is there anything which you can show us?
why you do play video games?
Nothing I’m proud of and would want to show off. Most of the time was spent learning python and Panda3D and what it likes and doesn’t like. And then banging my head against the desk when something didn’t work. Remember, I’m NOT recruiting people, and in that case I don’t have to show anything until I’m ready. But I’ll post screenshots and gameplay videos as soon as I can.
Gameplay and the challenge. Good graphics just isn’t a very good reason to play. I’m hoping that was a serious question.
yo my man, looks you’re goin great indeed 
my (limited) knowledge is at your service - inquire here for anything and we’ll try to help you out.
I thank you. At the moment I don’t need anything, but I’m half wondering if I’ll need help with threading later.
gameplay and the challenge is a must be, that why its called a game. most of classic board games are great in that, ok not backgammon, but this is also working, there you get a bit of illusion of strategy. but in overall, its nothing else like “mensch aerger dich nicht”. but the board looks better. 
really graphics is the reason of all video games (and thats why we have color monitors), instead you could play a card game. example solitare, its quite amazing in the easyness but you can reach a very high level in thinking forward and in solving problems. videogames are just related to graphics. but you could also do audiogame on computers. which would be new i think. so without any graphics output. just a black monitor and the story and the game is just telling you through your speakers. im sure i would like this! but im not sure if you would reach lot of money with.
cheers man, and work on your game. dont see me as a sucker, i dont wanna suck your game. i only saw your posting about graphics, thats why i answerd. maybe i have changed your minds a bit, if not, its also ok. you will understand it anytime
i like seemingly infinite techtrees very much like in master of orion 3 and being able to dig holes/shoot craters in the terrain like in earth 2150 (digging) and tiberian sun (craters)
krid: An audio game would be quite difficult, I don’t think I could pull something like that off. It would be great if it had voice-recognition and could respond to your voice instead of length keyboard commands. By the way, I’m not trying to reach money with games at this time (though it is nice. 
). Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ignoring graphics, it’s just not top on the list.
Praios: Could you please post a link to a screenshot of that?
UPDATE 3/21/2010:
Here two quick screenshots, the bottom one is a couple days old, while the top one is yesterday. I’m pretty slow about uploading pics. Note that all the models are either placeholders or quite obviously incomplete in either modeling or texturing. (I’m using the panda as a placeholder for all units for now. )
Hmmmm… I wonder why there appears to be dirt lying around, I wonder if something has been digging holes? 
@bigfoot: Screenshots of what should i post?
In terms of graphics, I have nothing new right now. In terms of gameplay, it’s coming along. Pathfinding was the past two days, and it’s still not quite done since I’m planning on weighting terrain based on difficulty to traverse. User interface is coming up on my list.
Hello,
I didn’t check out your alpha so this is kind of coming out of left field, but.
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The rock, paper, scissors aspect of strategy games. Someone said “balancing”. It’s always there; embrace, don’t deny. R.P.S. at 500 miles an hour. Hell, chess at 500 mps, but that’s the fencing club. Actually, even chess, let alone go, can tend to come to the point of obscuring the RPS side.
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Scriptable controls. I’ve always wished you could script commands for say the lurkers or tanks (expensive long-range units) in Starcraft, such as wait until such and such condition to attack, or sound the retreat at such and such time, etc. I think there’s a lot of promise in it.
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And there goes my other idea I was going to make a million off.
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I just have no idea if it applies to your game or not, OP.
I haven’t actually given an alpha yet.
Rock-paper-scissors and balancing are indeed issues which I’ve been working out. That is perhaps the main reason that I will eventually release an alpha, for feedback.
Fencing club is awesome! Been a while since I’ve been there though.
Scriptable controls sounds to me like scripting your own customized AI?
Yes. There are times playing Starcraft I really wanted a computer to do some of the tasks for me. All the units could benefit from it to some degree, as well as buildings, if you want other examples. You could start with the native A.I. and build on top of it, or start from scratch, or anywhere in between. There are milder versions, such as starting X number of minutes in to the game, with your own config file, since you always use the same build sequence anyway.
There are a couple risks. One, you kind of limit your audience appeal; it becomes a lot more niche. That may be rather severe which would be a big drawback. Two, your best player isn’t an athlete with the mouse, but an athlete with subroutines. You would naturally want to bring your own subroutines to the table. I think a lot of people expect mousethletics, but I never find it a true test; you’re not the quarterback/pitcher, you’re the coach. The best strategy should win-- it’s target practice with strategies, not with zerglings. Three, you’re more vulnerable to cheating, but by how much I don’t know.
</ramble, thank you>
I think I see what you are saying. Serious AI is not on my list for another month, but I’ll keep that in mind. Cheating is of course a problem for any game, it can never be completely eradicated but at least minimized. Since I’m not planning any multi-player nor game ladders, cheating is not as much of a problem. I can’t think of anyone I know (well, maybe one) that would want to customize AI while playing, they expect it to come straight out of the box and so do most people. Who would want to make an AI before being able to play? Rather, the AI will be customizable at the source. IF people actually customize AI, a battle to see who’s is best and that will become the standard. Don’t worry about rambling, it makes me want to read the post more. Cause if it’s that big, it must be good!
I really think you’ve got the wrong idea of my picture. You’re coming from the side of, complete AI, plus custom meddling. I’m coming from, let us all do our own, using nothing but the commands that are available on the GUI. You might be able to get submissions from players’ subroutines to build an AI later.
It’s too bad we don’t have a ‘when’ keyword in Python. Let’s say we do.
when barracks.hasProducedMarine:
barracks.build( another marine )Though realistically you’d want ratios, and we have unit maxes so we might have formulas and stuff.
when barracks.queue.isEmpty:
barracks.append( another marine )
barracks.append( another marine )
barracks.append( another medic )This gives you a 2:1 ratio of marines to medics, for example.
when lurkerGroup0.enemyInRange:
if distance( closest_enemy, lg0.center )< X:
lurkerGroup0.openFire( )
else:
lurkerGroup0.holdFire( )
else:
lurkerGroup0.holdFire( )And other things like customizable notifications, rather than one big “We are under attack”.
lurkerGroup0.sound_alarm= True
stray_marine.sound_alarm= FalseThough that can be a GUI setting if we keep it basic, that is, if it doesn’t depend on too many things.
It may be unrealistic to have an editor open while the game is going, but working on it “outside of class” would definitely change things.
Queueing orders for say, defilers, might be coming in SC2. Say, move here then cast plague, then retreat. But group orders may not.
for i in range( 10 ):
build_nydus_canal( home, enemy )We’d want a sequence after that too anyway:
for i in range( 10 ):
drone.build_hatchery( enemy )
build_nydus_canal( home, enemy )
send_thousands_of_zerglings( )Etc.
Want some suggestions? Here:
amazon.com/Art-Game-Design-b … 123694965/
@drozzy: I would love the book, since you suggested it perhaps you’ll pay $60 for it for me? 
@castironpi: Ahhh… So you aren’t talking about complete AI, you mean “when this event happens, your units/buildings/whatever will do this, or that event will happen”. Adding subroutines in-game from a list of pre-determined prerequisites, events, actions. Do I get the picture a bit better perhaps?
One day I’ll learn English, I guess. Yes, that’s what I was picturing. I think you could take it as far as a play book, possibly sharing between teammates.
I’d especially like to target certain types, regardless of whether it’s defense or offense. Always get the carrier first, and so on. Takes some of the fun out of “it”, no, for some referent of “it”?
Don’t worry, the rest of us don’t know English either! 
I can see that this would be really nice, but I’m not sure that I’m up to doing that. By the way, no carriers will be harmed in this game.