Let's pool our ideas for our own game

[WildWeazel]

Unfortunately, the latest attempt at creating our own Civ-based game, IndieCiv, seems to have been abandoned. We beta testers haven't heard from jimmyh for months, and we're left with nothing but a primitive demo. This whole process of waiting for a hero to rise up and start a project, then rehashing all of our ideas as he goes off and codes something up, clearly isn't working.

That said, I've created a new page on Modiki for archiving the discussions about our own game: http://modiki.civfanatics.com/index....ent_Game_Ideas

The page includes references to all of the previous attempts, some major discussion threads, and a section for summarizing ideas that we've come up with. I've populated first 2 sections with what I could find, but left the latter mostly blank. That's for you all to fill in. I included some guidelines to try to keep it from getting out of control, and a few examples to prime the pump.

Hopefully, this will reduce the repeated discussions that come up every time, and encourage someone who does want to attempt something to start off on the right foot. It's a wiki page, so any of us can contribute to keep it complete and current. That way, when a new discussion does come up we don't have to go digging through old threads or repeating the same arguments.

[CivArmy s. 1994]

Should Evolution be on the list?

http://evolutiongame.angelfire.com/

[WildWeazel]

forgot that one! sorry

[CivArmy s. 1994]

Originally Posted by WildWeazel

forgot that one! sorry

No problem

I back to look for help to finish this game.

[WildWeazel]

You and Steph are both using my favorite language for your games- surely there could be some collaboration here.

[CivArmy s. 1994]

Originally Posted by WildWeazel

You and Steph are both using my favorite language for your games- surely there could be some collaboration here.

Why not?

I'd like to create a turn-based game using only ancient civilizations of all over the world like the Civilization series. I'd ask him (and others) if they want to create a game like this. I'm planing to use the new artworks of The Golden Hordes Mod on it.

I have already created other (very) simple games like Terra on C# years ago.

Other projects I've started.

Spoiler:

Terra, C#




Civilization Fighter - Mugem, fighting game




Papa contas - Game Creator, adventure


Dead Castle - C#, RPG
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/11699928.jpg/][/URL

[Supa]

I'd truly love having an open-source Conquest clone. Lots of thing I'd like to be able to mod. I didn't know about IndieCiv although Takhisis left a cryptic message on my profile last June.

Anyway, I'm clueless at software writing so I'll just sit in the sideline and throw a cheer from times to times.

<ot> I should try your MUGEN game one day, CivArmy; I still have a MUGEN folder with a fair share of [downloaded] characters lying around. </ot>

[smirnoff]

That is very interesting Subject is going here

MUGEN , oh man i love that Program to play and to add new fighters and stages with musics

CivArmy , is Your Evolution Game available to try it ? , also your MUGEN GAME , where i can find it to try it also ?

Thanks in Advance

[CivArmy s. 1994]

Originally Posted by Supa

I'd truly love having an open-source Conquest clone. Lots of thing I'd like to be able to mod. I didn't know about IndieCiv although Takhisis left a cryptic message on my profile last June.

Anyway, I'm clueless at software writing so I'll just sit in the sideline and throw a cheer from times to times.

<ot> I should try your MUGEN game one day, CivArmy; I still have a MUGEN folder with a fair share of [downloaded] characters lying around. </ot>

Originally Posted by smirnoff

That is very interesting Subject is going here

MUGEN , oh man i love that Program to play and to add new fighters and stages with musics

CivArmy , is Your Evolution Game available to try it ? , also your MUGEN GAME , where i can find it to try it also ?

Thanks in Advance

Check out the links of my sign to download Terra and Civilization Fighter. I just finished to fix them. Now, the files are hosted on Atomic Gamer.

About Evolution: the C# code started to fail few months ago when I changed my 2,008 version for the 2,011 (or something like this). I can't export a *.exe file anymore or even load the game on C#. I lost the *.exe file that I have exported and the Internet link were it was hosted doesn't work anymore I'd create a new file and copy/paste the lines I wrote into it, but I didn't have time to do that. On the trial version, basicly you were able to move a settler, found a city, battle with a enemy unit, check the Code of Laws (my Civilopedia) texts and listen to the soundtrack. The test of the opening video is still available


link to video.

[tom2050]

I was wondering what happened to jimmyh; he wasn't around very long at all... that is usually the problem with such a possibly massive project, someone may have an inspiration to do something as such, but because it is such a large project to complete, they aren't likely to finish unless very motivated to do so, or it is a personal interest that they dedicate over a long period of time to working on.

Perhaps he got busy with other stuff, he may come back around...

[Kyriakos]

I would be willing to give gfx to Civarmy if he goes on with creating a civ3 clone.

Imo mostly two areas need expanding: more than 31 civs at the same time, and Event files.

[ShiroKobbure]

Originally Posted by Kyriakos

I would be willing to give gfx to Civarmy if he goes on with creating a civ3 clone.

Imo mostly two areas need expanding: more than 31 civs at the same time, and Event files.

