Considering Developing A New Game

[Unit 42]

Ok cool!

[b2bomber]

Thats a for sure thing.

One other quick thing. I still am traveling but as I am I am also trying to work on scripting different parts of the project as well.

[erfd]

For the point system, I think it should group 0 points up together so new people get a chance at play serious instead of with crappy players.

[BlackS]

You dude, you're freaking Awesome! Me (L) you and your work

Serious mate, If you need help or something, PM me

maybe I PM my Xfire/Steam or what else to you.

Really I love the first option, my question:

Is it an internet game or serious a program?

[b2bomber]

Really I love the first option, my question:

Is it an internet game or serious a program?

Hey, Yea we have been getting this question a lot. The way we currently are planing and building it, it will be a standalone free application that you will download to your PC and later possibly Mac. From there you will log in in app and become connected to our servers and the games main menu will pop up. From which there you can connect to the live online multi-player game. Originally we were looking at using unity's own in webpage player (similar to Adobe's flash player in which would provide same performance as standalone app graphics wise) Although it has more of a strain on the web bandwidth of our servers and your own pc. As well one other problem is we found it to be a bit unstable. Although as this new field of in web page games progresses, we may consider introducing that as an option for playing the game.But for now in comparison think of it as a world of war craft style game.

QUICK SUMMARY

Q. - Is the game online or actually an standalone app I download and play on my PC?

A. - Its a standalone application that you have on your pc in which you log in and play online in app

[TacticalRooster22]

Oh, so there won't be like a campaign or freeplay mode?

[Multibullets]

@b2bomber

Thanks for answering my question so throughly! I myself am on vacation and that's why I haven't answered so far. The point system sounds like a fairly good idea that can work if the other players are serious enough. I don't know if you had it in your mind this way but if a user receives many 'negative' points from other players, would the administrators get a warning to check that certain person out or will the player be auto-banned?

Alright, excuse me for asking if it's been explained already but how will the dispatching work?

Sorry for all the questions and enjoy your vacation

[b2bomber]

Oh, so there won't be like a campaign or freeplay mode?

since its all mulitiplayer it would just be this huge free-play thing going on. were not sure yet how that will be achieved networking wise. like for example having a server control one part of the map and then another and so on. or if servers will run an instance of a game with like 20 players instead of like 400 over a vast collection of servers controlling a map. One other thing that I am considering doing is rather than us design the maps, let people design there own maps and department setups with our base and then allowing you the player to go to any different map you want to. (similar to instance stuff just instead custom maps by players) what the problem boils down to is if we want all the work being done on your own independent systems and having to bump up the PC specs to play the game or if we just place the majority of the load on severs on our end. (Server based: bumps up cost of running game (Power and bandwidth) /lowers system specs on user end).

@b2bomber

Thanks for answering my question so throughly! I myself am on vacation and that's why I haven't answered so far. The point system sounds like a fairly good idea that can work if the other players are serious enough. I don't know if you had it in your mind this way but if a user receives many 'negative' points from other players, would the administrators get a warning to check that certain person out or will the player be auto-banned?

Alright, excuse me for asking if it's been explained already but how will the dispatching work?

Sorry for all the questions and enjoy your vacation

I did. Thanks.

Point Verification System-- Well for point system stuff. the way I intend on doing that was to limit the amount that a player could give per day month whatever, but as for receiving them. You would have to be given a certain amount of negative points to get the attention of the system (like 2-4) but admin would have to review the complaints made against them to verify that its lo-git and not just somebody being a turkey in that case (in which then they would get the ban hammer. So No auto ban system for that (less work for me in short run as a solo scripter anyway. )

Dispatching Method-- As for the dispatch system, system generates a call passes its data off to the dispatching script object (Map location, type). Dispatching script object uses AI intelligence based off what data is given to determine what it should dispatch for the call and what units are close that are required for the call to dispatch to it(basically unit dispatch will be district based just as in real life). So for example a first alarm call comes in for a fire. And say that the dispatch system proto-call for that is two engines, a truck, command officer, safety officer, 2 po-po, and a ALS medic. Now that it knows what it needs it searches the district that the fire is in for available units and districts just outside of it for available units in which then it dispatches stations to the call. Artificial intelligence is not my thing, so that being said as for determining if more units are needed for that call will be up to the officers on scene what they need in which they will just call it in over the game radio (text based). This goes the same way for completing a call. The game won't know if you completed the call or not. It will only know if it needs to re-call you cause a AI person spots it again or an AI alarm picks up something.(fire would have to be detected around a collision bubble surrounding the person mesh) It doesn't give you a list of objectives to complete and it doesn't tell you how many casualties or hot spots there are on scene and or where they are. Firefighters don't get that in real life without asking someone or provided through dispatch. there's no HUD Map showing them joe doo is in the living room of his house and the fire is in the foyer kind of thing. They ask and or find out by seeing/hearing it kind of thing.

these episodes kind of show how the calling works... (Fire House USA : Boston-- Really good show)

Recalled fire found kind of thing--

an alarm resounds and they get called back in...

