personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
Hi There I want to float this idea to you. I am considering creating a game that will be a mix of titles such as black and white in with the missionary movement. The basic premse is that the player in a 2d or 3d stratagy envoment aka Civ or C&C directs a starting force or colony of believers in Christ to explore the sorrounding enviroment and convert the pagans to Christianty. The means by which this is done is though 'battles of faith' or in gameplay terms when a pagan is found a battle hopely in real time will comence. A battle would end when all the combatants on one side have lost all their faith points with the rate of loss determined by the conversion score of the attacker. Both sides (Demonic and Anglic) would be able to take units from each other in this manner with units with no faith left being up for grabs for the side that can first restore the subjects faith in their cause. Human units would all be obtained first as a believer in the cause of side it fights for with limited faith and a slow conversion rate but would then (determined by the amount of pagans converted by the unit in question) could rise up to the highest office that side has to offer e.g pope with greater faith etc giving a sense of stratagy. Do you for instance get as many believers as possible and attack on mass or use a carefully upgraded but small team of elites to better your cause? Added to this would be supernatural forces such as angles and demons which can use their powers to strengthen the arguments of people friendly to their cause and to cause their enermy to doubt their faith, IE affect conversion rates and faith scores. In another twist functions such as prayer could be used to send signs of either folly or encouragement to a target with the faith of the sender determining the power of the sign. In the final gameplay twist buildings could be built to increase the strength of the owning force. For example the total faith level of a group of people in a church would allow them as a whole to send greater signs than indiviually and a priest school could turn new believers into priests of strong faith. In addition to this when someone is converted a message of relavnce to a Christian (proof of faith etc) with supporting verses would appear to bulk up the christian side as well as a libery of verses with their messages and a search engine. Right that about covers it as far as it goes at the minute. The point of this post is this, the only pratise at serious code is the visual basic provided with Microsoft excel and I certianly have no experiance of graphics or sound etc. I would very much like for anyone who would consider helping to start this project to indicte in this topic area. Comments and constructive critism is welcome. I would like to think the people using this form are in the habit of trying their best to obey the ten commandments so please don't disappoint me by stealing this!! Thanks in advance PS I would prefere that people that get involved in this are petty strong christians (christmas christians need not apply). |
crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
I like the ideas. I'm willing to help. As of now im only good for ideas and sprite creation(if the game is 2d) I cant help with coding, at least not for a couple of months, but id be glad to help with ideas and I think i can pitch in with sound. |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
I have been working on a rough design as far as buildings are concerned and have got a basic set of designs under way, so far only for the Christian side which is fairly complete. I also have a rough idea of the ecomonic side (funding supplies etc). If anyone has ideas for buildings and their functions or ideas for the economic side please feel free to post them here. Any ideas for side specific advantages are also welcome. (I don't promise that anything will be included or excluded at this point.) I'm still looking for people to make this go somewhere [This message has been edited by personwithideas (edited August 27, 2004).] |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
Is this an rts or rpg? I may have misundertood. Oh. I see now. I looked at what you had originally said and it appears this will be in an rts format. Perhaps the Evil side will have the ability to use a special weapon like pestilance or disease or perhaps send stealth units that could intsill fear into the players units, that would keep them from fighting well. The Good side would have the ability to use a "Gideon" unit that would masquerade an group of units to look much larger and more powerful than it is. To try to "bluff" the enemys forces. All units within the Gideon Units range would have 2x power and health or something liek that. If the player had enough resources(to be determined) then they could get a "prophet" or "arch angel" unit that could pray to God for miracles, which would be another form of special attack. I say this because it would be hard to list selectable abilities for the good side, when in the Bible, whenever a prophet prayed to God for a miracle, it was whatever God saw fit. You said it should be metaphorical, so too many concerns about being completely Biblical probably dont apply, huh. Lord of the Rings was metaphorical.
