The Java idea would be good but please don''t mix it with C++, since you''ll lose all benefits. Java is cross-platform so keep it that way and don''t restrict yourself by using C then. If you want to keep it fast, I guess it''s better to use C only and don''t make it slower by using Java.
One very important thing to remember is: you could make it a web game if you''re using Java. But if you''d make a Windows, Mac and Unix version, it could perfectly be done in C.
Then the music: Classical is indeed very good since classical music is still listened to, just like Elite is still played (in your incarnation).
Storyline: It is cool to have the game know of concepts such as war so it can randomly generate a war between planets. It''s also nice to have the map-creator set relationship values between the planets to start with and have these values randomly decreased or increased. If the value is low enough, there will be a war. If it is high enough, they''re allies and will fight together in the war. Would be cool for players since a war situation will be tough to enter. When you fly into the zone, your ship will be checked very heavily or you will drop right in the middle of a battle.
Allright, let''s sort these issues and think about some new ones.
---
Allow me to clear my head for once...
Stop polluting the air!
An Elite-like multiplayer game
Hi,
btw, if you want to get in touch, my e-mail is jsp1611@yahoo.co.uk (a recent change).
One or two more things 2 say after reading the posts. FORGET time dilation effects, this would be impossible to implement effectively in a multiplayer game running over the ''net. Just assume that interstellar treavel is instantaneous and that no one has to travel in any direction for more than 10 minutes in normal space in order for their ''warp drive''/''hyperdrive'' to work. A minimum recharge time for the hyperdrive might be an idea, but dont make travel any more complex than that. Follow K.I.S.S.- Keep It Simple Stupid. Complexity means more code, means more bugs means pissed of players and funny game querks.
Graphics as simple as those on Elite would be an idea, and I''m sure they''d speed up the game''s speed.
A name for the game doesnt really matter as yet. I have a few ideas for features of the game, but have to shoot off to a lecture now, so will post them later.
Jon
btw, if you want to get in touch, my e-mail is jsp1611@yahoo.co.uk (a recent change).
One or two more things 2 say after reading the posts. FORGET time dilation effects, this would be impossible to implement effectively in a multiplayer game running over the ''net. Just assume that interstellar treavel is instantaneous and that no one has to travel in any direction for more than 10 minutes in normal space in order for their ''warp drive''/''hyperdrive'' to work. A minimum recharge time for the hyperdrive might be an idea, but dont make travel any more complex than that. Follow K.I.S.S.- Keep It Simple Stupid. Complexity means more code, means more bugs means pissed of players and funny game querks.
Graphics as simple as those on Elite would be an idea, and I''m sure they''d speed up the game''s speed.
A name for the game doesnt really matter as yet. I have a few ideas for features of the game, but have to shoot off to a lecture now, so will post them later.
Jon
1st off. You have to decide what features the game will have. How like Elite do you want it to be? You have to go into a fair amount of detail. I''ll give an example that looks at first quite simple, but gets complex real fast-
Space stations, both planet bound and in orbit had a wide range of features in the original game- 1) You can buy/sell ships and ship parts, including engines, weapons, detection equipment, shields, crew cabins etc. 2)You can post messages. Players should be able to post messages to each other, transfer money for services, refuse to pay for jobs not well done etc. etc.- this is quite a hard bit, each station will need its own message board, the message should indicate if the player is in the station or not (more likely not), the message should have a life span (set by the player?), there should be some payment transfer method or equipment transfer method- and the players need to be able to talk to each other directly. 3)You need to be able to buy/sell cargo to players as well as the station. 4)You need to be able to get passengers and crew, can a player be a passenger/crewman? My initial reaction would be no, but maybe you could work it somehow. The list of functions a space station alone should perform, is going to take some work. Also, another problem- if you make your universe too big and people it with NPC''s, then how likely is it that more than 2 players will ever be in the same place at the same time!
Space stations, both planet bound and in orbit had a wide range of features in the original game- 1) You can buy/sell ships and ship parts, including engines, weapons, detection equipment, shields, crew cabins etc. 2)You can post messages. Players should be able to post messages to each other, transfer money for services, refuse to pay for jobs not well done etc. etc.- this is quite a hard bit, each station will need its own message board, the message should indicate if the player is in the station or not (more likely not), the message should have a life span (set by the player?), there should be some payment transfer method or equipment transfer method- and the players need to be able to talk to each other directly. 3)You need to be able to buy/sell cargo to players as well as the station. 4)You need to be able to get passengers and crew, can a player be a passenger/crewman? My initial reaction would be no, but maybe you could work it somehow. The list of functions a space station alone should perform, is going to take some work. Also, another problem- if you make your universe too big and people it with NPC''s, then how likely is it that more than 2 players will ever be in the same place at the same time!
well, as far as a message board goes, each space station will not need it''s own! we humans cannot yet travel through intergalatic space (at any speed ), but we still have the internet! think about it, if travel is more-or-less instantaneous throughout the universe (multiverse?), the transmission of data (especially text messages) ought not to be impossible.
