Author Topic: Game Ideas  (Read 379 times)

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Offline otter

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Game Ideas
« on: June 24, 2017, 12:45:08 am »
Odd but this seems to be appropriately off topic. There are games, but not the way we want there to be games. There have been some really neat games, but they are history. There are some cool things going on on shared servers, but...

A lot of work has gone into setting things up to make games, but a neat tool for building worlds has almost gotten stuck in the building of worlds. Part of this is because we have a guy named Sam that is able to do everything. Most of our games are odd transformations of the base game. You start out standing on a chest in the middle of an endless sea. That sort of thing. Really good, it adds a new twist of learning, but learning the obscure irrational way of a new world is both interesting and meh. So enough with complaint, here are a few thoughts on what to do to give the game more depth.

I think a game like mario cart is possible and would be amazing. I think with just a touch of work, this game is ready to be a great first person shooter. 
This game could be made into a classic old style RPG with just a few odd mods. If, when a monster was encountered, it switched to a mini arena and combat with the team that Sam had put together fighting a group of monsters, a rather classic adventure game could be enabled. None of these games would need to be exclusive from the normal mine and build scenario. Another thing we could do is increase the playabilty of the base game.

We could make the layer of ability easier to control by settings. Right now we have Creative and Enable Damage as the two flags. This is a great environment for building and testing a game. I like the mining game, but I think, in a way, it limits some of the dimensions of the game by setting Sam outside of the need for community or goals apart from building. It is not that Sam has it easy, it is just that he has an easy way out of his needs and no need for anyone else.

Right now the game is sort of done in six or so hours. Sam needs to find apples, dig till he gets mese and/or diamond, find a jungle so he can plant cotton and somewhere on the way find a rose so he can make a bed. Complex mods add the ability to make fancier buildings and sets, but eventually that wears down and starting over is more fun than continuing. After you have a nice building or five, a few roads and a nice garden, it is time to take a break and then start over.

Sam needs someone to rescue. He needs an enemy. Odd as this seems, he needs a griefer to give him meaning. If the menu had another flag and Sam needed to apprentice himself to learn to do things, it would be an interesting addition. If you had to do three favors for the fellow you want to teach you something, it could add several hours of fun. Missions can be things that you don't have to complete. Completion would be rewarded though. if you want to refine iron instead of buy it, you will need to go on a few errands.

These are a few ruminations on what I think are the low hanging fruit that could be easily picked to make a more playable environment. Minetest has amazing potential. It is an amazing game engine waiting for an amazing game.
G-d is good and a mystery. I love a good mystery.

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Offline BBmine

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Re: Game Ideas
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2017, 11:52:18 am »
Instead of mario cart, you could do SuperTuxKart. :D
God's not dead!
I love Offtopic as much as you do! :D

Offline MineYoshi

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Re: Game Ideas
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2017, 04:12:36 pm »
Minetest needs at least a story of at least decent quality to be a good game. So far it only does look likely an engine that makes a voxel-made world so far.
Here goes the rutine: G-d is not dead; G-d wants you.


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Offline otter

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Re: Game Ideas
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2017, 05:46:08 pm »
I agree, a story is needed. Stories happen even if don't have a story, but without the right pressures and forces, the story does not end up as good.

The most fun I have had with Minetest was when I was trying it out and playing without looking at cheats. First it was stupid frustrating. I finally decided to look to see what others were doing, but I didn't want any cheats. Then the moment I had built a nice set of resources I got lost. Making a series of roads and bridges and markers to overcome the issues was a lot of fun. I had a need and it was hard.

Then I decided to read and see what I had missed. So many ways to deal with all of the issues and my ignorance. Getting rid of ignorance was good but it turned a game that could be started over and keep tension for probably twenty hours of play into a game that kept tension for at most six. Add monsters in and the tension can go for a good ten hours, and the game may take twelve hours, but five of those hours are spent doing things in the most inefficient way possible. It gets tired. The curve is really poor as well. You are either helpless around monsters or you only fear them when they are suddenly attacking and you can't figure out where they are.

There is a mod that I saw, but I have not tried that makes mobs stronger when they are further from 0-0-0. I need to try it. It may end up being a good solution to some of the issues.
G-d is good and a mystery. I love a good mystery.

Offline MineYoshi

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Re: Game Ideas
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2017, 08:49:26 pm »
Actually trying subgames is a good idea too. There are good ones, and you don't need to install any mods since everything is ready to plug and play.
Here goes the rutine: G-d is not dead; G-d wants you.


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Offline otter

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Re: Game Ideas
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2017, 09:37:56 pm »
Actually trying subgames is a good idea too. There are good ones, and you don't need to install any mods since everything is ready to plug and play.
The old racing and the space subgames are interesting. Starting out on a chest at sea in a world that only has sea is interesting as well. My favorite subgame is the tutorial.  Voxelgarden is good too.
I still think Minetest is not being used to the extent that it could be to make a game. It still feels like an amazing game engine waiting to power an amazing game. 
« Last Edit: June 24, 2017, 09:52:51 pm by otter »
G-d is good and a mystery. I love a good mystery.

Offline MineYoshi

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Re: Game Ideas
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2017, 09:50:12 pm »
Actually trying subgames is a good idea too. There are good ones, and you don't need to install any mods since everything is ready to plug and play.
The old racing and the space subgames are interesting. Starting out on a chest at sea in a world that only has sea is interesting as well. My favorite subgame is the tutorial.  Voxelgarden is good too.
I still think Minetest is not being used to the extent that it could be to make a game. It still feels like an amazing game engine waiting to power and amazing game. 
It just needs some people doing effort to make it a game, not an engine.
Why not to do a fork centered about gameplay instead of engine?
Here goes the rutine: G-d is not dead; G-d wants you.


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Offline otter

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Re: Game Ideas
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2017, 09:59:21 pm »
I agree with you entirely.

In my tradition of bad ideas, how about a Minetest version of Oregon Trail.  :-[
G-d is good and a mystery. I love a good mystery.

Offline MineYoshi

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Re: Game Ideas
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2017, 12:07:07 am »
I agree with you entirely.

In my tradition of bad ideas, how about a Minetest version of Oregon Trail.  :-[
That's a good idea right there.
Here goes the rutine: G-d is not dead; G-d wants you.


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