Game comp ideas for Comp May 4th to Jun 30th

Started by Qube, April 19, 2018, 16:44:20

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Derron

#15
Instead of doing a graphical limitation (which I dislike as I ... see last discussion about it ;-)) we could think of having an "input limitation". I am talking about games which are playable with 1 button or maybe 2 (means for a mouse: either "x+button" or "x+y" or "button 1 + button2", so really constraint to two input objects - so yes, you get an information for free when using "x/y" rather a "0/1"-based thing like button presses).

So I am talking about a game in which you "auto run" but jump over hurdles, in which you automatically fly and dive down but move up while pressing a key. Maybe you could use 2 buttons - to ease the pain in the main menu (to be able to select something and trigger "button down" - instead of auto-selecting an item after 1 second and checking for the input).


The whole theme could have the restriction "restriction". Means you could limit yourself to 1-2 buttons, x colors - or something other interesting. Eg. You could have the restriction to either display the player/units/... _or_ the map (however this could become useful). Or you have all units running while you move, but as soon as you stop, all stop (like "turn based" somehow). ...


bye
Ron

Xerra

I like the idea of having a theme and a restriction of some type but I'm dreadful with graphic stuff so having to work with a restricted palette or something like that, I'd be worried that I'd make a mess of setting it all up.

Limited controls is interesting - a very good idea.

How about a game based on a song you love? Very vague theme but could get some interesting results.
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iWasAdam

song is a good idea but a bit too broad like the movies. maybe limit it to a style or artist or time

or maybe in the style of an artist (painting artist, not music)

ohh 'Trapped monsters', Mark Rothko, Kate Bush
or Lichtenstein, Baroque
or Picasso, 70's prog rock - lol

TomToad

Make the games educational, take the entries to your local school and have the kids vote on them.
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freeman69

Tom's idea could be interesting. It could be possible to pick a topic from the curriculum and write a game to demonstrate it (I recall the old BBC Micro having a handful of these types of programs, including Candyfloss). There's a teaching forum called TES, that used to let anyone post comments and add 'resources'.

On the bus to work I started jotting down general themes for a comp (graphical & non-educational themes):

melting or disintegration
gravity or magnetism
electricity (no cheating by claiming the computer runs on it)
volcano!
contagion
liquid
bounce, ricochet or deflection

iWasAdam


Steve Elliott

Quote
melting or disintegration
gravity or magnetism
electricity
volcano!
contagion
liquid
bounce, ricochet or deflection

Some good ideas here.
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Derron

Quote from: iWasAdam on April 20, 2018, 10:00:50
great idea - if you have kids!

retro ... good idea - if you cannot draw things in higher res
retro ... good idea - if you cannot handle HD+ resolution
remake ... good idea - if you cannot come up with something own
...
you can always come up with some "bad side" aspects of a theme/restriction. What you seem to miss is: you could try to sell stuff on the mobile app markets, children apps are more likely bought ("no ads") - at least I would think so. Also children games have often very simple but yet addictive principles. So even adults might play it for a while. Imagine a "train construction game" (you need to join locomotive with waggons - colored ones, transporting certain goods ... things get harder/varying, faster, ...).

Think plenty of games for younger ones could be played by older ones - either by increased difficulty or because they inherit some kind of "creativity portion" (just think of a 3D marble run construction software thing ...).


bye
Ron

Rooster

Quote from: iWasAdam on April 20, 2018, 07:45:17
song is a good idea but a bit too broad like the movies. maybe limit it to a style or artist or time
Some ideas in that vein:
50's rock and roll,
DubStep,
Chip tunes,
and children's songs. (that would go with the children's/educational theme)

Derron

Ene mene meck, und Du bist ...weg
(ene mene moan, and you are ...go'an).

Children songs are often very "regional" so you might end up with some funny stuff. I suggested the children games because:
- I have a (2.5yrs) son
- adults can play them too
- do not require perfect polishing as children look for other things
- do not require perfect sounds
- do not need to have many localized texts (images > text)
- require us to do something "outside the box" (your personal knowledge of games does not help very much)
- might attract other people than with traditional genres

Disadvantage is: you cannot come up with some cheap ascii-adventure, it needs som kind of "recognizeable" assets.


bye
Ron

Xerra

I had this idea today at work of perhaps a well known programmer with a good range of games could be suggested and then a list published and each person who wanted to enter the competition had to pick one and do their own take on it. Not a remake, but their own game based on the original concept and a fitting tribute. Perhaps make it interesting where Qube put all the participants into a hat and all the games into another hat and then matched up the person to the game they are going to work with.

Of course it would mean it would require knowing who's entering right at the start unless people actually decided to enter late. Not to mention that you don't really get to choose your game design, which could put someone off if it's a clunker.

Prolific programmers aren't hard to choose from, though. Andrew Braybrook, Tony Crowther, Jeff Minter, Dave Collier, Shaun Southern etc. And that's just on the C64.

I know people aren't keen on the remake idea but this is doing a tribute which isn't quite the same.
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Qube

So, is there any general consensus on possible ideas?
Will we make page 4 and still have not clue... again :P
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Until the next time.

Steve Elliott

Quote
Will we make page 4 and still have not clue... again :P

Probably lol.
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Derron

If no consensus is found - use one of the compo generators. And if we agreed on using such a compo theme generator, then it can kept as a secret until start just because Qube is clicking "generate" 1 minute before start of the compo.

Technical restrictions (only green colors, only 1 button, only keyboard, no texts!, ...) should then of course be agreed to in advance.


@ no text
This would need _everything_ be selfexplanatory somehow, no guide-screen needed (but of course you could use some "auto play"-help-thingy in the startscreen if nothing was pressed for a while). Think exclamation, question, ... -marks should be allowed in that case (eg a "?" block to jump at for a random item - or to start the guide-auto-play).


Another restriction could be the game length. Maybe some kind of "5 Minute game". Means games should not take longer than 5 Minutes. But I think that is easier to achieve than games playable for hours.


bye
Ron

STEVIE G

#29
I agree on the Ludum Dare style theme generation. 

http://www.cowfacegames.com/handytools/ludum-dare-theme-generator

Maybe generate 3 and allow a choice?

Can we also make a rule that your game must be playable full screen?

Graphical restrictions could be grey-scale only or suchlike.