UFO:AI Online

[Destructavator]

But this isnt a 'burning desire', just something I thought people might like. If you dont like it, then I will never be able to convince you to even play, much less work on it.
I wont try and convice anyone to work with me. If they arent convinced from the first get-go, then tough luck for me. Duke, you see lack of concept. I saw concept within the first few of my posts. If you want anything more than what details I've posted, then you want more than just concept, you want hard, 100% gurantee to work and be in the game, content. That, I cannot provide

Well, you still have some chance, you still have several options that the rest of us here have mentioned, I wouldn't give up and have such a mentality like that just yet.

As I said, I'd be willing to help some, which is better than nothing.

I didn't say that I strongly dislike or hate your idea or anything, its just that I don't think it stands out strongly enough - as it is - that it would attract enough people in the saturated on-line multiplayer gaming market.

[Duke]

Vedrit,
are you talking about this:

This game would be very PvP (Player Vs. Player), and so the missions would be, for Aliens, would be mostly group assault missions, assigned by local area leaders (How they acheive that position is up to debate), or defending bases or resecuring downed UFOs (Random event). Humans would mostly be defend population (Much like the game), defend bases, capture downed craft, and assaulting Alien bases.

That's not a concept. It's merely a vague idea.
In IT business, a concept is a some 20-40 pages detailed description of what the *result* of the project will be, so a user can guess if he would want to use/play that result. Not a word about the technologys involved at this point.

Don't get me wrong. We have multiplayer, so we could (relatively) easily make it MMPORG from the technical point of view.

Try to think this way:
Let's assume I was a potential player of your MMPORG game and you'd even charge me some 10$ per month. Now tell me why should I want to play that game (insted of usng UFO:AI as is ?

[vedrit]

Try to think this way:
Let's assume I was a potential player of your MMPORG game and you'd even charge me some 10$ per month. Now tell me why should I want to play that game (insted of usng UFO:AI as is ?

First off, I wouldnt charge.
Secondly, I would ask "What do you like about UFO:AI as it is? Its similarities to the origional X-COM? Would you like to play as one of those soldiers, defending the Earth against alien forces with superior technology? With other players?"

Infact, I put those questions to you now. My proposal was, in essence, exactly that; playing as one of those soldiers (or aliens), with all the same plot, locations, technologies, etc etc. As was previously stated, this project isnt made to survive or thrive, just like UFO:AI.

Well, you still have some chance, you still have several options that the rest of us here have mentioned, I wouldn't give up and have such a mentality like that just yet.

As I said, I'd be willing to help some, which is better than nothing.

I didn't say that I strongly dislike or hate your idea or anything, its just that I don't think it stands out strongly enough - as it is - that it would attract enough people in the saturated on-line multiplayer gaming market.

To be honest, any help is welcome, and I know everyone is trying to help, and if someone with the know-how or know-who does this instead of me, I would be far from dissapointed. But if I'm going to have a hand in the actual production (Putting everything together into an end-product), then I have to find something I can work with. But everything I've looked at was either too heavy in code for my little mind to grasp, or wasnt compatible with GPL, which is kind of REALLY important.

[Duke]

Secondly, I would ask "What do you like about UFO:AI as it is? Its similarities to the origional X-COM? Would you like to play as one of those soldiers, defending the Earth against alien forces with superior technology? With other players?"
Infact, I put those questions to you now.

What I like the most in UFO:AI is that it's a turn-based strategy game, ie. gives me enough time to think about the best *strategy*.

NO, I wouldn't like to play a single soldier if
- somebody else (an officer) decides the strategy or
- I'd have to discuss the strategy with my co-players in advance or
- there is NO strategy because every soldier can do his own thing.

[Legendman3]

legendman... WTF... I mean really, WTF!


UFOAI already has working on-line play, is your firewall letting it out?

Well I opened the port the installe says then i go to the dedicated server noone on. Ive been to busy lately to go into the game and battle someone but ill try today

[Eaun]

Good Evening Vedrit.

I would like to point out that, for the people around here that do the serious work, "Game Concept" is NOT a quick "well i suggest a game where you can fight and defend earth. it will be fun yay!" kind of answer. What they meant (and have pointed out) is that you need to really think WHAT your game is actually going to be.

Starting BEFORE the plot (saving earth etc) you have to decide The genre / Type . Yeah, MMORPG, but what kind? FPS, third person strategy, team control strategy, turn based fighting Final Fantasy style, puzzle solving? will it be PVP based, PVM based, or a mix. if so, how will it work?

Allright, you have a Genre. Now, how are you going to implement it? if FPS, then forget the turn based options, and you will have just a very large Quake 3 arena (bonus points on quake engine i guess? ). if turn based team control, then how will it work with the "massive" player numbers etc. (playing your turn then come back 4 hours later to play again isnt really fun)

Now that you have that, then you decide on the mechanics of your game. RPGs are basically a mix of Story + stats growth. so you have to figure out how will that work on your game in a balanced way (not that everyone is max level after 10 mins of plaing, but neither that you have to grind for years to get ONE level)

Then, what will be the player's options, control scheme, and in general "how the game will be played" ie. imagine yourself actually playing it. where do you click/use the keyboard etc.

Now that you have that, how will the GUI will be? it has to be "simple" enough, intuitive, have a clean and good look etc.

after all of that you can FINALLY worry about the story "you will fight as a soldier to save earth!". Story is OF COURSE important. But you need to actually have an idea of the kind of game before using a story on it. Ever had that feeling "Awesome story!!! the game sucked, but the story was great!!"?

You need to provide with ALL the details possible, so the programmers actually know what to program. Dont know programming yourself? its OK!, this process needs conceptual artists too.

In conclusion. All of this goes for the design of "almost a new game" yes, why? because as ive heard, UFO:AI ALREADY has a multiplayer option.

In order to adapt/create/port it to a MMORPG you need to do some serious thinking. And not rely on vague ideas and hoping thats enough.

Game Creating, is a "serious bussiness" (yes, even our great old school classics had a lot of thinking put in them. a lot more than on the "new" ones, as it was said already.)

Final Note: First, Sorry for the Unholy Wall Of Text of Doom. Second, Ive thought of this concept a looong time ago. so if you need suggestions or so on this MMORPG adaptation, feel free to ask.

[Duke]

Thx Eaun, you described the conceptual work very well

Second, Ive thought of this concept a looong time ago.

If you thought about it, what was the result ?

[homunculus]

Thx Eaun, you described the conceptual work very well
If you thought about it, what was the result ?

let me guess.
"do not, ever, think about it again!!!"
at least that was the result for me when i thought that fisheye perspective would make first person playable for me.

[Duke]

... when i thought that fisheye perspective would make first person playable for me.

I tried to visualize that. ROTFL.

[homunculus]

I tried to visualize that. ROTFL.

tried?
actually i wrote a very small program that showed me some fisheye pictures.
the projection to a sphere instead of a plane is a trivial change in some formula.
but now you can just go to youtube and search for 'fisheye quake'.
not that i liked shooters too much, just that i disliked the narrow view.

i hope this clears up the offtopic remark.