Orthanc's Creation Thread
- Thread starter Orthanc
- Start date
DJ Bonebraker
a.k.a Laura
Actually, he was more hoping to go into movie/TV CG animation, as well as possibly working from the inside to knock it into the producers' thick skulls that a game can be really good and fun to play WITHOUT all the sleaze and bloody gore...
This is one area that I aggree 100% with him on (as you've no doubt seen with my non-sleazy, non-gorey units here)
Orthanc
Shipwright
Most games and movies have violence, most aren't exactly Disney-type kid friendly in other areas as well, but Rockstar tends to make games that are exceptionally violent, sleazy etc. From a purely artistic/gameplay standpoint their games are certainly not bad (have to admit it's been a while since I've played a Rockstar game, but I did play GTA3 and Vice City), but I probably wouldn't work for them either. I'd much rather work on a Civ or Mario title (Zelda, Metroid, Kirby etc.). Even Metal Gear Solid, though very violent and realistic (except for the sci-fi bits) doesn't have the same 'attitude'.
Disney games unfortunately tend to be purely movie hype boosters, so I don't even bother trying them. The exception of course is Kingdom Hearts, (which I admit I haven't played alas, I haven't had a PS2 for years) but they made that with Square-Enix so it's unfair to compare it with Disney-only games. But if I go the movie route in my career, working for a Disney film would be EPIC, 3D or 2D, doesn't matter.
Hmm, maybe I'll help convince Disney into making their own stand-alone (not based on a movie) game. Of course it wouldn't be anything new if it was just a bunch of cinematics with playable sections in-between. There needs to be some sort of blend between the personal involvement of adventure games (Mario, Metroid, Halo, MGS, Zelda etc.) and the ability to create a unique environment based on your actions found in strategy games (CIV and GalCiv). Actually, ironically, GTA is a series that tries to do this, but the city you're in doesn't really change unless there's a scripted event. Basically games as a whole so far don't let you do anything 'heroic' or 'epic' unless they have a script for you to follow, and if you take down a thousand bad guys in one move outside of the 'plot' nothing will change except your stats (if that).
Is this what qualifies as a rant? If it is; oh well, my thread anyways.
Anywho, I guess I'm leading to the idea of a game that (via some CRAZY coding I admit) starts a cinematic because it recognizes that your charge on the enemy base is history in the making, and not because the writers have said it is so. At the same time I feel that difficulty based purely on levels or numbers isn't the best option, probably the best combo I can think of is where your initial abilities (A is jump, B is punch etc.) should be improved as you either use them, collect stuff or defeat stuff. I know there are already games that do that. The problem is that scripting often steers you to gain very specific levels or abilities.
MMORPGs that I know of DON'T fix this problem because while your power levels are increased, the game still plays out the same way. But say you added levels to Mario's jump ability, and made that game into a MMORPG. Any puzzle or enemy could be defeated by a level 1 player (if they're skilled or lucky) but a level 10 player can jump higher and punch harder or faster. But if we do that, we can't just leave the maps to stay the same, at the same time if we have them all set up from the start then we'd also have to plan out the rate at which you level up, which really makes the entire leveling system pointless.
But if we make the maps 'fluid', or in the case of some sort of combo of Strategy-Adventure MMORPG, created by the players (ie: they'd gradually build their castle defences and traps) everything becomes unique. Someone might manage to get the resources (sacrificing their own leveling) to build a wall that a level 1 player can't get over, at the same time it might actually be possible, but a level 10 could do it much faster and with less risk. Or maybe you just need to build your own wall beside it so you can use the wall jump technique (which would also have levels for speed and height) to get over. 'Winning', or just doing well in the game would require new strategies all the time, along with leveling to give you a power boost so that figuring out these new strategies on the spot won't be as stressful. The key difference really is that there would be no real limit to the complexity or 'style' of the puzzles as the game goes on.
SOOO, I ended up spilling ideas for some reason, felt like it was a good opportunity to get this down somewhere...
