2010-08-12, 06:22 PM
Todd mentioned collaborating on a project before,
I just wanna say, I have a project, and I don't really have any huge ego about it being a one man show. And I'd really welcome the chance to try to work out how to collaborate on a game, and I'm sure I can provide some technical tools for making that feasible. In fact in order to keep things in perspective I've chosen to basically start with Diadem of Maunstraut and just give it some TLC and a spit polish. I'm pretty sure Tom hates the idea (not to mention myself) but I'd already convinced him to agree to let the game be out there as opensource for anyone who wants to play with it and that's a tradition I'd like to encourage/foster because that's how I feel gaming should evolve. DoM I think is significant because it's the first full fledged SoM game (sorry Japan you had 10yrs to do something solid with Som!!) so I'd like to see it if not branch out like a tree, at least shoot up like a weed.
Todd thinks every Som game after DoM is going to be visually compared to DoM by poo-pooers. So I reckon before the original Som assets are completely dead to the acute ADD afflicted amongst us they might as well be put to a little more use.
My basic intention is to produce a game that is if not technically comparable to a contemporary/mainstream title it can be at least artistically so. Which is to say a video game critic/reviewer with half a brain cell should have no problem recommending the game to new/old gamers alike.
I've never seen even a low budget film of any merit that didn't have a long ass laundry list of people credited. Not to belittle anyone's solitary effort, but if we really want to turn peoples heads (to pay attention to Som) it's going to require collaboration.
I think I know everything necessary to produce a game. I know enough about everything to at least be able to intelligently communicate what needs to be done and empathize with anyone's role. I regard myself a sort of virtuoso in most skillsets required. I'm however only a mediocre writer but I know good writing when I see it. I have an even better ear for music I think but I was not in the band in highschool and never got into music (though there was a time when I definitely could've at least fronted an act or two
) ...which is why I chose DoM; which is, if I have to go it alone, it already has an original/lovingly crafted soundtrack.
I've already worked out everything I want to do. And my only insistence upon anyone who'd like to help is that everyone involved understand that I shall have the final say so on anything and everything. My preference would be to act as the director and software engineer. I of course want people to leave there mark, and just because I say I have final say doesn't mean in the slightest I would not be compromising or accommodating... it would just mean I get to draw the line, like it or leave it. That may sound bad, but IMO there's never been a good film or game that didn't have someone in this capacity. Anything done by committee is doomed to mediocrity and I just don't want to poor a lot of time into something that could go that way.
I have a good idea of all the changes to DoM I intend to make. The list is not super long, and not particular. There is probably the equivalent of four good sized new maps. At least two of which I've already prepared. I've also spent a lot of time cleaning up many of the maps. What I mainly need are writers, play testers, and graphics people. I think the writing in Wicklow game was pretty solid, if Johnny Park is still around he could maybe help. I'm not a fan of dialogue so it shouldn't be a huge job. If anyone wants to help with play testing, that's a lot bigger role than it sounds. It's basically also the playtesters' job to tweak the monster/consumable item layouts and stats etc. Graphically I intend to use as much as the Som assets as possible, including Tom's stuff in DoM and some stuff I like from DD. Some of Tom's stuff will need new textures or new objects because I think they were ripped from KF1 and never properly textured. I intend to add one full body piece of armor which I finally have concept art for which I like. It's a very important piece of armor to the game. And I want to develop a tree set with basically almost solid foliage which can be pieced together to create lush settings (basically the parts of the trees need to be separate objects so they can be placed in different arrangements) ...aside from these queerly evergreen trees everything else in the world of DoM is dead or dying... they play an important role in the game. Otherwise there are probably a few spot treatments and I would not mind if the outdoor set could be doubled in terms of flexibility.
If anything is sacred to you, you might not want to get involved. If you're militantly religious about religion X or even King's Field you might be offended. I want to draw onto and add to the mythology of KF and ST which is something DoM already does. And I want the entire game to be interpretable on a Jungian level in a very Wizard of Oz kind of way. I also intend to play up the occult themes in DoM which Tom swears he unwittingly attributed to the game by way of the black metal he listens to / now presumably denounces (or pleads ignorance too)
There is a very antihero theme similar to ST. Your main allies are (not unlovable) demonic forces, but you also pray to their more or less benevolent equivalents. The ultimate antagonists are neither good or bad in a worldly way but are Lovecraft like cosmic horrors which threaten to devour the world of DoM demons and their better halves alike. Kind of like in Elric tales the most truly evil force in the game is the equipment the player will come to rely on for power.
I overcome the monotony of Som's hack'n'slash on sedatives model by throwing as many monsters at the player as possible and not necessarily awarding the player for killing them. Mostly the challenge lies in the numbers however which are fairly involved. You have a lot of stats playing off one another and you're up against the clock because your mp drains over time and without it you become a sitting duck. It's really like your fatigue. If you choose to develop your MAG equivalent then you can go further distances/last longer but with less physical power and all around regeneration, but if you go the STR route you have lots of regen and stamina but must rest a lot. Afaik STR and MAG are the only innate stats that change thruout the game which effect the players performance. They play many roles however. There is also a lot going on with the status ailments which all play different roles than intended. There are also at least five different modes of travel depending on the weight of the players inventory everything except negligible "one of" items has a weight. The game is designed to not take long and feel like an arcade experience with lots of replay value with an emphasis on best time ranking.
