Idea for a game i'd like to make in da future ( Criticism appreciated )

Well i'm learning Java Language currently (Back to basic for me) and one of the things i'd like to do is develop a game. Instead of learning the language first I wanted to have a look at possibilities for a game.

I thought of a Survival Sandbox game (Firstperson) in a randomly generated terrain/city so everything is different each time you start making it more fun and unexpected. Now this city is in ruin so everything is scrap (except for the odd part or two). You are armed with nothing maybe have a switch blade used to cut stuff i'm not sure yet. And you MUST protect your self from the creature/monsters that live within this ruin. These monsters appear throughout the different time periods but vary in their threat, during the day it is quite peaceful with small threat monsters roaming around every once in a while and you get most of this time to grab whatever you need to build your shelter or creative building... But at night it becomes a little worse to where you can either fight things for fun or wait for the night to be over or explore.


Your shelter..

Okay so the shelter is made out of scrap pieces of metal, your safe.. aren't you? You can say you're safe but I might try and make it so each monster has an "intelligence" level and the higher it is means how good they are at sabotaging and getting into your shelter to attack you, you can reinforce your shelter and such and probably find useful tools along the way as well as constructing your own (restricted to different items not custom anything xD). So this means you must be on the move and know you're not always safe.

Creativity -

At some point you'll probably have enough resources to build some structure or something, you can start by removing some of the scraps and such making clean flat ground and make it, these buildings can be made out of stronger metal walls made by using various things. Although at the beginning creativity isn't much of an option unless you want to be creative on your shelter and make it look pretty nice and complex to stop yourself from the oncoming threats.


You're not just limited to the city however, you can go underground by constructing tunnels and such to find your own ores and such.

So this is my idea so far.. I would appreciate criticism (constructive).

I'm just thinking here, some of it reminds me a bit of minecraft which i'm trying to change as much as I can but I can't think of much more right now until development. Please take a look though and give any comments, also I think I could write this up better but my brain is kinda not working because i'm a little tired.

oh and don't get all saying it's crap and stuff, it probably is but i'd like to know why as well.

Sounds really complicated to program, especially with graphics.

Ducksaws wrote:Sounds really complicated to program, especially with graphics.

I know it is but it's a challenge. The Graphics will be hard for me to do I know that much but i'll try and do my best with it.

What about the idea though, is it any good at all?

actually I may be able to get help from a friend on graphics

So, it'll be kinda like Minecraft meets Fallout? What kinda time period? It sounds almost post apocolpytic kinda.

Kitsune no Kaji wrote:So, it'll be kinda like Minecraft meets Fallout? What kinda time period? It sounds almost post apocolpytic kinda.

Oh gawd, two games in one D: i feel like a copycat..

But it don't matter, it's just some random city place that was demolished. Not by a nuke like Fallout or stuff. Just like abandoned because of the creatures or something. and things broke apart. I'm not surte right now but i'd like to get off away from that because copying to me is bad and shows I'm not good at all forideas.

Nah, it's not copying. I'm just saying it sounds like a mix of the two games, which is a good thing. Sometimes, taking little bits of two games is a good thing. Also, having a completely idea is basically impossible, considering almost all of them have been taken.

Kitsune no Kaji wrote:Nah, it's not copying. I'm just saying it sounds like a mix of the two games, which is a good thing. Sometimes, taking little bits of two games is a good thing. Also, having a completely idea is basically impossible, considering almost all of them have been taken.

WELL what do you think of the game idea?

I think it's a good idea; trying to program how the monsters behave, and building with freeform type objects like scrap-metal will be kinda difficult, but if it works, it would be awesome.

Randomly generated worlds would be cool, but remember; infinite ones like Minecraft require the graphics quality to be pretty low. If you don't mind this, then go for the same type of thing. If not, however, you may want to make it random, but limit the size of the world to a certain size, but that would kinda detract from some of the fun a bit.

I also see kind of a problem with monster spawning, if they can in the day. It will be good if you can somehow set boundaries with some type of tool so monsters can't spawn there; that would be good, because monsters spawning in your house in broad daylight would suck. xD

Try to make the monsters look somewhat intimidating if you can, and have non-hostile ones that can be harvested for food/materials. Maybe even the abilitiy to use a tool to domesticate certain ones (that would be kinda complex though, and that may want to be saved for a much later game development)

Other than that, I think it would be pretty cool. If you could set it in a slightly more modern time than Minecraft, that would be cool, so would still be able to craft swords/bows, as basic survival weapons, and such, but the ability to make firearms, temporary auto-turrets, and such as you get rare/valuable materials from searching through some buildings would be really cool too (not sure how complex that may be though).

Anyways, maybe my ideas aren't the greatest, but those are just some of my thoughts.

My friend said if I really want to learn things I should try modding in java and minecraf tis a good example apparently. But yeah those ideas are nice. One thing I was thinking of is the monsters can only spawn in the actual ground level in dark secluded places or something since darkness willexist, i'll probably have it so you can set up a shelter and perma light it with a dimlight using some kind of tool which prevents monster spawn for a few blocsk.

I r sad that not even Tom is coming in to look =(

As complicated as it sounds, it's a great idea and I'd definitely check it out.

^any constructive criticism?

kinda sounds a little to much like minecraft. Maybe it could involve making vehicles or space travel. A minecraft like mmo that involves space travel and planet exploration would be a HUGE hit at least for me. it would need much smaller worlds though and some type of layout for each planet. Also instead of each players world being randomly generated it should be each server.

T-800 wrote:kinda sounds a little to much like minecraft. Maybe it could involve making vehicles or space travel. A minecraft like mmo that involves space travel and planet exploration would be a HUGE hit at least for me. it would need much smaller worlds though and some type of layout for each planet. Also instead of each players world being randomly generated it should be each server.

