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I'm thinking of a team... (Reply to Realm) – LAVA

Lava
Member

Posts: 1905
From:
Registered: 01-26-2005
This is why, Realm, you needed to make a NEW thread lol! But eh

Sometimes you gotta do it yourself.

quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
Lets not get me wrong, I love programming, I love drawing, but My ideas far exceed my skills as a programmer or artist (definenlty exceed my artistic skills)

I'm contemplating asking for a few freelance guys, but I'm hesitant for a few reasons:

A. I'm 15, I've got pletny of time and zip cash (no pay...)

B. I've tried being part of an online team (Remember FIrekmaker? I was on a team with him and Xzider.... we got halfway thorough with a spin off of of my Pong: Homeworld assault before the whole shabang fell to hopeless tatters

C. I'm not sure my ideas are good enough


This is something I have been waiting to see happen on this board for a long time. I would like to help you on your project, and even though I have school and 2 other gaming projects. I would still like to be part of this, somehow, someway. Strings attached? You bet, I want to HEAR your ideas first before I make a decision, but I have FAITH, that you will have some ideas.

I want to help, I'll probably do freelance artwork (like I did in Bible Dave, do something here, do something there), or even if I oversee the project to make sure it comes to fruitition. Since unless you make it in BlitzBasic (which I HIGHLY doubt you will do ), I will not be doing programming.

Thouhg my only advice for this project is to use BlitzBasic, I know I know, C++ is professional, legitimate etc, but it's a good language and using it would mean a better chance for your project to finish, IMO.

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[This message has been edited by LAVA (edited November 30, 2006).]

Realm Master

Member

Posts: 1971
From: USA
Registered: 05-15-2005
A: sure I'll give you an idea

B: DOUBT it will be done in BB? Dude, thats like the only language I KNOW!! I need programming help because I'm not to good at it. (Sure, I know some Java and some C++ but I'm like to lazy (and they arn't installed on my system yet) to do anything about it, though I hope i Will soon).


Artwork is greatly appreciated, but programming is what I need. What I'm thinking of would take me forever to accompish, but I could, eventually, when I was like 18..

Hey lava, do you have flash? Using Flash ups the quality of artwork like crazy, and there's a ton of stuff you can do with it. I highly reccomend it, even though all of my drawings are mainly cartoon-fashion.

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Lava
Member

Posts: 1905
From:
Registered: 01-26-2005
quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
B: DOUBT it will be done in BB? Dude, thats like the only language I KNOW!! I need programming help because I'm not to good at it. (Sure, I know some Java and some C++ but I'm like to lazy (and they arn't installed on my system yet) to do anything about it, though I hope i Will soon).

Ok, good, I'm proud of you

quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
Artwork is greatly appreciated, but programming is what I need. What I'm thinking of would take me forever to accompish, but I could, eventually, when I was like 18..

Ok, since it's BlitzBasic, I can help. Most of the time people want artists more than programmer, but I will do programming. It will be like what I said about doing artwork, areas here and there

quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
Hey lava, do you have flash? Using Flash ups the quality of artwork like crazy, and there's a ton of stuff you can do with it. I highly reccomend it, even though all of my drawings are mainly cartoon-fashion.

No I don't, but since I will most likely help with programming, I probably won't need it.

But before I commit to anything officially just yet, I want to hear your ideas. If people hear your ideas, no matter how crummy you think they are, there will be more chance of them joining your project, because that way they know what they will be doing and if it will be finished

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[This message has been edited by LAVA (edited December 01, 2006).]

Realm Master

Member

Posts: 1971
From: USA
Registered: 05-15-2005
I'll cook up a preview list-thingy for my latest "stroke of genius" (*cough*lol*cough*)

I'll PM anybody interested..

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Lava
Member

Posts: 1905
From:
Registered: 01-26-2005
DISCLAIMER: This is all just OPINION from PERSONAL observation.

quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
I'll cook up a preview list-thingy for my latest "stroke of genius" (*cough*lol*cough*)

I'll PM anybody interested..


