He's not making an engine.

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Original post by Kest Are you looking for ideas for a simple 3D-FPS type game, or do you literally need to see retail games that have limited functionality?

I have ideas and examples to refer to for the FPS, action RPG and the final CRPG. Coming up with the same for the "inbetween" games is the part I'm having problems with.

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If you don't mind subtracting the S from FPS, you could try a Shadowgate clone.

That's an interesting idea. I hadn't heard of Shadowgate before now, but it looks similar to a couple of other games I have played (more than a few years ago).

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Trying to think of a simple first person shooter is pretty difficult. I don't think they've really advanced much in any respect other than graphics and physics; the two primary things that are probably fed from your game engine.

That depends on how far back you look for inspiration. If you compare Wolfenstein 3D or Doom with something like Tribes 2, you'll find that the latter includes a wide range of additional features (flying vehicles, multiple mission types, teams etc.).

Adding features is probably easier than subtracting them. I would like to be able to remove one or more features from something as simple as Doom so that it was no longer an FPS, but could still be thought of as a game.

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There are still very good reasons to make demos. I just made a demo a few weeks ago to experiment with destructable walls.

I don't have a problem with experimenting and/or creating prototypes, but I do want to finish several simpler projects before tackling the final one. There are some things you just have to learn from doing.

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Original post by Edtharan I would start with the game "Tag" (you might know it as Tips, Red Rover, etc). The game has been common in school yards for many generations, so it should be familiar to most people.

That sounds like it that could work, and is something I probably wouldn't have thought of.

In the initial version you mention I would add some sort of restriction to the playing area though, or players with a head start could avoid being tagged by continuously running in a straight line.

Including a simplified representation of an actual school yard could provide additional obstacles.

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Original post by paulecoyote Just be careful of "enginitius". It's an aflection many developers have had at one point or another, where the engine is the focus a game never gets done.

I have licensed an existing (completed) commercial engine and hope to avoid modifying its source code until the final project. The original creators add new features and/or release addons on a fairly regular basis.

It should be possible to create the simpler games using the built-in scripting language rather than modifying the core C++ code.

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Try not to make everything too generic as you go along... allowing for x in the future or y scripting system in the distant future. Only do stuff with an immediate need. Over-engineering is a sure way to not get anything done.

That is the part I'm having trouble with. Coming up with designs that only include features that can be reused later is proving to be harder than I initially thought.

If anyone else is looking for inspiration, I found this page at Wikipedia, which describes dozens of variants of "tag". They also have a section on children's games.