I can't do MMOs.. xD That'd cost a bit of money for servers. Plus the way I'd like it to go is have events and such and maybe DLC. Like you are limited to a non infinite world but you can explore this scrapped city . I know it sounds alot like minecraft but my friend said, when starting development, start with your basic foundations. Like the randomised city on a small scale. Implement the intelligence for monsters. and add them one at a time and see what the testers think. then change it on how you see fit.

I think that is quite a nice idea so I can use some of my ideas and then change what i've got now and what people think needs to be added to shape the game.

Barnold wrote:

T-800 wrote:kinda sounds a little to much like minecraft. Maybe it could involve making vehicles or space travel. A minecraft like mmo that involves space travel and planet exploration would be a HUGE hit at least for me. it would need much smaller worlds though and some type of layout for each planet. Also instead of each players world being randomly generated it should be each server.

I can't do MMOs.. xD That'd cost a bit of money for servers. Plus the way I'd like it to go is have events and such and maybe DLC. Like you are limited to a non infinite world but you can explore this scrapped city . I know it sounds alot like minecraft but my friend said, when starting development, start with your basic foundations. Like the randomised city on a small scale. Implement the intelligence for monsters. and add them one at a time and see what the testers think. then change it on how you see fit.

I think that is quite a nice idea so I can use some of my ideas and then change what i've got now and what people think needs to be added to shape the game.

If you can not make an mmo that is fine but I would love to see a vehicle creation system or planet exploration.

I think it should not be based on mining or anything. Just finding pieces of metal in the wreckage and using it to make things. Like you can find pieces of sheet metal and stack them to make walls. Or make a program to randomly generate sky scrapers or buildings with randomly generated things in them. Maybe there are different grades of scrap metal, from low to high that are rare. And instead of underground caves you can mine into sewer systems.

Ducksaws wrote:I think it should not be based on mining or anything. Just finding pieces of metal in the wreckage and using it to make things. Like you can find pieces of sheet metal and stack them to make walls. Or make a program to randomly generate sky scrapers or buildings with randomly generated things in them. Maybe there are different grades of scrap metal, from low to high that are rare. And instead of underground caves you can mine into sewer systems.

This also.

Yeah I wasn't planning on actual mining and stuff. but that'd be pretty cool finding sewer systems. And abandoned sky scrapers could be fun to explore like a cavern in minecraft with different goodies like eleectrical supplies and such. I was planning.

Grades of scrap metal is what i'm thinking of, considering your using sheet metals or scrap metals any way and the intelligence system. Say x monster has 3 intelligence, it can break through bad grade scrap metal like rusted metals. and if y monster has 10 intelligence it can slowly decompose a carbon steel sheet. I'm planning on integrating different things and have it so you can use electrical supplies and make an electric fence to protect the walls for as long as stands like it has different volts and each time it's touched, x volts is deducted and if they're all reduced it's just a plain fence.

Thanks duck though they're great ideas <3

EDIT : I could later add an dtry out a vehicle system out of rusty parts and crafting things. Maybe make thihngs a little more practical with a little knife to cut up parts into seperate pieces. The vehicle could run for a bit but the fuel is hard to find or you could find different ways of supplies (Electricity).

Try a redstone system for electricity. You have to find a telephone pole and then lay down wire that you can find or smelt from scrap copper. Then maybe you can make a primitive switch made of three pieces of metal (2 seperated pieces and one hinge that connects the two to make a current).

I wouldn't try to make any kind of complex pieces of metal. Maybe you find pieces that come out to 3 blocks long or something, but don't try to make complicated shapes. Maybe if you base the graphics on a grid like 1/3 the size of minecraft and all objects are based on that grid. So building scrap metal houses would be something like tetris. You need one contact to connect a piece to another piece, but the more contacts you have makes it more secure.

So for the durability of your house, you would have three factors. Material, how many points of contact are connecting each piece, and maybe you could use an electric drill to nail them together.

Also include electromagnets. Like when X creature steps onto Y pressure plate, electricity from source A can run through newly formed electrical circuit B to activate electromagnet C, which will attract forcefully a bunch of metal pointy objects across space D, and through creature X.

Ducksaws wrote:Try a redstone system for electricity. You have to find a telephone pole and then lay down wire that you can find or smelt from scrap copper. Then maybe you can make a primitive switch made of three pieces of metal (2 seperated pieces and one hinge that connects the two to make a current).

I wouldn't try to make any kind of complex pieces of metal. Maybe you find pieces that come out to 3 blocks long or something, but don't try to make complicated shapes. Maybe if you base the graphics on a grid like 1/3 the size of minecraft and all objects are based on that grid. So building scrap metal houses would be something like tetris. You need one contact to connect a piece to another piece, but the more contacts you have makes it more secure.

So for the durability of your house, you would have three factors. Material, how many points of contact are connecting each piece, and maybe you could use an electric drill to nail them together.

Also include electromagnets. Like when X creature steps onto Y pressure plate, electricity from source A can run through newly formed electrical circuit B to activate electromagnet C, which will attract forcefully a bunch of metal pointy objects across space D, and through creature X.

These are the ideas i'd like to get to during the creation of this when I get to develop it. Buti'd start basics first add as I go along and if they don't fit right i'll change it just so I can make it more appealing to people.

Also smelting and such would be a great idea but you can't make your own "portable" furnace just to add to more survival instincts like "Oh it's light out, lets get ourw ork done first before getting raped." or something. I'm hoping when it's done though and I attempt to get it out on the market after a lot of testing it's at least a little successful xD