I just wanna say, I have a project, and I don't really have any huge ego about it being a one man show. And I'd really welcome the chance to try to work out how to collaborate on a game, and I'm sure I can provide some technical tools for making that feasible. In fact in order to keep things in perspective I've chosen to basically start with Diadem of Maunstraut and just give it some TLC and a spit polish. I'm pretty sure Tom hates the idea (not to mention myself) but I'd already convinced him to agree to let the game be out there as opensource for anyone who wants to play with it and that's a tradition I'd like to encourage/foster because that's how I feel gaming should evolve. DoM I think is significant because it's the first full fledged SoM game (sorry Japan you had 10yrs to do something solid with Som!!) so I'd like to see it if not branch out like a tree, at least shoot up like a weed.
Todd thinks every Som game after DoM is going to be visually compared to DoM by poo-pooers. So I reckon before the original Som assets are completely dead to the acute ADD afflicted amongst us they might as well be put to a little more use.
My basic intention is to produce a game that is if not technically comparable to a contemporary/mainstream title it can be at least artistically so. Which is to say a video game critic/reviewer with half a brain cell should have no problem recommending the game to new/old gamers alike.
I've never seen even a low budget film of any merit that didn't have a long ass laundry list of people credited. Not to belittle anyone's solitary effort, but if we really want to turn peoples heads (to pay attention to Som) it's going to require collaboration.
I think I know everything necessary to produce a game. I know enough about everything to at least be able to intelligently communicate what needs to be done and empathize with anyone's role. I regard myself a sort of virtuoso in most skillsets required. I'm however only a mediocre writer but I know good writing when I see it. I have an even better ear for music I think but I was not in the band in highschool and never got into music (though there was a time when I definitely could've at least fronted an act or two
) ...which is why I chose DoM; which is, if I have to go it alone, it already has an original/lovingly crafted soundtrack.I've already worked out everything I want to do. And my only insistence upon anyone who'd like to help is that everyone involved understand that I shall have the final say so on anything and everything. My preference would be to act as the director and software engineer. I of course want people to leave there mark, and just because I say I have final say doesn't mean in the slightest I would not be compromising or accommodating... it would just mean I get to draw the line, like it or leave it. That may sound bad, but IMO there's never been a good film or game that didn't have someone in this capacity. Anything done by committee is doomed to mediocrity and I just don't want to poor a lot of time into something that could go that way.
I have a good idea of all the changes to DoM I intend to make. The list is not super long, and not particular. There is probably the equivalent of four good sized new maps. At least two of which I've already prepared. I've also spent a lot of time cleaning up many of the maps. What I mainly need are writers, play testers, and graphics people. I think the writing in Wicklow game was pretty solid, if Johnny Park is still around he could maybe help. I'm not a fan of dialogue so it shouldn't be a huge job. If anyone wants to help with play testing, that's a lot bigger role than it sounds. It's basically also the playtesters' job to tweak the monster/consumable item layouts and stats etc. Graphically I intend to use as much as the Som assets as possible, including Tom's stuff in DoM and some stuff I like from DD. Some of Tom's stuff will need new textures or new objects because I think they were ripped from KF1 and never properly textured. I intend to add one full body piece of armor which I finally have concept art for which I like. It's a very important piece of armor to the game. And I want to develop a tree set with basically almost solid foliage which can be pieced together to create lush settings (basically the parts of the trees need to be separate objects so they can be placed in different arrangements) ...aside from these queerly evergreen trees everything else in the world of DoM is dead or dying... they play an important role in the game. Otherwise there are probably a few spot treatments and I would not mind if the outdoor set could be doubled in terms of flexibility.
If anything is sacred to you, you might not want to get involved. If you're militantly religious about religion X or even King's Field you might be offended. I want to draw onto and add to the mythology of KF and ST which is something DoM already does. And I want the entire game to be interpretable on a Jungian level in a very Wizard of Oz kind of way. I also intend to play up the occult themes in DoM which Tom swears he unwittingly attributed to the game by way of the black metal he listens to / now presumably denounces (or pleads ignorance too)
There is a very antihero theme similar to ST. Your main allies are (not unlovable) demonic forces, but you also pray to their more or less benevolent equivalents. The ultimate antagonists are neither good or bad in a worldly way but are Lovecraft like cosmic horrors which threaten to devour the world of DoM demons and their better halves alike. Kind of like in Elric tales the most truly evil force in the game is the equipment the player will come to rely on for power.
I overcome the monotony of Som's hack'n'slash on sedatives model by throwing as many monsters at the player as possible and not necessarily awarding the player for killing them. Mostly the challenge lies in the numbers however which are fairly involved. You have a lot of stats playing off one another and you're up against the clock because your mp drains over time and without it you become a sitting duck. It's really like your fatigue. If you choose to develop your MAG equivalent then you can go further distances/last longer but with less physical power and all around regeneration, but if you go the STR route you have lots of regen and stamina but must rest a lot. Afaik STR and MAG are the only innate stats that change thruout the game which effect the players performance. They play many roles however. There is also a lot going on with the status ailments which all play different roles than intended. There are also at least five different modes of travel depending on the weight of the players inventory everything except negligible "one of" items has a weight. The game is designed to not take long and feel like an arcade experience with lots of replay value with an emphasis on best time ranking.