Dream Game

Wilderness Survival (Placeholder name) is a first-person explorative sandbox crafting game that follows a player's journey to adjust to the sudden disaster of being stranded on an island and survive.


Inspired by stories like The Castaway by Robert Zemeckis, Suicide Island by Mori Kouji, and The Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

Gameplay-wise it takes inspirations from minecraft for its crafting system, roguelike elements that creates tension and drama to simple decisions, and open world explorative games like Skyrim and Minecraft.

Ideally it would have four seasons that change the type of flora and fauna available and have an effect on your character as well.

Skill-based crafting that doesn't become a quick-time event or a thoughtless mini-game.
Crafting would be less abstract so that killing a rabbit would yield you with more or less what you would get if you actually gut a rabbit. Bones, meats, and hides at least.
Inventory system will be realistic too in the sense that you need to realistically lug around your equipment.

Combat is difficult to do well but the closest thing to what I like and think it is appropriate is monster hunter, but less.. over the top.

Story-wise it is told implicitly through the environment and the players craft their own story by using the game similar to FTL.

 Visually I'm thinking along the lines of Dear Esther. Something grounded in reality and never strays far from it. It can have fantastic looking scenery, just don't want it to delve into fantasy or use alien plant-life. I want things to stay within the realm of earth.


Any suggestions and comments would be appreciated. I am also thinking if this could work as an RPG of sorts then the combat would become easier to handle, but I'm still not too convinced that if it becomes too heavily numbers-based, it might make it go in a weird direction.

EDIT: I got another idea where after you reach a certain level of sustenance, you will find  a storage of glass bottles, pencils, and papers. You can send messages by writing your message and send it to others and you might get or not get messages from other players (online messaging kinda) but you would have to search the coasts for the bottles.

Or maybe glass can be a craftable item. 

EDIT 2: Another idea is that you can sustain injuries on your leg and such but you would need to be able to communicate that to the player without making it a flat-out percentage bar because absolute certainty about where something works or that takes away from the illusion and the confusion that would come with ones well being. You can understand that you are in pain that you might be pushing it but you don't really know the breaking point where something would go wrong. So when you fall from heights, an indicator of the well being of your leg could be from fine, okay, to the spectrum of dangerous. Healthy - Tired/Weathered - Injured - Soreness. Maybe find a better criteria of status. 

Regarding Level Design

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134949/learning_from_the_masters_level_.php

Hey y'all hope you had good holidays. A great article from gamasutra. I think we should start getting ideas together and prototyping a simple game because from what I hear, you learn the most while actually working on things.

I propose we set deadlines for ourselves because if we have infinite time, we might end up squandering it and that'd be counterproductive to the overall effort.

And as we decided, we'll do the indie game studies though we could and should dip into the easily accessible NES, SNES libraries for games because those are proven design-wise and we can learn a lot from them. It'd be helpful to have a sort of compiled notes on game design, level design, and all related functions.


Let me know what you think and hope you guys have a good new years eve and new years.

Game Engines

I have been researching different game engines to use to create games on.
I toyed around with a couple of them (Gamemaker Studios/Unity) and feel that Unity would be a better platform to create games on.
I have found a great indepth tutorial/course that teaches the basic mechanics for using Unity.
Walkerboy Studios
It just seems that there are more tutorials/guides for using Unity, that makes it more appealing to me.
Also, here is a general informative blogpost that has much information regarding game development.
Pixel Prospector Indie Resources
When I get the chance, I'll post about a game idea I have had for the past couple of months.

Alright, good luck everyone with work/school/finals.

Quick Update

Hey I just wanted to make a quick suggestion regarding the status of the blog.
I realize that most of us have a busy schedule due to finals/school/work from here on out in December.
So I am proposing the idea of postponing our weekly indie game playthrough.
I realize that holidays are coming up soon as well.
So I was thinking about restarting it next year.
Let me know when you guys would be free.
Also, I have been playing Hotline Miami, and it is fucking amazing.
When you guys get the chance, make sure to pick it up, especially with the Steam winter sale coming up soon.

Discussion Week 4: 52

Sorry for not posting earlier. But here's something from Fuck This Jam that I found pretty neat.

http://bmo.fuckthisjam.com/submissions/67-52

Welcome!

So we recently have two new members on board, that is Quan and Brandon.
Just wanted to let you guys know that you can feel free to post anything you want (relating to indie gaming/game development/game ideas) on this blog.
As part of our game development club, we have a weekly indie game play that we do each week.
In that one person chooses an indie game for the rest of our group to play.
At the end of the week,  we write our comments/thoughts/likes/dislikes about the game.
It doesn't have to be long, you can simply keep it short if you would like.
All we ask is that you pick a game and post a comment regarding it each week.

Since I have just finished picking the game for this week 11/19 - 11/25
I was thinking that Sam could pick the next game for week 11/26 - 12/2
Then Quan for 12/3 - 12/9
And Brandon for 12/10 - 12/16

Then back to me repeating in that cycle.