I could ask for much more, but if just those two are given it will be lightyears ahead of the current civ 3

[Gojira54]

Boy I could write a book on this topic, and in fact between this site and Apolyton (yes I used to frequent there) I have probably written at least a substantial article on it over the past decade. I have minimal coding skills, but even less time. I am more than willing to contribute ideas though, and of course motivation and gametesting once ready for that.

[Balthasar]

I, too, was interested in Jimmyh's idea, and joined his 'group' for playtesting, but right off the bat he started using new and different file types, and everyone wandered away...

That's what always happens, you know.

Rant:

Spoiler:

Look at it this way: if we belonged to a Volkswagon Beetle Customs Club & someone suggested making our own car, then started with a design that required that all new parts had to be custom made for it, how many folks would be interested in signing up? If, on the other hand, someone were to make a frame & engine that we could stick our thousands of already fashioned customs onto, it would be a huge hit (and a really interesting vehicle). Sort of the opposite of making a dune buggy, I suppose.

I've said this before: the trick, and the key to success in any effort like this, is to fashion a game engine that makes use of all of these files that we already have made, perhaps even able to use biqs and mods already made. Reverse-engineering. That's the ticket.

The first impulse always seems to be 'but it would be so much better if we use these sorts of files instead of those clunky pcx & flc files'. No! We need to use the files we have, not make new ones, otherwise it's a whole new game & a different website altogether. I don't want just anything that looks like my old sweetheart, I want a real, live girl, otherwise I'm not gonna get very interested. Otherwise, I'd be dating that Civ4 hag, who at least has boobs.

OTOH, I heard recently that that Canadian company that was making the 'Canadian history educational mod' or whatever it was called, managed to pry the Civ3 source code out of Fireaxis. How did they do that? What was the lock combination? Cash? Secrecy? Hookers? Someone who knows them should ask, at least. Inquiring minds want to know..

And further - the NoRaze & Barbarians patches were promising, but never followed up on. What else is possible by that route? Does nobody here know a hacker capable of going in and having a look at all of the code we already have currently available to us?

I know that most of these questions have been asked before, but I haven't heard a satisfactory answer to any of them yet, myself.

[Steph]

Most important idea number 1 to 2:
1) Make the day 48 hours long, so I still have 24 hours left after normal day to work on it.
2) Make we win at the loterry so I can stop working to work on something like that full time.

I'd like to go back to this kind of project some time, but I don't see when I'll have enough free time.
I still have my NTW mod, my CivIII mod... And Skyrim will be released in less than 4 weeks.

[Steph]

Originally Posted by Balthasar

OTOH, I heard recently that that Canadian company that was making the 'Canadian history educational mod' or whatever it was called, managed to pry the Civ3 source code out of Fireaxis. How did they do that? What was the lock combination? Cash? Secrecy? Hookers? Someone who knows them should ask, at least. Inquiring minds want to know..

I've been in contact with them... But they can't disclose anything.

[WildWeazel]

I, too, was interested in Jimmyh's idea, and joined his 'group' for playtesting, but right off the bat he started using new and different file types, and everyone wandered away...

That's what always happens, you know.

I don't know that the file types had much to do with it in this case. There were at least a handful of us testing and offering feedback up to the point when Jimmyh disappeared. I still think file conversion is not too much to ask if we can continue to use the same graphics, but that's a debate for another day.

Anyway, my point wasn't to start drumming up support for a project again, just to encourage people to post their ideas to the wiki so that we can see what has been proposed and what would need further discussion.

Originally Posted by Steph

Most important idea number 1 to 2:
1) Make the day 48 hours long, so I still have 24 hours left after normal day to work on it.
2) Make we win at the loterry so I can stop working to work on something like that full time.

I'd like to go back to this kind of project some time, but I don't see when I'll have enough free time.
I still have my NTW mod, my CivIII mod... And Skyrim will be released in less than 4 weeks.

I'm in the same situation, just replace NTW with NaNoWriMo

[Balthasar]

To be clear, WildWeasel, your idea is splendid, and exactly what we've needed at this point in the conversation. Perfect timing, too. Thank you also for reminding me that Modiki exists.

But I wouldn't like to see the conversations about what we can do (present tense) co-mingled with the conversation about what we might do (future tense). To paraphrase Steph: with enough investment of time and effort much more could be done right now, without source code or a replacement game engine.

But it shouldn't be all on Steph's shoulders. Tell you what; before setting out for terra incognito, how about CivArmy & anyone else with programming experience hooking up with Steph to write some code? I'd like to see the whole 'extended game' capability expanded & automated. Embryodead's hex terrain process could be automated, or those new terrain possibilities added to the editor. That could be done right now.

[WildWeazel]

Originally Posted by Balthasar

Tell you what; before setting out for terra incognito, how about CivArmy & anyone else with programming experience hooking up with Steph to write some code? I'd like to see the whole 'extended game' capability expanded & automated.

I'd be down with that, post-November anyway. I've been in contact with Steph off and on about SGF but it never got down to writing any code.

Embryodead's hex terrain process could be automated, or those new terrain possibilities added to the editor. That could be done right now.

What's this? Hex terrain in Civ3?

[Virote_Considon]

Using a hex editor to place some terrain in the game not currently allowed with the regular editor (e.g. LM Tundra, LM Marshes)