Group project!

I want to work on a group project with you. I've got time now that school isn't in my way. If you tell me what to do and I'll code it in Game Maker. I'll then give you the source and you can add/change anything you want.

Is Game Maker 8 worth buying? It does have some nice new things I'm happy they've added, but I was kind of expecting that whole C++ rewrite they promised a long time ago so I'm a bit disappointed that it's not even a major release. I'm not eligible for the free upgrade either because I've been registered since the GM6 days. $25 is a bit steep for what even they consider a minor release. What's your opinion?

Just came back from a roadtrip to Florida, sorry. I should have said something beforehand. So much for that free time. :(
I go back to school January 4th (happy birthday me), when do you get back?

If you still want to work on a project, we can design the thing casually throughout the year, and then do all the serious work over spring break/summer.

I'm not sure if GM8 is worth it or not either. The only things that make any actual differences that I read about are the improved alpha blending and collisions. Everything else just makes GM easier to use. I'm surprised they jacked up the price to $25, though. Was that really necessary?

I think they raised the price before GM8. I think I am going to buy it if you're eligible for the upgrade, are you?

Yes I do still want to work on a project. I get back the same day.

I got the upgrade.

How large of a game should we make? I've spent some time outlining a adventure game, but its probably too large for a first-time collaboration and I'd like to keep it as a personal project. However, if you still want to use it, it is a convenient starting point. We could also go back to all of the old collaboration threads and pick something from there too.

What about graphics? I'm good at low-res pixel art, while you're better with vector art and the such. Since you're doing the coding, it'd probably make more sense for me to do more of the art. Whatever you want to do.

Finally, how artsy-fartsy or gamelike of a thing do you want to make?

How large of a game should we make? I've spent some time outlining a adventure game, but its probably too large for a first-time collaboration and I'd like to keep it as a personal project. However, if you still want to use it, it is a convenient starting point. We could also go back to all of the old collaboration threads and pick something from there too.

What about graphics? I'm good at low-res pixel art, while you're better with vector art and the such. Since you're doing the coding, it'd probably make more sense for me to do more of the art. Whatever you want to do.

Finally, how artsy-fartsy or gamelike of a thing do you want to make?

1. I do want to make an adventure game. I don't want to use the story you already have in mind because it won't be mine. We should think of a story together in chat sometime. I want to do something dealing with utopia.

2. I can handle pixel art as well but yes I would like it if I didn't focus the graphics and instead you did.

3. A balance between the two. Of course, there won't be lives or score but there will be some challenge. It'll be a platformer and RPG hybrid, like Alberto meets Seiklus (generally, not saying I want to base the game off them)

Do you want to use Steam to chat?

Utopia/dystopia has been done a million times over, which is fine if you have something new to say about it. What exactly do you want to say about utopia?
Personally, I want to discuss something relevant to today's society. Utopia was more of a big deal in the 19th century than it is today. The story I came up with was about how the sluggishness and ignorance of the masses makes war and other atrocities possible.

Or maybe we could make a game that consisted entirely of small sub-plots with a loose main story surrounding it, with each sub-plot having a separate theme.

Alex wrote:Do you want to use Steam to chat?

Utopia/dystopia has been done a million times over, which is fine if you have something new to say about it. What exactly do you want to say about utopia?
Personally, I want to discuss something relevant to today's society. Utopia was more of a big deal in the 19th century than it is today. The story I came up with was about how the sluggishness and ignorance of the masses makes war and other atrocities possible.

Or maybe we could make a game that consisted entirely of small sub-plots with a loose main story surrounding it, with each sub-plot having a separate theme.

Yeah you're right. Social commentary of today is more important than of tomorrow. Let's keep it one thing. We don't need to make the game extremely long, I just don't want to make a tiny game.

Steam sounds good.