Let me know if you guys have any questions or concerns about this.
Lastly, welcome aboard gang.
Looking forward to some great discussions with you all.

To the Moon

Alright I need another opinion.
As you probably know, the Thanksgiving steam sale has been going on and I recently saw that To the Moon is on sale.
I have heard many good things about this game being very emotional and whatnot
For it being only 5 bucks I'm gonna just go for it.
There are so much games I plan on buying too (Hotline Miami/FTL).
I feel that I have not been playing much indie games besides our weekly game.
I have been only playing dota 2 and just learning gamemaker studio.
I have also put time aside for continuing my studies on C and python, but I think it this would be a good thing to set some time aside and play some games that I want to play without the analyzing.

Sorry for getting off topic, I just wanted to make this post as a way to let you guys know what is going on with me.

What are you guys playing at the moment/working on in the fields of gaming?

Also main theme is pretty amazing.

Don't Starve

Not sure if you have heard about this game called, "Don't Starve".
The game is essentially a survival action game.
I don't know much about it to be honest, but the art style is definitely interesting in my opinion.
Apparently it is still in beta, but it looks like it runs quite smooth.
I'll definitely try and pick it up to see how it is when I get the time/money.

Website:
http://www.dontstarvegame.com/blog/

Gameplay:

Discussion Week 4: MINDER (MNWS)

Sorry for the late post. The game for this week is MINDER.

http://www.freeindiegam.es/2012/11/minder-mnws/

Game Brainstorming #1: Co-Operative Roguelike

You and I love roguelikes. And I don't know about you but I love me some good ol' couch co-op gaming. There's something magical about it.

But basically there's a problem with Co-Op roguelikes. The problem is worse when there are more players. People who have died cannot do anything. The elimination type of gameplay is not a very engaging one. Turn-based would be very tricky to work in as well. So the answer is seemingly an action-based roguelike.

I was thinking that each player controls a "spirit" with core abilities that you can alter by getting different things in the game. And you can possess any bodies in the environment in which case you'd be playing the game. There has to be some sort of gameplay mechanic for the spirit version as well.

I was thinking everyone starts as a spirit, with a bit of mad dash in the beginning to get the best body (slightly competitive), and they play through the game cooperatively, but semi competitively. You win if by the end, you have more points or some kind of game goal.

Do you have any thoughts on this?

Is this something you'd like to work on?

Let me know if you want to brainstorm for something you've been thinking of. I think it's best if we tried at least to spell out as much of the game mechanics as possible and in a way that we can start to piece together the game in code. In numbers.

Focusing on Art

So I've been thinking about what is so attractive about indie games and I narrowed it down to a few things.

1. Focused and fully realized gameplay ideas.

2. The variety of narrative themes and styles.

3. Experimental nature of the art direction.


These are some of the core elements that I believe you need to make good indie games. I always fancied being a bohemian-one-man developer of video games but the skill sets required to create awesome games need to be at least divided into three major categories. Programming, music and art.

I think, the best thing I can do, is focus on making the artistic quality be as best as possible. I do not think I'll be able to achieve the kind of creative freedom when it comes to music (I have little aptitude for music). Programming is something I'm willing to dabble more in because it has other applications and also, you can get pretty far with a simple 2d platformer. But that isn't what I want to do all the time. That is, to make simple 2d platformers; There's been a big trend of simple platformers since Jason Rohrer's Passage came out and I think that's a bit of a shame because part of the indie spirit is to create something new or give things a breath of fresh air.

Well I'm getting way off topic.

Anyways, hopefully you'll be getting along in your programming, so that we can truly collaborate on creating awesome games. I'll make sure that whatever we make, ends up looking fucking awesome as well. That is my mission.

Also check this out

LA Game Space
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lagamespace/la-game-space-a-place-for-re-imagining-video-games

Sportsfriend Compilation
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gutefabrik/sportsfriends-featuring-johann-sebastian-joust

I personally love the re-emergence of local co-op/versus games like these. I hope we can create something similar in the vein of the games we enjoyed so much. Smash Brothers, Roguelikes, Yugioh, and etc.

Discussion Week 3: Nuign Specter

Sorry for the delay. This week was an extra busy weekend for some reason.

This week we'll play Nuign Specter and discuss it.

Also, you should check out Hotline Miami if you haven't already. I'm broke atm so I ended up pirating but I'll buy it once I have money. This game is easily one of the best games made in recent times.

And here's the link to Nuign Specter
http://gamejolt.com/games/other/nuign-specter/10175/

The Eight Filters of Game Design

I was reading The Art of Game Design, and I stumbled across this quote on what it takes for an idea for a game to take off.  Basically Jesse Schell, states that there are 8 filters that idea for a game must pass.

"Filter # 1: Artistic Impulse :This is the most personal of the filters. You, as the designer, basically ask yourself whether the game “ feels right ” to you, and if it does, it passes the test. If it doesn’t, something needs to change. Your gut feelings are important. They won’t always be right, but the other filters will balance that out.