[This message has been edited by crazyishone (edited August 27, 2004).] |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
This is going to be rts in all likelyhood. I haven't yet determined fully how supernatural forces would work but this is the current work in progress model. Humans can have their faith brought under fire both by humans and other forces. I am also fairly certain what any speical powers (plague etc) will be limited to super units and used to bring human faith levels down rather than kill them, but I'm still open to change on that. Human units would be aquried though conversion or though requesting missionaries etc at the right building. That much is pretty much set in stone. The current method that I have for getting supernatural help is for the computer to add together your side's total faith which would determine the power of the supernatural forces that may ask for. E.G An Angel would require less faith than Jesus with the only way of 'killing' them would be to reduce the total faith level below the initial faith requried. (Note that there is no faith penlty for using supernatural forces.) The supernatural would be forced to turn up for ease of gameplay. Seeing however that the angelic only comes at God's discrention this method needs revising to accomdate this. Both types of unit would be able to preform signs but human signs would be determined by the faith level where as Anelic signs are determined by the unit itself, e.g Jesus would use greater signs than an angel. Random Signs when a sign is required seems like a good idea maybe with the current level of the requester determining the power of the sign. Or the sign could be totally random with the possiblity of no sign at all. Speical attacks by demons etc sounds good as well alough its going to be a while before I make a start on any of the supernatural. Also my designs are completed in rough for chrisian buildings alough they're going to need some writing attached to explain them. Also I can provide a table of what the effect of each will be as soon as I draw it. If you think you want to get involved proper in this post your e-mail address next time you post and I'll send it along with a message to delete the address from your post if you want and if I can get the scanner to work. Anything else you think could be added to the building list tell me and I'll consider it. Futher suggestions on the supernatural, signs and speical powers would also be of use. Actually I've just noticed the pm button at the bottom of posts so use that instead. [This message has been edited by personwithideas (edited August 28, 2004).] |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
sure. i sent a pm with my e-mail in it , so scan me those pics if u can. Im glad to help. ------------------ |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
Ok I'll do that, alough don't expect it until tomorrow afternoon. I'm busy tonight and I've yet to draw a table or add some explation. If you know anyone good with code or spites (2d) ask them to make them selfs known. You could start a topic youself as well to appeal for them, if both of us apply someone might get curious than just with one topic. Note to self send scanned via pm. ------------------ |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
ok. ill look for the pics tommorow. ill set up that topic, but if nobody shows up, i can make sprites. ------------------ |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
I'm having trouble with the scanner so this could take longer than I thought ------------------ |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
No prob. take ur time ------------------ |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
previously its only ever been used as a printer and the scanning files appear to be missing, so I'm going to have to find the installer disk. ------------------ |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
ok. well, when it works, send them, in the mean time you can describe them to me so i have an image in mind... then again its not that immenant that i know what the buildings/table look(s) like...
[This message has been edited by crazyishone (edited August 30, 2004).] |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
Ok the first thing I've got is a church with bell tower and stain glass along the side of the building and above the main huge doors. This focuses faith to produce bigger signs and costs 1000 credits (whatever currency). Next is a goverment centre which is pretty much a bog standard square brick building with rectanglar windows, this is smaller than the church. It sets you back 600 and allows you to transport missionaries to the site to the tune of 500 per unit. Then we have a house of the same kind that can be found in nearly any period rts. It can house up to 4 human units and the number of windows open indicate the number of residents. One house is 150. The Market is a long but thin row of stalls in a town house block (no gaps between stalls). A market can supply cloths food etc to 10 units provided it has the money and will cost 800 to build. To get cash workshops can be built which are roofs held up by a pair of posts at one end and a side and back wall, i.e you will be able to see activity because there is no forward wall. They cost 200 a time and provide a small but steady flow of cash. Priest schools are smiliar in design to gov centers but are slightly smaller with less windows and a cross on the roof for esay identification. The building costs 600 and takes belivers of any level and turns them into priests with better stats. Lastly is the humble dock which is a shed on water with the back end on ground foundations and the front on a pair of posts. It costs 500 and produces transports. This is the ecomony at this point: Workshop=cash=supplies. Cash=building and mantiance (lack of cash=health degradment?) Supplies=unit maintiance. While I'm at it these are the game modes I might include. 1.campain 2.random map 3.mega resouces 4.stand alone levels 5.challange 6.multiplay 7.level/campain editor. As ever suggestions are welcome! ------------------ |
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d000hg Member Posts: 144 From: Durham, UK Registered: 07-27-2004 |