Ok, here's the original story for that idea we discussed earlier:
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The story takes place on a small colony planet in the future. It consists of a small, poor, and disease-ridden city, with a small elite that profits from the operations on the planet. The protagonist is a cop from Earth sent to tackle the smuggling of drugs and other contraband through the planet, which serves as a "rest stop" of sorts for smugglers.

One day, a wealthy philanthropist decides to reside on the planet and improve life for its inhabitants. He was born in a prosperous family and was sheltered his entire life. The colonists are well fed, housed, and healthy. Crime decreases, and the philanthropist becomes a hero. The cop settles on the world as police chief and becomes friends with him. Soon, the colony prospers and becomes a center of trade.

Elections are held for governorship of the colony, and the philanthropist is chosen to hold power. As the colony's population increases, however, the crime rate increases as well, and the cop is overwhelmed. The extremely rapid increase of wealth leads into an economic recession, and the governor is blamed for all the planet's problems. He becomes disgusted with the stupidity and corruption of the people around him. One day, as he and his wife are walking through town, a gang attacks them, abducts, rapes, and kills the wife. The cop arrives too late, and the governor goes mad.

Disgusted at his idealism, the governor gets his hands on a nuclear bomb to destroy the city. He offers the cop, his friend, a chance to escape, but the cop tries to foil the plot. The mad governor picks a rifle of the wall to kill the cop, but the cop shoots first (or is killed, depends on whether or not the player shoots). The bomb's on a timer, and the cop has no means to diffuse it. He can either enter the ship that the governor has left for him, with or without the bomb, or try to escape the hangar and warn the colony, which will fail.
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We can make a (100%) happy ending too, if you want, or totally change the ending scenario, and we'll have to add at least one more character. Another problem with the story is that it takes place over a very long period of time, which would mean that the story wouldn't flow as smoothly.

Whoa, this story is excellent. I definitely see potential. I'll start working on it today.

As for the extra character, we can have the player be an animal (or the alien equivalent of an animal) for some parts of the game. You could overhear conversations and it would be interesting to control a bird or whatever the animal would be. Also, we could have the animal's fate foreshadow what will happen in the end (save the bird nest and fail or save yourself). The animal could listen in on some of the major characters but it could also listen to very minor characters or even characters that aren't interacted with outside the animal's story such as common criminals. We could show the rebel's story (the people who abduct the wife) as well with this animal.

That's a neat idea. The animal could be a way to explore certain interactive vignettes while the narrative is advanced through the main characters.

We should also add a redeeming primary character among the common people. I feel that making a game in which the good guys are up top and the bad guys are on the bottom might not give off the right idea (even though the man at the very top goes rotten). It would also provide incentive for the cop to try and rescue the people at the end.

In other news, I found this neato blog entry:
http://frictionalgames.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-gameplay-and-narrative-kill-meaning.html
Its similar to what we're trying to do, but he says it very well.

Alex wrote:That's a neat idea. The animal could be a way to explore certain interactive vignettes while the narrative is advanced through the main characters.

We should also add a redeeming primary character among the common people. I feel that making a game in which the good guys are up top and the bad guys are on the bottom might not give off the right idea (even though the man at the very top goes rotten). It would also provide incentive for the cop to try and rescue the people at the end.

In other news, I found this neato blog entry:
http://frictionalgames.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-gameplay-and-narrative-kill-meaning.html
Its similar to what we're trying to do, but he says it very well.

A redeeming primary character could be a family figure like a father or a mother. Maybe a widow (her husband was shot). The cop could be hurt by criminals and she picks him off the street and take him to her place, which is an orphanage.

edit
I've read the blog entry. It's interesting the Prenumbra team is trying to do the exact thing we're trying to do. I need to play that game now.

We need to make more progress on this. What's the next step? Should we finalize the plot, work on character designs, or whatever?

Too much stuff going on at the moment. I haven't lost interest though. I want to make this game. Our next step should be working on the characters. This week I'll make a big list of the characters, their purpose, their personalities, etc. It's important we make this story as solid as it can be.