Current Learning Objectives and useless ramblings of EO's newest newb…

[Algorath]

I guess instead of clicking around here all day long giving myself an aneurism I should come straight out and state what my current learning objectives are.

What I'm thinking is, the best way for me to learn is to dive in and simply do it.  I've been on this forum board literally all day and have a basic idea of what I'd like to do.

I am not asking anyone:

@lazy:

> "How do you make a game?  I'm too lazy to look it up…"

This thread is simply to state what my objectives are that I am researching here.  If anyone FEELS like throwing in a word or link to help me in that direction, I would be eternally grateful.

I thought I'd start simple enough:

Top down view of a galactic exploration game with ship to ship combat.  No, nothing revolutionary in story line here, that's not the goal.  An active learning project is the goal.  Kinda like, my own personal “Hello World.”

I'm thinking the Character Sprites would be Spaceships.

The Tileset would be the Galaxy.

I was hoping to use Movement Points for the ships which would be affected by various engineering modules.  (e.g. Move 12 squares this turn / 10 second time period / round…. whatever is more effective and achievable for this engine.)

Action Points that determine what the ship can basically do, even affecting different attributes of the ship.  These AP would again be based on the modules installed on the ship.

I'm imagining the Inventory system may be able to handle that.

I’m thinking the loot system could handle retrieving cargo from a ship that has been destroyed.

etc….

Mind you, I understand that these are mindless musings of someone who has no clue as to what he's doing – and I am definitely not suggesting that I do.  I’m just trying to see if I might be heading in the right direction.

I really didn't know where else to put this post... it is certainly not a "WIP" and therefore does not belong in the "Games in Development" forum.  It's more like a "BIP"  "Brainstorming In Progress."

Thank you for letting me waste your time guys.  lol

- V7

[Rithy58]

Once I finished reading this, ideas on how to code the Turn-Based System just start running through my head. I had experience with how this system work because I had worked on First Star Online Tactic.

Here's what I'm thinking on how to do this :
Instead of changing how the system work, I want to add the system in. It would be very similar to First Star Online Tactic(YouTube it or something).
During all Attack, instead of doing damage, warp both Player and either Player or NPC to a battle map.
From there, we make our own Combat mod. Give both player a starting points. Doing certain action will use the points. Once the battle is over, you get the items(by automatically or just pick it up) then have a button to exit the battle map. Currently, I have no idea where the temporary data such as before warped players' location and their points for battle. I'm thinking of storing them like how the stat are stored.

Sincerely,
Rithy

[Algorath]

That sounds like an FF battle system.

Interesting.

Would this work like an "instancing" type of system that is in a lot of other commercial MMO's these days?

[Rithy58]

@Vendetta7:

> Would this work like an "instancing" type of system that is in a lot of other commercial MMO's these days?

I don't know what you mean.

@Vendetta7:

> That sounds like an FF battle system.

First Star Online Tactics got their idea of Turn-Based Battle system from Final Fantasy Tactics.

Sincerely,
Rithy

[Algorath]

Been a very long time since I've played FF:T.  I'll try to find a port version… maybe a modder out there did one.

"Instancing" is when the player is actually taken out of the "perpetual world" maintained on the server and transported to an on-the-fly generated environment that only lasts as long as it takes to complete the event.

WoW dungeons work like this.  The dungeons are not perpetual - they are "instanced" (created) as a group needs one to appear.

Did I make any sense in my rambling there?

[Rithy58]

Yep but that's not it. The Battle Map is ALWAYS there. Except you can't just "walk" into it.
The Battle Map is NOT generated randomly. You map a Battle Map and we code it to make people warped to it for battle then warp back.

Sincerely,
Rithy

[Algorath]

I just got done watching some google vids on it, and yeah: Now I remember it.  lol

Loved that game.

Your right, those battles (such as Germains Peak) are definitely not instanced.

To do it right, I suppose you'd have to have 100's of duplicates for each battle zone for groups to zone in on if it were an online MMO version….

[Rithy58]

Well, we don't have any choices. I think it'd be crazy for the Server to generate a Battle Map and store it for even 5 minutes. Imagine 100 people fighting at the same time.

So we'd have to just warp them to a free Battle Map then warp them back.

Sincerely,
Rithy

[Algorath]

I appreciate the feedback Rith.  It keeps me motivated…

And frankly yeah, your right... we would have to set up a -bunch- of open battle zones.  Which makes me wonder; if all the zones were in use, would a 'qeue' system work?

[Rithy58]

I actually totally, forgot about the only one battle can take place in one battle map, until you explain the instance.

I don't know how to code this but I have an idea. Make 10 battle Maps using the last 10 maps. Then whenever someone need a map, randomly copy one of the 10 battle maps into a new map for the battle.
So like :
Battle Map Template : MapNumber 240-250
When Battle Map requested : Check if MapNumber 239 is in use by Battle. If not, randomly choose one of the template and copy it. If it is, go to 238 and check if it's in use by battle. Loop until Number 200.

Sincerely,
Rithy