You can PM me.

BUT, that will only work for me and people like me, who have alot of faith in your project. I see alot of people on GameDev.net, who post saying "recruiting people for my game, email me if you're interested and we'll talk about it", and I don't think that works, you're making someone take a leap of faith where they dont want to go.

Why is it a leap of faith? For all they know they might not like the idea and not be so interested in your project after all, and feel like they've wasted their time finding out.

But what if they DO like your idea? How will they know? For all they know you could just be like the rest.

You yourself as a possible team leader has to take a leap, you have to go out of your comfort zone, you have to take a risk that no one might like your idea. But who is going to people for help?

I honestly believe that you can't go to people for help, but then make THEM go to you to find out why they even want to help.

People join your project mainly because of your ideas, that's where they'll get ethusasim, where they'll start to think of possibilties.

My advice? Post your idea here. For other people, not for me. I am already interested

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[This message has been edited by LAVA (edited December 01, 2006).]

Realm Master

Member

Posts: 1971
From: USA
Registered: 05-15-2005
I'm not afraid they won't like it (The ideas gold )...

If this idea gets stolen from me, your going to be lava-with-cememt-feet.
lol. j/k.
(But I Will be ticked)

http://69.10.167.26/My%20web%20page/FlashMovies/SPACEBALLdiscuss.swf


EDIT: Be sure to click on the buttons in each frame!


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[This message has been edited by Realm Master (edited December 01, 2006).]

Lava
Member

Posts: 1905
From:
Registered: 01-26-2005
quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
I'm not afraid they won't like it (The ideas gold )...


You're not??

quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
C. I'm not sure my ideas are good enough

Then why did you say this??

But anyways, I'll help you with the game.

I got a few things I would like to know:

1. How much of the graphics are done?

2. How far is the programming?

3. Do you have anyone else helping you at the moment? (besides me)

4. When do you *hope* to have this done? (a rough estimate or guess is fine, any idea)

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[This message has been edited by LAVA (edited December 01, 2006).]

Realm Master

Member

Posts: 1971
From: USA
Registered: 05-15-2005
quote:
Originally posted by LAVA:
Then why did you say this??

But anyways, I'll help you with the game.

I got a few things I would like to know:

1. How much of the graphics are done?

2. How far is the programming, is it still in concept? Do you have a good base model of code to build off of?

3. Do you have anyone else helping you at the moment? (besides me)

4. When do you *hope* to have this done? (a rough estimate or guess is fine, any idea)


...ookay... I dunno why I said that...

hmm...

1. zip. zilch.

2. no coding done at all

3. My hands, they do all my typing

4. I just hope ot ever have it done!


(You'll have to excuse me, I got this idea yesterday

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Max

Member

Posts: 523
From: IA
Registered: 09-19-2004
RM, his point is that it's good to have some general info before asking for a team. I have TONS of ideas, but nothing else supporting it.

I love this idea, it's really cool RM.

I would state things like
1. What code
2. How detailed graphics
3. What "specific" help you need.
4. A deadline (deadlines make people work faster and more efficiently)

It's generally best to avoid saying things like people will love it, or that your ideas aren't good enough. The concept should sway them.

Not much I can do to help, RM, so sorry in that aspect. If I ever get around to learning more code I'll let ya know.
-Max

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Lava
Member

Posts: 1905
From:
Registered: 01-26-2005
quote:
Originally posted by max:
RM, his point is that it's good to have some general info before asking for a team. I have TONS of ideas, but nothing else supporting it.

I love this idea, it's really cool RM.

I would state things like
1. What code
2. How detailed graphics
3. What "specific" help you need.
4. A deadline (deadlines make people work faster and more efficiently)

It's generally best to avoid saying things like people will love it, or that your ideas aren't good enough. The concept should sway them.


