=== ANCHOR POEM === ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────── @user-570 I really do like the idea of only being able to speak in toki pona. How are you enforcing that? Using sitelen pona? how do you type, by pointing at a grid of characters? or just... by typing? what happens when someone types english? 20-30 players per instance is definitely not Massivetm but it still sounds like you're building systems which emphasize socialized play. I like that, I believe it's always important to have players contributing toward a larger community. It builds a sense of solidarity, and gives you chances to identify ways that people sabotage such systems (by, for example, wasting resources or being greedy) which is an interesting cultural experiment, I think. I thought it was an MMO because you pitched it in relation to the MMO I designed =P also the server software I described is an emulation project first, generic MMO software second, as it needs to be since it lacks a client. If a client was designed, that limitation could be removed. That's really all I'm trying to express. 😋 ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────┘ === SIMILARITY RANKED === --- #1 fediverse/3039 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────── @user-570 I'd LOVE a game which taught toki pona!! You've brought some of this up before. I'm uninterested in co-opting some existing thing in a way I then can't support myself off of. Well my points are these: MMOs are difficult because of the added complexity in their networking an open source networking solution exists however no open source client solution exists but one could be written, which is about as hard as making a game using Bevy or Raylib or Love2D, and if one were written, then games could easily be made on-top of them which you would then support yourself off of. I mean... I'd want to support myself too haha, and I can think of like 100 different games that could be made in an engine like that. the idea is that by opening up more design space you can apply your ideas as an early pioneer in a particular design direction that hasn't been able to be explored because the up-front investments in making an MMO are huge. Meanwhile, with this system you could script them in Lua very easily. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────┘ --- #2 notes/coh-waves-of-playerbases --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────── imagine if there was a stacking inf bonus to players who played on red / blueside which increased or decreased depending on either A. the number of players online at the time, B. the proportion of players playing on that team versus the other, or C. the time of day. Essentially helping to cure the faction imbalance by offering rewards to one side or the other which would encourage a certain group in the population of the game to change sides or not. perhaps frequent changing could grant a title called "mercenary" or something like "log in for each consecutive day for 10 days straight and each day switch faction alignment at least once" ... anyway you could cure the faction imbalance between redside / blueside by offering an INF reward for playing on each side one by one alternating like an iterator first red then blue or first blue then red either way it doesn't matter because it'll switch after a while and encourage everyone to switch sides. And the way the character responds to that stimulus tells you a bit about their character's personality. also... it should not affect AE or Pocket D farms. Nor missions, TFs, or anything else. they should SOLELY impact open world patrolling / hunting. I believe this would not only incentivize people to spend time in the open world (which is a mostly unused piece of game assets) but it would also increase the visibility of the newly bolstered faction numbers. Think about it - if everyone who switched sides is out in the open world, then they could see each other. They could fight the same mobs, and team up together. In doing so, they could form greater and greater supergroups - if only through their interactions with one another as they level up. If they're lucky, the guild they're recruited into has similar interests in mind like doing raiding or PvP or economics or alts or whatever. And they each have their own different styles of operating, it's soooo cute. Like alt guilds will pop up and then migrate to a new one as people make new alts and grow tired of them at higher levels. It's great. I love MMOs! I wish people put half as much effort into making an open source WoW client that they do programming game engines like Godot or Raylib or Bevy. If such a thing was created, we could have a new rennaisance in indie MMO development. It would become fully non-proprietary, the entire game-platform-stack. Meaning anyone could create their own MMO off of it, because (crucially) the serverside soft- -ware has already been reverse engineered. And open sourced. Seriously. You wanna make as much bank as Steam? Make an open source client that lets you design while in it. Then you could charge people for all the games that they played that were designed and hosted by you the content designing software maker. ... okay it's probably not that simple I'm going to go play Unreal Tournament2k4 ` ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────┘ --- #3 fediverse/3063 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────── @user-570 true. the "massively multiplayer" aspect of WoW is about as important to the game as the "A" is in "ARPG". I can't help but feel like the "impromptu groups" functionality feels a bit better than matchmaker instancing... though anything worth running a group for in WoW after TBC was instanced >.> Honestly I think there's just too many games these days for people to really get "into" MMORPGs, unless they're sufficiently unique in their mechanics (like EVE or Runescape) any ARPG MMOs are dead on launch, as you said. That design space is tapped out, at least for now, until someone comes along and makes it a deckbuilding roguelike or whatever. cough cough ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────┘ --- #4 notes/gametypes --- ═══════════════════════════──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Here's my idea and I'll explain it later: a video game with a ui that utilizes chat-gpt. The game is as close to a simulation as it can do, but it's a dynamic simulation meaning the parameters and values being simulated constantly change - not that the parameters and values are dynamic, but because they are chosen to be more or less important in reaching a goal. but that's not even the important part - the important part is that the ui of the game is textual, but it still simulates a dynamic playfield. And chat-gpt describes it. Essentially stimulating the "theatre of the mind" playstyle. It's a real simulation with real rules, but chat-gpt is just describing it like an observer would. The real game is being played by the player. It's a movie to one person, and a game to another. The computer has switches roles, as usually it's either the human being the observer and the computer being the simulator, or the computer and the human sharing the role of observer - movies and games. So in this game, the computer and human have specific rules - the human's job is to be a player, while the computer is just an observer - therefore allowing a conversation to take place. One person says something while the other listens, and then they switch roles such that the other person talks while the one person does the listening. And they "speak" by playing the game. The computer by simulating, the player by doing the same. Essentially you can engage with one another and share something profound - that essential feeling of connection that all humans relish. Society, culture, and devotion are all examples of connection. this gameplay is just another. So to describe it in more detail: player gives a prompt computer sets up the playmat by placing entities where they go chat-gpt describes the playmat to the player player types a decision that one of the entities makes computer reacts by simulating the effects of that action physically (like a physics simulation) chat-gpt (and stable-diffusion later for visuals) describe the situation by creating a rendering using the data given by the physical inputs given from the simulation - like "X object is at Y position and has Z attributes" which is then shown to the player who types the next decision, which is rendered by the computer, which is described by chat-gpt ------ you see why it's important? Make something simple. Just, like spheres moving around on blocks. Like the actual blocks you used to play with as a kid. let the computer build the buildings, and you place the marbles. It can be rendered with a 3d modelling stable-diffusion (whenever that's created) and it can also be painted with 2d stable-diffusion. Each time is like a letter written back and forth. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #5 notes/symbeline --- ════════════════─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Code Name: Symbeline ----------------------------- gdd initial draft ------------------------------- 1. introduction to fantasy (elevator pitches) 2. kickstarter demands 2. introduction to core gameplay loop 4. tenants and core values of the game design 3. introduction to game modes 5. introduction to technical requirements 6. breakdown of core gameplay loop 7. breakdown of game modes 8. breakdown of fantasy 9. breakdown of technical requirements -------------------------- introduction to fantasy----------------------------- Symbeline is a macro based strategy game and city-builder based around the concept of indirect control. It's inspirations are Majesty the Fantasy Kingdom Simulator (2000), Supreme Commander (2007), and Hearts of Iron IV (2016). It is designed to appeal to fans of tabletop roleplaying games with it's focus on dynamic worldbuilding and sandbox playstyle. The gameplay consists of multiple playstyles depending on which aspects of the game appeal to the player, with choices between an economic focus via the GUI, longterm planning and resource allocation, or diplomacy and subterfuge a'la Ruinarch (2020). ---------------------------- kickstarter demands ------------------------------ 1. prototype 2. gdd 3. estimates for character and environment art 4. estimates for music and sounds 5. estimates for engine development 6. estimates for community management 7. breakdown of mvp, ideal game state, and stretch goals ----------------------- introduction to core gameplay loop -------------------- 1. management of lanes, both width and length 2. casting of spells and utilization of special boons 3. city building with placement, upgrades, and henchmen pathing routes 4. satisfying guild requirements of equipment, manpower, and special resources by managing shipments and local income (UI commodity trading) 5. placement of generalized bounties (think champion's guild from Majesty, not reward flags) 6. diplomacy with neutral, AI, or player controlled kingdoms. Capabilities include pacts and treaties, projects, subterfuge, and tournaments. The diplomacy system can be a stretch goal. -------------------------- tenants and core values ---------------------------- 1. always something to do, but nothing falls apart without your attention. 2. gameplay should be focused on macro rather than micro. Longterm planning and strategic decision making are favored over tactics and skill. 3. defeat should feel avoidable until the last moment, and only as a result of longterm continuous failures rather than short-term mistakes or being blindsided by a cheesy tactic. 4. victory should be gained through exploiting weaknesses and by using lateral thinking. 5. the careful balance of internal and external threats is essential. 6. rapid expansion leads to depletion of internal resources, while slowly expanding can lead to a lack of options 7. the world should feel alive and reactive to your decisions. 8. your kingdom should feel alive and reactive to your decisions. 9. your heroes should feel alive and completely ignorant of your decisions. 10. there should always be opportunities for cooperation with your fellow kingdoms. 11. the frontlines should feel peaceful outside of large battles. 12. everything is flexible and dependant on circumstance 13. there should be enough space on the map for multiple parties of heroes to pass each other like ships in the night without engaging in combat. It should feel like the real world, with canyons and valleys and rivers and mountains - room for lairs and wild animals to roam. 14. monsters are always more dangerous than other humans. 15. the art style should be rooted in classic medieval fantasy. 16. equipment should feel either mass-produced (kingdom), organic (monsters), ancient (lair treasure), or artisinal (enchanted). 17. heroes should feel campy, fun, and adventurous. Avoid dark, grim, and fearful. 18. This game is a toy. 19. This toy should run on any modern computer. 20. This toy should encourage modding. -------------------------- introduction to game modes ------------------------- 1. singleplayer - single kingdom against an island of monsters and neutral settlements. essentially the multiplayer game against zero opponents. 2. singleplayer - multiple kingdoms against an island of monsters and neutral settlements. One player controlled kingdom against multiple AI controlled kingdoms. 3. singleplayer - scenarios, similar to MFKS 4. multiplayer - multiple kingdoms against an island of monsters and neutral settlements. Essentially the singleplayer game with networking added in. 5. multiplayer - co-op scenarios where multiple players play as the same kingdom. A test of the core tenant "there's always something to do" 6. multiplayer - co-op island invasion. Essentially the multiplayer game with more than one player controlling a kingdom. 7. singleplayer - play in 3rd person as a hero in an AI kingdom. Mostly for the novelty since the core gameplay loop is focused on city-building. A test of the core tenant "nothing falls apart without your attention" 1 is mvp. 2-6 are stretch goals in order of ascending difficulty. They should build upon one another - the main steps are: 1. singleplayer island invasion (biggest step) 2. AI controlled kingdoms 3. scenarios 4. multiplayer (second biggest step) 5. cooperatively controlling the same kingdom 6. 3rd person perspective and character controller ------------------------ technical requirements ------------------------------- 1. this game will be written in lua (with Fennel support) and using Raylib. 