For those wondering, typing this out was HUGE procrastination on my part and now I REALLY have to get to my homework.
Disney games unfortunately tend to be purely movie hype boosters, so I don't even bother trying them. The exception of course is Kingdom Hearts, (which I admit I haven't played alas, I haven't had a PS2 for years) but they made that with Square-Enix so it's unfair to compare it with Disney-only games. But if I go the movie route in my career, working for a Disney film would be EPIC, 3D or 2D, doesn't matter.
Hmm, maybe I'll help convince Disney into making their own stand-alone (not based on a movie) game. Of course it wouldn't be anything new if it was just a bunch of cinematics with playable sections in-between. There needs to be some sort of blend between the personal involvement of adventure games (Mario, Metroid, Halo, MGS, Zelda etc.) and the ability to create a unique environment based on your actions found in strategy games (CIV and GalCiv). Actually, ironically, GTA is a series that tries to do this, but the city you're in doesn't really change unless there's a scripted event. Basically games as a whole so far don't let you do anything 'heroic' or 'epic' unless they have a script for you to follow, and if you take down a thousand bad guys in one move outside of the 'plot' nothing will change except your stats (if that).
Is this what qualifies as a rant? If it is; oh well, my thread anyways.
Anywho, I guess I'm leading to the idea of a game that (via some CRAZY coding I admit) starts a cinematic because it recognizes that your charge on the enemy base is history in the making, and not because the writers have said it is so. At the same time I feel that difficulty based purely on levels or numbers isn't the best option, probably the best combo I can think of is where your initial abilities (A is jump, B is punch etc.) should be improved as you either use them, collect stuff or defeat stuff. I know there are already games that do that. The problem is that scripting often steers you to gain very specific levels or abilities.
MMORPGs that I know of DON'T fix this problem because while your power levels are increased, the game still plays out the same way. But say you added levels to Mario's jump ability, and made that game into a MMORPG. Any puzzle or enemy could be defeated by a level 1 player (if they're skilled or lucky) but a level 10 player can jump higher and punch harder or faster. But if we do that, we can't just leave the maps to stay the same, at the same time if we have them all set up from the start then we'd also have to plan out the rate at which you level up, which really makes the entire leveling system pointless.
But if we make the maps 'fluid', or in the case of some sort of combo of Strategy-Adventure MMORPG, created by the players (ie: they'd gradually build their castle defences and traps) everything becomes unique. Someone might manage to get the resources (sacrificing their own leveling) to build a wall that a level 1 player can't get over, at the same time it might actually be possible, but a level 10 could do it much faster and with less risk. Or maybe you just need to build your own wall beside it so you can use the wall jump technique (which would also have levels for speed and height) to get over. 'Winning', or just doing well in the game would require new strategies all the time, along with leveling to give you a power boost so that figuring out these new strategies on the spot won't be as stressful. The key difference really is that there would be no real limit to the complexity or 'style' of the puzzles as the game goes on.
SOOO, I ended up spilling ideas for some reason, felt like it was a good opportunity to get this down somewhere...
For those wondering, typing this out was HUGE procrastination on my part and now I REALLY have to get to my homework.
HunterAnubis
Warlord
Who would play such a game without any of above
HunterAnubis
Warlord
so long time passed and Im begining to think that the shipyard got closed pernamently 
Orthanc
Shipwright
so long time passed and Im begining to think that the shipyard got closed pernamently
Sadly this may be the case, though again I'll have time once more from the end of this April to end of August, but in the 3rd year (not this summer or the next but the one after the next) is the part of my course I've mentioned before where I have to work in the animation field over the summer so I won't have any time that year (let's see that'll be, 2011) at all. And the year after that I graduate and all things being well I'll actually be employed as a professional animator.
To put it simply, soon I won't be able to make units because Civ3 unit making doesn't make money (especially with so many people still making them for free) and I'll be busy enough making art that does pay me.
If you guys want to see what Orthanc's doing with all this non-unit making time though you can always visit me BLOG.
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