It sounds like it could be quite a fun game but I'm not sure about its worth as an evangelism tool - it sounds like the aim of the game is to forcibly convert everyone, like in the Crusades. The British Empire forced everyone to 'convert' by killing loads of people. Seeing as you can't force somebody to convert, how will your 'battles' work - will you have a preacher unit, a selfless friend unit, a miraculous healer unit etc which show the truth of the Bible and the love of Christ in different ways? I think a more lifelike game would have a city where you effectively work in small ways to get new converts. If you don't care for people they revert to a worldly view, or are more likely to be ensnared by a different faith. I'm thinking a bit like SimCity/ The Sims where you sort of have an espionage element to infiltrate the city - you don't run the city but are maybe the leader of the Christian church in that city. You could also have other Christian churches/organisations like Salvation Army, Methodists, Catholics etc which you have to try and work with to show that the Church is unified, not a bunch of different minorities trying to show their version to be the 'best'. You'd build churches, train missionaries with different gifts and send them out (either trying to keep the evangelism level uniformly ok or focusing on specific areas) etc, and the converts you got would aid you by desiring to convert their friends and workmates etc inspiring revival. If you did well the whole city would become Christian, alternatively the church could decline and be forced to close since nobody cares to donate to it (tithes and offerings from believers and also from non-believers seeing the charitable works of the Church could fund you). If the OP wants this could be a new thread, unless you fancy the idea in which case use any bits by all means? PS sorry for my rather spirited reply to your other thread - not a personal attack I assure you! [This message has been edited by d000hg (edited September 02, 2004).] |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
the idea behind it is that the longer a person has been a believer the more able to answer pagen arguments he will be. The person with greater faith will also be able to give more arguments for the vaildness of their faith some of which will not be answerable by the pagen and with enough of these arguments someone can be converted of their free will. Actualy I've relised that the faith system needs revising to incorporate freewill but how I don't know. ANyway healing and such like is currently under the loose heading of signs. I have found a posible solution to the scanner prob, will know by tomorrow. Ps I've just relised looking in other topics that this post seems to be be in the wrong place and that seaveral other people seem to have similiar ideas round here. Seems there is room (possibly) to merge projects for increased expertise, possibly even a company format. Thoughts on this please!! ------------------ [This message has been edited by personwithideas (edited September 02, 2004).] |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
definately a good idea. most people are looking for teams, but they all have the "same" game ideas. could work. ------------------ |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
there should be 2 or 3 projects that are really stessed, that people work on.. instead of every single person going their own direction with their own ideas. Games arent created that way, failures are... thats just why i think everybody should collaborate that isnt to far into their own thing...maybe this wont work, but i think it would... ------------------ |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
I have got that stuff scanned in today but its on a network lacking e-mail so the earlist I can get it to you is monday. Ideas for opersition religions would be helpful. For a decent game we'll need about 6, but these are the ones I might use: Classic Roman, Satanism, Buddism (or smiliar oriental), Spiritism (native american, other tribes), New Age and possibly false Christianaty (middle ages). Once we've decided on teams We can start putting a campain plot together as well as designs for enermy strutures ( I'm thinking a campian against each conected by a story about the great battles against false belief.) Still open to suggestions on playing as a false religion and imporving the conversion system. ------------------ [This message has been edited by personwithideas (edited September 03, 2004).] |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
No playing as false religion! it might seem fun, but then its not quite a Christian game is it? We couldnt call it a CHRISTIAN game because Christ wouldnt sit down and pretend to sacrifice human babies to a tree. Note: If a Christian has a Muslim friend and they come over, the Christian pops in the disk, and his friend all of the sudden sees his family's beliefs depicted as the heathen scum, u might have a problem on your hands. I suggest placing the story in a fictional city where all walks of life live together(like cities in democratic nations)and downplay having the religions be actuall teams, but more as a status thing for the people who walk about the city, along with age, name, etc... There could be different methods for approaching certain demographics, but be careful not to depict non-believers as the enemy. ------------------ |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
What like a 'civil' war between different factions of the same city for souls? How can multiplay be done if theres only 1 playable side? Also I have finished scanning and I should have it with you tonight. ------------------ |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
Have sent scan pics, check your inbox ------------------ |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
good point about the multiplay.... umm....will think about it, and ill look at those pics... ------------------ |
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personwithideas Member Posts: 32 From: First home: Heaven!! Registered: 08-26-2004 |
I've had some thoughts on battles. Rather than sucking faith out of an oppenant use a figure of chance to apply free will. The greater the faith level the less chance of being converted. E.G theres a battle between two people 1 with 50 (f)aith and 20 (c)onversion and another with 60 f and 10 c. No 1 has a 50% (100-50) chance of being converted plus 10 for the oppenants conversion rate (60%). In the same way the second person has a 60% chance of conversion. Also what programming lanuages are your spite editor compatable with? Can you do 2d and 3d? ------------------ Why hasn't someone done this before? [This message has been edited by personwithideas (edited September 08, 2004).] |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
i make sprites through gamemaker. i didnt get those pictures, though. ------------------ |
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crazyishone Member Posts: 1685 From: Registered: 08-25-2004 |
ok in my email inbox. i thought you meant pm. found em. Would you like me to do the art?hehe. i got the point.... good ideas. ------------------ |
Erebel55 Junior Member Posts: 8 From: THE U.S.A Registered: 10-20-2004 |
I wish to help with the game im a 2d game programmer and im learning 3d now. ------------------ |