You hit the nail on the head

quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
3. My hands, they do all my typing

Haha

quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:

(You'll have to excuse me, I got this idea yesterday

That's perfectly fine with me.

quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
1. zip. zilch.
2. no coding done at all

Ok, got it.

quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:

4. I just hope ot ever have it done!

This doesn't really give me much of a gaurantee as a coder. You see, I'm not effected by the fact that, you have no coding or artwork done. It's not alot to work with but it's SOMETHING to work with. But the fact that you don't know when it will be done gives me no gaurntee that my efforts won't be in vain.

How long did it take you to make Pong: Homeworld? I think you could base some code off of that. And it's a similar concept.

So my last 2 questions are this:

1. How do I know my efforts won't be in vain when helping you with this game?

2. And 2nd, where do I fit in? What do you need me to do? (not that I will do 100% of the work, I'll do stuff here and there.) I just need my role to be sketched out. Because I mean your programmer\big cheese\artist\leader of this project. So I am guessing YOU will be the primary programmer, correct? If so, what do I do? Like Max said, what SPECIFIC help do you need.

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[This message has been edited by LAVA (edited December 01, 2006).]

bennythebear

Member

Posts: 1225
From: kentucky,usa
Registered: 12-13-2003
i was just wondering how you're using flash graphics in blitz? i know this isn't helping you, but i'm a very curious person . i would really like to help, but similar to max, my skills are insufficient. one more question, what's your goals for this game? just to finish it, to sell it, to make it open-source...?

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Realm Master

Member

Posts: 1971
From: USA
Registered: 05-15-2005
You export flash images into graphics...

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HanClinto

Administrator

Posts: 1828
From: Indiana
Registered: 10-11-2004
Hey Realm!

I went through your idea, and it sounds pretty cool.

Did you see space game I started making? These dudes shoot lasers that bounce the other ships around when you you hit them, it wouldn't be too hard to make them bounce off again. Torque Game Builder has an integrated physics engine that is perfect for quickly making things like pinball or billiards games -- I think it would work very well for your situation. I know you're settled on Blitz -- but I just wanted to put a bug in your ear.

In case you're curious, here's a downloadable demo that I wrote in a couple weeks just to play around with a dynamically scrolling camera and AI ships that fight each other (kindof like what you were asking for):
Air Locked Revisited package

I love space games like what you're describing -- I think it could be a lot of fun.

Cheers!

--clint

Realm Master

Member

Posts: 1971
From: USA
Registered: 05-15-2005
I refuse to use a phiysics engine.

I'll do it myself!

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HanClinto

Administrator

Posts: 1828
From: Indiana
Registered: 10-11-2004
haha, okay.

That's perfectly understandable -- I used to code all of these things by hand when I was younger and had more time.

But now I'm shorter on time, and I find myself wanting to make games rather than just building half-finished frameworks all the time. That's the reason I've taken to using game engines lately -- but I totally understand the desire to write more things from scratch.

This game isn't so confusing though that you couldn't write your own physics engine -- it's decently simple collision stuff, so I'm sure you could do pretty good.

I look forward seeing where y'all go with this!

--clint

Mene-Mene

Member

Posts: 1398
From: Fort Wayne, IN, USA
Registered: 10-23-2006
RM: Good idea, but somethings need to be considered. In a couple of games I've played, there was so much going on, and moving so fast I got frazzled, and it was difficult to control everything by hand, that is the beauty of Player AI. (AI on the side of the player) Even with a TBS, it still can get hard, (Alpha Centauri for example, even with the option of Computer Controlled men it can get frustrating so how do you plan to make this a fun experience, but allow the player to have control without the franticness?

Also, even a vague timeframe would be helpful, for example, I am giving my game 1 - 1 1/2 yr. Of course, most games go over date, or under, but regardless, even a little timeframe is helpful. Ex. You want me to help you on your game, but then its realized that with the scope of compining, a RTS, RPG, Arcade, FPS, that it takes 10 yrs to make, I'm in for a surprise, and may not be as likely to help as if it was a 2 month Arcade. Get the point?

