All the cool kids are doing it.
Maybe I might write some software.
Contents |
EVE Online Threat Tracker
Stupid Space game defense
Stupid Blurb
EVE Online is a Massively Multiplayer Online game set in space. There is the galaxy, which is further divided up into Regions, which which divided up into Constellations, each of which contain Star systems. A star system can contain any number of Planets (with various moons), Asteroid belts, Space Stations, and Stargates which connect the system to other systems, providing a means of transport between systems.
The nature of EVE allows players to form guilds called Corporations (and also groups of corps called Alliances), which are able to take control of certain low security systems. I belong to a Corp called GoonFleet and GoonFleet currently holds a region of space called Syndicate. Lots of people hate goonfleet so they like to fly their spaceships down to our space and pew pew at our spaceships, since GoonFleet consists mainly of newer players with relatively fewer skillpoints and less expensive ships, a determined force can be very damaging to our economy and morale and generally make being space dicks difficult for us.
My Idea
Build a map of syndicate (or potentially any other region/system) that takes information from players who have seen or fallen victim to hostiles in syndicate and can then insert information about the hostile(s) including numbers, location, and whether they're sitting in one place (camp) or moving around, whether they have warp disruption (weapons that stop players running away), ship composition and other crap that I think up.
Tech stuff
ASP.net or PHP or perl if i want to be supar swanky! A DATABASE!!!!111 (fun), output shit (XML HOORJ!) to a website that is informative enough at a glance to be useful and easy enough to input data quickly. Needs some way to recognise potentially duplicatated reports. Parse killmails (ingame mails that you get sent if you kill or lose a ship) umm... this is a stupid idea
pros
- Fairly interesting, should keep my ADD at bay
- Relatively Easy
cons
- not very accademic
- nerdy as hell
- requires some experience of EVE Online to understand why it's useful
Online Bomberman game
Cute terrorists
My Idea
I want to write a bomberman game that people can play over the INTERNET! Probably also a small community/matchmaking application where players are ranked and can be automatically matched against players of similar skill. I also like those games that collect LOADS of useless stats about how people play games (See GTA stats screens, stuff like 'Hookers killed', 'total number of bullets fired') so the game and matchmaking service would also collect and allow users to see them.
Tech Stuff
Game
Java, C++ or C# (probably c# because i like it),I'd need to write a bunch of netcode (udp lol, maybe tcp to fall back on) <--- difficults?.Graphics: OpenGL or DirectX (or some other weird library), probably keep it 2d, potentially 2d sprites in a simple 3d world. map generator (probably pretty easy)
Matchmaking App
Database! Game Tracking, updating and comparing stats in order to provide good matches (difficult to test without a relatively large playerbase, difficult to do without a powerful server)
Pros
- pretty interesting
- lol gaymes
- good networking == the difficults == mad cred if i do it good?
Cons
- Difficult
- Quite a lot to get finished
- If I make it in c# everyone will get angry because FUKKEN M$
Learn to Program the computer machine game
Programmin' da computa is pretty difficult sometimes
A learning tool for newbie programmers to learn to solve various problems using Java (most probable, more cross-platform), or c#(faster, cooler, but WINBLOWS OMG). The player is given a task, and must write a method or maybe a set of methods/classes that returns a value which will solve it. The program will then run it and if the goal is achieved the player gets that delicious euphoria you get after working some working code. All the problems should be visual I guess to make it at least somewhat entertaining and let players see how their code is working.
MSPaint MSpaint Lol
Pros
- Pretty interesting
- Maybe useful for secondary school/college education?
- Academic enough to stop me feeling like a nerd
- Pretty difficult (String Evaluation of code?)
Cons
- Lots of real programming problems arn't really visual, stuff like teaching data structures or algorithms might not be able to be represented in a visually rewarding way, moving it more away from learning and more towards entertainment (although it should be both). Maybe there are ways to represent problems like these, i need to think about it some more.
List of potential Game Ideas
- Shooting a turret at a target (various difficulties could involve, static and moving targets)
- Write a sorting algorithm
- tree traversal?
- following a line using a sensing agent
- Fill in the Coding holes?
- Logo type, create a shape game
3D Super Research Funtime
Compare, contrast and evaluate the various available 3d Technologies such as
- Direct3D
- Managed Direct3D 9, maybe 10?
- OpenGL
- SDL
- Others, i need to look for some.
I'd write a scene and implement a program that will draw that scene and then look at all the different extra stuff (support for shaders, other fun?)
Pros
- Pretty Interesting
- If I do it i'll know lots about 3d which i like the idea of
Cons
- Difficult as hell since i know virtually nothing about 3d and maths
3D landscape deformation game
I write some software that generates a 3D landscape with various deformations based on a set of parameters, IE, mountainous, hilly, flat etc. This will provide my gameworld where two (maybe more) teams will go against each other. I havn't thought any exciting game rules yet, but my initial idea is similar to the classic Bullfrog title Populous where the user manipulates the landscape to create ideal conditions for his team (ie, flat ground for buildings, easy movement channels towards enemy structures) while hindering the enemies offensive/defensive abilities, and Darwinia by Introversion.
All this stuff would be split into two parts. The Engine bit and the Game bit.
Engine
The main bit, Display a possibly textured 3d landscape (probably a simple grid), manipulatable terrain that changes based on certain factors, IE, extremely high terrain gets snowy peaks, very low terrain fills up with water, flat ground has lovely green grass (dynamic textures?!) Terrain manipulation would be done by selecting a vertex on the field, then dragging it up and down, in turn affecting the surrounding enviornment with it.
Tech crap
Written in java? c++? c#? (cpp probalby fastest, java is academicy, c# is fun and nice) graphics, depends on the language, c# would make sense to use managed DirectX, java would be java3D, c++ could use openGL or DirectX.
I'd have to learn more about c++ and 3d technologies.
Game
This may change as I think up a more exciting (and possibly less complicated) set of rules. My idea is that the landscape is created and the two teams start in the build phase where both teams get a flag and a bunch of placeable buildings, these buildings must be placed on sufficiently flat terrain (which can be manipulated by the player) around the flag, once all the buildings have been placed the attack phase begins and the buildings begin spawning men which will take the easiest route (that the player can deform the landscape to their teams benefit) towards the enemy flag, attacking any enemy man that they see within a certain radius (with some simple combat rules) if the men reach the enemy flag, they begin to capture it which takes time and if the flag is captured then that player wins!
Pros
- I'd quite like to do it
- Relatively simple I think
- Game!
Cons
- I know next to nothing about maths or 3D so it could be very difficult
- Above Rule-set would be LOTS of code (even more if you include enemy AI)
- Maybe too simple?
- Above rule-set would be too balanced and just result in a huge battle in the middle of the map.