So a some what realistic dispatch system done by AI for now. Now maybe in future releases we will add a dispatching job for an actual user to control it.

On to some major news...

We are working on setting up a forum/ website right now for our project. Currently we are reviewing applicants for our new webmaster member who will be working on all web based content for the project (such as in app web-pages as well as main content page). We should have more on that for you shortly.

Well that's all I have for you right now. Keep posting what ever you feel like asking and or commenting on and we just would like to thank you for your support.

[FDNYpower]

i would love to see the dispacher game

[Unit 42]

Will there be a brush truck?

[b2bomber]

idk yet, honestly we haven't thought about the map. our concern is the functionality of the objects and making the game system work first.

[Unit 42]

Oh.

[lefty2]

brush truck would be awsome

[b2bomber]

heres a question for you what kind of map would you guys like?

[erfd]

I think a suburban setting, lets say population 50 thousand, a lot of housing, good commercial district in the center, and then some grassland/forests/farmland on the outskirts. This way you could have a little of everything.

[TacticalRooster22]

Ya I agree. You could have car accidents, brush fires, structure fires, etc.

[b2bomber]

If we start with this 3d game first, first off the types of calls that will be created will be limited to just fires, car accidents and basic medicals. So will be the apparatus available. (like I believe I said before, engines, trucks, and med squads on top of battalion cars) I like the ideas so far. So a sort of suburban district with a few high rises maybe? ( 12 story office buildings or something?) what about some sort of costal based department. Basically where would you want it to take place. In some sort of tropical environment, NYC/ Chicago style, denver/las vegas?) NOTE: not modeling after departments just the climate and similar landscape set ups.

[erfd]

I like the costal idea. High rise apartments along the ocean, then small strip mall shopping districts, and then some forest areas. Then after that farmland.

[aitor]

I'd like to see a Chicago style landscape although I aslo like New York, I also think that the farmland would be a good idea and a city that would be in a plain at high altitude, with a cold climatic conditions and with a high probality of snowfalls.

[erfd]

How big of map can are you planning on making?

[b2bomber]

Not sure yet. The plan is to start out with a map that only has a few companies on it. If we choose to design a system for users to integrate there own maps into the game then our map will not be a huge ever expanding one. But instead we will probably create a few different maps styled in different locations.

[TacticalRooster22]

Yah. So wait, like you'd make maybe a rural map, then a coastal map, then a big city map, etc...? And you wouldn't believe how excitied I am for this! I cannot wait, even if it takes five years!

[erfd]

I think one big map would be best, just include a little bit of everything. THen you don't have to worry about compatiblity and limited players on each type of map.

[Unit 42]

Yah. So wait, like you'd make maybe a rural map, then a coastal map, then a big city map, etc...? And you wouldn't believe how excitied I am for this! I cannot wait, even if it takes five years!

We'll try to keep it somewhat short than that

[b2bomber]

Yah. So wait, like you'd make maybe a rural map, then a coastal map, then a big city map, etc...? And you wouldn't believe how excitied I am for this! I cannot wait, even if it takes five years!

Well here's what I have decided to do. What I have decided to do for now is just start testing out concepts and functions. Now I am not saying I am for sure on building a game but what I am for certain of is that I will be creating pieces of the game in 1 project with plans to turn it into an actual game. So for right now you could just say we are experimenting around. We may be able to set up a few little project sneak peaks with YouTube videos and or even exporting bit and pieces of the project into a unity web player for you guys to demo and play around with interactively like it were the real game. (there wont be maps though. it will just be a flat white plane with objects and stuff scattered across it kind of thing)

mean while if you would all like to download a plugin for your browser that allows you to view any unity content on the web, you can get it here at...

http://unity3d.com/webplayer/

I think one big map would be best, just include a little bit of everything. THen you don't have to worry about compatiblity and limited players on each type of map.

That's one way I was looking at it. that would although, take out the factor of modiblity. (wouldn't be any servers to run anything else with our budget).

although it would be good for uniformity of the units. because of how detailed and functional units will be in our concept and hopefully in game. we plan to make one model of a particular vehicle and then just re-skin it for multiple units.

We'll try to keep it somewhat short than that

Hey by the way unit42 I sent you a new job for you via email I think to get done and also a little insight as well.