The BMW2 Production Thread

[lantzblades]

Game concepts are made up of six things. Idea, limitation, direction, style, game play  and platform.

these concepts are not individuals, they are part of the whole thing.  While different departments are responsible for different game aspects the six concepts interlock the results and expectations together for all the departments. They feed into each other and either give lee way or rob a department of choice.

you guys treating them as separate seems to show a lack of care.

[Cherry Lover]

That's true to some extent, but a well-written game engine shouldn't depend on the details of the story. Obviously I do need to know the basic outline of what they want it to be able to do, but I don't need a fully-formed story at all.

[lantzblades]

A well written game engine needs the details in order to tailor itself to the game being built. That's the way I see it, besides that with this site being the home of the project, doesn't it make sense to disclose the story to the participants here?

[Cherry Lover]

Well, the game engine shouldn't really need to be "tailored" to the game, honestly. In fact, the most likely approach is going to be taking an existing game engine and modifying it, since writing a game engine from scratch is simply too difficult for one person to do. In fact, if anyone has suggestions for a good game engine to use that would achieve something similar in concept to the original BMW (i.e. the game mechanics will likely be much the same, with some additions), then please suggest it.

As for the story, I don't even know that yet. I think the idea is that they want to keep it as secret as possible. I agree that it does need to be discussed here, though, even if in some hidden forum for people involved in the game.

[Alice]

Plus it's far harder to code a game engine than it is to write a story. Really, if anything, the game engine should be focused on first, the other elements second. Not to say that the other elements aren't important, quite the contrary, but if your game is a buggy, unplayable mess, it doesn't matter how good the other things are, because the most basic element you're supposed to get right is messed up.

That's not to say that these elements can't be integrated once development is far more underway, and you have a grasp of what your game's engine is capable of. But when starting out, you have to try and focus on your engine first, and work out what it can do separate of the other elements, because that within itself will determine what you are capable of doing with the other elements of the game. 

As for a good game designing engine, that depends on what you're looking for. One thing to keep in mind though is that if it's at all possible, coding an engine from scratch may give us the most flexibility in the end, but it will also be the most difficult thing to do by far (...I think. I'm not very knowledgeable about coding, I just know that it's hard ^_^"). Really, it depends on what we want from the game and how much effort we're willing to put into designing the engine.

[Cherry Lover]

Well, if you're writing an engine from scratch or choosing from a possible list of engines, then it makes far more sense to do that based on what is needed for the story. Of course you don't need the details, but you do need to know what features are desired and which can safely be left out.

And, well, coding an engine from scratch is theoretically the most flexible option, but it is also nigh-on impossible for one person to do so. Plus, taking an existing engine and modifying it does not lose much in the way of flexibility but gains a hell of a lot in time spent.

[Alice]

Ahh, OK. You can tell I don't know much about coding. ^_^" But yeah, I'm only really familiar with the RPG maker series and Game Maker as far as engines go, and those both have some definite limitations. Are there actual game engines floating around out there that you're free to mess with?

[Xamusel]

Y'know, I know of Unity as an engine, but that one is not really an easy to use engine on its own. The reason I say that?

It's primarily 3D, it uses the wrong languages for programming and scripting (at least for Cherry), and it focuses primarily on the mapping side of things when you aren't coding things in from scratch... and, by mapping, I mean placing models in a 3D environment and play-testing to see if you put them in the right place at the right model level (I don't know mapping terminology that well right now).

Now... you guys are looking for Isometric, right? If so, I'll help you find a modifiable engine which meets the requirements.

[Cherry Lover]

Well, there's not really any such thing as the "wrong" language for me. I don't have tons of experience in any language that is going to be useful in this context (although I know C++ more than others), and I am an extremely fast learner when it comes to these things.

I don't think we're going for 3D here, though.

[Xamusel]

Want me to ask DP about what he thinks on the subject? I mean, I'm considering asking him about what graphics level he thinks we'll need, as well as what he needs coded before the graphics and such get made.

[Milbunk]

I think finding something that matches the style and gameplay of the original BMW would be ideal, do you have any ideals for that?

[Xamusel]

Er, Milbunk, one problem. I haven't played the original Battle Moon Wars yet to know how this'll work.

[Cherry Lover]

I think finding something that matches the style and gameplay of the original BMW would be ideal, do you have any ideals for that?

Well, style-wise you're right, but we have to be careful not to get something that doesn't support all the features we want.

[Milbunk]

Here are some sample videos of BMW:

Let's Play Battle Moon Wars part 1

Is that enough to give you an idea of how it plays?

[Xamusel]

I'll give the videos a look-over soon enough... that's all I can say now.