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Realm Master

Member

Posts: 1971
From: USA
Registered: 05-15-2005
There's only a few points I'm concerned about:

Collision Physics:
Now I'm only taking Chem this year, So i have absolutly no physics backgrounds I'm concerned about how a ship will react when hit by a ball. Which way it wil go, which way it will begin to rotate and how fast, etc.

In BB I have a vague Idea that I can toy with, but most often my wondeful programing ideas fall through the roof, but i could be wrong about this one.

Rotating An Object And Keeping Distance and Angle Proportions:

long phrase made even longer: When i rotate, say, a capital ship i need to know how to keep the turrets in "the same spots" or basically i need to know 2d Pivots. I have another vague Idea, but i'm not sure about it at all... even vaguer than the idea above (wich in all reality since the beginning of my typing has become kinda clearer)...

I'm thinking of having "Orbits" which would aslo propose a HUGE problem for me, or maybe not, another vague idea is formulating.


Gee, I'm just full of vague ideas this morening, probably because I just woke up and came back to the house at 12:15 last night and tired my hand at Boxing (I'm not really that bad... but that doens't mean I know how! )

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Lava
Member

Posts: 1905
From:
Registered: 01-26-2005
quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
There's only a few points I'm concerned about:

Collision Physics:
Now I'm only taking Chem this year, So i have absolutly no physics backgrounds I'm concerned about how a ship will react when hit by a ball. Which way it wil go, which way it will begin to rotate and how fast, etc.


Haha, gotcha covered

I am in physics right now, so between now and June, if you need to know something that I can answer, I got my physics book on my desk I can just look in and answer your question

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[This message has been edited by LAVA (edited December 02, 2006).]

Realm Master

Member

Posts: 1971
From: USA
Registered: 05-15-2005
Okay, we'll I've got my own idea, tell me if im close.


On collision:

Get the distance from the center of the ship and the center of the object colliding with it,
the rotation speed and direction would be determined by teh distance and speed of the colliding
ojbect... (no equastions yet, but I could do it)

then for new direction.

SHIPS Stuff:

shipx = shipx + shipvecx*shipspeed
shipy = shipy + shipvecy*shipspeed

then you transfer all of the collidign ojbects stuff to the ship phgysics feilds

shipx = shipx + physicsvecx*physicspeed
shipy = shipy + physicsvecy*physicspeed

but you don't od that, you have to combine them somehow.

phsyicdirection*physic...


arrgg... I can't do it... but I have a really good idea bout that... it really would work...


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Lava
Member

Posts: 1905
From:
Registered: 01-26-2005
quote:
Originally posted by Realm Master:
Okay, we'll I've got my own idea, tell me if im close.

On collision:

Get the distance from the center of the ship and the center of the object colliding with it,the rotation speed and direction would be determined by teh distance and speed of the colliding
ojbect... (no equastions yet, but I could do it)


Ok, in phyiscs speed is basically how much distance is covered per time amoumt or distance divided by time, like miles per hour or Miles \ Hour.

You could clock speed in Blitz by doing a number of things, like set up your own clock (either by using the Millsec commands or just typing in something like My_time=My_time +1, with My_time you would put it after the while not command so it continuously counts) and then setting your object's direction value (like object_X) to equal your time value, or have it be divided or multiplied by it, depending on how much distance you wanna cover per time value.

So like say you want your object to move to the right but 5 times as fast, it would be Object_X = My_time * 5.

Hope that helps

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[This message has been edited by LAVA (edited December 02, 2006).]

Realm Master

Member

Posts: 1971
From: USA
Registered: 05-15-2005
Thanks lava.

(P.S. trying the my_time=my_time+1 can be faluty, tired using that for a timer in bible memory and when the processing went really slow, so did the timer. lol)

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