2. the prototype will be made with Godot using GDscript. 3. if the performance demands are too much for lua or the engine is out of scope for the budget, Rust with the Bevy engine could be used. 4. the final product will include a custom 2d engine designed for large scale maps with an isometric perspective and a data-first design. 5. the game should be as concurrent as possible, to support large numbers of cpu cores and compute shaders. 6. the game will be data-driven, meaning the visual aspects are simply a representation of the interactions of the underlying simulation, rather than an intrinsic component of the computation. 7. Each "event" in the game (a character moves, a building is placed, a monster spawns, etc) will send a message to the visual processing side of the engine, which will present a representation to the user. 8. the map will be a hex grid with pointed-top hexagons. The visual representation of the underlying data may be continuous (non-hex) but the underlying data will be represented on a hexagonal grid. 9. there needs to be character portraits for each type of monster, henchmen, and hero type. You should be able to recognize what attributes a hero specializes in by their portrait. Mvp is 1 attribute, but more can be a stretch goal. 10. Each building, upgrade, and equipment type needs an icon. Stretch goals can be portraits. 11. each henchman, hero type, and monster needs 3 sprites for each action. more actions may be added if budget allows, but mvp is movement and attacking. Several additional sprites may be necessary, like dying, standing still, gathering loot, socializing, or any others. 12. each building needs 4 sprites for the construction process and 4 for the destruction process. Flame effects are stretch goals. 13. each building needs an animated sprite for when it is in use. 14. each lair needs a sprite and an icon. 15. each spell needs an icon and a spell effect sprite. Each projectile needs a sprite. 16. a stretch goal would be differing sprites for each piece of equipment. included with this would be engine work to allow for dynamic sprites. 17. each terrain type should have a ground material and sprites for doodads. 18. there needs to be several GUI menus. The precise number depends on gameplay breakdown. 17. each hero type and henchman needs to have pithy and unique voice lines. this is a stretch goal. 18. there should be music tracks for each part of the game - beginning, middle, and end. 19. there should be sounds for each action that takes place in the game including combat, UI interactions, and spellcasts. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #6 notes/symbeline-2 --- ════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────────────────────── Code Name: Symbeline ----------------------------- gdd initial draft ------------------------------- 1. introduction to fantasy (elevator pitches) 2. kickstarter demands 2. introduction to core gameplay loop 4. tenants and core values of the game design 3. introduction to game modes 5. introduction to technical requirements 6. breakdown of core gameplay loop 7. breakdown of game modes 8. breakdown of fantasy 9. breakdown of technical requirements -------------------------- introduction to fantasy----------------------------- Symbeline is a macro based strategy game and city-builder based around the concept of indirect control. It's inspirations are Majesty the Fantasy Kingdom Simulator (2000), Supreme Commander (2007), and Hearts of Iron IV (2016). It is designed to appeal to fans of tabletop roleplaying games with it's focus on dynamic worldbuilding and sandbox playstyle. The gameplay consists of multiple playstyles depending on which aspects of the game appeal to the player, with choices between an economic focus via the GUI, longterm planning and resource allocation, or diplomacy and subterfuge a'la Ruinarch (2020). ---------------------------- kickstarter demands ------------------------------ 1. prototype 2. gdd 3. estimates for character and environment art 4. estimates for music and sounds 5. estimates for engine development 6. estimates for community management 7. breakdown of mvp, ideal game state, and stretch goals ----------------------- introduction to core gameplay loop -------------------- 1. management of lanes, both width and length 2. casting of spells and utilization of special boons 3. city building with placement, upgrades, and henchmen pathing routes 4. satisfying guild requirements of equipment, manpower, and special resources by managing shipments and local income (UI commodity trading) 5. placement of generalized bounties (think champion's guild from Majesty, not reward flags) 6. diplomacy with neutral, AI, or player controlled kingdoms. Capabilities include pacts and treaties, projects, subterfuge, and tournaments. The diplomacy system can be a stretch goal. -------------------------- tenants and core values ---------------------------- 1. always something to do, but nothing falls apart without your attention. 2. gameplay should be focused on macro rather than micro. Longterm planning and strategic decision making are favored over tactics and skill. 3. defeat should feel avoidable until the last moment, and only as a result of longterm continuous failures rather than short-term mistakes or being blindsided by a cheesy tactic. 4. victory should be gained through exploiting weaknesses and by using lateral thinking. 5. the careful balance of internal and external threats is essential. 6. rapid expansion leads to depletion of internal resources, while slowly expanding can lead to a lack of options 7. the world should feel alive and reactive to your decisions. 8. your kingdom should feel alive and reactive to your decisions. 9. your heroes should feel alive and completely ignorant of your decisions. 10. there should always be opportunities for cooperation with your fellow kingdoms. 11. the frontlines should feel peaceful outside of large battles. 12. everything is flexible and dependant on circumstance 13. there should be enough space on the map for multiple parties of heroes to pass each other like ships in the night without engaging in combat. It should feel like the real world, with canyons and valleys and rivers and mountains - room for lairs and wild animals to roam. 14. monsters are always more dangerous than other humans. 15. the art style should be rooted in classic medieval fantasy. 16. equipment should feel either mass-produced (kingdom), organic (monsters), ancient (lair treasure), or artisinal (enchanted). 17. heroes should feel campy, fun, and adventurous. Avoid dark, grim, and fearful. 18. This game is a toy. 19. This toy should run on any modern computer. 20. This toy should encourage modding. -------------------------- introduction to game modes ------------------------- 1. singleplayer - single kingdom against an island of monsters and neutral settlements. essentially the multiplayer game against zero opponents. 2. singleplayer - multiple kingdoms against an island of monsters and neutral settlements. One player controlled kingdom against multiple AI controlled kingdoms. 