fast code, no massive library dependencies etc).

[renter25]

Are you playing Tryst? it is an upcoming RTS game being made by indie BlueGiant Interactive.

-mmohunter-

[KameZero]

Are you playing Tryst? it is an upcoming RTS game being made by indie BlueGiant Interactive.

-mmohunter-

At first I assumed this was spam, since how could I be playing an upcoming game? I was quite saddened because Linux has a lack of good FPS's. However, according to this forum post they are planning post release Linux/Mac clients! Not great confirmation since this is the only mention of it I can find.

Perhaps Michael could contact them and try to get some better confirmation?

[sabriah]

Don't forget the animations which in the best of worlds should reflect the scale of the models. Think of how different an elephant moves compared to a horse, a dog or a mouse.

A running soldier with a rifle, a riding knight with a sword, a dragon with wings. Their fluid motion are also beyond the capacity of many people otherwise good at making static models.

BTW, what is the best tool for making model animations for later use in the Quake 3 engines?

[curaga]

sabriah: Blender or misfit3d mainly.