Hi All,
I’ve been tinkering with the BGE for a while now, learning the various intricacies of the facilities it offers. I feel it is certainly capable now (since Apricot) of producing commercial grade games within certain constraints. As a test of this, I’ve decided to embark on a little project to produce a simple fun side scroller. I’ve chosen this format for a number of reasons, mainly because I’m not a big fan of FPS or racing games, and they are all that seems to be made with Blender. Also, because I’d like the result to appeal to more than just the hardcore gamers.
I’ve worked in the games industry before for many years, so have a good idea of the process involved in creating a game. As such, I’ll be following a well defined process to produce the game, starting with some research into the validity of the mechanic, and suitability of the tools (done). I’m currently working on a GDD for the overall vision, but here is a compressed overview of my design for anyone who’s interested.
Overview:
The game will be based around the original story of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi circa. 1883. The story will be interpreted to make it more suitable for a game, and some of the heavier scenes adapted to suit the audience. Each of the main sections of the story will form a game level.
The look and feel of the game is intended to mimic that of a stage production. The level backgrounds will appear to be painted stage set elements, and will ‘appear’ into play as the game progresses, as if placed by stage hands, i.e. drop from the ceiling on ropes, slide in from the side, lift into place etc. The levels will be much larger than could be accommodated on a standard stage, hence the scene forming as the game progresses.
The primary game mechanic will be formed around puzzle solving to achieve goals and rewards. The puzzles will include physical elements, utilising the Bullet physics of the BGE. The player will be able to move and interact with much of the level and many parts will be intentionally movable in order to complete the puzzles.
I’ve lurked here long enough to know that it’s ill advised to come here with a game idea and nothing to show, so I’ve attached my current research files to show that I’ve done at least some of the groundwork.
Please note that this is not a request for contributions, although of course anyone interested should feel free to contact me. Of course comments and suggestions are welcome, but please bear in mind the ‘placeholder’ status of much of the research content, especially the scenery.
To run, copy both .blend files to the same location, and load gametest8.blend, pinocchio8.blend is a library with the character in. Controls are left, right and space to jump, very simple at the moment, I hope to keep it that way as much as possible (if only because I have two left thumbs and can’t manage complex control setups myself).
Cheers
Paul Gregory
Attachments
gametest8.blend (960 KB)pinocchio8.blend (748 KB)