Key Question : “ Does this game feel right? ”

Filter # 2: Demographics :Your game is likely to have an intended audience. This might be an age bracket, or a gender, or some other distinct audience (e.g., “ golf enthusiasts ” ). You have to consider whether your design is right for the demographic you are targeting. Demographics will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 8.

Key Question : “ Will the intended audience like this game enough? ”

Filter # 3: Experience Design :To apply this filter, take into account everything you know about creating a good experience, including aesthetics, interest curves, resonant theme, game balancing, and many more. Many of the lenses in this book are about experience design — to pass this filter, your game must stand up to the scrutiny of many lenses.

Key Question : “ Is this a well-designed game? ”

Filter # 4: Innovation : If you are designing a new game, by definition there needs to be something new about it, something players haven’t seen before. Whether your game is novel enough is a subjective question, but a very important one.

Key Question : “ Is this game novel enough? ”

Filter # 5: Business and Marketing :The games business is a business, and designers who want their games to sell must consider the realities of this and integrate them into their game’s design. This involves many questions. Are the theme and story going to be appealing to consumers? Is the game so easily explainable that one can understand what it is about just by looking at the box? What are the expectations consumers are going to have about this game based on the genre? How do the features of this game compare to other similar games in the marketplace? Will the cost of producing this game be so high as to make it unprofitable? Will retailers be willing to sell this game? The answers to these and many other questions are going to have an impact on your design. Ironically, the innovative idea that drove the initial design may prove to be completely untenable when viewed through this filter. This will be discussed in detail in Chapter 29.

Key Question : “ Will this game sell? ”

Filter # 6: Engineering : Until you have built it, a game idea is just an idea, and ideas are not necessarily bound by the constraints of what is possible or practical. To pass this filter, you have to answer the question “ How are we going to build this? ” The answer may be that the limits of technology do not permit the idea as originally envisioned to be constructed. Novice designers often grow frustrated with the limits that engineering imposes on their designs. However, the engineering filter can just as often grow a game in new directions, because in the process of applying this filter, you may realize that engineering makes possible features for your game that did not initially occur to you. The ideas that appear during the application of this filter can be particularly valuable, since you can be certain that they are practical. More issues of engineering and technology will be discussed in Chapter 26.

Key Question : “ Is it technically possible to build this game? ”

Filter # 7: Social/Community : Sometimes, it is not enough for a game to be fun. Some of the design goals may require a strong social component, or the formation of a thriving community around your game. The design of your game will have a strong impact on these things. This will be discussed in detail in Chapters 21 and 22.

Key Question : “ Does this gamemeet our social and community goals? ”

Filter # 8: Playtesting : Once the game has been developed to the point that it is playable, you must apply the playtesting filter, which is arguably the most important of all the filters. It is one thing to imagine what playing a game will be like, and quite another to actually play it, and yet another to see it played by your target audience. You will want to get your game to a playable stage as soon as possible, because when you actually see your game in action, important changes that must be made will become obvious. In addition to modifying the game itself, the application of this filter often changes and tunes the other filters as you start to learn more about your game mechanics and the psychology of your intended audience. Playtesting will be discussed in detail in Chapter 25.

Key Question : “ Do the playtesters enjoy the game enough? ” 

For the most part, I believe Jesse constructs a concise set of guidelines for game designers to consider when thinking of an idea for a game.  I believe that most of these filters plays an important role in determining if a game is able to be made. I feel that filter #6 is perhaps the most important. You may have thought of the best idea for a game.  However, the game idea is worth nothing if you are not able to impliment it. 

I'll post more interesting quotes and passages as I read.     

Dwarf Fortress

So I recently started to play Dwarf Fortress.
(I know right, why the hell have I not played it yet?)
The ascii inferface really turned me off,  but I have started reading up on some guides.
The mechanics and depth to it is amazing.
I was just wondering what your opinion on Dwarf Fortress is.

Discussion Week 2: Carny Death Peddlers

A bit late but Happy Halloween.
Our next game for this week is Carny Death Peddlers.
As usual, discuss and write your general reactions to this game.

http://www.freeindiegam.es/2012/11/carny-death-peddlers-adam-domurad-clay-bullard/

BTW: Love this site. It has so much indie games.

Awesome Articles from Brainy Gamer

http://www.brainygamer.com/the_brainy_gamer/

This site has some interesting insights to game related things that most publications don't delve into.

Cool Co-operative shmup

http://superspaceblank.com/

Knytt Underground

I am excited to see Nifflas make a sequel to his Knytt series. Being one of my first indie games I played, I have  a soft spot for this game. It is nice to see some influences from Nifflas's other games being added to Knytt Underground, (refer to art style of Saira and Nightsky)

http://indiegames.com/2012/07/nifflas_to_create_knytt_underg.html

Discussion Week 1: Goblet Grotto

This week we will play and talk about Goblet Grotto.

Hopefully by 2nd of November

http://www.freeindiegam.es/2012/10/goblet-grotto-thecatamites-j-chastain-new-vaders/