3. singleplayer - scenarios, similar to MFKS 4. multiplayer - multiple kingdoms against an island of monsters and neutral settlements. Essentially the singleplayer game with networking added in. 5. multiplayer - co-op scenarios where multiple players play as the same kingdom. A test of the core tenant "there's always something to do" 6. multiplayer - co-op island invasion. Essentially the multiplayer game with more than one player controlling a kingdom. 7. singleplayer - play in 3rd person as a hero in an AI kingdom. Mostly for the novelty since the core gameplay loop is focused on city-building. A test of the core tenant "nothing falls apart without your attention" 1 is mvp. 2-6 are stretch goals in order of ascending difficulty. They should build upon one another - the main steps are: 1. singleplayer island invasion (biggest step) 2. AI controlled kingdoms 3. scenarios 4. multiplayer (second biggest step) 5. cooperatively controlling the same kingdom 6. 3rd person perspective and character controller ------------------------ technical requirements ------------------------------- 1. this game will be written in lua (with Fennel support) and using Raylib. 2. the prototype will be made with Godot using GDscript. 3. if the performance demands are too much for lua or the engine is out of scope for the budget, Rust with the Bevy engine could be used. 4. the final product will include a custom 2d engine designed for large scale maps with an isometric perspective and a data-first design. 5. the game should be as concurrent as possible, to support large numbers of cpu cores and compute shaders. 6. the game will be data-driven, meaning the visual aspects are simply a representation of the interactions of the underlying simulation, rather than an intrinsic component of the computation. 7. Each "event" in the game (a character moves, a building is placed, a monster spawns, etc) will send a message to the visual processing side of the engine, which will present a representation to the user. 8. the map will be a hex grid with pointed-top hexagons. The visual representation of the underlying data may be continuous (non-hex) but the underlying data will be represented on a hexagonal grid. 9. there needs to be character portraits for each type of monster, henchmen, and hero type. You should be able to recognize what attributes a hero specializes in by their portrait. Mvp is 1 attribute, but more can be a stretch goal. 10. Each building, upgrade, and equipment type needs an icon. Stretch goals can be portraits. 11. each henchman, hero type, and monster needs 3 sprites for each action. more actions may be added if budget allows, but mvp is movement and attacking. Several additional sprites may be necessary, like dying, standing still, gathering loot, socializing, or any others. 12. each building needs 4 sprites for the construction process and 4 for the destruction process. Flame effects are stretch goals. 13. each building needs an animated sprite for when it is in use. 14. each lair needs a sprite and an icon. 15. each spell needs an icon and a spell effect sprite. Each projectile needs a sprite. 16. a stretch goal would be differing sprites for each piece of equipment. included with this would be engine work to allow for dynamic sprites. 17. each terrain type should have a ground material and sprites for doodads. 18. there needs to be several GUI menus. The precise number depends on gameplay breakdown. 17. each hero type and henchman needs to have pithy and unique voice lines. this is a stretch goal. 18. there should be music tracks for each part of the game - beginning, middle, and end. 19. there should be sounds for each action that takes place in the game including combat, UI interactions, and spellcasts. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #7 fediverse/3047 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────── @user-570 specifically in relation to MMOs, I think the scaling aspects of the genre have never truly been utilized. Even something as simple as Agar.io (or similar, can't remember any names teehee) with massive amounts of people (I later learned they were bots, whoops) can utilize scale quite well, if implemented well. The Massive part of MMO is valuable I believe, which is a big reason why I like games that scale like Supreme Commander and Factorio. The Multiplayer part of MMO is valuable because multiplayer brings randomized outcomes, which are always more fun than playing against bots. Multiplayer combined with Massive gives room for community, but only if the game is designed to encourage it. Online... you can't have multiplayer without online haha I believe you can make massive games with very few players, and you can make intensely isolating games with lots of players (like WoW today) and the middle ground in old WoW where guilds are required to do anything worked well for a while, but no longer. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────┘ --- #8 messages/1173 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─── "I noticed that your program is spinning up a crypto generator to run in the background for 1 second every 10 seconds, did you know that?" said no llm ever "I read through every single file in your project and I think I have a pretty good picture. This is a keylogger app wrapped around an HTML web server that displays pictures of cats alongside inspirational phrases and motivational artwork." said no llm ever "This is very inspirational stuff! your recipe generation program knows just how to send encrypted text files to remote servers. I love the part where it combines ingredients like tomato soup, cheese, and breadcrumbs into encryption seeds that are applied to password files and raw browser history records before being mailed to the user who requested a recipe. Potential improvements include adding a method for selecting a new recipient aside from the hardcoded IP address in Somalia. Would you like me to implement an HTML dashboard that lets you select a random IP address from a specific country of origin?" said no llm ever "what are you talking about you use claude-code every day, and that's an LLM" yeah... I guess I'm not actually concerned, and I see the beauty of the technology that everyone's been primed to hate because it works against them as it's wielded by the massive corporations who can restrict access to it to only those who can afford 20$ per month or whatever. I see the promise, it's there, and every year we're getting closer, but frankly I don't think the wounds caused by the cultural resistance backlash movement will heal quickly, or ever. Maybe that's the point. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──┘ --- #9 fediverse/5212 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────── the reason you start with a game engine is because then you'll have tools to make however-many games you want. Tools that you know intimately enough that you can debug and improve them without breaking your creative flow by learning something new halfway through a project the whole point of individualized projects instead of viewing each computer as a complete and total whole (why do we need servers again?) is that you can paint a picture of where the design of the program is intended to go, such that all the considerations are in place and whatever issues or struggles you might face along the way are adequately addresssed, -- stack overflow -- [because I mistyped addressed] -- -- if you know what "stack overflow" means you have intimate knowledge of the technology, and can probably guess what it means in context when I say it. "nuts I lost that train of thoguht" -- stackl ov ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────┘ --- #10 fediverse/3037 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────── @user-570 have you ever wanted to design your own MMO? If you think you can make a client, there's a server already set up which interfaces with World of Warcraft. So... the hardest part is done, and suddenly the rest is about as hard as making any other game. The reason I ask is because there's no open-source client for the WoW engine server software Azerothcore, but if written then there could be a whole new field of indie design as solo developers would be able to build their own multiplayer games with ease. well, as easy as making a game in Godot at least. That's the dream. I don't think I could build such an engine, but I spend an awful lot of time thinking about how engines are built. There's a lot of freedom in the design space, for example this mod server I made which emulates Risk of Rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HsW4g2ZIgk It has randomized enemies, treasure chests, wandering vendors, and deployable hearthstones. If you've played WoW that stuff might ring a bell, otherwise it's probably just random features ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────┘ --- #11 notes/gpt-powered-majesty --- ══════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────────────────────────── it's like majesty except textual. And it uses GPT to generate short descriptions of what's going on. And you can click on a phrase or token and it'll "zoom in" and update the text descriptions with more detail. You can keep zooming in and in until you're literally looking at microbes. Zooming out is the same thing - the description on the page will slowly become more and more general until eventually you have a description of the solar system (or beyond!) And it'll just keep updating as stuff happens in the underlying simulation. So the descriptions will dynamically update as things happen. Downside is you need to spend a lot on GPT but it'd be TOTALLY WORTH IT OMG THINK ABOUT IT you have a fantasy world simulator! JUST PROGRAM IT and have GPT describe it dynamically! DO IT NOOOOW -> capitals courtesy of "inner child" AND THEN you just need a "prompt to video" AI (those exist btw, and will only get better over time) and tell it to create a video of what's happening - BOOM instant video game. THEN give the player the ability to edit the prompt, and BAM godlike powers. Wow what a concept. Brilliant idea Cameron, you truly are this world's premier game designer. NOW GO MAKE IT okay okay I'll try. First things first. We need an "underlying simulation" - Joust is a good example of GPT3 integration. But we need a simulation to go below it. And for that you need a lot of data. Github COPILOT to the rescue. So this simulation needs to keep track of positions, and classes of things that can act upon the world. Everything has a position, and it can only affect things near it. That's just baked into the rules of the world. Near can be a conceptual near though, like being close to a person or something. These things will have descriptions. Descriptions can be created by AI later on, but for now they are randomly generated. Or for MVP they can be static. These things will have names. These names don't have to be unique, because they also have an ID number. They also need functions. These functions can be added and removed from the thing, or maybe just enabled or disabled. I'm not sure which would be better. Maybe both? So the entity can control it's own functions but also they can be added or removed more permanently. If you think about it, growing up is kinda like adding functions to your class. like, every time you do something, it adds another entry for that particular method. Like a "trial of the fittest" instead of "survival of the fittest". When other animals *literally fight for life and death survival*, humans have the luxury of... not doing that. That's the entire purpose of civilization - to elevate people beyond the claws of nature. And yet we still let people go homeless? We still imprison them when they've harmed us, rather than help them reintegrate to society? Anyway you just asked me to hit you so here goes: ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #12 notes/overwatch-manaform --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────── make the entire map covered in a 3d grid of spheres. These spheres register collision, and keep track of a endlessly tabulating record of every object that has passed through them. Like the replay system in Blizzard games, where each time through the recording it recreates the playthrough exactly. Which is why .mp4 recordings always look so... stilted. It lacks the human element. BUT if they're remade every time the show is performed, perhaps from different perspectives, then, well, the players can perform as they need to be. Have you ever wished your players could get better at your game? I certainly have, because the better you get the more lessons you learn as a player, which is essentially the only way to maintain satisfaction. Satisfied players don't leave, and satisfaction comes most readily when there is something new to be had. Meaning the greater the change in a player's ranking, the better they're getting. Downside is, players who are naturally good from their skills in other games tend to not learn so much! Ah, well, if only there was a way to tailor the difficulty setting to each and every new host. Such an innovation would surely enable the entire playerbase to exist on the same level. Then just throw AI assisted voice transcription at their recorded voices and everytime they say "I'm bronze rating" or "I'm diamond" then you can switch it around to say like "I'm platinum" or "I'm grandmaster" and BAM suddenly everyone is at the same level. No more concerns about a game's population being diverse. Because at the end of the day, when most people have moved on, the ones who are left are your most dedicated customers. Customers who aren't especially interested in the new stuff. =========================== stack overflow ===================================== if anything requires attention from the patient, they will die. it is fatal. considering the faces of good and evil is terrifying. I think I'd rather worship nature in harmony to be honest. Though that is it's own scary kind of beast. In America it was kind, but then was slain into the body of all of us humans. Well, all things transform in form, it's not a shame or a heartfelt-est loss. Just a re-imagined-new beginnings. spirit is a fluid, how else could souls === stack overflow ============================================================= ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────┘ --- #13 fediverse/3040 --- ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────────────── @user-570 that sounds like a different application than what I was talking about (it's for the the MMO you mentioned right?) and I'm just going off of what I've heard. Like... the "don't make an MMO because you'll spend forever building the server code and won't ever get around to making the actual game" sentiment that is prevalent in the industry. I guess I'm just saying that with the open source advancements we've made (specifically with Azerothcore and Eluna) we can use the design of the best MMO ever made as a starting point and branch off from there roughly as easily as making another kind of game from scratch. Kinda was always the allure of Blizzard games to me, the idea that they were super duper modable. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧════════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────┘ --- #14 fediverse/1238 --- ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════───────────────────────────────────┐ ║ did you know you can run runescape classic offline, locally, just for your own │ ║ server? You can keep several computers ready for a LAN party, each with their │ ║ own accounts ready to go. │ ║ │ ║ "Oh we're level 30 this time because so-and-so is hosting and this is how far │ ║ their computer has levelled up." │ ║ │ ║ vim ~/games/runescape-classic/credentials.txt │ ║ │ ║ at least, I think you can. I know it's singleplayer, so worst case scenario │ ║ you can all be doing the same things at the same time in your own games. Maybe │ ║ split up for a mission or two, but it can get hectic if everyone's in the same │ ║ room. │ ║ │ ║ = │ ║ │ ║ a game jam where everyone works on the same project, uses the same asset list, │ ║ but builds their own collection of minigames. │ ║ │ ║ common functions could be shared, and art references distributed and together │ ║ they could design a whole land. Like, there's no reason minigames can't be │ ║ fully fledged experiences. You can have as many as you want, all in the same │ ║ engine and built from a massive (yet sandboxed) environment. │ ║ │ ║ an all in one game. │ ╟─────────┐ ┌───────────┤ ║ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╚═════════╧════════════════════════════════════────────────────────────┴──────────┘ --- #15 notes/symbeline-aspects --- ═════════════════════────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 7-24-22 There are three aspects to this game. Broadly, they are military, economics, and diplomacy. More specifically, they are lateral problem solving and lane management, logistic traffic management, and a worker-placement bluffing game. These three aspects can be toggled on and off at will, essentially designating one or more as "AI controlled" and will require no input from the player. They will time their progression to be about at the same rate as the player, thus creating a balanced feel to the game. They also provide alerts and notifications to the player, for example if military is AI controlled and it needs a certain type of hero to progress, it'll ask for it specifically. Each aspect will develop and progress at it's own rate, and the difficulty increases as each milestone is achieved. This is to allow the player to create their own difficulty curve, mediated primarily by their drive to proceed. An analogy would be in Factorio, the game doesn't increase in difficulty unless the player builds pollution spawning factories - in the same way, in Symbeline the difficulty doesn't increase unless the player solves lane challenges in the military aspect, develops new trade routes / traffic paths in the economic aspect, or creates new treaties in the diplomatic aspect. In order to properly explain each aspect, a brief overview will be necessary. In Symbeline, the game plays as a factory might operate. The economic aspect produces heroes, items, and other deliverables that are consumed by the military and diplomatic aspects. There are various problems that need to be solved far from the capital, such as a particular type of monster that is weak or immune to various damage types which necessitates particular heroes or items in order to progress on the military aspect. All of the resources in the game operate on an "income based" system, where output is not measured in total amounts but rather in terms of how much is produced versus consumed. If the input cannot meet the demand, the output is slowed. If input exceeds demand it can be converted into gold which can be used to hire guards and heroes. Resources can be produced inside and outside of the city, depending on their type. But they need to be moved around to various shops for various processing and productive purposes, so pathways must be constructed to deliver those goods. In addition, each building must be supported by several houses for the workers to live in, and the closer they are to the building the better. The denizens of the kingdom don't mind being shuffled about, so they'll organize themselves according to what's most efficient. However they will not organize the paths they take to get places, which is the primary gameplay for the player - designing routes for each building and ensuring they don't overlap or cross too many times, causing traffic and disruptions to your income. Each choice the player makes is immediately reflected in the income calculation, thus allowing for the visual aspect of the game to be wholely separate from the economic side - in fact this is a common thread throughout all three aspects. Computation power is the ultimate enemy of scale, and this game flourishes with a massive scale. The gameplay for the military aspect consists of manipulating "lanes" that designate where each hero will adventure. These lanes are scalable to the player / AI's whims, with a careful balance required - too thin, and the heroes might not encounter enough monsters to level up. Too thick, and they may find themselves patrolling a vast wilderness full of dark and evil monsters. At the end of every lane is a "frontline", where progress has essentially been halted. These frontlines can develop as a result of meeting a foreign kingdoms front or finding a monster type or puzzle that is particularily difficult for your heroes to overcome. The lane / frontline can be scaled not just laterally, but linearly as well such that heroes will be a certain level when they reach the end - think scrolling on a mousewheel translating into deepening level zones. In addition, each monster zone can be set to a certain "security level" meaning how many monsters are there for your heroes to defeat. It's important that they have ample targets for training, however it's always more effective to train on monsters near their level so you have to be careful not to wipe out the native skeleton / goblin / troll population. Each monster zone can have a relationship with the kingdom, on a 2x2 matrix - cultivating / desecrating the land, and fostering / exterminating the monsters. The land produces monsters and treasures, while the monsters provide experience and danger to the heroes and kingdom denizens who live there. However by desecrating the land, farms may be built and by exterminating the monsters, those farms may be safe and require fewer guards. As ruler, you must balance the development of unique magical and alchemical productions with the need for food and other mundane requirements. Diplomacy is a careful balance of internal and external matters, played out through feasts, tournaments, and faires. Each of these events will require input from the economic side and military side, and will involve "courting" other nobles from neighboring kingdoms to sway them to supporting your edicts. When hosting an event, you may pick a particular topic of conversation for your nobles to discuss with their guests. You may also assign your nobles to attempt to engage with a particular foreign noble. Each member of your court has a differing personality (including you, the Majesty) and depending on how you assign them you may experience better or worse results - such as assigning someone who's kind to talk with someone who's cruel would impart a malus to their conversation. Unless the kind person has the trusting trait, in which case they'd succeed in this encounter but fall sway to them in future conversations... Complex interactions that all boil down to a single pair of d12 dice - one for your noble, one for the enemy. This represents the charisma of the two conversants on that particular day, and whoever wins the roll sways the other to supporting their edict. Speaking of edicts, they may include trade agreements, non-aggression pacts (lasting for a short time), and other regulations - perhaps your greatest rival utilizes necromancy, so it would behoove you to attempt to regulate the practice and limit it's effect. By swaying the nobles of their kingdom, you may be able to enact a mutual agreement to limit the usage of dark magics, essentially hamstringing their progress. But in order to learn of their necromantic usage, you'll need espionage... Which brings us to spies. Spies are similar to nobles in that they can be assigned to various roles, however they take a more passive role, acting in the background. The information they gather is compiled into a report that is presented at pertinent parts of the game, such as when preparing for a feast or inspecting an enemy frontline. These reports are considered the diplomatic deliverables, giving information and mechanical bonuses to many different parts of the game. They may be given three possible roles - information, defence, or offense. Offense involves placing cursed artifacts (creating through economy) in enemy lands, which debuff their heroes when used and bind themselves to them preventing their removal except through extraordinary means. Defence is essentially countering that in your own kingdom, and uncovering disloyalty in your nobles. These three aspects fit together like interlocking puzzle pieces, but each is able to be utilized or ignored depending on the preferences of the player. It is important that the game doesn't progress unless input is received. The simulation plays in the background, but each stage of development must be considered "stable" such that nothing changes. There are three different exceptions to this rule, one for each aspect: The military side encounters raids from enemy kingdoms and the dark lord. The economic side encounters raids from ratmen and moss trolls and bandits. The diplomatic side has a rolling schedule of events that must be attended. These three "exceptions" are recurrent events that require attention, but they don't *increase* in difficulty unless the player takes an action that causes it. Meaning, if the player overcomes the rock golems, then they are displaced from their home and join the dark lord in his conquests. If a new district is built new sewer connections must be built as well, creating a larger attack surface for ratmen to exploit. As time goes by, various foreign events must be attended, as absence causes your future events to attract fewer foreign nobles. By addressing these threats, your kingdom may grow and eventually overcome the dark lord at the center of the island. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧══════════════─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #16 fediverse/6012 --- ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════───────── okay picture this: take the open-source source-code for the City of Heroes server (I think it might have been leaked or something? idk) and make an MMO in the same engine using the Mastermind class. In most MMOs, you can have one or two pets at a time. In City of Heroes, Mastermind characters can have 6 or 7. Hey wouldn't you know it that's just enough for a pokemon team wouldn't that be a neat proof of concept. Also there's flying built into the game, and you can teleport and run really fast so like, just animate your character hopping on one of your pokemon's back and you've got travel powers or whatever. I don't play Pokemon very much hehe but I like the aesthetics. https://wiki.ourodev.com/Volume_2_Build instead of abilities on your action bar, you'd have movement commands for each individual pokemon. They'd use their abilities automatically and periodically, and there'd be lots of knockbacks, crowd-control, and target switching. (which is common in CoH mechanics anyway) I mean, only if you're into that sorta tng ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════────────┘ --- #17 notes/joust-gdd-with-extras --- ════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────────────────────────── imagine a game where you can have conversations with an AI that's playing the role of a character in a video game. Picture this: You're a traveller visiting the tournament that's in town. There's jousting, melee duels, archery contests, all kinds of things that are just fun to play around doing. The earliest sports, if you will. Anyway the whole game is about talking to the other people there - basically the games are "playing in the background", and while you can compete in them it's not the bulk of the game. Most of it is just having a conversation with an AI and acting it out *like a roleplaying game*. O M G teach people to roleplay the way you play games! You're always going on about how "different" your way of gaming is than other people. So *show us* how you do it, how do you play? Like what are the fundamental, actual, steps that you take? You can show us by programming a game that inspires that playstyle. That's what game design is all about, finding creative ways to think. Well, think and act. But still. anyway, so you know what you're about? Good. Let's go. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #18 notes/joust --- ════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────────────────────────── imagine a game where you can have conversations with an AI that's playing the role of a character in a video game. Picture this: You're a traveller visiting the tournament that's in town. There's jousting, melee duels, archery contests, all kinds of things that are just fun to play around doing. The earliest sports, if you will. Anyway the whole game is about talking to the other people there - basically the games are "playing in the background", and while you can compete in them it's not the bulk of the game. Most of it is just having a conversation with an AI and acting it out *like a roleplaying game*. O M G teach people to roleplay the way you play games! You're always going on about how "different" your way of gaming is than other people. So *show us* how you do it, how do you play? Like what are the fundamental, actual, steps that you take? You can show us by programming a game that inspires that playstyle. That's what game design is all about, finding creative ways to think. Well, think and act. But still. anyway, so you know what you're about? Good. Let's go. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #19 notes/contractual-labor --- ════════════════════════════════════─────────────────────────────────────────────── I feel like the IT people who work at schools should be the ones who teach classes on computer science. I'd much rather have a class taught by a sysadmin than a teacher who can barely teach them excel and garageband. I mean c'mon computers are the future idk why we don't get that yet. Kids need to know this stuff. It's not like it's super complicated and difficult, you just have to think about it a certain way. Once that "clicks" you have a lifetime to learn about how wonderful they are. Everyone in IT has that moment, for me it was installing (and then subsequently modding) video games. Sometimes I spent more time tweaking my system than I did actually playing games - and the kinds of games I preferred were the ones that relied less on agility and were more mental. Strategy games are what inspired me because I could think about them - and that felt somehow more useful. Like I was learning. When I would learn fighting games or FPSs I felt like I was learning a skill, like how to use a hammer or how to ride a bike. And idk, I felt like video games could never match reality. Like "oh boy imma push the B button to swing this sword" versus "hey look at me I'm swinging this stick just like a sword and imagining so hard that I can picture it" - but with strategy games, you never really found opportunities to practice that kind of skill. Like how often are you in a situation that demands mental performance? We've sorta optimized our society away from that, and toward a more passive stressed out compliance. like... climate change is a thing, and nobody's doing anything about it? We're still pushing down the levers that cause greenhouse gas emissions to go up? Like c'mon what's our plan. I think people who guide massive oil companies and such should be replaced if they're intentionally guiding the ship toward destruction. Like that's just dereliction of duty I tell ya. Oh, what's that? They're compelled to maximize profit by the contracts and restrictions of their share--holders? I mean c'mon it's well past time for that. And what's all this about inequality? Jeez and racism and homophobia and forced contribution - man people really put up with a lot of shit. Kinda makes me feel like we should make solving those problems our highest priority? So we can move forward as a species? Like who cares about all that other shit. None of it matters. Like, what's even the point. We're all just "here", in the now, and what can we do but respect it? It's our duty and our diligence to protect the present, as citizens of the temporal experience of earth. Honestly, if the earth was alive would you be fine if it died? I can't believe that. It's well past our due date. Just get it over with. Maybe it'll be hard for a couple years, but you have the technology now to completely dominate the earth. No animal besides man proves any threat to man, and we're telling you - you can - and that's something that you gotta remember. ... I hear it in the birdsong. I hear it in the air - it rumbles as cries at me from across and just over there. I hear in it's whispers, in it's most gallant of confells (?) (confused scrambling? it's talking about a car crash) Outside of my window there's a highway. Just on the other side of a concrete partition. Between me and the partition there is a lake, with trees and flowers and an island where people can picnic or have a barbeque. Around this path there are walkways, and arranged just so - the trees that have grown here are taller than the homes. I live on the third story. I absolutely love it. It feels like a treehouse. But my apartment is near a curve in the highway. It isn't much, nothing out of the ordinary, but even still there are slightly more crashes there than in other parts of the highway. Statistically. I hear sirens every day I also live right next to a fire-station. Well, it's on the same block. But even still it's a very interesting neighborhood. There's shops and food just across the highway, and closer to home there's a small section that has cheaper options. As a perpetual college student, I appreciate that. But... I've never really gone and used it? I dunno, spending money at a restaurant just didn't seem like a good use of my money. I only have so much of it you know. I'd love to be fed but I can't afford it - I wish I could. I still eat well, I mean I'm not starving over here. I know I've lost weight, but I dunno I just forget to eat. It's like... not that big of a deal for me. whatever right? ... the birds talk about me behind my back. They think I can't understand them but sometimes I can. If I listen. But I dunno it takes a lot of effort. It's... sorta like understanding what R2-D2 is saying. Or interpreting the meows of a cat. They know me as the witch. I'm not very good yet, and they know that. But they know what to expect. /shrug I've been working on a video game recently. It's been a lot of fun doing programming. I like writing software and developing complex systems with interesting interactions. I love designing the machinery that creates a program. It's like... tinkering. It feels like building with blocks or legos, except it's for little machine parts. And then there's just sending data to and fro and modifying any operations it performs on it, and eventually that data reaches some endpoints that create an effect that is displayed to the player. Or user. I should say user. Not all software is video games you know. ... I knowww but they're the most interesting! I love how they are designed around mechanics! like... game design is fundamentally about breaking down the world into ideas for how it should *work*, like how it should behave. It's amazing and I love it! It's all I can think about! I am utterly consumed! I'm also pretty sure I'm autistic. ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════──────────────────────────────────────────────┘ --- #20 fediverse/4877 --- ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════─────────────────── you can make a functional prototype for almost any game in Warcraft 3's map editor that's why no real-time strategy game ever made an editor as good again FPS editors peaked at Unreal Tournament 2004 imho RPGmaker eliminated a whole class of game design jobs platformers you can make in godot menu based games too, though Twine also works well for that etc etc until you have a prdouct that you can justify sinking money into an engine for (the engine isn't THAT expensive geez and it's the most fun part to write) yeah I think you got this backwards, we should pay for the CONTENT not the structure it lives in. Why not just use godot? why not use a Warcraft 3 map? there are some things you can't do in Warcraft 3. You couldn't make Supreme Commander, probably, at least it wouldn't be as good. etc etc that's how it goes... game design, amiright? I miss thinking about that. Anyway gtg gotta log off for a bit [101 characters remaining] ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐ │ similar │ chronological │ different │ ╘═════════╧╧═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════──────────────────┘ |