--- krez (krezisback@aol.com)
--- krez (krezisback@aol.com)
--- krez ([email="krez_AT_optonline_DOT_net"]krez_AT_optonline_DOT_net[/email])
Krez - Good point! I think this Internet idea could really work. Just have some bulletin boards on which the players can post jobs and a chat-system to bargain about the deal.
Jonpolly - Good that you noticed, but if the game has user-defined (and some pre-created) maps, the universe can be big on servers with many players and small on servers with only a few players. IMHO this is a must anyway since most popular games have more than one map to play on.
I don''t agree on using the old Elite''s graphics style. Personally, I wouldn''t mind if the game would be in these graphics, but most modern gamers expect at high quality graphics.
It would be quite easy to have an option to emulate the Elite graphics by setting a low detail mode of the models, switching off the lighting and whatever you put in the game. Thus older gamers can get the same feeling of nostalgia while younger gamers (the Quake generation so to speak) can have the shiny flashy graphics they''re so addicted to.
Unless the game will be web-based, because most current web games are drop dead ugly. So you can certainly get away with lesser graphics to speed up game play.
---
Allow me to clear my head for once...
Stop polluting the air!
Jonpolly - Good that you noticed, but if the game has user-defined (and some pre-created) maps, the universe can be big on servers with many players and small on servers with only a few players. IMHO this is a must anyway since most popular games have more than one map to play on.
I don''t agree on using the old Elite''s graphics style. Personally, I wouldn''t mind if the game would be in these graphics, but most modern gamers expect at high quality graphics.
It would be quite easy to have an option to emulate the Elite graphics by setting a low detail mode of the models, switching off the lighting and whatever you put in the game. Thus older gamers can get the same feeling of nostalgia while younger gamers (the Quake generation so to speak) can have the shiny flashy graphics they''re so addicted to.
Unless the game will be web-based, because most current web games are drop dead ugly. So you can certainly get away with lesser graphics to speed up game play.
---
Allow me to clear my head for once...
Stop polluting the air!
---Allow me to clear my head for once...Stop polluting the air!
There is already a game like this in the web. It is called Jumpgate, and it has shiny flashy graphics ...
Hmmmm, yeah. Good point about instantaneous transmission of data (inc. financial transfers), you could have some kind of virtual board for jobs, etc. But then you need to clearly define what kind of information you allow on it- i.e. you couldnt really say ''ship for sale, on the other side of the galaxy to where most people are'', ''passengers want transport from ass-end-of-nowhere to somewhere-else''. I suppose you could have local boards as well as the global one and maybe reserve the local boards for NPC''s?
Where''s this jumpgate game then?
Jon
Where''s this jumpgate game then?
Jon
Holy Sh*t! Ive just had a look at the Jumpgate site. Looks like everything we''ve just talked about has already been done... so much for that idea..
Jon
Jon
No way! You''re kidding, right?
If not, could you please tell the rest of us where the site is?
---
Allow me to clear my head for once...
Stop polluting the air!
If not, could you please tell the rest of us where the site is?
---
Allow me to clear my head for once...
Stop polluting the air!
---Allow me to clear my head for once...Stop polluting the air!
Hi,
Here is the main page of Jumpgate,
http://jumpgate.netdevil.com/
or
http://www.netdevil.com/
It has been developed by netdevil, colorado ... neveer hear of them. In Germany there are more than 3000 people playing this game. But I dont know how many of the features listed here have been implemented. But I know that you can''t walk around in space ports and stations or planets ... So when you dock or land you have a kind of menu where you can buy sell ... and so on ..
Here is the main page of Jumpgate,
http://jumpgate.netdevil.com/
or
http://www.netdevil.com/
It has been developed by netdevil, colorado ... neveer hear of them. In Germany there are more than 3000 people playing this game. But I dont know how many of the features listed here have been implemented. But I know that you can''t walk around in space ports and stations or planets ... So when you dock or land you have a kind of menu where you can buy sell ... and so on ..
This topic is closed to new replies.
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